Just to be safe, Jason ordered the immediate construction of a one-billion-ton Helium-3 nuclear bomb and a matching "basin-style" propulsion engine.
Once the prototype succeeded, the design could be systematically mass-produced, as the underlying technology wasn't overly complex. Although Mars had slightly stronger gravity than the Moon, a one-billion-ton yield would still easily provide enough thrust to break orbit.
If a catastrophic crisis erupted on Mars, humanity could detonate the bomb and ride the shockwave to safety aboard the Noah. As long as the threat wasn't something they carried with them like a viral outbreak, escaping the planet would guarantee their survival.
This was Jason's personal contingency plan. After discussing it with Austin and the other department heads, he had immediately issued the directive. Just having the plan in motion made him feel significantly more relaxed.
