Difference between revisions of "People from Earth to Mars in 30 days"
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It is possible using a combination of electric and chemical propulsion to send people in a rocket from Earth to Mars in 30 days. The electric portion of the system would accelerate nine refueling depots to prepositioning orbits. The chemical rocket with a human crew would rendezvous with each of the nine refueling depots, adding about 3056 meters per second in each of ten burns. This would follow an orbit of the same shape as a Hohmann transfer orbit between Mercury and Saturn,<ref>W. Joseph Armento, ''PHYSICAL DATA FOR THE PLANETS, THEIR SATELLITES AND SOME ASTEROIDS'' in the CRC HANDBOOK of CHEMISTRY and PHYYSICS, 64th edition, page F-140</ref> but oriented in the solar system to intersect Earth's and Mars' orbits. The change in velocity (delta v) necessary to change from Earth's orbit to the transfer orbit is 30,561 meters per second. There are probably transfer orbits that more efficiently use delta v and can make the 30 day transfer with less than nine refuelings. The fuel transfer technology still needs to be developed and practiced to be sure that the fuel transfers and rocket restarts are accomplished without fail, lest the crew be stranded en route. The prepositioning of the fuel depots would begin about ten years before the human crew is launched. | It is possible using a combination of electric and chemical propulsion to send people in a rocket from Earth to Mars in 30 days. The electric portion of the system would accelerate nine refueling depots to prepositioning orbits. The chemical rocket with a human crew would rendezvous with each of the nine refueling depots, adding about 3056 meters per second in each of ten burns. This would follow an orbit of the same shape as a Hohmann transfer orbit between Mercury and Saturn,<ref>W. Joseph Armento, ''PHYSICAL DATA FOR THE PLANETS, THEIR SATELLITES AND SOME ASTEROIDS'' in the CRC HANDBOOK of CHEMISTRY and PHYYSICS, 64th edition, page F-140</ref> but oriented in the solar system to intersect Earth's and Mars' orbits. The change in velocity (delta v) necessary to change from Earth's orbit to the transfer orbit is 30,561 meters per second. There are probably transfer orbits that more efficiently use delta v and can make the 30 day transfer with less than nine refuelings. The fuel transfer technology still needs to be developed and practiced to be sure that the fuel transfers and rocket restarts are accomplished without fail, lest the crew be stranded en route. The prepositioning of the fuel depots would begin about ten years before the human crew is launched. | ||
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| + | A spaceship for a 30 day voyage could be smaller than one intended for a 180 day voyage because not as much air, food and water would need to be carried. Provision for refueling would add some mass and there would need to be a substantial heat shield for slowing down at Mars. | ||
==Reference== | ==Reference== | ||
Revision as of 10:06, 24 January 2013
It is possible using a combination of electric and chemical propulsion to send people in a rocket from Earth to Mars in 30 days. The electric portion of the system would accelerate nine refueling depots to prepositioning orbits. The chemical rocket with a human crew would rendezvous with each of the nine refueling depots, adding about 3056 meters per second in each of ten burns. This would follow an orbit of the same shape as a Hohmann transfer orbit between Mercury and Saturn,[1] but oriented in the solar system to intersect Earth's and Mars' orbits. The change in velocity (delta v) necessary to change from Earth's orbit to the transfer orbit is 30,561 meters per second. There are probably transfer orbits that more efficiently use delta v and can make the 30 day transfer with less than nine refuelings. The fuel transfer technology still needs to be developed and practiced to be sure that the fuel transfers and rocket restarts are accomplished without fail, lest the crew be stranded en route. The prepositioning of the fuel depots would begin about ten years before the human crew is launched.
A spaceship for a 30 day voyage could be smaller than one intended for a 180 day voyage because not as much air, food and water would need to be carried. Provision for refueling would add some mass and there would need to be a substantial heat shield for slowing down at Mars.
Reference
- ↑ W. Joseph Armento, PHYSICAL DATA FOR THE PLANETS, THEIR SATELLITES AND SOME ASTEROIDS in the CRC HANDBOOK of CHEMISTRY and PHYYSICS, 64th edition, page F-140
