Ready For Mars Project
"Ready For Mars" is a project to develop a realistic and acheivable manned mission to Mars.
Objective
The Ready For Mars project aims to develop a practical engineering design for a manned mission to Mars, comprehensively addressing the various technological challanges that need to be overcome. This effort is based around an outline mission concept that aims to minimise the technological challenges involved.
Guiding Principles
The stated guiding principles of the project are:
To conduct exploration of Mars with a view to establishing a permanent base and, ultimately and in the longer term, a settlement, using the simplest and most pragmatic mission design with the lowest development cost and timescales.
The Mission Concept
Overall Mission Characteristics
The mission concept is characterised by:
- Conventional, Viking-style, Entry, Descent and Landing technology
- Small landed payloads (ca. 4,500 kg)
- High redundancy of surface units – mission is a “go” with any single landing failure (and most double failures)
- High surface mobility
- High science return (several thousand kg of scientific equipment)
- Assured Return (that is, not a one-way mission)
- Use of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) for ascent propellants, breathing air and water.
- Objectives-focused design
