New Mars Forums

In a recent note published on Reddit, the GAO has denied the Blue Origin and Dynetics protests.

https://spacenews.com/gao-denies-blue-o … -contract/

Unfortunately I'm not well at the moment; recovering from a bout with Covid-19. Just released from the hospital last night.

I've been pondering the use of SRBs for Falcon 9 as a Falcon 9 "Intermediate" which could enhance the performance readily. If the SRBs could be recovered by parachute and then be snagged airborne by helicopter, that would maintain the reusability concept for SpaceX. But since the focus is on Starship, this would seem to be a meaningless side diversion in Elon's eyes. Maybe 2 years ago would have made some sense?

There's an old saying: it's sometimes easier to seek forgiveness than ask for permission.

Thomas-

The high vacuum of space available at Mars wouldn't work. The water vapors need to be in a closed system for re condensation to a liquid. We aren't drying the minerals, but want to recover the purified water.

There is already chemical process equipment commercially available to do this separation. Its called a "wiped film evaporator." Widely used in the food processing industry--making tomato puree from tomato sauce. Or many other processes involving water removal from a food product without adversely affecting the flavor of the concentrated foodstuff.

Reinventing the wheel seems to be pretty easy...

Vehicles:
Large rover, capable of carrying a driver and up to 6 passengers. Either a 6 wheel or even 8 wheel drive vehicle. Could serve as an ambulance with an injured explorer.
2 small rovers, capable of carrying 3 persons, with a "pickup truck" style bed in the back for equipment and samples retrieved.
2 smaller Bobcat tracked front loaders.
2 larger Bobcat style tracked front loaders with a backhoe attachment
Trailers for all vehicles. Capable of carrying mined ice to a purification facility.

I've included wheeled vehicles where possible because tracked vehicles require considerably more maintenance than wheeled vehicles.

This is a typical Bobcat skid-steer loader. There are various sizes. This one is S450. ("S" for skid) Rated Operating Capacity: 1,370lb. Operating weight: 5,370lb

The thing that makes it "skid-steer" is it's wheels. It's wheels don't turn, to steer the vehicle you turn the wheels on one side while wheels on the other do not turn. Or to pivot in place, turn wheels on the other side backward. This means the wheels literally "skid" across the ground as it's steering. Be advised: operating this on grass will tear up the grass. This works very well on pavement or hard or very firm ground. It doesn't work so well on loose soil/dirt/sand/gravel at an incline.

This is a typical Bobcat compact track loader. This one is T450. ("T" for track) ROC: 1,490lb. Operating weight: 6,424lb

Track vehicles work better on loose ground and inclines. The track provides more traction. I'm suggesting a compact track loader would be more appropriate for Mars.

An excavator can be compact. The first is E10, Rated Lift Capacity 527lb, Operating weight 2,593lb. The second is E20, RLC 1,098lb, Operating weight 4,306lb.

Bobcat has become known for compact construction vehicles. Other brands manufacture competing vehicles: John Deere, Case, Caterpillar, New Holland, others.

Only difference between this and Bezos' is the final altitude. New Shepard will go either near or above the Karman line at 100 km. But the USA recognizes 50 miles as entering space. This was a fine success.

If Elon wanted to get involved in the one-upsmanship game, he would simply ride on a short orbital flight.

P.S. The Spaceship 2 reached an altitude of 283,000 feet. That's about 90 km.

I doubt that the tether system would be used to generate 1 g. I would anticipate that on the outbound to Mars flight, it would be 0.4 g, which would reduce the necessary weight of the tether cable substantially, as less tensile forces would be involved. It would also reduce the spin rate to employ such a system. Arriving Mars colonists would be adapted to living and working in a lower gravitational environment. Such a system would be advantageous for food preparation, bathing, and using a toilet.

Of course, all the freight carriers would be absent this system. Not needed.

I really think that Elon may have thought "too big," for the passenger Starships. Smaller crewed ships would have been better for the first several years of missions to the Red Planet. The monsters he's creating will be the supply system for the first few decades of colonization. But--it's his money and his company. If he succeeds, he will become a civilization savior.

I was watching a couple YouTube programs, and it seems that Elon is now considering a tether system between 2 Starships for production of artificial gravity. No doubt the influence of Robert Zubrin?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTCpHiy60RA

I'm going to shamelessly promote my idea of a 17 man ("person") crew, and have a suitable group of strong minded and fearless individuals compose it. Big enough to actually accomplish a LOT, but small enough to easily provide with adequate food, air, shelter and water.

I created this as something of a "pathfinder" mission, and one which would be "an experiment."