Mars lander competition

RobertDyck · 2017-09-21 17:34:26

During the Saturday banquet at the 20th annual Mars Society convention (2017), Robert Zubrin announced a new contest. He wants university students to design a lander that can land 10 metric tonnes on Mars.

YouTube (starts where he describes the contest): Robert Zubrin at Saturday Banquet

He said:

I'm thinking of calling this the "Eagle Mars Contest". You know the Eagle was the vehicle that landed on the Moon. Ok, so we need the Eagle for Mars. Eagle Mars, or Mars Eagle, soon enough we'll find exactly what name.

I would like to recommend a name. In ancient Greek mythology, "Eagle Owl" was sacred to Ares. It's the largest, heaviest owl that exists in Europe. It doesn't exist in UK or North America. It's the same genus as a North American owl, the Horned Owl, but European Eagle-Owl is a slightly different species with slightly different markings.

You could call it simply "Eagle-Owl", or the scientific name for the species "Bubo bubo". That might be too obscure, just call it "Eagle-Owl".

From Wikipedia:

Fandom:

Owl's of Harry Potter, Malfoy's Owl: (shows characteristic stance with 2 toes forward, thumb and back toe facing backward)

Last edited by RobertDyck (2017-09-21 22:50:38)

SpaceNut · 2017-09-21 18:41:52

I hope that there is more to the mass of payload landed as thats only part of the game of being able to get there and land. Any landings need to have specifics of size diameter as well, life expentancy on the surface and other things. Remember this needs to be a man paving way to surface design not just a heavy block with a craft barely able to fit it within it.

Mars Eagle is a fitting name and the Eagle Owl is beautiful.....

RobertDyck · 2017-09-21 22:21:29

Robert Zubrin described a debate he had with someone from NASA. He reported the NASA person claimed we don't have anything that can land 10 tons on Mars, so therefor we can't go to Mars. Robert Zubrin's argument was if we don't have a lander, then develop a lander. This competition derives from that. He wants university students to show-up NASA.

RobertDyck · 2017-09-21 22:42:15

Wikipedia wrote:

The great horned owl...or the hoot owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. ...is often compared to the Eurasian eagle-owl, a closely related species which, despite the latter's notably larger size, occupies the same ecological niche in Eurasia...
Adult great horned owls range in length from 43 to 64 cm (17 to 25 in), with an average of 55 cm (22 in), and possess a wingspan of 91 to 153 cm (3 ft 0 in to 5 ft 0 in), with an average of 122 cm (48 in). Females are somewhat larger than males. Mean body weight is 1,608 g (3.545 lb) for females and 1,224 g (2.698 lb) for males. Depending on subspecies, maximum weight can reach 2,503 g (5.518 lb).

Wikipedia wrote:

The Eurasian eagle-owl... also called the European eagle-owl... females can grow to a total length of 75 cm (30 in), with a wingspan of 188 cm (6 ft 2 in), males being slightly smaller. ... Adult male European Eagle-Owls from Norway weigh 1.63 to 2.81 kg (3.6 to 6.2 lb), averaging 2.38 kg (5.2 lb), while females there weigh from 2.28 to 4.2 kg (5.0 to 9.3 lb), averaging 2.95 kg (6.5 lb).

A big, heavy bird. Appropriate symbol for this competition?

jburk · 2017-09-22 12:36:00

RobertDyck wrote:

Robert Zubrin described a debate he had with someone from NASA. He reported the NASA person claimed we don't have anything that can land 10 tons on Mars, so therefor we can't go to Mars. Robert Zubrin's argument was if we don't have a lander, then develop a lander. This competition derives from that. He wants university students to show-up NASA.

It was Dava Newman (who is no longer with NASA but was deputy administrator to Bolden) and it got quite heated.

jburk · 2017-09-22 12:37:05

Also, regarding the contest, it has now been announced and will be called "Red Eagle"

http://www.marssociety.org/mars-society … rs-lander/

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#1 2017-09-21 17:34:26

Mars lander competition

#2 2017-09-21 18:41:52

Re: Mars lander competition

#3 2017-09-21 22:21:29

Re: Mars lander competition

#4 2017-09-21 22:42:15

Re: Mars lander competition

#5 2017-09-22 12:36:00

Re: Mars lander competition

#6 2017-09-22 12:37:05

Re: Mars lander competition

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