New Mars Forums

Lake Matthew Team - Cole

Member

Registered: 2016-12-21

Posts: 119

Website

Omaha Trail

Integrating new SpaceX spacecraft into the Omaha Trail:  a presentation to the British Interplanetary Society

[from the press release]

November 7, 2017 – Today the Lake Matthew Team and ISEC Director Dr. Martin Lades announce integration of new SpaceX spacecraft designs into the Omaha Trail proposal for high-efficiency transport between Earth and Mars.  Dr. Lades presented results in conference today at the British Interplanetary Society.

The new SpaceX spacecraft designs, announced by Elon Musk on September 29, 2017, are smaller than the Interplanetary Transport System (ITS) spacecraft announced in 2016.  Ascent cargo payload is 150 tons.  Also there is a new capability to remove over 99% of orbital kinetic energy via aerobraking, prior to landing burn.  These changes called for a recalculation of Omaha Trail flight efficiencies and radiation protection.  Updated results are summarized below, with all numbers relative to known or estimated baseline numbers for the new SpaceX spacecraft.

Cargo Benefits

Earth launches:

The required number of Earth launches for cargo delivery is cut by 71%.

Propellant:

The required propellant load for cargo delivery is cut by 68%.

Crew Benefits

Earth launches:

The required number of Earth launches for crewed missions is cut by 83%.

Propellant:

The required propellant load for crewed missions is cut by 65%.

Radiation Protection:

A 130-ton water shield, acquired at Deimos, reduces the flux of penetrating solar flare protons by about 90%, en route to Mars. On the return flight, shielding and increased speed reduce proton flux by more than 95%. This high degree of protection obviates the need for a dedicated solar flare shelter aboard the spacecraft...

Last edited by Lake Matthew Team - Cole (2017-11-11 23:13:24)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,877

Re: Omaha Trail

Good to see you return Lake Matthew Team... as for the water shield does the moon of mars really have that much water and is there a resource to aid in the calculation of the water shield thickness?

Lake Matthew Team - Cole

Member

Registered: 2016-12-21

Posts: 119

Website

Re: Omaha Trail

Hi.  Yes, Deimos has low density ~1.5 g/cm3, and much water ice is likely near polar surfaces, after Fanale & Savail 1990. 

One ref for material shielding estimation is Aguayo et al. 2011.

More info in original Omaha Trail presentation to ISEC.

Last edited by Lake Matthew Team - Cole (2017-11-12 10:00:46)