You are not logged in.
Hi SpaceNut ... thanks for the reminder.
Best wishes for a happy time with your family!
(th)
Offline
Like button can go here
For SpaceNut re post in Airlocks topic ... https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 03#p236503
Thanks for the link to that impressive paper from 2000!
Update: Overnight it occurred to me that your focus on airlock design, operation and maintenance for Mars might become the first step in a sequence leading to practical knowledge for life on Mars. We have practical ideas scattered all over the NewMars archive, but it is scattered among a great number of posts that are exploratory or speculative in nature.
As we enter 2026, we have an opportunity to follow your lead and begin to build a collection of Rules to Live on Mars by.
We also have the opportunity to seriously consider a new Category for the Dome project on Mars. If we decide to proceed with that, we have the potential to accumulate a set of data that a project manager could use to plan the entire operation. I expect it would take more than one Earth year to finish that effort.
(th)
Offline
Like button can go here
For SpaceNut .... Your new topic about garage/hanger volume looks promising. I don't think anyone will be able to fill such a volume with very expensive clean air. Clean air will be reserved for use in habitats, and inside sealed vehicles. I can't imagine anyone being able to afford to take the time to pump down a garage or hanger sized volume just to work on a vehicle.
I think it makes more sense to bring the vehicle into a volume where you can close the huge door and let dust settle to the floor.
Mechanical sweepers might be a way to collect the dust, because vacuums aren't going to work in the thin Mars atmosphere.
Ingenuity showed that large fans ** can ** work on Mars.
It might make sense to blow dust off of vehicles before driving them into a garage or hanger.
Humans may have experience performing maintenance in sand storms. It's not something I've heard much about.
(th)
Offline
Like button can go here
For SpaceNut .... thanks for the reminder of Data General!
I asked Google for a refresh, and it found a number of references...
Here's one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rccMfdxMe1U
The comments section is filled with memories of people who worked with or on that system.
(th)
Offline
Like button can go here
You found the front runner to the modern PC in single card form. The had its own chip sets making the unit. They had a foundry out in Sunny vale California before the industry went over seas.
Offline
Like button can go here
For SpaceNut re Post #4030
Thanks for the link to the Data General article on Wikipedia.... That is a ** very ** interesting article...
My work environment did not include exposure to Data General, so I'm glad to have this opportunity to learn about that inspired group of people who spun off from Dec ... I am also interested to learn that you were part of that successful venture! I don't know if you noticed, but toward the bottom of the article, it was reported that the control panel of Data General may have inspired the front panel of the famous MITS Altair 8800, which I was able to acquire in it's original kit form.
(th)
Offline
Like button can go here
For SpaceNut ... re https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 44#p236544
The text you pasted about airlocks looks reasonable, but there are no references.
This forum needs to get in the habit of providing references for every post that might be assumed by a reader to be something other than an opinion.
I like the discussion about multiple stages of air locks. That looks really tedious to me.
The worry about contaminating Mars is understandable for an initial expedition.
It has nothing to do with Calliban's dome airlock. We aren't going to be worried about contamination of Mars.
You have already started discussion because you are (apparently) worried about CO in Mars atmosphere that might enter the habitat.
I have tried to encourage you to guide your AI to produce useful guidance on how to do that. The AI may have found some NASA documentation but I don't see that has much if anything to do with Calliban's dome.
You provided a problem to solve. Now please guide AI to find a solution.
You want to keep CO out of the habitat. Good! Let's do it.
And while you're at it, please keep delay short and inconvenience to the resident minimal.
(th)
Offline
Like button can go here
For SpaceNut re space suits post....
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 66#p236566
This forum does not support the gas mixture you showed us in this post.
That is a NASA idea.
It would help if you would make sure to point out to our readers that the idea of using Nitrogen in a suit at Mars is not accepted by this forum.
If you have forgotten all the work that went into arriving at this consensus, then you have a bit of reading ahead.
(th)
Offline
Like button can go here
For SpaceNut re challenges for settling Mars...
I thought of you when I ran across this video....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7mjp7MDx_w
It seems to be designed to list all the problems that you might want to see listed all at once.
I watched only a bit of it ... just enough to decide it appears to be a serious attempt to understand the challenges of setting up shop on Mars.
(th)
Offline
Like button can go here