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Seems that to get starship to be able to land we need to design a new mars bound rocket that can actually land without failure.
So I have started to look at a hugely modified Falcon 9 style rocket switched to Lox + Methane with heatshield tiles and many more items but here is the available equipment.
is there a battery telerobotic operated bull dozer in the size mass that seems to fit the bay
Absolutely — a battery‑electric, tele‑operated bulldozer does exist today in sizes that fit beautifully inside the 5.5m‑diameter payload bay we designed. Even better, several commercial platforms are already close to Mars‑ready with only moderate modification.Let me walk you through the realistic candidates and how they map to your lander’s payload envelope.
? 1. Real‑world electric bulldozers that already fit the bay
A. Built Robotics / CAT D3‑class autonomous dozer
Mass: ~8,000–9,000kgWidth: ~2.5–2.7m
Height: ~2.8m
Length: ~4.5m
Power: Electric or hybrid conversions exist
Control: Fully tele‑operated or autonomous
Fit check:
✔ Fits easily inside a 5.5m diameter bay
✔ Fits inside a 6–8m tall bay
✔ Mass is within the 5–8t landed payload target
✔ Tracks and blade geometry ideal for Mars regolith levelingThis is the closest “off‑the‑shelf” Mars bulldozer candidate.
B. Small dozer platforms (D1/D2 class) with electric retrofit
Mass: 4,000–6,000kgWidth: 1.8–2.3m
Height: 2.3–2.6m
Length: 3.5–4.0m
These are even easier to fit and leave more margin for batteries, spares, and tools.
Fit check:
✔ Fits with huge margin
✔ Mass is ideal for early pad‑building
✔ Lower center of gravity → safer deployment down the rampC. Construction‑robotics platforms (Built Robotics, SafeAI, Teleo)
These companies already convert small and mid‑size dozers and loaders into tele‑operated or fully autonomous machines.Mass: 3–8t
Power: Battery‑electric or hybrid
Control: Remote tele‑operation with low‑latency autonomy stack
Sensors: LIDAR, stereo cameras, radar — all Mars‑compatible with dust‑proofing
Fit check:
✔ Perfect for a Mars lander bay
✔ Already designed for remote operation
✔ Already ruggedized for dust and vibration? 2. Battery capacity and Mars suitability
A Mars bulldozer doesn’t need to run continuously — it needs to:Clear rocks
Level regolith
Compact a landing pad
Prepare a Starship touchdown zone
A realistic battery pack:
Energy: 150–300kWh
Mass: 1–2t
Runtime: 4–8 hours of heavy work
Recharge: From solar farm or methalox generator
This is completely feasible inside your lander’s payload mass budget.
? 3. How it fits inside your redesigned lander
Your 6m‑diameter, 24m‑tall lander gives:Internal diameter: ~5.5m
Usable height: 6–8m
Payload deck height: ~4–5m above ground at landing
Ramp: 90–120° clamshell segment
A 4–5t or 6–8t bulldozer fits with:
Plenty of side clearance
Enough overhead clearance for blade tilt
Room for battery packs, spares, and a tele‑op control module
?️ 4. Tele‑operation on Mars
Tele‑operation is straightforward because:You don’t need real‑time control
You can use semi‑autonomous routines:
Blade leveling
Path following
Rock pushing
Compaction passes
Latency from orbiting relay satellites is trivial for this kind of work.
✔ Conclusion: Yes — a battery, tele‑operated bulldozer absolutely fits.
The best match is a CAT D1/D2/D3‑class electric bulldozer or a Built Robotics autonomous dozer, all of which:Fit the 5.5m internal diameter
Fit the 6–8m height
Fit the 4–8t mass range
Are already tele‑operable
Can be ruggedized for Mars with modest changes
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Power for the Wiki Landing Site preparation mission using a 40 mT payloads
suggested to be brought for the site to build
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we have the electric bulldozer that can be telerobitic controled but are there other equipment that is mars ready
Absolutely — the bulldozer is just the first member of a whole family of “Mars‑ready” surface equipment.
If we define Mars‑ready as:
Fully electric (battery or tethered to reactor/ISRU power)
Tele‑operable with autonomy assist
Dust‑sealed, cold‑rated, low‑gravity‑stable
Mass and geometry compatible with a 40‑ton‑class lander
…then several categories of machinery can be adapted with surprisingly little redesign.
Below is a structured, engineering‑grade overview of what is Mars‑ready today (with modifications) and what can be made Mars‑ready with minimal redesign.
? 1. Earth machines that are closest to “Mars‑ready”
These are machines that already exist in electric or autonomous form on Earth and need only environmental hardening.
1.1 Compact & mid‑size electric excavators
Companies already sell battery‑electric excavators in the 2–15 ton class.
Why they’re Mars‑ready:
Fully electric powertrains
Hydraulic systems already sealed for dust
Autonomy kits exist (Built Robotics, SafeAI, Teleo)
Operate well in low‑speed, high‑torque tasks like trenching, berm building, regolith moving
Mars modifications:
Dust‑proofing of joints
Cold‑rated hydraulic fluids
Radiation‑tolerant electronics
Tether option to reactor pallet
Use cases: trenching for cables, digging reactor pits, burying habitats, regolith berms.
1.2 Telehandlers / rough‑terrain forklifts
These are critical for Starship hull repurposing, cargo unloading, and habitat assembly.
Why they’re Mars‑ready:
Electric telehandlers already exist
Boom‑arm geometry works well in low gravity
Autonomy kits exist
Can lift 2–5 tons even in Earth gravity → 6–15 tons equivalent on Mars
Mars modifications:
Wider stance for low‑g stability
Dust‑sealed telescoping boom
Cold‑rated hydraulics
Use cases: lifting reactor pallets, moving cargo, positioning hull sections.
1.3 Small electric wheel loaders
These are extremely useful for pad prep and regolith transport.
Why they’re Mars‑ready:
Electric loaders exist in 3–10 ton class
Simple drivetrains
Autonomy kits available
Mars modifications:
Dust‑proof bearings
Low‑g traction control
Thermal management for batteries
Use cases: moving regolith, clearing landing pads, feeding ISRU hoppers.
?️ 2. Equipment that needs moderate redesign but is feasible
2.1 Electric skid‑steer loaders
Compact, maneuverable, and easy to teleoperate.
Pros:
Very small footprint → fits in lander payload bay
Electric versions exist
Great for interior base construction
Cons:
Low‑g traction issues → needs ballast or wider stance
2.2 Autonomous haul trucks (mini‑dumpers)
Scaled‑down versions of mining haul trucks.
Pros:
Already autonomous in mining
Electric drivetrains exist
Perfect for regolith transport
Cons:
Need low‑g traction redesign
Dust sealing critical
2.3 Mobile cranes (electric)
Small 5–10 ton cranes can be adapted.
Pros:
Essential for assembling large structures
Electric winches exist
Cons:
Stability in 0.38 g requires outriggers and ballast
Needs wide stance
? 3. Equipment that is not Mars‑ready yet but can be designed fresh
These require more substantial redesign but are absolutely buildable.
3.1 Regolith graders / compactors
Mars needs pad compaction for Starship reuse.
Requirements:
Vibratory compactor redesigned for low gravity
Electric drive
High‑mass roller (ballasted)
3.2 Regolith trenchers
For long cable runs and piping.
Requirements:
Dust‑proof chain trenchers
Electric drive
Autonomous path following
3.3 Modular robotic arms on mobile bases
Think “construction Roomba with a 6‑DOF arm.”
Requirements:
Radiation‑tolerant actuators
Dust‑sealed joints
Autonomous manipulation
? 4. Powering all this equipment
Since you already have a 3–4 ton reactor pallet the bulldozer can tow, the same pallet can power:
Bulldozer
Excavator
Loader
Telehandler
Haul truck
Using:
Tethered power for continuous operation
Battery packs for short‑range untethered tasks
Swap‑and‑charge stations near the reactor pallet
This is exactly how Antarctic bases operate heavy equipment in extreme cold.
? 5. What fits inside your 40‑ton lander?
Your lander can deliver:One 6‑ton bulldozer, or
One 8–10 ton excavator, or
Two 3–4 ton loaders, or
One telehandler + one small loader, or
A mixed pallet of smaller robots
We can design the payload bay geometry to match whichever fleet you want.
If you want, I can now:
Build a full Mars surface equipment fleet for your base
Size each machine’s mass, footprint, and power draw
Design a deployment sequence from your HIAD lander
Create a Mars construction operations plan for the first 30 sols
Just tell me which direction you want to push next.
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