New Mars Forums

Not under the current circumstances, no.

Cyclers.

Perferably a 2 stage system. Heavy cargo is launched to low earth orbit, were it is met by the first cycler in a highly ellipical orbit, which then meets the second that just skips around earths gravity well.

If the interplanetary cycler is fast enough (Earth to Mars in less than 3 months) then it might be worth putting manned capsules on it. Otherwise there will be too many complexities in life support systems to use in a cycler, in will have to enter a stable orbit to prepare for its next trip.

If the manufacturers are doing test flights in 2008, I don't see why NASA needs another 6 years to do a manned flight.

Well the Moon has lots of low tech stuff that could be used immediately. The mined water could be used for fuel, either for lunar exploration, or for storage and launch later for cyclers and other craft, that now don't have to launched with all that fuel.

The regolith itself can be baked into bricks for surface installations, or sent up on a RLV and applied to a manned interplanetary craft for radiation protection. Again, something we don't have to launch from earth.

Mineral deposits can be smelted, though not in large quantities right off. But much metal do we need to produce, say, a trust section for the ISS? What about Solar Panels?

Later on, large, empty metal tanks resembling the current ET’s can be built and pressurized, and made into habitats by astronauts using nothing more advanced than the stuff you see on "This Old House".

If we stick with it, gravity will allow us to grow some food up there, removing the need to send such expendables to the ISS form Earth. If its still there.

All these can be done on the Moon, and would make a Mars mission a little easier, both in the execution of the mission, and in testing the technologies we need anyway. A moon base will reduce the cost of launching from earth. Or at least give us more bang for our buck.

Were going to spend a lot of money on the fancy aerodynamic shell and rockets of whatever we launch on a SDV.

Isn't it Quartz?

Thats not entirely fair to the Nazis. They only had 12 years.   :;):

Each home with its roof covered with solar panels could provide most, if not all of the power needed, no matter were on Earth they are. At least enough to seriously reduce the need for outside power.

The trouble is the things are so expensive and have a limited lifespan to be of little savings to the consumer over time. The companies that produce them seem more than willing to suck up huge profit from a niche market with little investment.

Hermes seems to have predated the X-38 by a decade as ESA program.http://www.astronautix.com/craft/hermes.htm]Link

But the shape is eerily similar...

It might not do much on the moon right off, but we will need it immediately on Mars.

chemical....  propulsion....

NASA has to do it first.

You don't actually think mining companies will try it on their own without the goverment doing the R&D and working out the bugs first do you?

We have to start looking for ways to recoup the massive costs involved. Congress will not fund science expeditions forever.