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BryanEye

Member

Registered: 2002-05-13

Posts: 5

Website

Re: Human Orbital Missions - Send them to orbit to control robots

It has occurred to me that a practical first human mission to Mars would be an orbital one and not a surface mission. From orbit, mission specialists could control robots in real-time without the ~20 minute comm lag we experience today. The logistics of such a mission would be vastly simpler than a fully crewed surface mission and could prove key technologies in advance of a surface crew. Serious science and long distance scouting could be accomplished much more rapidly this way with large numbers of inexpensive robots to do advanced work on the planet's surface.

I would be interested in any information or feedback regarding the concept of a first human orbital mission to Mars and past references to such a mission.

Peter Pevensie

Banned

From: Terceira Island, Azores, Portu

Registered: 2002-05-03

Posts: 39

Re: Human Orbital Missions - Send them to orbit to control robots

Hello and welcome, Bryan!

David S. F. Portree's Romance to Reality site has probably the most complete collection on the Internet of past and present studies and plans for missions to the Moon and Mars.  If I remember correctly, it includes several baseline studies by NASA and the major contractors of missions like you detail above.  Unfortunately, there is no search function on the site, but it's so interesting that I'm sure you won't mind "thumbing through" the pages looking for what you want.

That being said, my only comment on your idea is this:  It's impossible to deny the advantages such a mission would have, but it would also be a shame to go that far without putting a few bootprints in the regolith... ??? However...I can certainly understand why an Apollo 10 has to come before an Apollo 11.

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"When I think about everything we've been through together, maybe it's not the destination that matters. Maybe it's the journey..."

GOM

Member

Registered: 2001-09-08

Posts: 127

Re: Human Orbital Missions - Send them to orbit to control robots

It has occurred to me that a practical first human mission to Mars would be an orbital one and not a surface mission.

hmmm

That's certainly an interesting thought....

I've never heard of it before.  We'd have to provide some artificial gravity for anyone making that kind of trip.  Otherwise we'd be scooping jellyfish out of the return capsule.

It would be an awfully expensive journey, for not very much return.  I don't know if NASA, or Congress, would go for it.

Christina

Member

From: UK

Registered: 2002-05-07

Posts: 59

Re: Human Orbital Missions - Send them to orbit to control robots

^^ I agree with you.

I can't see anyone getting all excited about sending people to Mars without them getting the chance to stretch their legs on the surface for a while.
Although the journey would make an interesting rehearsal for for other long duration manned missions and could be used as a test bed for various ways of 'making gravity'.
But to go that far and not land - who'd volunteer for that?

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[i]the early bird may get the worm, but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese[/i]