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One of the things that has always bothered me about the Mars Direct plan is that every crew that goes out to and lands on mars has the same habitat, four private rooms, a bathroom, work out area, common area, centralized solar flare haven, and a science area. You can't really change too much other than getting rid of the science area because each crew needs those areas for the trip. I know that having an in orbit transfer over the earth and mars adds complexity but I think we are pretty good at it in orbit transfer. Also somehow supplies would have to be transferred to the cycler ship. The cycler ship could spin about an old rocket stage to create artificial gravity.
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That issue about MD is a limitation of the Ares launch vehicle, since it simply can't lob a much bigger Hab module, which has to survive Mars entry, than the one planned. As for docking in orbit, that is an integral piece of the Nasa DRM 3.0 "semidirect" mission plan to the Earth Return Vehicle.
Plus, being there are only two habs involved saves on having to build a third one, if there is one for Earth-Mars, Mars surface, and Mars-Earth, which is $$$ in the bank.
I think that the hab module on MarsDirect is too small, and a bigger one ought to be mandetory, if it takes two SDV launches instead of one or not.
[i]"The power of accurate observation is often called cynicism by those that do not have it." - George Bernard Shaw[/i]
[i]The glass is at 50% of capacity[/i]
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So mission after mission sets down on mars with the exact type habitat? Soon you would have a city with buildings all exactly the same. Seems to me it would be better if you had one or two living quarter habitats with science labs like Zubrin's design and then each after that added capability.
Maybe a hab/modules for the following:
-brick making
-medical facility
-manufacturing solar panels
-repairing misc. equipment on mars
Maybe these modules could be launched and landed without a crew? Have crews go back and forth in cycler ships and somehow connect the supply module to the cycler ship?
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