stevenbarrettspst301 final

How To Get To MarsBy: Steven W. Barrett

How To Get To Mars

Mars is just the beginning of space settlement and exploration, but how do we get

there? People have been interested in Mars for centuries. In the last couple of decades the

interest has been growing. "NASA records thousands of hits per day on their Mars Mission

websites."1 Plans for getting to Mars have been happening since the dawn of space flight.

Several concepts are being looked at lately to make this trip a reality, and scientist and

engineers are coming up with ways to overcome the hazards in space and the surface of the

Mars to make this happen. With good operational concepts and bringing along some robotic,

this trip could soon become a reality.

People have been planning trips to Mars for centuries, but not until spaceflight became

a reality did we come up with ways that could actually work. Dr. Werner von Braun, the lead

engineer of the Apollo program that take us to the moon, had his own plans of future space

flight and getting us to the Mars.2 He even published some of his plans in early Disney videos.2

Granted at the time we had not even set foot on the Moon, van Braun's ideas could have

pushed us fare beyond where we are today.

In 1989, President George H.W. Bush proposing a return to the Moon and organize an

expedition to Mars, said that "space is the inescapable challenge to all the advanced nations of

Earth."2 NASA went to work on updating their plans to get us to Mars. "In 1990 NASA planner

tried to plan a trip to Mars for less than 50 billion."2 This of course did not happen. We struggle

to find a cheap way to get us to Mars.

Fifteen years later, George W. Bush repeated his father's proposal, saying that "mankind

is drawn to the heavens for the same reason we were once drawn into unknown lands and

cross the sea. We choose to explore space because doing so improves our lives, and lifts our

of 10

How To Get To Mars

national spirit."2 Since then, NASA has continued to propose updated plans to president, in

hope that one day we will be given the call to make these plans a reality.

Like the U.S. and Russia's race to the Moon, other nations plan to send humans to the

moon and beyond to Mars for reasons of national prestige.2 By showing the world our

technological abilities in space travel, nations could be considered a great power. China and

India are in an Asian version of the Cold War space race to the moon.11 ESA may plan to go to

Mars after an expedition to the Moon.10 None of these nations have show a plan to get to

Mars.

Currently besides NASA, only civilian companies have publicized their plans to getting to

the Moon. In the last decade, plans like Mars One, Red Dragon, From the Moon to Mars,

Austere Human Mission to Mars, and Mars Mission Concepts have been trying to gain support

from civilization to get them to Mars. Let us look into these plans to see how they plan to

accomplish this goal.

Mars One is a none profit organization that is trying to establish a human settlement on

Mars by 2023.9 Just like the different companies that sent settler across the ocean to America,

this organization is setting up for a one way trip to the red planet. They plan on using Space X

Falcon Heavy and a modified Dragon capsule called Red Dragon to get to Mars.9 This concept

brought NASA and Space X in to investigate the Red Dragon as a possible lander.4 With the use

of the Red Dragon and Falcon Heavy, Mars One may have the ticket to send people to Mars.

"The Falcon Heavy is slated to undergo test flights in 2014, granting ample time for fine-tuning

prior to the Mars One missions."a

of 10

How To Get To Mars

Brett G. Drake put together a presentation in October of 2007 on what we would need

to learn on the Moon to go to Mars called From the Moon to Mars.5 Unlike Mars One, Brett put

together the presentation based on returning the crew back to Earth. His design is based off of

NASA's Constellation program that was cancelled by President Obama. Without the technology

moving forward with the Constellation program, it is unlikely that this mission will be able to

become a reality.

At the AIAA Space Conference in 2009, Hoppy Price from Jet Propulsions Lab, California

Institute of Technology, Alisa Hawkins and Torrey Radcliffe from The Aerospace Corporation put

together the Austere Human Missions to Mars.5 They took NASA's Design Reference

Architecture 5 concept and scale it back to meet a lower cost. This concept is also based off of

the Constellation program. Both the plans From the Moon to Mars and Austere Human Mission

to Mars are based off of technology not fully developed and unfunded. Either the U.S.

government would go back to refunding these programs or a civilian agency with a lot of

investors would have to step forward to get it off the ground.

Mars Mission Concept was brought forward in October of 2011 as a practical design for

getting humans to Mars.6 In this mission outline, they use current technology to get to the Mars

by launching several Atlas V or the Falcon Heavy, like Mars One.6 However Mars Mission

Concept plans on bringing their crew home. This concept also uses it's rovers as their shelter

that can connect to one another, and fail safes to help prevent losing a crew and returning

them safely.

With the cancellation of the Constellation Mission, the Falcon Heavy maybe the only

means to getting to Mars unless they build their own vehicle in space. Using current technology

of 10

How To Get To Mars

they could use current rocket propulsion to get them to Mars, or they could continue to do the

research on any of the newer ideas for planetary travel.

In Sellers' Understanding Space: An Introduction to Astronautics text book, they

mention many ideas for speeding up a ship to prevent exposure to radiation.1 Using Nuclear

power to push a rocket engine seems pretty powerful, but governments on Earth will probably

protest such actions. Especially if it were to return back to Earth. Another means that would be

similar to sailing the seas is using Solar Sails. Scientist in Sellers' book stated, "Of course, the

farther it goes from the sun the less solar pressure it can collect, so a solar sail would work best

inside Mars’ orbit."1 If this technology is exploited and produced at a cheap rate, missions to

settle Mars may grow extraordinarily.

There are many other factor that these missions will need to consider for a long distance

travel to Mars. The space environment and its effects on this space mission for one. Some

people believe that we should go to the moon first. "With experience gained from long stays on

the moon, earthlings would venture to Mars. On Mars they would establish research bases and

eventually colonies where large number of homo sapiens would live and work."2

Others think we will need to have “artificial gravity” for very long missions, such as

missions to Mars.1 "Spinning the spacecraft would produce this force, which would feel like

gravity pinning them to the wall."1 Von Braun have a space station that spawn like a wagon

wheel. The cylinder that spawn on the move Mission to Mars was an excellent way to see how

this technology could work for us.

A bigger problem is radiation from the sun. "In the case of solar flares, long missions

may require “storm shelters”—small areas deep within the ship that would protect astronauts

of 10

How To Get To Mars

for a few days until the flare subsides."1 This technology is more than likely not where we would

want it for safe travel to Mars. Since most missions today are in Low Earth Orbit, they do not

need to concern themselves with that much radiation.

Another issue would be the time spent on these missions to Mars. Not to mention

getting back. "For a trip to Mars using a Hohmann Transfer, the proper alignment between the

two planets repeats itself about every two years."1 If we missed the window it would be

another two year, a much longer stay then anyone would hope for. Once on Mars there would

be plenty of other thing to consider.

For long missions to Mars, that may last years, it probably won’t be practical to take

along all the supplies needed or to even rely on re-supply.1 It would be easier to have a closed

loop system that can reclaim and recycle everything used, like recycle urine, feces, and using

planets to recycle CO2 and provide clean air, water and food to the crew.1 No matter how

weird it sound to recycle some of the things like urine and feces, it would go a long way to

saving weight, and weight for space travel is more money.

"Pathfinder showed that it could make a safe and inexpensive landing (cushioned by

low-tech airbags) on Mars."1 Now spinning around in a spacecraft might not be fun after hitting

the surface, but we can learn how to use this technique and others to get us and our supplies

safely to the ground with less cost than using up fuel.

"Large dust storms that Mariner 9 detected on Mars in 1971 led scientists to conclude

that these storms cooled Mars’ surface."1 With a cold Martian surface, crews will need gear to

keep them warm during their stay. Other weather on Mars would be the role of dust and water

in Mars’ climate. and plate tectonic shifts."1

of 10

How To Get To Mars

"Science alone does not justify human missions to Mars - the estimated cost would be

many times the total budget of the National Science Foundation. Therefore science is a

secondary objective of human spaceflight."3 It would be cheaper to establish settlement and

remain on Mars than bringing them back home.

Some of the gear considered for these missions are Mars Landing capsule for Mars One

that maybe from Lockheed Martin or SpaceX. The SpaceX capsule under consideration is a

variant of the Dragon Capsule as stated earlier, with similar Landers will be equipped to

perform different functions. 9 For instance carrying Life Support Units that generate energy,

water and breathable air for the settlement, Supply Unit with food, solar panels, spare parts

and other components, Living Units that are outfitted with deployable inflatable habitats,

Humans, and Rovers. 9 Each lander would be controlled and organized by space operations on

Earth.

For any of these mission to be successful it will need a great space operations system

working at home to keep it going. Not only would they need communication systems here on

Earth and Earth's orbit with Tracking and Data Relay Satellite’s (TDRS) Second Terminal and

Deep Space Network (DSN), but they would also need a similar system on and orbiting Mars. It

would not be like going to the Moon where the astronauts are always facing Earth. One system

that will forever be growing at Mars would be its space systems.

Mars One Communications system plans on consisting of two communications satellites

and Earth ground stations. It will transmit data from Mars to Earth and back. 9 The Website does

not describe the system in better detail, but you would need the two satellites in a high

elliptical orbit around Mars' North and South poles capable of having a crosslink with each

of 10

How To Get To Mars

other and with Earth. This system may have communication outages for months while the sun

is in between the planets. It may be a good idea to have two other communication satellites

orbiting another body in high elliptical orbit that can be seen by both planet to maintain 24 hr

communication. Like the sun itself.

Mars One may have the opportunity to create its own space operations center on Mars.

With the creation of a settlement, it may be easier to control Mars' space assets from Mars

rather than Earth. Rovers around Mars would have less elapse times if controlled locally.

The benefits of humans and robotics for this mission to Mars would be greater than just

sending one of them. Robots have been exploring Mars for nearly four decades. "The Mariner

spacecraft flew by Mars to give us the first close-up view of the Red Planet."1 "In 1976, two

Viking spacecraft landed on Mars to do experiments designed to search for life."1 "In July 1997

Pathfinder and its rover, Sojourner, explored the Ares Vallis region, an ancient flood plain."1

Without these explorations we would not know as much about Mars as we do now.

These robots have even helped with future human exploration. "Pathfinder sent back

spectacular photographs of the Red Planet’s surface and showed that it could make a safe and

inexpensive landing on Mars and that small robots could move across its surface to conduct

rock and soil analysis."1 With only a small expedition team of humans, we would still need

robots like these rovers to help explore. "Odyssey mission had goals to look for health hazards

for future human missions, investigate the Martian surface chemicals and minerals, and to

locate subsurface ice."1 Once an abundant supply of water is found, humans will be able to

colonies Mars much easier.

of 10

How To Get To Mars

"Mars Society president Robert Zubrin observes, the most favorable repository of life is

likely to be found underground, in aquifers a kilometer or more below the surface."3 "Future

human missions may explore the canyons of Mars for signs that life may have once flourished

there, only to be extinguished as the planet’s atmosphere diminished."1 With the help of

humans on the surface of Mars, it will be easier for us to search the under the surface and find

the answer of life on Mars a lot sooner.

"The manned mission to Mars continues to gain momentum, but overcoming the

obstacles for this mission will take experts in many fields and several governments to commit

resources."1 Without the governments help it will be up to civilian corporations to step up to

the task and find ways to profit from such adventures. "The rewards for exploring Mars are

many and varied, including medical research, Martian resource evaluation, and scientific

innovation."1 By having civilian companies help support the initial cost to get to Mars, they will

be the first to benefit from the Martian resources. With continuing effort to retain these

resources, space travel and even travel to Mars could become cheaper."The astrophysicist

Freeman Dyson has suggested that the next fifty years may witness an era of cheap unmanned

missions, whereas the following fifty years may inaugurate an era of cheap manned spaceflight

throughout our solar system."1

Mars is just the beginning of space settlement and exploration, and these are just a few

ways on how to get there. In reviewing these plans for getting to Mars and understanding the

several concepts to make this trip and overcome the hazards in space and the surface, having

good operational concepts and bringing along some robotic, this trip could soon become a

of 10

How To Get To Mars

reality. A reality with continuing interested in Mars our future generations can weep the

benefits for centuries.

Citation notes:

1. Sellers, Jerry Jon. Understanding Space: An Introduction to Astronautics, 3rd Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.

2.Launius, Roger D. and Howard E. McCurdy Robots in Space. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008.

3. Space, Policy, and Society Research Group. The Future of Human Spaceflight. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

4. Karcz, John Feasibility of a Dragon-derived Mars lander for scientific and human-precursor investigations, NASA/Space X, 2011

5. Drake, Bret G. From the Moon to Mars, Presented to the LEAG Workshop on Enabling Exploration: Lunar outpost and Beyond, 2007

6. Price, Hoppy, Alisa Hawkins, Torrey Radcliffe; Austere Human Missions to Mars. AIAA Space 2009 Conference, 2009

7. Wilson T., D. Gooding, Mars Mission Concept. 2011

8. Disney, Walt, Von Braun, Man in Space, Walt Disney 1959, Posted by Dan Beaumont, film strip, 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fautyLuuvo

9. Lansdorp, Bas Mars One. http://www.mars-one.com/en/

10. European Space Agency Exploring Mars. 2007. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/ Human_Spaceflight/Exploration/Aurora_s_roadmap_to_Marsexploration-science/

11. Page, Jeremy China a Step Ahead in Space Race. China Real Time Report, 2010 http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/09/28/china-to-beat-india-to-moon/

of 10

stevenbarrettspst301 final

Documents