Mars Direct: Humans to the Red Planet within a Decade - Mars Direct Power Point-7...Mars Direct:...
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Mars Direct: Humans to the Red Planet within a Decade Dr. Robert Zubrin Pioneer Astronautics
Transcript of Mars Direct: Humans to the Red Planet within a Decade - Mars Direct Power Point-7...Mars Direct:...
Mars Direct:Humans to the Red Planet within a
Decade
Dr. Robert ZubrinPioneer Astronautics
Question: How much rope is needed to connect two posts separated by a distance of 10 meters?
In principle, it can take any amount:
But it can be done with about 10 meters, if the rope is pulled tight.
It is the same with space exploration.
The issue is whether you want to connect the posts, or whether your goal is to sell rope.
Earth
Mars
Moon
3.9 km/s
6.0 km/s4.1 km/s
1.6 km/s
3.5 km/s
Rope Sale #1
The Lunar Tollbooth
Even if Lunar refueling were free, it’s easier to go direct to Mars!
Rope Sale #2 Nuclear Electric PropulsionClaim vs. Reality
One-way Transit Time 60 days 1460 daysPower Density 0.3 kg/kW 65 kg/kW
We can do Mars mission training on the Moon.But we can do it in the Arctic at 1/1000th the cost.
Dose (Rem)
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Skylab-84 days
Walz-230 days
Foale-235 days
Krikalyov-624 days
Solovyov-651 days
Polyakov-679 days
Avdeyev-748 days
Mars Roundtrip-shielded
MarsRoundtrip-unshielded
Dose (Rem)
Cumulative Radiation Doses Received in Space
The cumulative radiation dose of a human roundtrip mission to Mars using current propulsion technology has already been experienced by numerous astronauts.
No radiation-induced health effects have been observed.
