Ciekawy artykuł zapodał Bob Zubrin na swoim facebookowym koncie:
https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/06/spacex-working-on-details-of-how-to-get-people-to-mars-and-safely-back/?fbclid=IwAR0BKBX3XA9U_z3mVEbiJadT_Xx_vqSiFrWN2dFEQEMVwYEdXZPr9MreTqwJak wiemy SPACE X w swoich planach marsjańskich skupił się nad budową środku transportu na Czerwoną Planetę pomijając na razie inne potrzebne do lotu załogowego prace w nadziei, że inni się tym zajmą.
This is one area in which SpaceX is especially keen to find partners. "There are a lot of important aspects in producing the propellant for this vehicle," Wooster said. The company has plans to do this on its own if it has to, but he said SpaceX would gladly allow others to assist. SpaceX is also seeking partners for critical needs such as power, habitats, science, food storage, and more. Beginning in September 2018, the company began to convene conferences to solicit advice and support in these areas.
Further ReadingKluczowym problemem dla urzeczywistnienie lotów marsjańskich w scenariuszu SPACEX jest tankowanie paliwa na orbicie:
Another significant concern is orbital refueling. While this is frequently done with non-cryogenic fuels on the International Space Station, it has never been demonstrated on a large scale in space with super-chilled rocket fuel. We would need to know it worked prior to launching a mission to Mars.
Under the current mission plan, a Super Heavy rocket would launch a Mars-bound Starship to low-Earth Orbit. At that point, the spacecraft would need more fuel if it's going to get its payload all the way to the Red Planet. An estimated five Starship launches are required to refuel a single Mars-bound Starship in low-Earth orbit, and this would involve the transfer of hundreds of tons of methane and liquid oxygen. Wooster said this is one of the most difficult technology challenges that SpaceX will have to overcome.Gdy sprzęt będzie gotowy i przetestowany (w pobliżu Ziemi) na Marsa najpierw wyruszą dwie misje towarowe. Gdy po wylądowaniu wszystko wszystko pójdzie dobrze kolejno wyruszą jeszcze dwie misje towarowe oraz jedna załogowa.
SpaceX has outlined a plan that will send at least two cargo missions to Mars at the first opportunity. These test missions will identify resources available on Mars and potential hazards at the landing site. Provided that those missions go well, the company plans to send two more cargo missions as well as two crewed missions to Mars.
If conditions on Mars aren't what SpaceX expects in terms of resource availability, Wooster said SpaceX is considering bringing components of fuel to Mars for the return trip, likely in the form of either water or pure hydrogen. The company could also return a Starship with less than a full load of fuel. SpaceX has stated that it can return between 20 and 50 tons of payload from the surface of Mars to Earth with a fully fueled rocket, but it could do the return with less cargo and less fuel if required.Co bardzo ważne, istnieje szansa, że NASA będzie zainteresowana wykoszystaniem Starshipa gdy bedzie on już działał:
At the summit, several NASA officials appeared to be interested in Starship's potential but felt the time is not yet right to begin seriously planning around it. Humphrey "Hoppy" Price—the Chief Engineer at NASA's robotic Mars Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory—noted that NASA would have spent five years waiting for Falcon Heavy to be ready if it had planned around the date SpaceX first announced it would be available. (It's worth noting that NASA's own Space Launch System rocket was originally supposed to launch in 2016 but is now likely delayed until 2021). When Starship is ready, those officials suggested, NASA will be very interested in it.I co najciekawsze. SPACEX współpracuje z NASA nad wyborem lądowiska dla misji załogowych. Musi być na miejscu lód w gruncie jako paliwo oraz jak najgęstsza atmosfera, żeby móc najbezpieczniej wylądować:
SpaceX is also working with NASA to find a site where Starship could safely land on Mars and be refueled for a return to Earth. Refueling requires the presence of water ice, which is primarily found in the higher latitudes and a high level of power. If the latter comes from the Sun, it's easier to produce at lower latitudes. A latitude between 30 and 40 degrees satisfies both criteria frequently on Mars. Safely landing Starship also requires a location relatively free of rocks and steep slopes. In addition, a thicker atmosphere provided by landing at a lower elevation would allow Starship to use the atmosphere to slow down, simplifying the landing process.I jak się okazuje wytypowano cztery miejsca na wysokich jak na obecne misje bezzałogowe szerokościach aresograficznych: znana nam z misji Viking 2 Utopia Planitia, Arcadia (chyba Arcadia Planitia (przyp. ekoplaneta), Deuteronilus oraz region Phlegra.
Ciekawe czy SPACEX rozważy produkcję paliwa rakietowego bezpośrednio z atmosfery marsjańskiej i przywiezionym z Ziemi wodorze jak planowane to jest w projekcie Mars Direct. Wówczas załogi mogłyby ladować w wielu miejscach na Marsie a nie tylko w podanych wyżej okolicach. Mnie się marzy wyprawa w rejony równikowe: kratery Gale, Gusev, Jezero, doliny pradawnych rzek np. Eberswalde itd itd. Ale domyślam się, że produkcja paliwa z gruntowego lodu będzie łatwiejsza niż z atmosfery marsjańskiej.