Transcript Mars Orbit Rendezvous - The Mars Homestead Project

Mars Orbit Rendezvous
Robert Dyck
Only land what you need
Mars Direct ERV contains stuff not needed on Mars
• Food & life support for transit to Earth
• Earth heat shield & parachute
• Earth survival gear
Leave these in Mars orbit
All inflatable hab
Inflatable surface habitat, dedicated to Mars
• no micrometeor shield
• Gore-tex to keep out fines, let water vapour & CO2 pass
– prevent ice between outer layer and pressure membrane
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endure dust storms without damage
furniture & systems designed for gravity
crew descend in capsule, CEV descent module
thermal protection for Mars air
Launch sequence
MAV & cargo lander, solar-electric propulsion: 2 years
ITV & surface habitat, chemical: 6 months
Year X
MAV
Cargo
ITV & hab
Year X+2
ITV with surface hab
Launch crew vehicle after MAV fuel tanks full
Crew in dedicated Interplanetary Transit Vehicle (ITV)
• micrometeoroid shield
• thermal protection dedicated to vacuum
• zero-G exercise equipment
• all equipment dedicated to zero-G operation
Attached lander with surface hab & descent capsule
Expendable chemical TMI stage
ITV will be return vehicle, in case of abort crew already in
return vehicle with food, life support, zero-G exercise
Surface hab available as redundant backup
Surface
Land with hab, recycling life support, food, spacesuits,
open rover
Permafrost as life support backup
Cargo lander has lab, second open rover
Cargo lander confirmed close to MAV before leaving Earth
Rover with hab has pup-tents and extra suit supplies
Lab as backup hab
Lab delivered via cargo lander, waiting beside MAV
Inflatable lab can be used as living space if hab fails
no room for both living and lab work
Backup recycling life support system
could be powered by MAV’s ISPP power plant
Extra supply of food for full duration
Suit Operation
Restrict EVA to ½ hour walk to rover
Extra PLSS on rover for each astronaut
Microwave regenerable CO2 sorbent (Ag2O granuals)
Rebreather backup, LiOH sorbent & aluminum O2 tank
Chest air bladder & one-way valves
circulate air by breathing in case battery failure
Backup O2 released by pressure regulator (no power)
Primary PLSS components field swappable
Primary O2 refillable & battery rechargable
Carry handle, backup PLSS carried while wearing primary
MAV as TEI stage
Unpressurized MAV cabin, ride in suits
Rendezvous & hard-dock with ITV
MAV with in-situ produced propellant as TEI
Aerocapture into Earth orbit
Aerocapture into Earth orbit, aerobrake down to LEO
Park ITV in LEO for second mission
Recover astronauts by reusable space taxi
CEV descent module as emergency escape pod
Equipment for 2nd mission:
• TMI stage
• Lander: surface hab, descent capsule, open rover
• MAV
• Cargo lander with Lab if different landing site
Future expansion
ITV designed to accept future advanced propulsion TMI
• nuclear thermal or nuclear electric, multi-mission reactor
• NERVA, Timberwind, VASIMR designers can compete
• refuellable propellant tank, requires LEO fuel supply
MAV could be replaced by a DC-XA style
Mars surface shuttle for descent/ascent
Requires infrastructure for fuel production
Fuel tanker to refuel ITV propulsion stage
Mars or Deimos/Phobos
Artificial gravity
Shannon Lucent: 6 months on Mir, walked off Shuttle
Artificial gravity preferred but not necessary
Requires technology to manoeuvre in tethered flight
Demonstration flight: CEV & spent Progress in LEO