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longship

(40,416 posts)

12. Except that the US does not have a heavy lift booster.

Wed Feb 20, 2013, 09:34 PM

Feb 2013

That's a huge problem. There is no Saturn V in any country's fleet. Russia has the biggest, currently.

Plus, you still have to account for the Mars gravity well. It's fucking difficult to land on Mars! Ask Russia about that. Shit! Ask the USA about it. Ask any freshman physics student about it. Closer to fucking dangerous than landing on the moon.

How big? You have to take two years supplies for everybody. And it ain't gonna be one person, or two. It's going to be four, at minimum. I guess one could ague for three, but I would bet five before three.

The consumables eat your lunch, so to speak. Food, water (no problem, recycle urine like on the ISS), breathable air (the damned CO2 scrubbers better damned work!), and what about the fucking poop?
Four or five people for the better part of two years? That's a fuck of a lot of poop.

Read about it here, Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packing_for_Mars:_The_Curious_Science_of_Life_in_the_Void

Highly recommended. And what the fuck do you do with all that poop? Maybe it will prove to be a good shield for cosmic rays.

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Dennis Tito To Announce Private Human Mars Mission [View all] bananas Feb 2013 OP

Going to Mars is a very tough task. longship Feb 2013 #1

Taber MacCallum and Jane Poynter spent two years in Biosphere 2 bananas Feb 2013 #4

Well, I am not so impressed with biosphere. longship Feb 2013 #7

As mentioned downthread, they probably won't land bananas Feb 2013 #15

You are correct, but not complete. longship Feb 2013 #16

Don't need a Saturn V bananas Feb 2013 #24

I love the Lagrangian point solutions! longship Feb 2013 #25

More details have emerged - 2 person flyby bananas Feb 2013 #27

I guess they are planning to do it like the early Polar Expeditions. Hugin Feb 2013 #38

Actually... oNobodyo Feb 2013 #10

Except that the US does not have a heavy lift booster. longship Feb 2013 #12

Ahem... oNobodyo Feb 2013 #19

Good. Good!! longship Feb 2013 #20

The reason why... oNobodyo Feb 2013 #22

But the Saturn V is four decades old. longship Feb 2013 #23

I agree with pre-supplied... Volaris Feb 2013 #46

"robotics to set up shelter" is not something that's been available for 20 years muriel_volestrangler Feb 2013 #17

yeap... oNobodyo Feb 2013 #21

Solar sails and electric propulsion have never carried anything as large as a human capsule muriel_volestrangler Feb 2013 #26

Sounds like the people wouldn't land muriel_volestrangler Feb 2013 #2

They probably won't land on Mars, they might dock with Phobos or Deimos bananas Feb 2013 #5

More details have emerged - 2 person flyby bananas Feb 2013 #28

A fly-by would mean there's relatively little to do at Mars muriel_volestrangler Feb 2013 #29

Where do I sign up???????????? greiner3 Feb 2013 #3

I did manage five on a mission long ways back. dipsydoodle Feb 2013 #6

Shit. Just my booze allowance means no one else eats...... cliffordu Feb 2013 #8

It ain't gonna happen in the next five years. struggle4progress Feb 2013 #9

So do they get land rights like the pioneers? They'll privatize Mars now. YOHABLO Feb 2013 #11

In the future, Mars will most likely be the first terraforming project derby378 Feb 2013 #13

That was the theme of Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy LongTomH Feb 2013 #31

I may have to check those books out derby378 Feb 2013 #32

Unless they can rig up a magnetosphere for either planet it's pointless. Bucky Feb 2013 #43

For that, you'll either need an active planetary core or a STAR WARS-type magnetic field derby378 Feb 2013 #45

Do a columbus and plant your flag claiming the planet for your company rustydog Feb 2013 #30

Not a bad incentive. Maybe the UN could put down rules. Bucky Feb 2013 #36

Some kind of 'global government' will be needed to set rules if we do start colonizing other pampango Feb 2013 #40

The more I think about it, the more I expect the UN not to be involved in such a process. Bucky Feb 2013 #41

There's justified optimism skepticscott Feb 2013 #14

Well, if you throw enough money at a problem... randome Feb 2013 #18

Tito Jackson? undeterred Feb 2013 #33

Never happen in five years daleo Feb 2013 #34

"Space for this event is limited." Bucky Feb 2013 #35

So very cool trip to Mars, though I wish they would set-up on the floor of our Oceans first. Sunlei Feb 2013 #37

I'll say it again... It's time to Man-up and send a Chimp! Hugin Feb 2013 #39

There's a country in North Africa where a bunch of people would like to send their President to Mars slackmaster Feb 2013 #42

rofl! bananas Feb 2013 #44