tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28823501.post5138815910301700481..comments2023-06-19T23:26:32.126+10:00Comments on QuantumG's Blog: Getting to Mars With The Reusable Falcon 9QuantumGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17336493213317053535noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28823501.post-6403146043139957422014-09-09T08:35:41.814+10:002014-09-09T08:35:41.814+10:00Just thinking about the landing tests of the 100 c...Just thinking about the landing tests of the 100 crew MCT. That is going to be a humongous amount of presupply on the martian surface. Or will they will they test in the earth upper atmo? But even if only one is tested w/o crew on mars, that should still be a lot of presupply. Then the first with crew will only have perhaps a dozen crew with the rest being supplies.<br /><br />I've been worrying about the cost of pre supply (thinking perhaps Mars One could have a deal worked out with them) but now it looks like testing MCT will more than take care of it.<br /><br />What's your latest mission profile? You know you've been thinking about it. Until MCT, landing 2 at a time in a Dragon with both having 1000 kg of personal property from an orbiting craft with as many as you can fit in a upsized Sundancer (13 ton, upgraded life support and integrated with the F9 upper stage) with enough landers waiting in mars orbit to take everyone two at a time to the martian surface.ken_anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07612961297952294600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28823501.post-74029076536147221652013-12-16T12:48:23.468+10:002013-12-16T12:48:23.468+10:00If the Falcon 9-R is fully (and rapidly) reusable ...If the Falcon 9-R is fully (and rapidly) reusable and the Falcon Heavy isn't, then there's no question that using the Falcon 9-R would be cheaper. Of course, if the Falcon Heavy ends up being fully reusable, you'll be right.<br /><br />What's baffling is that Elon seems to consider either of these options too small and seem to wantsto build a monster rocket (at least 7m diameter core!) that goes to Mars and comes back to Earth in under 6 months!QuantumGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17336493213317053535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28823501.post-14940418868158855462013-12-16T12:30:48.491+10:002013-12-16T12:30:48.491+10:003 Falcon Heavy's can supply all needed fuel fo...3 Falcon Heavy's can supply all needed fuel for 2 F9 Upper stages and based on current pricing on the web site it will be cheaperAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08948208683079030029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28823501.post-53642277053899878312013-11-27T08:57:55.886+10:002013-11-27T08:57:55.886+10:00The main takeaway from all this? We are going. Add...The main takeaway from all this? We are going. Add Raptor and we may be going sooner. At some point, while Elon is figuring out how to get costs down, somebody else will say, let me use what you've got.ken_anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07612961297952294600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28823501.post-843005937555261882013-11-23T05:22:44.982+10:002013-11-23T05:22:44.982+10:00Well of course, but many hands make light work. Th...Well of course, but many hands make light work. They have to land in three landers, so it is four at first. The difference is they don't have to wait 26 months for the next crew to arrive. Two more landers are waiting in orbit.<br /><br />To colonize a world there is a huge difference between 8.67 man-years and 26.1 in getting industry started.ken_anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07612961297952294600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28823501.post-86399714934517170962013-11-22T23:37:56.112+10:002013-11-22T23:37:56.112+10:00Nah, a dozen crew is a bad idea for a first missio...Nah, a dozen crew is a bad idea for a first mission. Four crew with cross-training is an expedition force that will put robots to shame.QuantumGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17336493213317053535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28823501.post-8990367590896696582013-11-22T22:26:58.843+10:002013-11-22T22:26:58.843+10:00Mars Direct is four crew (bad idea.) A dozen crew ...Mars Direct is four crew (bad idea.) A dozen crew would be about 100 tons and require 3 prepositioned landers.ken_anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07612961297952294600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28823501.post-10508559378524748432013-11-22T15:35:35.062+10:002013-11-22T15:35:35.062+10:0048 tons to TMI is about Zubrin's Mars Direct r...48 tons to TMI is about Zubrin's Mars Direct requirement. So yeah, Mars Direct without a heavy lifter would be possible. You could avoid any on-orbit assembly by using Falcon Heavy to throw the entire payload into LEO too.<br /><br />However, I think he prefers around 5 km/s from LEO for the crew leg nowadays. That'll take slightly more propellant.. maybe some drop tanks.QuantumGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17336493213317053535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28823501.post-75819369759880676612013-11-22T13:45:43.127+10:002013-11-22T13:45:43.127+10:00Not obsolete, but for special purposes.Not obsolete, but for special purposes.ken_anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07612961297952294600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28823501.post-77458047086621440742013-11-22T13:44:59.788+10:002013-11-22T13:44:59.788+10:00About damned time we heard from you Trent. Great p...About damned time we heard from you Trent. Great post as usual.<br /><br />Let's also assume mars landers waiting in mars orbit. How many crew are going at 48 tons?<br /><br />8kg/day for 210 days is 1680kg + suited crewperson so let's round up to 2000kg per crew (2m3 for consumables.)<br /><br />How much mass is the ship? 4900kg for the upper stage (which cost us nothing to keep and pointed toward the sun becomes a radiation shield or a counterweight for artificial gravity.) 4200kg for the Dragon and another 2000kg for the inflatable. 11200kg total. Giving us about 16 crew. So we need 4 landers in orbit. 7 prepositioned landers on mars and another 4 in orbit to follow each crewed lander to minimize travel time once on the surface to the nearest supplies.<br /><br />Each lander would have about 30 days of consumables with the crew.ken_anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07612961297952294600noreply@blogger.com