This doesn't solve the problem however. The travel time will be longer than staying on Mars and leaving at the next conjunction if you use the same fuel or less. So there will always be two spacecraft travelling at the same time.
Quote from: high road on 07/07/2017 11:14 amThis doesn't solve the problem however. The travel time will be longer than staying on Mars and leaving at the next conjunction if you use the same fuel or less. So there will always be two spacecraft travelling at the same time.True, but the real problem is getting getting the ships back as fast as possible for relaunch, not the longer travel time of the empty return ships.Having them back on earth within a year and a few months is better from a reusability perspective, than having them back within 3 years and a few months.If the people on mars haven't setup a living quarters and depend on their ship than of course we have no choice but to leave the ship on the surface.
Quote from: high road on 07/07/2017 11:14 amThis doesn't solve the problem however. The travel time will be longer than staying on Mars and leaving at the next conjunction if you use the same fuel or less. So there will always be two spacecraft travelling at the same time.True, but the real problem is getting getting the ships back as fast as possible for relaunch, not the longer travel time of the empty return ships.Having them back on earth within a year and a few months is better from a reusability perspective, than having them back within 3 years and a few months.
What I seem to have missed is who actually pays for the cargo flights - and for the cargo itself - to make the colony work? The $200k/passenger cost seems to be for the people transport to Mars only, and maybe whatever personal luggage they take with them. Who pays for producing the bulk cargo needed by the colony and flying it to Mars?
A few years ago I wrote a simple simulator and played with the orbits.If you have enough dV, you can launch three months too early, travel a higher energy transfer orbit, refuel very quickly, and fly back, launching about 3 months too late.It's expensive, but you get your ship back in time for the next synod.These trajectories result in very high entry speeds.Whether it is a worthwhile exercise is questionable, but it is possible.
This is an important topic. A Mars colony will depend a lot on "tourists" that stay for a year. Ideally even below 4 months, but that is not currently possible.
Otherwise we end up with a 95% male-nerd colony. That's how I see it in my head: nerd males perhaps with some minor autism or social awkwardness. Some sort of Comi-con, perhaps even with females prostitutes.Bottom line: either there is a 1 year "package" for tourists or this can become a joke. "Go to Mars" or "you come from Mars" could easily become catchphrases to call someone a lonely nerd.
Everybody is talking about the technical challenges but nobody is talking about the social challenges. And my experience in management tough me that people management is the hardest thing you can face. And I only manage them during working hours! I don't manage their private life! But any plan for Mars colonization must face the social challenges: maintaining male-female ratio, maintaining a healthy social environment, establishing rules (actually, laws), justice, social security, etc.
I can't find the sim files again, but I remember turn-around had to be very quick.
@high road, your right about the tittle, changed it.My first line of reasoning was the Earth is at the same place every year, unlike mars. So that could mean you have more frequent options for return trajectories.Also ballistic capture and low energy transfer, could have other possibilities back from Mars than towards.