A lot of people have put a ton of thought into getting to Mars, terraforming it, expanding living space and landing on NSF. However, I found there doesn't seem to be a lot of thought given to how best to move around once we get there. Let's face it, transportation and the logistics of it are going to be hugely important on Mars. For any martian colony to succeed, it's vital that it gets this right. So just what are the best ways for getting around and moving large amounts of material on the Red Planet?
Other technologies:Hyperloop. I suspect that tubes on pylons was originally designed for Mars and modified for California.Cable car. These can move quickly because they do not have to worry about dust. Solar electric power next to the engines at base stations with batteries for night movements.
I dont like the idea of wasting water just to burn it (as methalox) in I/C engines.Carbon dioxide can be broken down to carbon monoxide and oxygen, and will burn - though not as good as methalox. Feedstock is easy to gather straight from the atmosphere, of course.I'd prefer to see this used for powering the rolligons.Cheers, Martin
To me, the most versatile and easiest to use system for the early years would be CO / O2 engine driven, wheeled vehicles. I see three types :1. A small 2-4 person transport. Short range and limited cargo capability.2. A larger, slightly heavier, 2 person unit with dedicated cargo space &3. Much larger, purpose built, long range chassis able to be retasked to varying roles.Effectively a sedan, a pick-up and a truck.
To justify more expensive infrastructure like smooth roads or rails the population would have to be in the millions. No way of saying what kind of infrastructure will be appropriate then.
Quote from: guckyfan on 08/21/2013 12:20 pmTo justify more expensive infrastructure like smooth roads or rails the population would have to be in the millions. No way of saying what kind of infrastructure will be appropriate then.Actually you don't need anywhere near that level of population to justify rail infrastructure. I remember being in Freiburg, Germany, where they had an extensive tram system serving a metro area of around 300,000 people. For moving people around, I think you're overestimating the numbers required to make it work. Also, you don't even necessarily need that large of a population base.
If, for instance, you're mining a particularly large iron deposit more than a few kilometers from your base, you're going to eventually need more than heavy trucks. Trucks are much less efficient at shipping massive, heavy payloads over distances than rail. As soon as your colony has any sort of heavy industry, rail starts looking attractive, especially once new settlements begin getting built.
Quote from: guckyfan on 08/21/2013 12:20 pmTo justify more expensive infrastructure like smooth roads or rails the population would have to be in the millions. No way of saying what kind of infrastructure will be appropriate then.Actually you don't need anywhere near that level of population to justify rail infrastructure. I remember being in Freiburg, Germany, where they had an extensive tram system serving a metro area of around 300,000 people. For moving people around, I think you're overestimating the numbers required to make it work. Also, you don't even necessarily need that large of a population base. If, for instance, you're mining a particularly large iron deposit more than a few kilometers from your base, you're going to eventually need more than heavy trucks. Trucks are much less efficient at shipping massive, heavy payloads over distances than rail. As soon as your colony has any sort of heavy industry, rail starts looking attractive, especially once new settlements begin getting built.
