Author Topic: Fuel costs for routine travel to Mars  (Read 23503 times)

Offline colbourne

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Re: Fuel costs for routine travel to Mars
« Reply #20 on: 12/23/2012 12:00 am »
For a half year trip , putting the passengers into some form of hibernation would be a good idea and will probably be possible by the time this colonization is planned.

This way passengers will not need so much food and will take less space.


I think Musk should first plan on getting a handful of people to Mars first before he starts worrying about mass colonization. I guess he wants to see a large Mars base in his own lifetime, so is pushing this concept.

Offline guckyfan

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Re: Fuel costs for routine travel to Mars
« Reply #21 on: 12/23/2012 07:14 am »
For a half year trip , putting the passengers into some form of hibernation would be a good idea and will probably be possible by the time this colonization is planned.

I think it is possible alredy. I had thought about an induced coma with lowerered body temperature and intravenous feeding. With water-recycling that would cut way back on their nutrition needs.

But what would be their shape on arrival? How much would their muscles decrease without training? Probably they would need some treatment and training after arrival. The low gravity may help at the start.

Offline alexterrell

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Re: Fuel costs for routine travel to Mars
« Reply #22 on: 12/23/2012 12:42 pm »
I've assumed the first Mars ships is 2 BA-330 capsules, a heat shield, and a service module. It can take 18 passengers, which is 50% more than the Bigelow advertise the BA-330 more. The mission leaves from L1 (SEP modules are used to raise the fuel and modules - only humans go there in CEV.

Including 40 tons of supplies, it masses 120 tons. The first mission needs enough fuel to come back, and therefore delta V is 3360 (including aeiocapture at both ends). So that's 185 tons of LOX and Methane.

Subsequent missions however get refuelled at Phobos. Fuel needed is 108 tons, plus about 63 tons for tug operations at Phobos, so 172 tons in total for 18 people.

It would be a similar amount to fuel at L1, but I assume that fuel at Phobos is cheaper than fuel at L1.

For second generation craft I assume 440 tons (with supplies) for 90 crew. This is basically allowing an outer wall of about 100kg/m2. This one takes a lot of fuel (1750 tons) and goes all the way to Low Earth Orbit, where is spends 18 months as a hotel, before heading back to L1, for refuelling with 125 tons, and then to Phobos.

A key point is that Delta V LEO to L1 is the biggest requirement.

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