According to Musk.... F9 Heavy has the ability to send a sample return mission to Mars without any additional launches..................
Quote from: starsalor on 04/05/2011 09:47 pmAccording to Musk.... F9 Heavy has the ability to send a sample return mission to Mars without any additional launches..................Yes, the payload capacity of the F9H is significantly upgraded now that the Merlin engine's performance has a 40% improvement(?). Capacity is now 53,000 kg to LEO, which is HUGE. This is a large improvement over the original expectation of 32 tonnes. They said 30 tonnes to Mars Transfer, or about 35 tonnes for TLI.The big change is $1000/kg launch cost !!!! This is something the nay sayers have been trashing for a LONG time.
Quote from: mlorrey on 04/06/2011 05:37 amQuote from: starsalor on 04/05/2011 09:47 pmAccording to Musk.... F9 Heavy has the ability to send a sample return mission to Mars without any additional launches..................Yes, the payload capacity of the F9H is significantly upgraded now that the Merlin engine's performance has a 40% improvement(?). Capacity is now 53,000 kg to LEO, which is HUGE. This is a large improvement over the original expectation of 32 tonnes. They said 30 tonnes to Mars Transfer, or about 35 tonnes for TLI.The big change is $1000/kg launch cost !!!! This is something the nay sayers have been trashing for a LONG time.It's $1000/lb, which is about $453/kg.
They said 30 tonnes to Mars Transfer, or about 35 tonnes for TLI.
Quote from: mlorrey on 04/06/2011 05:37 amThey said 30 tonnes to Mars Transfer, or about 35 tonnes for TLI.He said 30 klb to Mars Transfer, or about 35 klb for TLI.Divide by 2.2 to get a tonne / mT figure.cheers, Martin
Sorry if a bit off topic, didnt know where to look. Anybody knows of a good web resource about the size and mass of the smallest Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators out there?Just want to know how an RTG that can be designed can work with the amount of weight a Falcon Heavy (published stats) can get to Mars in one shot.Thanks.
Just so people will think of it the "right" way, 30k lb is the weight to TMI, not the weight to the Martian Surface. The MER's weigh a little over 400 lb & the weight of the entire MER Spacecraft was in the neighborhood of 3k lb at TMI.I'd bet an FH payload to be on the order of 5k to 6k on the Martian Surface.
2,343 lb was it at TMI.including:408 lb Rover767 lb LanderSo about half the TMI mass.Which gives more like 8 tons to the surface.MSL uses a 45lb RTG in an 2000lb lander.I think your lander could have a 290 kg reactor in a 8000kg lander...
Any sort of mission to Mars I think will be multiple launches. Regardless of the launch vehicle.
Quote from: Rhyshaelkan on 01/30/2011 08:30 pmAny sort of mission to Mars I think will be multiple launches. Regardless of the launch vehicle. Agreed. But it would nice to see two F9H's deliver 120,000Ibs x 2 to LEO where they can be assembled for a Mars ORBITAL mission.One 120,000Ib module being the VASIMR propulsion module (will solar panels be enough juice?); the other 120,000Ib module holding a three person crew and all their provisions for an mission lasting lesss than a year.What did PS magazine claim for VASIMR? 39 days one way to Mars?
A one month orbital mission around Mars (maybe with a detour to landa couple of astronauts to bounce about on Phobos for a few hours); and the return to Earth (4-6 months with VASIMR?).Doable on a modest budget? What's a few billion dollars nowadays anyways?
Quote from: Moe Grills on 04/08/2011 01:04 amQuote from: Rhyshaelkan on 01/30/2011 08:30 pmAny sort of mission to Mars I think will be multiple launches. Regardless of the launch vehicle. Agreed. But it would nice to see two F9H's deliver 120,000Ibs x 2 to LEO where they can be assembled for a Mars ORBITAL mission.One 120,000Ib module being the VASIMR propulsion module (will solar panels be enough juice?); the other 120,000Ib module holding a three person crew and all their provisions for an mission lasting lesss than a year.What did PS magazine claim for VASIMR? 39 days one way to Mars?With a 200 MW power supply, yes. Can't generate that with solar. Need a nuke.
I'm not sure what you're referring to by saying 200 MW is impossible, unless it's a radiator issue. Your average commercial reactor is about a GW of power.