Here's a link on the Apollo Venus flyby:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manned_Venus_FlybyThey turn the CSM around and dock with the Saturn IVB stage prior to the escape trajectory burn. The 'wet workshop' idea is interesting: once the fuel has been burned/vented from the S-IVB, the stage is used for shelter on the interplanetary voyage. Sounds like a single Saturn V launch, although it would be interesting to see details (some sites mention the idea of advanced Saturn V rockets - even with nuclear upper stages - in reference to some interplanetary missions). Also worth noting that they considered using Block III and Block IV CSMs to achieve these long-duration deep-space missions. Would be interesting to know how advanced these designs became before the end of the Apollo era.
I think the music choice was a little odd. Although I'm a huge fan of Bear McCreary's various Battlestar soundtracks, that music doesn't go with the visuals. It's a little too depressing.
But when you watch it all the way through, you can really see the problem. What's the point of doing a mission like that with people? What do they bring to the mission that is necessary and that robots cannot do?
Manned landings on Ceres and Vesta were examined at least as far back as 1966.
Quote from: Generic Username on 09/28/2009 05:38 amManned landings on Ceres and Vesta were examined at least as far back as 1966. wow, look at the "potential targets" mentioned by North American -Ganymede and Mercury !
As for the need for humans, I suppose the same question can be asked of any realm of beyond-Earth-atmosphere exploration. My answer to that question, in part, is that robots can't smell:
Quote from: edkyle99 on 04/30/2010 06:38 pmAs for the need for humans, I suppose the same question can be asked of any realm of beyond-Earth-atmosphere exploration. My answer to that question, in part, is that robots can't smell: Humans can't smell on Venus either.But I wasn't debating robots vs. humans per se. I was pointing out that a flyby mission with humans has zero value. After all, the only in situ measurements that they are going to do will involve dropping robotic probes anyway. You don't need a human craft to carry them.
The Manned Venus Flyby spacecraft incorporates an airlock to enable the crew to get access to the Venus encounter probes if need be, though its primary function would be to enable the changing of film in the telescope camera.
Quote from: Graham2001 on 05/01/2010 05:42 pmThe Manned Venus Flyby spacecraft incorporates an airlock to enable the crew to get access to the Venus encounter probes if need be, though its primary function would be to enable the changing of film in the telescope camera.Taking images of Venus? Now there's a waste of film if I ever saw one. Unless you operate in UV in which case the human operator wouldn't immediately see what he's actually taking images of anyway, without some rig to present UV wavelengths in a visible way in real time - a fluorescent screen being projected a filtered telescope image or something. For reference, here's a visible light, spacecraft-based image of Venus, and it's actually a contrast-enhanced one at that. Otherwise a blank white sphere would be all that's visible.
Obtaining data on Venus by telescopic means will be difficult because of the cloud layer which appears to completely obscure the planetary surface. However, frequent observations at ranges considerably closer than that of the earth may permit a determination of patterns of motion of the cloud cover. Observation at various portions of the frequency spectrum will assist in determining the composition of the Venusian atmosphere, and it is conceivable that penetration to the surface can be achieved.Without attempting to optimize the selection of a telescope system for the mission, it appears that a 40 cm aperture telescope would be a suitable basic unit. The surface resolution at periapsis would be about 11m. From Reference 27 it can be seen that with a minimum focal length of about 2 m, the 40 cm telescope would be usable with a camera system having a film format of 10 cm x 10 cm with 300 lines/mm. Based on the planning for the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory program, the estimated weight of basic optics and structure of the 40 cm telescope would be about 220 lbs.In addition to the telescope designed for visible spectrum data, units similar to those being proposed for the ATM experiments should be provided to cover infrared, ultraviolet and X-ray data. The estimated total additional weight requirements would be about 600 lbs.
Folks: I've been searching for the Eros paper for a long time, and then, all of sudden, it has appeared on the Internet https://www.google.fr/webhp?ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=ZdPBVq-CFITXyQPXja_YCQ#q=%22A+Manned+Flyby+Mission+to+Eros%22