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Energiya Mars mission question by Suzy on 07 Apr, 2008 05:43
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Does anyone know what type of trajectory the Energiya Mars manned mission proposal is, in the diagram below? Is it a minimum trajectory/short-stay mission? They don't go into any detail on the page I got it from.
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#1 by Mogster on 07 Apr, 2008 11:14
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On the diagram it says 1 month on Martian surface so it sounds like a short stay, yes?
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#2 by Jim on 07 Apr, 2008 14:04
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Suzy - 7/4/2008 1:43 AM
Does anyone know what type of trajectory the Energiya Mars manned mission proposal is, in the diagram below? Is it a minimum trajectory/short-stay mission?
Those terms don't applies with (constant) electric propulsion. -
#3 by meiza on 07 Apr, 2008 15:43
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That 300 N 15 MW design always seemed weird to me. Assuming 60% efficiency it would mean perhaps 9E6 W / 300 N = 3E4 m/s or an ISP of 3000 s - which is quite a lot - too much probably.
But maybe the power is less at Mars. Maybe it's better to use lower ISP engines for the same thrust at MOI and TEI at the expense of higher propellant use. I don't know. -
#4 by Suzy on 07 Apr, 2008 21:30
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Vacuum.Head - 8/4/2008 1:54 AM The best documentation I have found on the ENERGIA Mars mission is at http://chapters.marssociety.org/winnipeg/russian.html second document, page two has the answers re mission duration. my guess is this is an "Augmented Hohmann Transfer Orbit" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohmann_transfer_orbit esp. section on Low-thrust transfer digging out my trusty "Frontiers of Space" Phillip Bono and Kenneth Gatland (Lots of pretty pics and a real back to the future trip! Sigh) Hohmann Minimum energy Orbit 259 days then a wait of 479 days until the planets get into the right position then another 256 days back compare and contrast with Zubrin's Mars Direct The Synthesis Solar Electic Cargo + Hi Thrust Crew a.k.a VASIMIR u also might want to Google Interplanetary Transport Network and Buzz Aldrin's Mars Cycler concepts Hope this was of some use.
Is helpful, thanks! I was thinking of a basic mission that could more-or-less be done now, with current technologies - not having to spend years or decades developing new ones.
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#5 by neviden on 07 Apr, 2008 22:34
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Suzy - 7/4/2008 7:43 AM
It's SEP. It first accelerates from Earth’s orbit into solar orbit and then decelerates from solar orbit to Mars orbit.
Does anyone know what type of trajectory the Energiya Mars manned mission proposal is, in the diagram below? Is it a minimum trajectory/short-stay mission? They don't go into any detail on the page I got it from.Quotemeiza - 7/4/2008 5:43 PM
I think they are talking about an upgrade of D-38 Xenon Hall effect thruster that would run at close to 4000 s.
That 300 N 15 MW design always seemed weird to me. Assuming 60% efficiency it would mean perhaps 9E6 W / 300 N = 3E4 m/s or an ISP of 3000 s - which is quite a lot - too much probably.
But maybe the power is less at Mars. Maybe it's better to use lower ISP engines for the same thrust at MOI and TEI at the expense of higher propellant use. I don't know.
http://www.energia.ru/english/energia/mars/condition.html
http://www.astronautix.com/engines/tal38.htm