Travelling to mars
If you want to send a spacecraft all the way to Mars, first you’ll need a fast rocket to escape the pull of Earth’s gravity. The heavier your spacecraft, the more powerful your rocket needs to be to lift off. Next, make sure you launch at the right time. Mars and Earth orbit the sun at different speeds and distances.
Earth to Mars transportation requirements are derived for a permanent Mars base of 20 people operating in the 2035 time frame. In order to satisfy these requirements, various transportation modes are developed assuming an existing space infrastructure including propellant tankers, crew and consumable transfer vehicles, orbital facilities and extraterrestrial propellant factories. These transportation modes are compared with respect to total propellant requirements, number of vehicles required, flight times, frequency of opportunity and several other characteristics. Directions for further studies and analysis are indicated
MARS TRANSIT VEHICLE.
The Mars Transit Vehicle is a compact space station that will carry the astronauts from Earth orbit to Mars. It is comprised of four parts which are docked in Earth orbit: two propellant stages, a Transit Habitat and a Lander. The propellant stages are used to propel the Transit Vehicle from Earth orbit to Mars.
For a start, the sheer distance. Astronauts bound for Mars will have to travel about 140 million miles (225 million kilometers), depending on where the two planets are relative to each other. That means a trip that’s many months long, where astronauts will face two major health risks: radiation and microgravity.
Space shuttle, also called Space Transportation System, partially reusable rocket-launched vehicle designed to go into orbit around Earth, to transport people and cargo to and from orbiting spacecraft, and to glide to a runway landing on its return to Earth’s surface that was developed by the U.S. National Aeronautics.
Any space journey Includes food, clothing, mid-deck seats, flight tools, cameras, parachutes, safety equipment, sleep restraints and, most importantly, the astronaut spacesuits – known as “extravehicular mobility units.” Each spacesuit weighs over 200 pounds and is received in four pieces.
6 Technologies NASA is Advancing to Send Humans to Mars
1.Powerful propulsion systems to get us there (and home!) quicker.
Astronauts bound for Mars will travel about 140 million miles into
deep space. Advancements in propulsion capabilities are the key to
reaching our destination as quickly and safely as possible.
It is too soon to say which propulsion system will take astronauts
to Mars, but we know it needs to be nuclear-enabled to reduce
travel time. NASA is advancing multiple options, including nuclear
electric and nuclear thermal propulsion. Both use nuclear fission
but are very different from each other. A nuclear electric rocket
is more efficient, but it doesn’t generate a lot of thrust.
Nuclear thermal propulsion, on the other hand, provides much more
“oomph.”
Whichever system is selected, the fundamentals of nuclear
propulsion will reduce the crew’s time away from Earth. The agency
and its partners are developing, testing, and maturing critical
components of various propulsion technologies to reduce the risk
of the first human mission to Mars.
2.Inflatable heat shield to land astronauts on other planets
The largest rover we’ve landed on Mars is about the size of a car,
and sending humans to Mars will require a much bigger spacecraft.
New technologies will allow heavier spacecraft to enter the
Martian atmosphere, approach the surface, and land close to where
astronauts want to explore.
NASA is working on an inflatable heat shield that allows the large
surface area to take up less space in a rocket than a rigid one.
The technology could land spacecraft on any planet with an
atmosphere. It would expand and inflate before it enters the
Martian atmosphere to land cargo and astronauts safely.
The technology isn’t ready for the Red Planet just yet. An
upcoming flight test of a 6-meter diameter (about 20-feet)
prototype will demonstrate how the aeroshell performs as it enters
Earth’s atmosphere. The test will prove it can survive the intense
heat during entry at Mars.
3. High-tech Martian spacesuits
Spacesuits are essentially custom spacecraft for astronauts.
NASA’s latest spacesuit is so high-tech, its modular design is
engineered to be evolved for use anywhere in space.
The first woman and the next man on the Moon will wear NASA’s
next-generation spacesuits called the exploration extravehicular
mobility unit or xEMU. The spacesuits prioritize crew safety while
also allowing Artemis Generation moonwalkers to make more natural,
Earth-like movements and accomplish tasks that weren’t possible
during the Apollo missions.
Future upgrades to address the differences on Mars may include
technology for life support functionality in the carbon
dioxide-rich atmosphere and modified outer garments to keep
astronauts warm during the Martian winter and prevent overheating
in the summer season.
4. Martian home and lab on wheels
To reduce the number of items needed to land on the surface, NASA
will combine the first Martian home and vehicle into a single
rover complete with breathable air.
NASA has conducted extensive rover testing on Earth to inform
development of a pressurized mobile home on the Moon. Artemis
astronauts who live and work in the future pressurized Moon rover
will be able to offer feedback to help refine the rover
capabilities for astronauts on Mars. NASA’s robotic rovers will
help with the Martian design, too – everything from the best
wheels for Mars to how a larger vehicle will navigate the tough
terrain.
Much like an RV, the pressurized rover will have everything inside
that astronauts need to live and work for weeks. They can drive in
comfortable clothing, tens of miles from the spacecraft that will
launch them back to space for the return trip to Earth. When they
encounter interesting locations, astronauts can put on their
high-tech spacesuits to exit the rover and collect samples and
conduct science experiments.
5. Uninterrupted power
Like we use electricity to charge our devices on Earth, astronauts
will need a reliable power supply to explore Mars. The system will
need to be lightweight and capable of running regardless of its
location or the weather on the Red Planet.
Mars has a day and night cycle like Earth and periodic dust storms
that can last for months, making nuclear fission power a more
reliable option than solar power. NASA already tested the
technology on Earth and demonstrated it is safe, efficient, and
plentiful enough to enable long-duration surface missions. NASA
plans to demonstrate and use the fission power system on the Moon
first, then Mars.
6. Laser communications to send more information home
Human missions to Mars may use lasers to stay in touch with Earth.
A laser communications system at Mars could send large amounts of
real-time information and data, including high-definition images
and video feeds.
Sending a map of Mars to Earth might take nine years with current
radio systems, but as little as nine weeks with laser
communications. The technology would also allow us to communicate
with astronauts, to see and hear more of their adventures on the
Red Planet.
NASA proved laser communications is possible with a demonstration
from the Moon in 2013. The agency’s next demo will work through
different operational scenarios, perfect the pointing system, and
address technology challenges from low-Earth orbit – things like
clouds and other communications disruptions. NASA is building
small systems to test for human spaceflight, including on the
International Space Station and the first crewed Artemis mission.
Another laser communications payload will venture to deep space to
help inform what it takes to use the same technology millions and
millions of miles away from Earth.
