Mars on $800 000 a Day KELLY PARKS & BEVIN McKINNEY Summary Manned Mars missions are expected to cost $100 billion or more. It will be shown that, with the proper exploration strategy, not only can this cost be brought down by nearly two orders of magnitude, such that the mission could be financed by private investors, but also that a substantial profit could be made. Introduction A manned expedition to Mars has long been thought to be a tremendously difficult and expensive undertaking—perhaps so difficult and costly that only a consortium of nations could accomplish it. In fact, the level of difficulty and expense is largely a function of the strategy employed in designing the mission. Given a little creativity, and a willingness to accept certain risks, a manned Mars mission can be made very affordable. Strategy Strategy encompasses the following points. Goals. What the mission is meant to accomplish is the first decision that must be made in any mission analysis problem. For a Mars mission, goals generally fall into three categories: 1. Apollo-style quick visit (30-60 days). Given the long trip times (Hohmann transfer =258 days) and number of interesting things to be done there, this is a poor choice. 2. Mars Base. Current NASA plans (based on the National Commission on Space recommendations) call for the establishment of a base on Mars by about 2025. Given many trillions of dollars NASA might actually accomplish this before the beginning of the 22nd century. If NASA were the only space program on Earth, then Mars would end up much like Antarctica today: a few outposts, lots of scientists, and very few tourists. In reality, the most important thing for the astronauts to learn would be how to speak Russian (or German, French or Japanese) so they will understand when they are asked to present their passports. 3. Martian Colony. One way missions, done by settlers: people who go to Mars to stay, with no definite plan of returning. Technology. Choices made regarding technology fall into two categories: Kelly Parks and Bevin McKinney are engineers at American Rocket Company, Camarillo, CA, USA.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==