Der Zeitgeist
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Someone from JPL just explained it in a tweet. Hydrazine is best avoided because it could contaminate the instruments for chemical analysis.
Don't they use hydrazine as fuel? That thing ignites no matter what. If it's in the hypergolic form, and the components come into contact, there should be an explosion that would disperse the rest of the propellant. If it's the monopropellant thing, it only burns as long as it's in contact with the catalyst elements.
Either way, we're lucky there are no intelligent lifeforms on Mars or they'd be very angry right now...
Someone from JPL just explained it in a tweet. Hydrazine is best avoided because it could contaminate the instruments for chemical analysis.
- EDL System Weight: 2,401kg (Rover, Aeroshell, Descent Stage)
- Descent Stage Control: Descent Stage/Fly-Away Controller
- Propulsion: 8 MLEs
- Reaction Control: 8 Thrusters
- Propellant: Monomethylhydrazine
- Propellant Mass: 390kg in 4 Tanks
- Propellant Margin: ~90 Kilograms
- Navigation: 2 Inertial Measurement Units, 1 Terminal Descent Sensor
- Sky Crane: 3 Bridles - 7.5 meters, 1 Umbilical Cord for data connection
- Sky Crane Break: Electromagnetic
- Electrical System: 2 non-redundant Thermal Batteries - 27-37 Volts
- Pyro Initiation: Two Redundant 26-36V Batteries
- Pyro Power Buses: 2
- Propellant Consumption during Sky Crane: 4 Kilograms per Second
- Configurations: Cruise Configuration; Sky Crane Configuration
- End of Mission: Fly-Away and Ballistic Impact
Interesting. According to a very detailed article on spaceflight101 the descent stage did use hydrazine:
It is said that Mohawk Man was responsible for 20% increase in nasa tv viewership among women, yesterday.
No, you need three things for an explosion, fuel, ignition source and a sustainer. Mars doesn't have those so it's safe but the fuel itself is toxic. I also suspect that it's only combustible under pressure.