So it's official, no mining? I already took it out of the wiki, but i can easily re-insert it if we are mining other materials for some reason.
Not at least for the first mission anyway. Mining might be the next step to getting goal 2 -independence from Earth, but I think it is stretching the difficulty of the project a tad. Iam going along the lines of the ALSEP where the first packages where not complete.
If we can harvest Hydrogen in whatever way possible, skycrane launches potently can be unlimited. However a method for extracting hydrogen has to be figured. Also the NERVA2 could use all its payload of fuel to get to Mars alone (in either a more speedy way, or with much more mass)
Before we get too far in this, can someone test something really quickly? (please post someone is working on it) I don't want this to turn into something like the Mars Climate Orbiter...
I want to change (make a backup) the Shuttle PB config to the equivalent of;
EMPTY_MASS=258000 // 42000 is empty + 2 droptanks + cargo of (200,000)
FUEL_MASS=174466
MAIN_THRUST=1500000
ATTITUDE_THRUST 320000
ISP = 16500
- Start it in orbit ready to go to Mars.
- Setup a flight to mars (transx or whatever) with total DV being less than 4.8km/s. Fly the mission to Mars.
- It should start somewhere around 3.46 m/s acceleration and end at (while on Mars return trip, just empty of fuel) 5.81 m/s acceleration. When you reach Mars setup a trip back (you should have just a little less than half fuel left) Try to get it less than 3.4 km/s total for the way back
Let me know of any problems encountered. Remember when you get to Mars adjust the date leaving to somewhere 3-8 months ahead of time.
Make note of propellant left when(if) you get back to Earth. Also if you encountered any inefficient flying (ran beside the Moon or dodged Phobos or something...)
Thanks to all who try it :tiphat:
62:1? Wow, that's quite a figure. :blink:
Your reactor maxed what? 52kWh?
Yeah...let's just say it works out.
You read page 13 of the reference .9 right? :thumbup:
Sabatier reaction then electrolysis: CO2 + 4H2 → CH4 + 2H2O → CH4 + 2H2 + 2O
Methane/LOX fuel chemical equation: CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O
LH2/LOX fuel chemical equation: H2 + O → H2O
CO2 + 4H2 → CH4 + 2H2 + 2O
2H2 can be reused so the only input is CO2 and 2H2 and the output is CH4 and 2O2. That just so happens to be the exact combination of CH4/LOX fuel.
So if we use 1 kg LH2
1000 x (1.00794) x (6.022 x 1023) = 6.06981468 × 1026 atoms
avogadros = 6.022 x 1023
atoms = grams * MolarMass * avogadros
grams = atoms/ avogadros /MolarMass
1 kg LH2 turns into 62.8313178 kg CH42O2
62:1
See page 14:
Stirling conversion GFS reactor predicts about 1,000 kWe.
Assume 50% efficiency, 66.6kWh/kg to create LOX/CH4 fuel.
so 66.6 * fuel we need = kWh required.
Though it has to be changed "37 days to make enough fuel to land a 5,000 kg lander" to 76,000 kg fuel for 20 tonne launch so that changes to "210.9
days to create enough fuel to launch a 25 tonne skycrane&cargo"
The only truly real way possible of making enough power is to build a real full sized nuclear power plant on Mars. Which in itself is pretty far fetched but not 'illegal' (see signature) What is 'illegal' is assuming our small generator has unlimited power. :lol:
I've began some blueprints, (well actually some blackprints)
, for a base on Mars after we have done our research on the Mars surface. I've included 4 landing pads I think for later missions to the "Red Planet".
I'll will later post the blueprints after I get them sorted out for the final time.
You mean like this?
http://www.orbiterwiki.org/wiki/File:OFMMBase.png
When its done, should this sort of thing be in the reference? ..for base design? Looking forward to it.