Robotic missions to Mars have been getting more and more complex and rovers ever heavier. SpaceX should soon have a rocket capable of landing 100 tonnes on Mars. So they could theoretically put two T-90MS Tagil Russian military tanks. That is quite a lot more than the current rovers, but sending tanks is not a good idea.
An obvious use of this new capability is to send humans to Mars, and that is what SpaceX has in mind. But lets assume that we are planning a robotic mission to Mars and we have a 100 tonnes mass budget. What do you think would be a good use of this capability?
Robotic missions to Mars have been getting more and more complex and
rovers ever heavier. SpaceX should soon have a rocket capable of landing
100 tonnes on Mars. So they could theoretically put two T-90MS Tagil
Russian military tanks. That is quite a lot more than the current
rovers, but sending tanks is not a good idea.
An obvious use of this new capability is to send humans to Mars, and
that is what SpaceX has in mind. But lets assume that we are planning a robotic mission to Mars and we have a 100 tonnes mass budget. What do
you think would be a good use of this capability?
On 2022-02-06 17:13, Alain Fournier wrote:
Robotic missions to Mars have been getting more and more complex and
rovers ever heavier. SpaceX should soon have a rocket capable of
landing 100 tonnes on Mars. So they could theoretically put two T-90MS
Tagil Russian military tanks. That is quite a lot more than the
current rovers, but sending tanks is not a good idea.
An obvious use of this new capability is to send humans to Mars, and
that is what SpaceX has in mind. But lets assume that we are planning
a robotic mission to Mars and we have a 100 tonnes mass budget. What
do you think would be a good use of this capability?
1. A rover or flyer (helicopter) with a good ground-penetrating radar
and other prospecting instruments.
2. A powerful, heavy drill for deep sampling (tens of meters). Mobile,
of course.
3. An excavator for moderately deep trenches (a few meters). Mobile too.
4. A bigger and more versatile remotely controlled laboratory for
on-Mars sample studies. Mobile or trailer-mounted and pulled by the
drill or excavator.
5. One or several sample-return craft, direct from Mars to Earth without
any rendez-vous with a Mars orbiter. Either mounted on trailers or independently mobile. Possibly with reusable first stages, if there is
also an ISRU propellant plant.
Open question: power sources for the above. Solar or kilopower fission?
Could the Starship solar panels be deployed on the surface after
landing? I haven't seen any new info about the Starship solar panels for
a goodish time, except for the HLS version.
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