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Author
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Topic: [Discuss] Inspiration Mars Foundation 2018 mission
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Tykeanaut
Member Posts: 1537
From: Worcestershire, England, UK.
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 03-02-2013 09:45 AM
   
I agree with Prospero, a dead-line is a good idea and gets things done. Perhaps this is one of the problems with manned spaceflight in the US at the moment? Another JFK type commitment is needed with a time limit. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 26720
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-20-2013 08:58 AM
quote:
Originally posted by dabolton:
How many young, married, flight-experienced couples do we have in the Astronaut Corps right now that could opt-in?
Karen Nyberg was asked by the Houston Chronicle about her and Doug Hurley's interest in participating in this mission. On Tuesday Nyberg and the other two members of Expedition 37 held a crew news conference at Johnson Space Center, so I took the opportunity to put the question to Nyberg: Have she and Doug discussed it, and would they go?Her response: "No, we haven't discussed it per se," she said. "We have a son, and if he couldn't go then I don't think we would go. And there's my dog, and my friends. A question like that is hard to answer until the possibility arises, but right now I'd have to say no. But you never know until it gets down to it." |
DavidH
Member Posts: 1178
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 03-20-2013 11:34 AM
quote:
Originally posted by jiffyq58:
Can someone explain to someone like me who is not an expert on planetary orbits and launch cycles why there is such a big launch window gap between 2018 and 2031? I thought we had a good launch window to Mars every two years. What is different about the period between 2018 and 2031?
My understanding is that it's because it's a free-return round trip. Sending a probe one-way only requires Mars be in the right place when you get there; this requires Earth to be in the right place when you get back. ------------------
Homesteading Space | davidhitt.net |
jiffyq58
Member Posts: 122
From: Durham, NC, USA
Registered: Jun 2011
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posted 03-20-2013 01:57 PM
Thanks, David. That makes sense. |
johntosullivan
Member Posts: 125
From: Cork, Cork, Ireland
Registered: Oct 2005
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posted 04-28-2013 04:24 PM
If this is to meet the hard deadline, what is the first milestone, that if not hit, will result in missing the deadline? Given the scale of the mission I'd imagine it's pretty soon and involves bending metal.Has this been clarified? |
DavidH
Member Posts: 1178
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 04-29-2013 10:36 AM
Potentially, there's not a whole lot of metal to bend. What I've seen indicates that they're more interested in obtaining and modifying off-the-shelf products. I would imagine they would have a fair bit of time to work on their original contributions. Choosing an architecture would be the first major milestone, it would seem, from what's been published.------------------
Homesteading Space | davidhitt.net |
johntosullivan
Member Posts: 125
From: Cork, Cork, Ireland
Registered: Oct 2005
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posted 04-29-2013 05:45 PM
Okay, to rephrase: When will they have to write a Purchase Order to SpaceX in order to meet the deadline? that has to be soon seeing as SpaceX's order book looks pretty full. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 26720
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-29-2013 05:50 PM
To my knowledge, they have yet to decide to use SpaceX or another company for their rocket or spacecraft. They used the Dragon in their initial study, but only as an example. |
johntosullivan
Member Posts: 125
From: Cork, Cork, Ireland
Registered: Oct 2005
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posted 05-02-2013 03:53 PM
If they haven't chosen a vendor, that moves the first hurdle even closer. Have they indicated a date for vendor selection? Surely they can't miss that deadline if they hope to launch in 2018. |
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