Everything is more complicated than it seems: how colonizers from Earth will be delivered to Mars and back

Mankind has long dreamed of conquering space, the first goal it has outlined for itself is Mars. But in order to finally launch the first manned mission to the Red Planet, there are still many obstacles to go. What awaits us on the way to Mars, said the publication Фокус.

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The two main players are NASA and SpaceX, which already work closely together on missions to the ISS.

Size matters

The biggest problem is the weight of the payload required for travel. Launching every kilogram into space is worth its weight in gold. The payload mass is usually only a small percentage of the total mass of the launch vehicle.

For example, the Saturn V rocket that launched Apollo 11 to the moon weighed 3 tons. Therefore, it could put only 140 tons (5% of the initial launch mass) into low-earth orbit and 50 tons (less than 2% of the initial launch mass) to the Moon.

Such stringent requirements for mass are one of the main limitations on the size of the spacecraft that will fly to Mars, and on its capabilities in space. Each maneuver requires fuel to start rocket engines, and all of this fuel currently needs to be taken with you into space.

SpaceX's plan is to have its manned spacecraft Starship refueled in space using a separately launched refueling tanker. This means that much more fuel can be put into orbit.

And time is important

Timing is another problem on the way to Mars.

During uncrewed missions, spaceships often follow complex paths around the sun. They use so-called gravity assist to effectively reach other planets and gain sufficient momentum.

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Such missions are considered very economical in terms of fuel consumption, but can take years. But for missions with human participation, this option is not suitable.

Both Earth and Mars have nearly circular orbits, and the maneuver known as Homan's transfer orbit is the most economical way to travel between the two planets. The Homan Transfer Orbit is an elliptical orbit used to transition between two circular orbits of different radii.

Homan's transfer orbit between Earth and Mars takes about 259 days (8 to 9 months), it is only possible every 2 years due to the different orbits of the Sun, Earth and Mars.

The spacecraft can reach Mars in a shorter time (SpaceX plans in 6 months), but this will require more fuel.

Safe landing

Even if all the previous stages are successful, the landing stage is ahead.

Spaceships that land on Earth can use the drag generated by interacting with the atmosphere to slow down. This allows the vehicle to safely land on the surface of the Earth, provided it can withstand adequate heat.

But the atmosphere of Mars is about 100 times thinner, and will not give the required slowdown on landing. Therefore, additional help from the engines will be needed, which means additional fuel costs.

Some missions land with airbags (NASA Pathfinder mission), while others use thrusters (NASA Phoenix mission). The latter option requires more fuel.

Life on Mars

The Earth also has similarities with the Red Planet - a Martian day lasts 24 hours 37 minutes. But, unfortunately, this is where the similarities between the planets end.

Mars' thin atmosphere means that it cannot retain heat as well as Earth. Therefore, Martian weather is characterized by sharp changes in temperature during the day and night.

The maximum temperature on Mars reaches +30 degrees Celsius, which, in principle, is not bad for humans, but the minimum can go down to -140 degrees Celsius, while the average temperature on the planet is 63 degrees Celsius. For comparison, the average winter temperature at the Earth's South Pole is about -49 degrees Celsius.

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Therefore, choosing a place for a base on Mars must be very careful, with the understanding that there will have to provide an acceptable temperature at night.

The gravity on Mars is 38% of that of Earth, but the air is mostly carbon dioxide with a few percent nitrogen. Therefore, the Martian settlers will have to build a base with replenishing oxygen supplies.

SpaceX plans to make several cargo flights, including the delivery of parts of critical infrastructure such as greenhouses, solar panels, and a fuel production facility. The latter will allow astronauts to return back to Earth.

Way home

And the last task is a safe return to Earth.

Apollo 11 entered the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of about 40 thousand km / h, which is slightly below the speed required to exit the Earth's orbit.

Spacecraft returning from Mars will enter the atmosphere at speeds ranging from 47 km / h to 54 km / h, depending on the orbit used to return.

They can slow down in low orbit around the Earth to about 28 km / h before entering the planet's atmosphere, but this will again require additional fuel.

If the ship just enters the atmosphere, of course, it will slow down. But in this case, you need to make sure that the astronauts do not die from overload or strong heat.

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