SpaceX 8 Mars Vision Summary
SpaceX 8 Mars Vision Summary
SpaceX 8 Mars Vision Summary
Jim Rauf
• Lunar missions are shorter and relatively more straight • The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization
forward Experiment (MOXIE) technology demonstration on the
• Mars missions are longer and more complex NASA Mars 2020 rover Perseverance investigating the
production of oxygen on Mars
• On April 20, 2021, MOXIE produced O2 from CO2 in the
Martian atmosphere by using solid oxide electrolysis
(CO2>CO+O2)
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• LANDING ON MARS
• Starship will enter Mars’ atmosphere at 7.5 kilometers
per second and decelerate aerodynaicaStarship.
OLLI Fall 2023 18
Getting to Mars
• Long Duration Space Travel: Mars missions will require • Life Support Systems: Creating reliable life support
astronauts to spend several months in space systems capable of sustaining a crew for an extended
period in a closed environment is essential
• The extended duration of the journey increases the risks
associated with radiation exposure, psychological stress, • These systems need to provide oxygen, water, and
and physiological changes in microgravity remove carbon dioxide, waste, and pollutants
• Radiation Exposure: Astronauts traveling to Mars will be • Mars Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL): Safely landing
exposed to higher levels of cosmic radiation and solar on Mars is a significant challenge due to the thin Martian
radiation compared to Earth's protective magnetosphere atmosphere and the need to slow down spacecraft during
descent
• Microgravity Effects: Prolonged exposure to microgravity
can lead to muscle atrophy, bone loss, and other • Habitat and Environmental Control: Designing and
physiological changes. building a habitat on Mars that can protect astronauts
from harsh Martian conditions while providing a
comfortable and safe living space is a complex task
• The habitat must maintain a stable environment with
temperature, pressure, and radiation protection
• Resource Utilization: Mars missions may benefit from • Emergency Medical Care: Being so far from Earth makes
utilizing local resources, such as producing oxygen from emergency medical care challenging
the Martian atmosphere, extracting water from the
Martian soil, and generating power from local resources • Mission planners must develop medical protocols and
equipment to handle various health emergencies and
• Developing and testing these technologies is crucial for injuries that may occur during the mission
long-term sustainability on Mars.
• Robotic Precursor Missions: Before sending humans to
• Communication Delays: Mars is far from Earth, and Mars, it is crucial to conduct robotic missions to gather
communication can experience significant delays due to essential data about the Martian environment,
the varying distances between the two planets resources, and potential landing sites
• This can impact real-time decision-making and • Delivery and set up of O2 and CH4 extraction and
emergency response capabilities liquification equipment for Starship propellant
• Human Factors: The psychological and social challenges • International Collaboration: Mars missions are likely to
of living and working in a confined space with a small involve multiple space agencies and international
crew for an extended duration can be significant cooperation.
• The Delta-v (Δv) required for a crewed trip from Earth to • Mars Capture and Arrival: As the spacecraft approaches
Mars depends on several factors, including the specific Mars, it will need to perform a capture burn to slow
mission profile, spacecraft design, propulsion technology, down and be captured by Mars' gravity
and mission objectives
• This requires another delta-v of about 0.7 to 1.3 km/s to
• Typically, a crewed mission to Mars would require a delta- enter Mars' orbit or to land on the planet's surface
v in the range of 6 to 8 kilometers per second (km/s) or
possibly more • The spacecraft will also require additional delta-v for any
orbital maneuvers, rendezvous and docking with other
• This delta-v requirement encompasses various phases of spacecraft
the journey:
• It will require 5.03 km/s to escape Mars’ gravity and
• Earth Departure: To escape Earth's gravity and leave return to Earth
Earth's orbit, the spacecraft will require a velocity change
of approximately 3.6 to 4.1 km/s • Mission planners aim to optimize the trajectory to
minimize delta-v requirements and travel time, while
• Transfer Orbit to Mars: After departing from Earth, the ensuring the safety and well-being of the crew
spacecraft will follow a transfer orbit to Mars, requiring
an additional delta-v of approximately 0.7 to 1.3 km/s to
reach the appropriate trajectory for Mars
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