From 2016 we expect some lush cosmic history (and much research) that will take us beyond the limits of science fiction: perhaps in the coming year Elon Musk will reveal his plans for the colonization of Mars. Mean, of course, specific plans, not fantasies that sophisticated audience usually doesn’t really believe. In the beginning of 2015, Musk hinted that it will publicly reveal its strategy for the Mars Colonial Transport system somewhere in late 2015, but later postponed the announcement for 2016.
“The Mars transport system will be completely new in structure, — said Musk in January 2015, answering the question about the development of MCT. I hope to submit it by the end of this year. Good thing we didn’t do it sooner, because much found on Falcon and Dragon”.
Large missiles
Avoiding details, the Musk once said he wanted to send 100 colonists to Mars at a time, and “goal is 100 metric tons of payload on the surface of Mars. Obviously, you will need a very large spacecraft and propulsion system”.
Allegedly he called the rocket BFR (abbreviation literally stands for “big fucking rocket”) and the spacecraft, respectively, BFS.
They should be reusable, because it is, according to the Mask, and SpaceS, the key to the spread of humans to different planets. Recently made a successful landing and a vertical landing first stage of the Falcon 9 still closer plans Mask to reality.
Although SpaceX has not yet been posted for everyone to see illustrations of its concept, some enthusiasts on the Internet, including engineers who have already tried to describe, what could be the MCT.
How to unload a big load on Mars?
Well, let’s say, to build a big rocket and a spaceship is a difficult task. However, an even more difficult task will be landing on Mars (100 metric tons) with hundreds of colonists, as suggested by the Mask.
The problem lies in the so-called supersonic transition. The thin Martian atmosphere does not provide enough aerodynamics to land a large model, like the Earth, but dense enough engines such as those used modules “Apollo”, worked without aerodynamic problems.
With the modern technology of planting, large transport, which flies flying through the thin atmosphere of Mars, has just 90 seconds to slow from Mach 5 to Mach 1, to regroup and to shift from ship to the lander to release the parachutes for further deceleration and then use retrovirally for a soft landing on the ground. This Mars is unique.
90 seconds is not enough, and the airbags that were used by the Mars Rovers “Spirit” and “opportunity”, and “sky crane” landing “Curiosity”, can not be increased in accordance with the size of the cargo that needs to be put on Mars with people.
NASA did some work on solving this problem and felt the inflatable aerositi, which could provide enough aerodynamic drag to slow and delivery large loads. System called Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) is still the best hope engineers.
The Inflatable Reentry Vehicle experiment (IRVE-3) was successfully held in 2012. It consists of a high-tech fabric, which is inflated with the creation of form and structure, like a mushroom. Being pressurized, the system IRVE-3 in diameter 3 meters and consists of seven gigantic braided Kevlar rings, stacked and connected together, and then covered with a thermal blanket of layers of heat resistant materials. Such aerositi can also generate a lifting rod, which will additionally slow the vehicle down.
“NASA currently develops and tests HIDA — a new class of relatively lightweight deployable aerosite that could ensure the safe delivery of more than 22 tons on the surface of Mars,” — said in September 2015 Steve Gaddis, Manager of NASA Research center in Langley.
NASA expects the spacecraft with the crew, which will land on Mars, weight will be 15 to 30 tons, and the space Agency now is deciding how to make a rather large aerositi in the framework of the Big Idea Challenge.
With current technology, landing 100 metric tons, of which Musk says could be something incredible. But if someone ever figures out how to solve this issue, then, most likely, Elon Musk.