Mission Backstory - 14 of 14
Mission Backstory and Astronaut Activities
for DMNS Candor Chasma Base Station
Sources and References:
· http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/mars/marslaun.html
· Duke, M. B. (1998) Mars Surface Mission Workshop, LPI Contribution No. 934, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX. 11pp.
· “The Exploration of Mars: Crew Surface Activities”, USC Aerospace Engineering. 19pp. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpi/HEDS-UP/usc.pdf
· “Destination Mars” Video. (1998) The Discovery Channel.
· Dr. Nathalie Cabrol, NASA Ames Research Center.
· Dr. Steven Lee, DMNS Curator of Planetary Science.
· Candor Chasma in “Red Rover Goes to Landing Site Materials”
http://www.planetary.org/rrgtm/studsci/sitepacket/Site05_Candor_Chasma/Site05_Candor_Chasma.html
· Barker, Donald C., NASA Johnson Space Flight Center, “The Need to Colonize, in Ad Astra: The Magazine of the National Space Agency. July/Aug 2002.
Note: Much of this plan was inspired by the plan of the Apollo Program that went to the Moon and explored its surface. While solidly grounded in the science of space exploration, the elements of this mission backstory which happen in the future are purely speculative. To clarify this, sections describing what has actually happened, or is actually happening, are marked “fact.” Those which, though scientifically plausible, have not actually occurred, are marked “story.”
PURPOSE OF THE MARS EXPLORATION PROGRAM
Mars is the most Earth-like planet we know of. No scientific discovery ever made would be as exciting as the discovery of life on another world. A primary purpose of Mars exploration is to search for life. All Earth life requires water. If Mars life resembles Earth life, then the search for life should begin with a search for water, more specifically for liquid water. Conditions today on Mars (low temperature and low atmospheric pressure) do not permit water to exist in its liquid state, though instruments aboard Mars orbiters have detected fog and frost on the surface. Another purpose of the exploration of Mars is to characterize the geologic history of Mars.
Mars may have had liquid water in the distant past, and life may have evolved there. Even if astronauts do not find living cells on Mars, they may find microscopic fossil life. Mars has a surface area larger than the land area of Earth. To identify life-possible sites and narrow their search, scientists look for certain tell-tale minerals such as hematite and dolomite that form only in water.
Another important scientific purpose for going to Mars is to study the history of our near neighbor, now a cold desert world. Did Mars ever have a thick atmosphere like Earth’s? Did it ever have oceans and a water cycle? What happened in Mars’ history that makes it so different from warm, wet Earth? This life story of Mars is contained in its rocks. The half dozen large volcanoes are now extinct. Scientists want to know why. A major focus of the exploration of Mars will be to piece together the whole history of Mars as told by its geology.
The final and probably most important reason for going to Mars is intangible. This reason has to do with the expression of what it means to be fully human. We as a species derive a deep satisfaction when we encounter the wondrous. It is part of our nature–our very identity–to explore, to discover, and to be filled with curiosity about things we can see but not visit. We actively seek out the wondrous, the amazing, the monumental, sometimes at great risk to our own lives. It is also the nature of humans to feel more fulfilled by participating in projects of immense scale and by being associated with endeavors that demand huge communities of people to work together toward a common goal. No project yet devised by the human species can rival the scope, ambition, and significance of the exploration of Mars.
NASA’s STEPS IN THE SEARCH FOR LIFE ON MARS (fact)
STEP 1: Using high resolution pictures and other data from satellites and orbiters, scientists will look for large scale landforms (eroded canyons, dry lake beds, beaches and shorelines) that indicate possible past standing or running water.
STEP 2: Promising sites are chosen and landers and robotic rovers are sent to water-possible sites. Simple analysis will be conducted on these samples.
STEP 3: Rock samples will be collected and sent to Earth for detailed analysis, at first by robotically operated sample return rockets, then by human visitors.
THE DMNS PLAN FOR HUMAN EXPLORATION OF MARS (story)
There are six vital necessities for astronauts to survive on Mars: Oxygen, shelter, water, food, sustainable energy supplies, and transportation. Returning the astronauts safely to Earth is the highest priority, so backup systems for the most critical components have been provided wherever possible. In addition to scientific goals, the long range goal is to make each mission more self sufficient than the last, that is, to be able to “live off the land” more and more by utilizing Martian atmospheric and surface materials so that cargo shipments from Earth will decline.
Exploration of Mars’s surface is planned in four phases using a total of seven separate manned missions, plus one unmanned mission to send essential materials robotically up to Mars before sending astronauts.
PHASE 1: Send unmanned missions to Mars to prepare for human landing.
PHASE 2: Establish Mars Base Station.
PHASE 3: Explore the vicinity of the station and begin in-depth scientific research.
PHASE 4: Explore remote regions of Mars using robotic rovers, planes, and finally, a manned long range rover.
Summary of the plan
· seven separate manned missions to Mars
· Each mission lasts 619 days (20 months) from Earth launch to Earth splashdown.
· Astronauts spend 240 days (eight months) on the surface.
· There are six astronauts in each mission, each with multiple roles such as physician and communication specialist, Mars shuttle pilot and electronics maintenance officer, education specialist, etc.
· The astronaut in the diorama is part of Mission #4, in 2047, so he or she speaks of Missions #1, #2 and #3 in the past tense. Likewise, the really ambitious missions #5-7 are in the future.
GETTING TO MARS AND BACK: THE “MISSION PROFILE” (story)
(The sequence of steps to get to and from Mars)
1) A shuttle carries the Mars astronauts to rendezvous with the Mars Transport. The large Mars Transport has been assembled in Earth orbit much like the ISS. It will convey Mars astronauts back and forth to Mars orbit, but will never land on Mars or Earth.
2) The Mars Transport leaves Earth orbit and travels for six months. The Mars Transport carries with it the Mars Lander.
3) The Mars Transport injects into Mars orbit. Astronauts board the Mars Lander and undock from the Mars Transport.
4) The Mars Lander carries Mars astronauts to the Mars surface and lands at Candor Chasma Base Station (CCBS). The Mars Lander has a sizable cargo bay to carry equipment to the surface and specimens back to the orbiting Mars Transport.
5) The return to Earth will reverse these steps.
LAUNCH WINDOWS (fact)
Missions to Mars can be launched only during specific time spans called launch windows because only then do energetically favorable alignments of Mars and Earth occur. Though various trajectories to Mars, including sling-shotting around Venus, can be used, the most fuel-efficient path, seen at right, is called the Hohmann transfer. Launch windows for a Hohmann transfer happen every time Mars is 86 degrees ahead of Earth in its orbit. This planetary arrangement occurs every 26 months, so missions take place every two years or so, but not in between.
Total mission duration is also controlled by launch windows. The trip to and from Mars will require six months each way, so that astronauts will have to say on Mars for eight months regardless of the progress of the mission. (By burning extra fuel, flight times to Mars can be reduced by a few weeks, but every flight path to Mars is still constrained by available launch windows.)
The return trip from Mars to Earth will also require six months. The launch opportunity to Earth occurs when Earth is 94 degrees behind Mars. This arrangement occurs every 26 months at intervals of one year after launch from Earth.
LAUNCH WINDOWS to and from MARS (part fact, part story)
TO MARS TO EARTH
Mission # / Astronaut crew on the surfaceLeave Earth / Arrive Mars / Leave Mars / Arrive Earth
0 / 02/14/2040 / 08/10/2040 / 255 days / 04/25/2041 / 10/22/2041
1 / 11/28/2042 / 05/26/2043 / 260 days / 02/15/2043 / 08/13/2043
2 / 09/11/2044 / 03/20/2045 / 260 days / 12/10/2045 / 06/08/2046
3 / 06/25/2046 / 12/22/2046 / 261 days / 09/12/2047 / 03/10/2047
4 / 04/09/2047 / 11/19/2048* / 218* days / 06/28/2049 / 12/27/2049
5 / 01/18/2050 / 07/07/2050 / 258 days / 03/27/2051 / 09/23/2051
6 / 11/01/2052 / 05/01/2053 / 259 days / 01/20/2054 / 09/17/2054
7 / 08/15/2054 / 02/11/2055 / 263 days / 10/07/2055 / 04/04/2056
The spacecraft was re-routed to in order to fly-by and study an inbound comet. This added 41 days to the outbound trip and shortened the stay on Mars by the same amount. The return trip was not affected.
SPECIFIC MISSION GOALS OF THE MARS EXPLORATION PROGRAM (story)
(As seen from the point of view of an astronaut in 2048)
PHASE 1: Unmanned Missions
(1960s to 2008)
Satellite fly-bys, Mars orbiters, Mars landers, and rovers were sent to Mars to gather data for establishing a human presence on Mars. Future Mars landing sites were selected.
(2009 to 2039)
Smart rovers (those capable of negotiating the rough Martian surface without direct commands from Earth) were sent to explore the surface at certain promising sites. Also, balloons and planes were prototyped. Radiation hazards were measured over long periods of time and the ISRU (In situ Resource Utilization - “living off the land” technology was tested. In particular the Martian atmosphere was used to make rocket fuel for powering the sample return spacecraft.
(2039)
Mission #0 was an unmanned cargo robotic spacecraft that carried cargo and equipment
for the first manned mission to Mars.
PHASE 2: Establish Mars Base Station
Mission #1 (2042) concentrated on getting the station operational and monitoring human responses, physical and psychological, to living on Mars. Due to a lack of advanced scientific equipment, exploring was limited to the immediate vicinity of the Base Station. On the first few missions nearly everything was brought from Earth except for water, oxygen, and the rocket fuel for the return trip. Back up oxygen was made from Martian air by catalytic chemical reduction of carbon dioxide using energy from nuclear power units. Weather, navigation, life support, power sources and communications equipment were deployed, but only insofar as they were needed to maintain the Mars base. The site around the base station was explored, but having no rovers on this mission, astronauts could not venture more than a few kilometers from the base. Local sites were searched and analyzed for signs of life and water.
PHASE 3: Explore vicinity of the station.
Mission #2 (2045) brought a cargo hold full of scientific tools to begin actual scientific research. An analytic lab was set up and study of the geophysics of Mars was begun. Many prototypes were tested and also new technologies such as (potassium-CO2 alkali batteries) which needed to be tested for operational problems under actual Mars conditions. Experiments to grow green plants for food were begun, though only as a supplement to the astronauts’ diet.
PHASE 4: Explore remote regions of Mars using robotic rovers, planes, and finally, a manned rover. Missions #3 -#7 (2046 and beyond)
Having established the feasibility of living on Mars, astronauts begin large scale projects The ISRU technology was extended from prototype level chemical plants to small chemical factories. Building materials were tested on previous missions, and by Mission #4, some small scale construction projects begin. Later missions will manufacture building materials such as bricks and cement, and use them to construct larger structures.
Wide range exploration began on Mission #3, and will be expanded in later missions. Missions #3-6 will employ smart rovers, a Mars Buggy (short range astronaut rover), balloons, and Mars planes. Finally, on Mission #7, a big scale piece of equipment, the Very Long Range Rover (VLRR pronounced VELLER), a self contained “Mars Winnebago” that can support three crew members for five months on a 5000 kilometer trek, will be used. It can also support the pneumatically-operated Deep Core Drill capable of boring holes 100 meters deep. During this stage of Mars exploration, hundreds of life-possible and water-possible sites will be studied. Also, this stage will include reusing materials no longer needed from previous missions (ie. lander legs could be used as struts to support the garage for the VLRR). Large scale chemical plants are operating to provide materials for operations such as smelting and materials fabrication. Eventually, a Mars satellite navigation network (a simplified GPS) will be put up, but not for many years.
Notes on the Candor Chasma Base Station backstory.
NOTE #1
We make the unstated assumption that consecutive missions will go back to the same site, and expand out from there with exploration missions, as opposed to self-contained missions to different places every time. We chose Mission #4 (of 7 missions) for the DMNS Candor Chasma Base Station (CCBS). This is the year 2048, at the beginning of Phase 4 of the Mars Exploration Plan. This way, we can assume current ISRU technology works, but we do not have to assume the big scale equipment works and major construction has begun. The AOS astronauts are excited for the next phase to begin; some are a bit disappointed that they will not be coming back to go on the expedition in the VLLR. A trip in the VLLR is considered to be the really fun stuff, the historical, first-time-ever exploration of a new place that has not occurred since Lewis and Clark.