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Astronomy 4800 – Space Science: Practice & Policy

ASTR 4800 - Space Science: Practice & PolicyToday: How do we get humans to Mars?

– Next Class: National Academy Report: Rising above the Gathering Storm. Reading: link on class website.

– Interview with a Space Scientist paper – names and bios due to me by Oct. 21.

Astronomy 4800 – Space Science: Practice & Policy

Results from Exam #1

Astronomy 4800 – Space Science: Practice & Policy

Space in the News: Why NASA's Annoyed About Elon Musk's Giant Rocket

Presented by Colin Brown

Manned Mission to Mars

By Jeremy Schlagel & Jonathan Powell

Why Send Humans to Mars?

● To search for life or evidence of previous life.

● To expand our understanding of the planet’s surface and the planet’s

evolution.

● To prepare for the future of human exploration.

● To prepare for the future of human evolution.

● The first step to becoming a multi-planet species.

The Budget● The budget from Earth to Mars varies a lot from 6 billion to 1.5 trillion.

This example is from Mars One.

● $ 2.3 billion for Outpost hardware and supplies before the

human mission.

● $ 1.25 billion for sending the first crew to Mars.

● $ 1.85 billion per year for follow-up human missions.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/10/07/the-martian-deleted-scenehttp://www.ew.com/article/2015/10/07/the-martian-deleted-scenehttps://www.space.com/starship-crew-dragon-spacex-nasa-bridenstine.htmlhttps://www.space.com/starship-crew-dragon-spacex-nasa-bridenstine.html

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Budget Continued

● A ballpark total cost for one transport space station (TSS) could be at least 30

percent greater than the ISS, bringing the cost of the first single TSS to about

$130 billion.

● Transportation costs alone could total over $100 billion before the first Mars

mission.

● A ballpark cost of the first Mars mission in 2035 would total $230 billion.

Second and following missions, occurring at three-year intervals, would cost

about $142 billion each.

● If we send nine crews to Mars, the total bill would be in the neighborhood of

$1.5 trillion.

Who Will We Send?

There is massive list of attributes the astronauts must meet to be considered a

candidate for the mission to mars. Here are just a few.

● The applicant must be free from any disease, any dependency on drugs, alcohol or tobacco;

● Normal range of motion and functionality in all joints;

● 20 / 20 with either uncorrected or corrected vision.

● Blood pressure should not exceed 140/90 measured in a sitting position;

● The standing height must be between 157 and 190 cm.

Technologies for Mars

Answer by Robert Frost, Instructor and Flight Controller at NASA, on Quora: “We

do not currently have the technology to send humans to Mars. Nobody currently

has a launch vehicle. Nobody has a vehicle that can land humans on Mars.

Nobody has a vehicle that can lift humans off of the Martian surface. There is a lot

of technology to develop.

Technology list

■ Inflatable landing systems.

■ Options for a Martian ascent vehicle.

■ Regenerative solid oxide fuel cells.

■ Space food preparation.

■ Biomedical technologies for human Mars missions.

■ Ion thrusters.

Where does the Private Sector Fit in?

With the lunar missions coming up, and the government bidding out jobs to the

private sector, helps drop the cost of a mission to Mars.

Elon Musk and SpaceX have proposed the development of a Mars transportation

vehicle. They want to develop fully reusable launch vehicles. Along with in-orbit

propellent tankers, rapid-turnaround launch/landing mounts, and local production

of rocket fuel on Mars.

How Will We Get ThereThe first launch: The SLS(Space Launch System) and Orion will blast off from

Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s modernized spaceport at Kennedy Space Center

in Florida.

The SLS rocket is designed for missions beyond low-Earth orbit carrying crew or

cargo to the Moon and beyond.

The second launch: Will take crew and test Orion’s critical systems with humans

aboard.

Future mission to Mars: The SLS rocket will evolve to a final configuration that can

send at least 45 metric tons. Together, Orion, SLS and the ground systems at

Kennedy will be able to meet the most challenging crew and cargo mission needs

in deep space.

https://www.quora.com/Do-we-currently-have-the-technology-to-send-humans-to-Mars-and-then-bring-them-back-again/answer/Robert-Frost-1https://www.quora.com/profile/Robert-Frost-1http://www.quora.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6lPlyMUtf4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6lPlyMUtf4https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/launchpad39b_factsheet_013018_508.pdfhttps://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/rocket.htmlhttps://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/sls_lift_capabilities_and_configurations_508_02122018_final.pdf

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Moon To Mars Mission

● The Artemis program, created by NASA, is working with U.S. companies and

international partners to create a sustainable human presence on the Moon

by 2028

When Can We Leave?

The first time frame to land humans on Mars ranges from 2033 to the late 2030s.

Distance from Earth to Mars in astronomical units.

Timeline

The average amount of time to reach Mars is around 8 months. This is a long

time, so if we do send astronauts to Mars, we will need them to stay there for a

great deal of time to make the trip worth it.

Class Exercise

With a manned mission to Mars, what would be considered a success?

Do we only need to land a human on Mars?

Do we need to find life or evidence of previous life?

Do we need to make more than one trip?

Health Impacts

● There are many different factors that have made the mission to Mars

challenging for humans, and among them is the health risks for the

astronauts: Space Sickness, Mental Illness, Weaker Muscles, Eye Problems,

Common Sickness, Space Radiation, and other Medical Emergencies

To and From Mars

● What do astronauts do on their way to and from the red planet?

● How do we keep these astronauts healthy physically and mentally?

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Where Do We Land?

As basic as this question sounds, it is one to really consider. Realistically, we have

a shot to place people on Mars and we have to make that shot count.

What Will We Do On Mars?

● Functionability

● Maintenance

● Research

● Sustainability

Class Question

Is This Just a One Time Thing?

Politics Surrounding Travel To Mars

● Priorities of NASA

● Why not just send Robots?

● Many people argue we should fix Earth first

How To Fund This Mission

Funding the mission to Mars is not like our average day to day activities that

Congress funds for our nation.

Works Cited

“What is Mars One’s mission budget?” Mars one. https://www.mars-one.com/faq/finance-and-feasibility/what-is-mars-

ones-mission-budget

O. Glenn Smith and Paul D. Spudis, March 8, 2015. “Mars for only 1.5 trillion.” Space News. https://spacenews.com/op-ed-

mars-for-only-1-5-trillion/

“What are the Qualifications to Apply?” Mars one. http://www.mars-one.com/faq/selection-and-preparation-of-the-

astronauts/what-are-the-qualifications-to-apply

“Technologies on the road to Mars.” Exploration human and robotic exploration. December 16, 2002.

https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/Technologies_on_the_road_to_Mars

Robert, Frost. “Do We Already Have The Technology To Send Humans To Mars And Bring Them Back Again?” Forbes

November 28, 2018. https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2018/11/28/do-we-already-have-the-technology-to-send-humans-

to-mars-and-bring-them-back-again/#7baa671d6b89

https://www.mars-one.com/faq/finance-and-feasibility/what-is-mars-ones-mission-budgethttps://spacenews.com/author/o-glenn-smith/https://spacenews.com/author/paul-d-spudis/https://spacenews.com/op-ed-mars-for-only-1-5-trillion/http://www.mars-one.com/faq/selection-and-preparation-of-the-astronauts/what-are-the-qualifications-to-applyhttps://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/Technologies_on_the_road_to_Mars

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Works Cited

Kathryn Hambleton.September 6, 2019. “Around the Moon with NASA’s First Launch of SLS with Orion” Moon to Mars.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/around-the-moon-with-nasa-s-first-launch-of-sls-with-orion

Bharmal, Zahaan. “The Case against Mars Colonisation.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 28 Aug. 2018,

www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2018/aug/28/the-case-against-mars-colonisation.

Cain, Fraser. “How Long Does It Take to Get to Mars?” Universe Today, 16 Mar. 2017,

www.universetoday.com/14841/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-to-mars/.

Gannon, Megan. “How NASA Will Keep Astronauts From Going Stir-Crazy on Long Space Missions.” NBCNews.com,

NBCUniversal News Group, 30 May 2017, www.nbcnews.com/storyline/the-big-questions/how-nasa-preparing-astronauts-

minds-long-mars-mission-n732711.

“Human Exploration.” NASA, NASA, mars.nasa.gov/programmissions/science/goal4/.

“Traveling to Mars? Top 6 Health Challenges.” EarthSky, earthsky.org/space/human-health-dangers-mars-travel.

Viglione, Giuliana. “The Politics Behind Choosing a Mars 2020 Landing Site.” Astronomy.com, 26 Oct. 2018,

www.astronomy.com/news/2018/10/politics-of-mars-2020.

Works Cited

Daley, Jason. “Explorers Will Face Dangerous Amounts of Radiation On Their Trip to Mars.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian

Institution, 24 Sept. 2018, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/explorers-will-face-dangerous-amounts-radiation-their-

trip-mars-180970384/.

Dunbar, Brian. “Moon to Mars Overview.” NASA, NASA, 29 June 2018, www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars/overview.

“Majority of Americans Say It Is Essential for U.S. to Be a Leader in Space Exploration ...” Pew Research Center: Internet,

Science & Tech, 1 June 2018, www.pewinternet.org/2018/06/06/majority-of-americans-believe-it-is-essential-that-the-

u-s-remain-a-global-leader-in-space/ps_06-06-18_science-space-00/.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/around-the-moon-with-nasa-s-first-launch-of-sls-with-orion