Hello everyone,
Today, I would like to talk about our future :) As you probably know, to reach space we are using rocket boosters fueled with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. They are very big and are ditched before the vehicle reach orbit. Then, you need additional engines to move across space. That's a bit problematic.
I'm attaching two articles about the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) plasma engine developed by Ad Astra Rocket Company with NASA.
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/conferences/humans-to-mars/vasimr-plasma-engine-earth-mars-39-days/
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/F_Engine_That_Does_More.html
and an extra one:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/briankoberlein/2016/10/11/why-it-takes-a-big-rocket-to-reach-mars/#30b53707a2f2
Questions:
1. How long will it take humans to travel to Mars?
2. Who will get to Mars first?
3. Do you know any alternatives to VASIMR engine?
1. How long will it take humans to travel to Mars?
ReplyDeleteTo determine how long it will take to reach Mars, we must first know the distance between the two planets. As far as I know it is at least 56 million kilometres, but the distance between the two planets is constantly changing as they travel around the sun. For anyone who is not an astronaut this number seems insane and not possible to go through. Currently we know several historical missions and it took from 128 days to 333 days. For someone like me who have now idea about subject I can only say that 39 days seems like a huge milestone if it will work.
2. Who will get to Mars first?
Probably some astronauts from NASA. And I absolutely admire anyone who works in that industry and sacrifices their’s life for new achievements in this field. This basically takes off few years of your life and very often the mission goes wrong and you may even die.
3. Do you know any alternatives to VASIMR engine?
I am absolutely not interested in this field of science and I can only relate to what I found in the internet - electromagnetic propulsion drive, or the EM Drive. But I have no idea about any engines like that at all.
Reaching Mars in 333 days isn't a problem. Coming back is :)
DeletePeople are dying all the time in such endeavours, I think that it's a part of their job. Adrenaline kick is so big that they need to do something like this. Glory is another factor as well :)
EM drive is very similar to VASIMR.
As a typical guy, who don't know as much about this field of science, I think the main concern is not when, but if people will travel to Mars. From my perspective, everyone (with one exception) thinks just about sending robots there. It's not like during the Cold War, when USSR raced with USA and the goal was clear - to send someone to the Moon. Some folks still argues that the landing was faked, but the fact is since then we haven't had any other Moon landings. And we want to talk about Mars...
ReplyDeletePersonally I believe the only option is Elon Musk and his beliefs. From the beginning of SpaceX the goal was clear and about *people*. I think Elon said that the landing should happen in 2025. Knowing that he is usually overoptimistic, I'd say 2030 is doable. But when it comes to engines and details like that, honestly, I have no clue.
+1 for Elon, as he can easily mitigate administration details and just go there :)
Delete1)
ReplyDeleteDid you mean how long it would take before a human mission to Mars will be possible? I've checked that NASA is preparing to send humans to the Mars orbit in early 2030's. Elon Musk claims that he'll be able to launch a manned mission to Mars by the 2024 year.
2)
I think that NASA is the most probable candidate for being first in sending people to Mars. Although Elon Musk may have required capital and technology I think that still NASA is better equipped for such a mission.
3)
I've heard about the solar sail, the idea that you can use huge sails to propel a spacecraft with a radiation pressure. I've also seen articles about black hole powered engines, but I'm not sure if the idea is realistic enough to mention it here.
+ 1 for NASA, we will see how it ends.
DeleteThis was quite nice artictle especially Youtube video from plasma shot.
ReplyDelete1. How long will it take humans to travel to Mars?
I must agree with Adam I am not quite sure what is question :D. But when it comes question "When people will reach Mars?" I don't have the sloghest idea. Maybe in 10 yers from now, maybe longer. Who knows.
2. Who will get to Mars first?
I think NASA. SpaceX doesn't have enough "great minds" to achive something like this. I would like to see some collaboration in this manner between ESA and NASA. Maybe Russia? I think that we will see this in future (but not in near one).
3. Do you know any alternatives to VASIMR engine?
Nope, until today I didn't know about existence of VASIMR :-)
If you interested in Sci Fi movie on Netflix you can watch The Expanse (and of course all Star Trek series). There you can see what will happen when people will colonize Mars :D.
Star Trek :D Let's say it's a documentary series.
Delete+1 for NASA, Elon is losing on this blog.
ReplyDelete1. How long will it take humans to travel to Mars?
Thank you for this article. I think that it will take a few tries and then humans will successfully reach Mars. I'm not an expert and I'm not sure when but I think that despite it is not easy someone will finally travel to Mars. Maybe it will be in the next 20 years, maybe 100 years...
2. Who will get to Mars first?
I think it is hard to predict. On one hand NASA has a lot of experience in space missions but on the other hand, Elon Musk may occur as the first one to do this. There is a lot of hard work before both of them. It may bring interesig results. For sure if anyone will manage to do this we will be informed and they will be talking about them all the time everywhere.
3. Do you know any alternatives to VASIMR engine?
Unfortunately this is not the topic of my interest. I've tried to google it and I've read that there are two possible alternative concepts: based on Hall thruster and Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster concept.
50-50 so, +1 for both.
DeleteI'm not sure why we should want to travel to Mars, but I guess going there is inevitable. Someone will definitely travel there in the next couple of years. Who will go there? Definitely Americans, NASA, since they are the ones with money for all kinds of big, expensive research. Unfortunately, I have no knowledge whatsoever about alternative to VASIMIR engine.
ReplyDeleteI only hope that if someone goes to Mars, the mission will not end like the one in the movie "The Martian". I hope astronauts won't leave anyone there behind:).
Delete+1 for NASA.
DeleteThe Martian could be a prediction of the future :) Depends on who will end alone.
1. How long will it take humans to travel to Mars?
ReplyDeleteThis question is inaccurate because of lack of definition when. At the moment it is a very long journey, as Cezary wrote. In my opinion travel time may be shortened (even up to those 39 days) if any suitable technology is used. Unfortunately VASIMR is too heavy to receive a goal of 200 megawatts per one minute.
2. Who will get to Mars first?
In my opinion NASA will get to Mars first. Personally, I believe that it is the most involved institution in space exploration. On the other hand I do not know any another so popular as NASA.
3. Do you know any alternatives to VASIMR engine?
No, I don’t know any alternatives to VASIMR engine but I agree with Chang-Diaz’s statement: “Nuclear power is definitely a must if we're going to go to Mars”. There is a need of enormous power with the lightweight components that make it.
Another NASA vote.
DeleteVASIMR is ready in 80%, we will see how it ends. NASA is quite optimistic, if they have decided to invest.
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. How long will it take humans to travel to Mars?
It depends on a technology to be used in such activity. And which time do you mean? Time and space are relative. It can be not so obvious to tell.
2. Who will get to Mars first?
Those who have (more) money, experience and knowledge. SpaceX cannot compensate the whole know-how so quickly, I think. NASA has much more experience.
3. Do you know any alternatives to VASIMR engine?
I am afraid I do not recognize any alternative to VASIMR engine.
Nonetheless, the mentioned here solar sailors seems to be a proper idea for travels in the neighborhood in this galaxy.
It looks like NASA is going to win.
Delete1. How long will it take humans to travel to Mars?
ReplyDeleteI 've learned during my studies that usually informatical projects last two times longer that it was assumed and costs three times more. Probably in small projects it isn't true but in more comlex like space travel it can be good assumption.
2. Who will get to Mars first?
According current economical trends it will be some team from China or from international space project. I think scientist from USA will not have suffitient budget in future.
3. Do you know any alternatives to VASIMR engine?
No, I don't.
+1 for team China? :D
DeleteThe Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/01/19/will-trump-echo-jfks-moonshot-and-vow-to-send-humans-to-mars/?utm_term=.3367ef2a5255) wrote some time ago that they have a trusted-source information about Trump-Musk meeting which subject was a manned mission to Mars.
ReplyDeleteTrump has bad opinion about chances of NASA to proceed such operation, furthermore he would like that this flight would take place during his presidency. Because NASA is government agency and SpaceX - privately held, the real winner would be, in my opinion, this one which would get more financing from the government. I think that if Trump will win re-election, then his presidency would last by year 2025 and in that context- Musk promises to send people to Mars by 2024. I am able to believe that Mr. “Make America Great Again” would like to become the new Kennedy and move financing from NASA to SpaceX to achieve that goal. However I think that this term is unreachable, and both agencies should rather cooperate than compete.
And about VASIMR alternatives - recently Musk said BFR would be powered by (classical?) Raptor engine, so I think that it is real alternative.
Thank you for the article. I read that. Trump has very weird opinions about many things.
DeleteGenerally speaking, we can't predict the future if Trump wins again...
Thank you for the articles. Very interesting topic! :)
ReplyDelete1. How long will it take humans to travel to Mars?
I have the same doubts as some of people that already answered this question. What do you mean? How long the journey will take or when the humanity will be ready to travel to Mars?
In the first case, I think it depends on technology and the position of the two planets. It would be great if the 39 days, mentioned in the article, will be possible.
And I hope that in ten or fifteen years some space mission will be arranged.
2. Who will get to Mars first?
In my opinion NASA is the most probable candidate. SpaceX also looks promising, but it is a private company with it's own budget and not as experienced as NASA.
3. Do you know any alternatives to VASIMR engine?
I don't know any alternatives to VASIMR. I like to read some news about astronomy and space, but I do not follow them regularly.
Tomasz recommended nice SciFi movie. I will add 'Voyage To The Planets' to the list :)
Yay, another movie. Give me more time to watch them :)
DeleteNASA is leading.
Let's say, fingers crossed for any space mission in the nearest decade.
Thank you for the interesting topic. Unfortunately, I'm not an expert on this subject. It is difficult to predict the time of travel when we don’t know when it starts and what the opportunity will be at that time. Remember that development is very dynamic. I've read a lot in other sources too. In conclusion, most authors write that by 2030 humans will have flown on Mars. In my opinion it will be a mission organized by NASA. This is due to NASA's experience and greater availability of funds. The VASIMR engine is very promising but I don’t know another competition for it, although as I mentioned I'm not an expert on this subject.
ReplyDelete1. I guess it will take no more than 10 years to organize travels to Mars. Of course I am not particularly prepared to detailed discussion about cosmic issues. But we live in times of very fast technology development. Such articles confirm my opinion, what’s more – most of such information is not published as deeply confidential. I believe, such travels shall be possible very soon, we’ll be surprised by such opportunity one day.
ReplyDelete2. First travelers shall be scientists in parallel with very rich people, who would be able to afford this. Definitely. First ones – because those second ones are not suicides ;-)
3. Unfortunately I don’t know any alternatives, I am not specialist in this respect and this is a field of knowledge I’ve never studied. I am very sorry! But I may add, that if I had an opportunity to go to Mars – even after several successful scientific expeditions - I would have the biggest dilemma in my life. Thank you for this article, I wasn’t conscious of that :-)
1. How long will it take humans to travel to Mars?
ReplyDeleteI can Guess that till 20130 we will be able to achieve this
2. Who will get to Mars first?
I bet NASA
3. Do you know any alternatives to VASIMR engine?
Unfortunately I do not study this topic, so I do not know other alternatves
1. How long will it take humans to travel to Mars?
ReplyDeleteMy parents' generation had the Moon landing, so maybe my generation will at least see the mission to Mars? But I'm not holding my breath. Since the 60 it's been just satellites and a few space probes.
2. Who will get to Mars first?
If it doesn't take too long then the USA is most likely. NASA or Elon, this may be hard to tell in this case, but SpaceX is already working together with NASA and ESA. If this project takes way longer, it may take place in a different geopolitical situation, where either China, Korea, India or Japan (if it bounces back) are at the edge of space conquest.
3. Do you know any alternatives to VASIMR engine?
I didn't know the VASIMR acronym beforehand, just a vague notion of a "plasma ion engine", which is another form of using Newton's third law. Well, for the long haul I have no idea what could be better and more economical than that, but maybe we could have some extra speed by using better acceleration techniques near Earth - like the space fountain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_fountain - which would need a conterpart at the destination (Mars) in order to reabsorb the great kinetic energy.