CONTEST: Mars exo 2000

this is my plan.



by converting the cargo hold and making it into a living area it is suited for long distance travel. (area for excersize,sleeping,dining and so forth)

and making the rockets more powerfull for more thrust it can be used to land on the surface and blast off.

also converting the landing gear so it can be used for all terrain landing

have 5 fuel loads shot up there each one with eaxtra fuel/supplies for the shuttle
since they are unmaned they can be set to follow the shuttle.

first one would be used when the shuttle jeticends the first one when blast into orbit.

also one will be left staionary half way there so it can be used when the shuttle returns half way, save fuel on that load



2 will be used to supply the shuttle on way and 2 will be used to supply the shuttle on the return.

8 people will be going,
2 piolets
3 scientists
2 engeneers
1 doc

they will spend 3 days on the surface of the planet and install geer to monitor the surface and changes atmosphere,

this will cost around 50mil for each fuel pod and its gear with the shuttle at 350mil with the refit and so forth
so rougly it would cost around $700,000,000.00

atleast its a laugh

[edit on 5/17/2006 by cmdrkeenkid]

TO THE AUTHOR

Don't come forward as to who you are, as it could make the judgings biased.

TO THE JUDGES

U2U me your judgings, don't post them in this thread.

More on how the contest works can be found here: Mission to Mars: A Space Exploration CONTEST

If you want to enter the contest, you have until the 25th of May to do so still!

Feel free to use this thread to discuss, critique, and comment on this plan!

[edit on 5/17/2006 by cmdrkeenkid]

I hope I'm not posting in the wrong place, but I have a suggestion. Send food, fuel, etc, before the Chinese... er... before the astronauts get there, so it will be waiting for them.

Along the way, have space stations, like the ISS. Say, two or three, in geosynchronous orbits, each further out, that act as way stations in case anything goes wrong. Obviously these would have to be in orbit first. Can you imagine the first trip to Mars and something goes wrong? You can never have too many safety precautions. Also, many nations can contribute to each space station, so it would be a global effort, everyone on the planet is invested in it.

[edit on 17-5-2006 by curme]

Originally posted by curme
I hope I'm not posting in the wrong place...

Nope, that's fine. Like I said in the post previous to yours: Feel free to use this thread to discuss, critique, and comment on this plan!

[edit on 5/17/2006 by cmdrkeenkid]

Like I said in the Deep Red thread. What sort of protection is there from Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) and Solar Particle Events (SPE)? I don't think the shuttle has good enough shielding for that, since it's only ment to be used in a LEO. I also don't know how well the shuttle would glide within the Martian atmosphere. Since the atmosphere is much thinner than Earths. Bigger wings may be needed, but that will add more weight too.