01-05-2003 08:38									#1
	What's the best way to get to Mars? Got spare money?

Would the method have to involve artificial gravity to prevent bone loss? Could the ship be launched magneticly? Accelerated up a track using magnetism...

Anyway, what's the best way?

	01-05-2003 08:44									#2
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the best is probably sling shot. or atleast any way we use will involve a sling shot.

I dont know about the bone loss thing, maybe u could device a way to have them sleep in gravity but not have the entire ship w/ it(less money). and that would enable them to keep most of their bone mass. but I don't know really.

	01-05-2003 08:50									#3
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Sling shot around the moon?

	01-05-2003 08:50									#4
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why would u do it around the moon?

	01-05-2003 08:52									#5
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Around the Earth then? I mean what else is there?

	01-05-2003 08:53									#6
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well yes the earth. its the larger of the two objects.

	01-05-2003 08:55									#7
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eliptical path using initial rocket powered accelleration with ion drive for the trip. artificial gravity provided by centrifugal force of rotating hab space. On board nuke for power. Lot's of storage for water and other consumables. Take ya two years tops.

	01-05-2003 09:06									#8
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You would need a standard method of getting the spacecraft into space ie: rockets or similar. A magnetic track launching the craft from Earth would put way too much force on the crew, killing them within seconds. Getting to 8km/s just by using an initial boost is not going to be pretty. However, once they are in space a magnetic booster may just be useful, although most probably it will be too expensive.

The ship will probably feature some limited areas of artificial gravity as we already have the technology to create this. It will be powered by an ion engine throughout the flight which will provide a small but steady acceleration. It will also probably feature a rocket engine for use during the landing and perhaps takeoff, which will give a great deal of acceleration but at the cost of a large amount of fuel (which will have to be carried with the spacecraft).

I've heard that the best way is to launch the craft towards Venus, and using the planet's gravity to sling the craft at a much greater velocity towards Mars.

Last edited by Skanky Burns on 01-05-2003 at 09:13

	01-05-2003 09:08									#9
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quote: I've heard that the best way is to launch the craft towards Venus, and using the planet's gravity to sling the craft at a much greater velocity towards Mars.

Isn't Venus approximately the same distance as Mars?

	01-05-2003 09:30									#10
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yavoon, ok makes sense.

Plato, two years! I knew it was a long time but...at that rate they might as well just colonize the place rather than return. Hmmm...

Skanky, isn't the going the wrong way? Venus is towards the sun, Mars away from it...

	01-05-2003 09:31									#11
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submarine.

	01-05-2003 09:31									#12
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Venus is 0.72 AU's from the Sun.
Earth is 1.00 AU's from the Sun.
Mars is 1.52 AU's from the Sun.

So if all the planets are lined up, Venus is about half as close as Mars.

	01-05-2003 09:31									#13
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The minimum distance from Venus to Earth is 40 million km (25 million miles), while the minimum distance from Mars to Earth is (35 million miles). Apparently the idea is to fly on an intercept course with Venus, pick up a speed boost and then move on to where Mars will be. The total time taken will be less than if you went directly to Mars.

	01-05-2003 09:31									#14
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quote: So if all the planets are lined up, Venus is about half as close as Mars.

half as close, or half as far?

	01-05-2003 09:33									#15
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quote: Originally posted by PLATO1003 eliptical path using initial rocket powered accelleration with ion drive for the trip. artificial gravity provided by centrifugal force of rotating hab space. On board nuke for power. Lot's of storage for water and other consumables. Take ya two years tops.

I agree with everything Plato1003 says, except I dunno how long the trip would take.

	01-05-2003 09:34									#16
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Ahh I see Skanky.

Zkribbler, any point in going past Venus besides speed? Could we gather some atmosphere and use it for fuel somehow?

Orange, yes.

	01-05-2003 09:35									#17
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I don't guess there's any hope for Venus, right?

	01-05-2003 09:37									#18
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plato's idea sounds a lil elaborate to me. he has an ion drive, a nuclear reactor and rockets.

he is carrying large amts of presumably chemical fuel, nuclear fuel, and human fuel.

I think something much simpler will be used for our first ventures that far.

	01-05-2003 09:43									#19
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How long does nuclear fuel last? I'm pretty sure it would still be good 2 years after launch. Of course, fusion would be much nicer.

Venus is good for speed, but thats about it. Any equipment used to get fuel or such out of Venus would probably take up more space than just carrying the fuel from Earth in the first place. I wouldn't recommend landing on Venus either.