The Next Giant Leap - Propulsion and Habitats for Mars

The Next Giant Leap For Mankind

Propulsion and Habitats for Mars

Remco TimmermansTalk at Mars mini-symposium Universiteit Twente, 15 May 2014

@timmermansr | UTwente | 15-05-2014 2

Agenda

• Getting to Mars is hard

• Why one way is easier than two way

• A little rocket science – propulsion

• Your home on Mars – habitats

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Getting to Mars is Hard

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So why is Mars harder than the Moon?

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Mars is Very Far Away

55 – 103 million km

400 million km

Distance to the Moon: 384,400 km

Average travel time: 5 months

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Radiation along the way

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From Difficult to Very Difficult

• Flyby, unmanned (e.g. Mariner 4, 1964)

• One way, unmanned, orbit (e.g. ESA Mars Express)

• One way, unmanned, landing (e.g. Viking, MSL Curiosity)

• Flyby, manned (e.g. Inspiration Mars, 2021)

• Two way, unmanned, landing, sample return

• One way, manned, landing (e.g. Mars One)

• Two way, manned, operate rover from orbit

• Two way, manned, landing, people return

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Why is it so difficult?

∆ 𝑣=𝑣 h𝑒𝑥 𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑡 ln𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙

𝑚𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙∆v = acceleration OR deceleration

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Rocket Equation

Variables:• Final mass, or spacecraft useful mass• Required ∆v (destination and route)• Propellant mass• Exhaust velocity

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Gravity on Mars

Earth gravity: 9.8 m/s2

Moon gravity: 1.6 m/s2

Mars gravity: 3.7 m/s2

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Escape velocity (∆v) per planet

Earth: 11.2 km/s

Moon: 2.4 km/s

Mars: 5.0 km/s

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Principles of rocketry

Rocket

Energy

Mass

Thrust

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Types of rockets

• Thermodynamic – heat and pressure– Chemical propulsion (solid, liquid, hybrid)

• Electrodynamic – charged particles in fields– Electrothermal (electrically produced heat)– Electrostatic (electric fields)– Electromagnetic (electro + magnetic fields)

• Nuclear propulsion – nuclear power for heat

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1 - Chemical propulsion

• Fuel and oxidizer combine in combustion chamber to produce heat and by-products

• Solid (solid fuel and solid oxidizer)• Hybrid (solid fuel and liquid oxidizer)• Liquid (liquid fuel and liquid oxidizer)

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Solid fuel rocket motor

@Arianespace

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Effect of grain geometry on thrust-time

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Hybrid rockets

@virgingalactic

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Liquid rocket motor

First used by Robert Goddard Success by Wernher von Braun

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Principle of liquid rocket motor

Snecma Vulcain-2 on Ariane 5

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Classic liquid rocket examples

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Modern liquid rocket examples

Soyuz Atlas V Falcon 9

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SpaceX Falcon 9

@SpaceX

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Monopropellant liquid rocket

@MarsCuriosity

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2 – Electric Propulsion

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Electrothermal thruster

SSTL Resistojet

(solar, nuclear)

@SurreySat

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Electrostatic thruster

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Electromagnetic thruster

@AdAstraRocket

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3. Nuclear propulsion

MTV = Mars Transfer Vehicle

Thermo Nuclear Rocket Engine

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Future: Solar Sail

In 2010 the Japanese IKAROS Solar Sail demonstrator flew to Venus@JAXA_EN

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Part II - Living on Mars

30@MarsOneProject

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Welcome to Mars

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Challenges after arrival

• Radiation• Temperature• Low oxygen• Lack of food• Lack of water• Lack of fuel• Atmospheric pressure• Communication time delay• Shelter

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Water of Life

• Drinking water

• Fuel (H2)

• Oxygen (O2)

• Radiation Shield

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Water of Life

Terraforming

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Surviving The First Decades

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Mars Habitat Constraints

• Leightweight• Deployable• Radiation shielding• Life support• Climate-proof• Durable• Multi-purpose• Self supporting• Expandable

@ISUnet

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Mars Analogue Missions

Photo: Mars Society@MDRSupdates

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Mars Habitat Research

Photo: Mars Society@MDRSupdates

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Mars Habitat Research

Photo: Dr. Ryan Kobrick@MDRSupdates

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ÖWF Dachstein Caves 2012

Photo: ÖWF | Katja Zanella-Kux@OEWF

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ÖWF Mars 2013 Morocco

Phot

o: Ö

WF

| Ka

tja Z

anel

la-K

ux

@OEWF

@OEWF

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ÖWF Mars 2013 Morocco

Phot

o: Ö

WF

| Ka

tja Z

anel

la-K

ux

@OEWF

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HI-SEAS Hawaii Analog

Photo: University of Hawaii | HI-SEAS@HI_SEAS

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Growing Food on Mars

Photo: Mars Society

Photo: Wiki Commons

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Mars 500 (days!) Experiment

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Mars 500 “Landing”

@Mars500project

Photo: ESA

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ESA Caves

@ESA_CAVES

Photos: ESA

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NASA Desert Rats

Photo: NASA@DESERT_RATS

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Bigelow Aerospace

4949Photo: Bigelow@BigelowSpace

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Life support systems

Photo: ESA@ISS_Research

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Mars, we are on our way…

Image: Mars Artists Community

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Wordt onderdeel van de space community!

NVR – Netherlands Space Society• Free student membership• Acccess to companies and space organizations• Networking events with the Dutch space sector• Only space ‘glossy’ in the Netherlands• @NVR_Ruimtevaart | www.ruimtevaart-nvr.nl

SGAC - Space Generation Advisory Council• Free membership• Represent young space professionals in United Nations• Meet the global leaders in space• Very cool events and scholarships• @SGAC | @SCACNL | www.spacegeneration.org

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Thank You!

Please follow me at:

@timmermansr@TravelsInOrbit

@WorldSpaceWeek@NVR_Ruimtevaart