re: A real barebones manned Mars mission

Space/Science » in reply to A real barebones manned Mars mission

Marsby — 7/27/2009 4:30:05 PM (archived)

The 1990 90 day plan (Moon base first. launch big rockets from there) was estimated at 400 billion. Zubrin orginally estimated Mars direct 4 man mission using local resources for return fuel at < 50 billion and most everyone would agree you don't want a misison any more stripped down than Zubrin did - Pilot, mechanic, geologist, biologist/medical officer. The mission included a pressurized rover and over a year and a half on the surface. NASA's "upgraded" Reference Mission based on Zubrins plan had a 6 man crew (add dedicated doctor and I'm not sure what else) and a larger return vehicle with the drawback of leaving it in orbit for 2 years. The estimate on that was 100 to 150 billion. That's 10 to 15 billion a year over 10 years and was comparable to current human spaceflight spending when the estimates were made.

Regards,
Mark

The whole thread (23 posts)

IMHO, unmanned probes are MUCH more effective per dollar than manned probes. - David F Mayer - 7/26/2009 3:46:36 AM
- Possibilities.. - Raoul - 7/26/2009 8:42:41 AM
  - One Country Mars Is A Myth - Marsby - 7/26/2009 6:22:58 PM
    - China has zero interest in maznned Mars flight - E.P. - 7/27/2009 2:51:09 PM
      - re: China has zero interest in maznned Mars flight - Marsby - 7/27/2009 8:29:24 PM
    - re: One Country Mars Is A Myth - Mike - 7/26/2009 10:19:15 PM
      - Robots are for exploring space; Humans are for colonizing space - Socrates II - 7/27/2009 2:03:28 PM
        
        humans will never colonize space - mip - 7/28/2009 7:15:31 AM
        
        Simple Solution - Marsby - 8/1/2009 4:41:34 PM
        
        Nuclear fusion is not technologically feasible for space propulsion - mip - 8/2/2009 4:30:42 PM
        
        Look Up Some Diagrams - Marsby - 8/5/2009 3:23:36 PM
        
        Try This - Marsby - 8/5/2009 5:00:42 PM
        
        The Biosphere 2 fiasco has left plans for serious space colonization as little more than pipe dreams. - Jefferson-Washington - 7/27/2009 11:52:24 PM
        
        Not At All - The Lesson Is Don't Depend on A Closed System - Marsby - 7/28/2009 3:54:15 AM
        
        re: The Biosphere 2 fiasco has left plans for serious space colonization as little more than pipe dreams. - phil - 7/28/2009 1:04:48 AM
        
        The main difference between Biosphere 2 and a real space colony - Socrates II - 7/28/2009 1:53:14 AM
        
        re: The main difference between Biosphere 2 and a real space colony - phil - 8/6/2009 12:40:31 AM
        
        Nope - my spider senses are still tingling (n/t) - Socrates II - 8/6/2009 3:35:26 PM
- labs versus instruments... - Adam - 7/26/2009 7:14:42 AM
- Machines, Squyres, Link - Marsby - 7/26/2009 5:20:36 AM
- Machbines Don't Think or Improvise - Marsby - 7/26/2009 4:53:41 AM
  - A real barebones manned Mars mission - Socrates II - 7/27/2009 2:02:06 PM
    - re: A real barebones manned Mars mission - Marsby - 7/27/2009 4:30:05 PM

Recent posts

On this day in Space/Science

The whole thread (23 posts)