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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!ttidca!ttidcb!jackson
From: jackson@ttidcb.UUCP (Dick Jackson)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Manned Mars Trip
Message-ID: <565@ttidcb.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 5-Dec-85 14:46:09 EST
Article-I.D.: ttidcb.565
Posted: Thu Dec  5 14:46:09 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Dec-85 16:21:01 EST
Organization: TTI, Santa Monica, CA.
Lines: 24

There's talk about an international manned Mars expedition. Naturally I'm
all for it. Is there a generally agreed best way to go?

My very uninformed thoughts are:

	- A very modular spacecraft, for redundancy
	- Artificial gravity through spinning
	- Return booster sent separately to Mars orbit

My spaceship, assembled in EO of course, would have at least three manned
modules plus landers which would fit together in a package for the
acceleration phase. Once at cruise the manned units would be sent out on
the end of tethers to form a sort of spider web, then the whole thing would
be spun up. For entry into Mars orbit the thing would be pulled together
again.

Once in orbit, the manned units could possibly be sent off on diverse
missions, e.g. rendezvous with the moons.

I don't really care if this makes total sense, the main point is that
system design for the Mars mission seems to offer a very rich field for
innovative spacefaring ideas. Who's next?

Dick Jackson