On Jan 14, 5:47*pm, Fred J. McCall wrote:
Damien Valentine wrote:
On Jan 12, 11:24 am, " wrote:
What if aerobreaking were used?

The manned portion would detach and dive perhaps repeatedly into the
atmosphere to slow for landing.

This would mean the transit vehicle would only accelerate on its way
to mars cutting travel time.

So you've got a launch vehicle that flies past Mars at top speed,
drops off the crew capsule (which lands safely by aerobraking), and
then keeps going?

It feels to me like there is something VERY wrong with his physics,
unless his goal is for his "manned portion" to make a really deep
smoking hole on Mars.

--
"We come into the world and take our chances.
*Fate is just the weight of circumstances.
*That's the way that Lady Luck dances.
*Roll the bones...."
* * * * * * * * * * -- "Roll The Bones", Rush

Didnt some earlier unmanned missions use aerobraking?

and just how robust of a heat shield would be necessary?

the now not needed manned stage could be abandoned to exit the solar
system at high speed, perhaps with some experiments.

or have it slingshot brake and do a slow or muliti year return to
earth.

dont think of it as wasted, think of it as used up