Nomen Nescio writes:

http://www.space.com/12489-nasa-mars...spaceship-red-
dragon.html

A daring mission where NASA will try to land SpaceX's Dragon on Mars
using its emergency escape system rocket engines. The Red Dragon will
carry more scientific gear to Mars than ALL PREVIOUS MISSIONS COMBINED.

I REALLY want to see these magical emergency escape system rocket
engines and fuel tanks... Especially I want to see where the hell they
want to put them into the bottom of the Dragon capsule. The current puny
90 lbf engines along with tanks and other stuff (including the
parachute) don't leave that much (if any) room the

http://www.spacex.com/00Graphics/Ima...0Update/14.jpg

I'd like to suggest another variant where a SECOND Red Dragon capsule
lands next to the first one. This to practice pin-point landings. In
addition the second Red Dragon would be chockful of fuel which would be
transferred to the first Dragon somehow. The first Red Dragon would
then lift-off and try to attain orbit, validating a possible manned
mission or making sample return with some serious cargo possible.

Surely... SSTO even on Mars requires a bit more than some tiny engines and
fuel tanks squeezed into some corner as an afterthought.


Jochem

--
"A designer knows he has arrived at perfection not when there is no
longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery