"Fred J. McCall" wrote:

(Derek Lyons) wrote:

:"Fred J. McCall" wrote:
:The sort of 'space stations' we're doing now don't do anything for a
:Mars mission so far as I can tell.
:
:Experience in long term operations, logistics, etc. (That's not to
:say that the ISS is the ideal (by any measure of ideal) platform.)

But 'long term operations' and logistics in Earth orbit with constant
resupply aren't even the same model you have to follow for a Mars
mission. How does this help?

No, they aren't the same model. That doesn't change the fact that we
are getting to test first generation systems at much less risk to the
crew. Nor does it change the fact that we are getting long term
exposure to microgravity across a base of individuals large enough to
amenable to statistical analysis.

What we've learned (from this station) so far seems to be that we
should count on the crew dying on the way to Mars as things break
faster than they can fix them, particularly with no constant
availability of spares.

We are also learning *what* is breaking, and *how* it's breaking...
All invaluable for future designs and logistics planning.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL