"ff" fdfd wrote:
[Spencer:]
Beyond that, you are rapidly approaching the point where you are likely to
spend more on development than you will save on launch costs.
--

How is this mission to mars different then then staying on the mir for a
long dururation? Ok the russians can ship extra's to the mir at almost
anytime but still they don't count on it.

But they also have a closed enverioment. Like earth to mars would have. You
could just buy Russian data on this info not?

Well, here's where the research comes in -- making oxygen equipment
that runs indefinitely with a limited stock of spare parts.

Probably the wash recycling and the humidity reclamation equipment
need to develop some robustness, too.

If you can also do this without greatly increasing routine maintenance
efforts, that's all the better. But maybe we have to live with doing
an oil change every 3000 hours -- lube it or lose it! (Sorry, bad
humor -- I couldn't resist poking at the automobile world).

/dps