Has anyone else here checked out Energia's most recent Mars plans? It
would involve a very large baseblock and solar-electric thrust, and
would place a semi-permanent space station in orbit around Mars.
According to their website, it would have two landers initially, and
would be expandable. It would allow exploration of Phobos & Deimos and
would largely serve as a teleoperation platform. On the "Cooperation"
page, they suggest Russia (ie. Energia) building the Mars space
station and the US developing the landers.

http://www.energia.ru/english/energia/mars/mars.html

http://www.energia.ru/english/energi...condition.html

Any thoughts on their plan? Minus money issues, they seem to have the
technology and skill to make it happen.

notes from one of my slashdot posts: 660 tons would be Low Earth Orbit
departure mass. It is assembled onorbit, like all Russian stations.
The system would be built around a GIANT version of the
FGB/Baseblock/Zarya line of craft - 70 tons and probably 20-25m for
the new baseblock.

The beauty of their plan is that most of it is demonstrated
technology. The life support, engines, hull and docking ports are
already in use on ISS, formerly Mir and Salyut/Almaz. It would use
solar-electric propulsion, demonstrated in numerous com sats, and
something based around Soyuz for Mars ascent. The plan is to put a
space station of Grand Soviet Style in orbit around Mars - it looks
longterm like Mir. Instead of concentrating on something really hard -
landing & surviving on Mars - the Energia plan focuses on demonstrated
capabilities in a new environment. The craft is to mostly do
remote-ops with surface robots (in realtime) with one or two surface
excursions (per 2-year crew-mission?). They say the craft would be
able to return to Earth if necessary.

IMHO, it actually makes sense to accelerate such a plan - put
AresStation1 into construction NOW and worry about the lander on a
later flight. Imagine what 10 people working in Mars orbit could
accomplish with a fleet of balloons and robot rovers - again, in
realtime. Establish the new station, get as much robot horsepower
their, then work on reasonable Mars capsules. Basing from Mars orbit
instead of the surface has advantages: Phobos and Diemos are nearby,
global perspective for science and colony/base site selection, known
working environment. Gonna need a personell centrifuge, though.

Their plan can be viewed at Energia Mars Plan. It may look like
vaporware, but remember that Energia, of all companies on the planet,
has the hardware heritage to actually do it.

-Josh