Mars mission -- T-minus 1 Month and counting

While re-arranging my bookshelves recently, I ran across _Mission to Mars_
by Michael "Apollo 11" Collins. I'd read it many years ago and just
finished reading it again. I like Collins' writing style (I must have read
_Carrying the Fire_ well over a hundred times) and this 1990 hardcover about
all the technical details that must be worked out for a successful manned
mission to Mars to take place really starts the reader to thinking. You
have different trajectories to consider, methods of propulsion, lengths of
stay, selection of crews, etc. (One thing Collins mentions that I've never
even heard of before is that when you're cooped up in a small space for
months at a time, as submariners are, your long-distance vision becomes
impaired. Inside a sub or a spacecraft where you see no Earth for many
months, your eyes become used to seeing everything only a few feet away.
When you suddenly pop out and try to drive a car or land another spacecraft,
your brain needs time to re-adjust to seeing things that are far away.)

Collins' theoretical Mars mission in his book takes off on June 3, 2004.
That's exactly one month from now. It would return 22 months later, after a
40-day stay on the planet.

I'd be curious to hear what Collins would have to say about how far along
we've come since he wrote this book. He doesn't think we should use the
Moon as a jumping-off point, as that would siphon too much money away from
the Mars mission. (At the time this book was written, the space station
Freedom had not yet reached orbit.)

Matt J. McCullar
Arlington, TX

heard of before is that when you're cooped up in a small space for
months at a time, as submariners are, your long-distance vision becomes
impaired. Inside a sub or a spacecraft where you see no Earth for many
months, your eyes become used to seeing everything only a fe

ISS astronaurts use a tool to help prevent this too
HAVE A GREAT DAY!

In article ,
says...
(One thing Collins mentions that I've never
even heard of before is that when you're cooped up in a small space for
months at a time, as submariners are, your long-distance vision becomes
impaired. Inside a sub or a spacecraft where you see no Earth for many
months, your eyes become used to seeing everything only a few feet away.)

"Submarine myopia" is how my optometrist described this condition. Quite
ironic in a spacecraft! Yet another justification for big windows in
every spacecraft.


I'd be curious to hear what Collins would have to say about how far along
we've come since he wrote this book. He doesn't think we should use the
Moon as a jumping-off point,

There are alternate opinions: "Mars or the moon? I feel that we should
establish ourselves on the moon and make our mistakes because that's
only a couple of days away. If anything goes wrong on Mars, it's nine
months back." -- Arthur C. Clarke
--
Kevin Willoughby lid

Imagine that, a FROG ON-OFF switch, hardly the work
for test pilots. -- Mike Collins

"Matt J. McCullar" wrote:
(One thing Collins mentions that I've never
even heard of before is that when you're cooped up in a small space for
months at a time, as submariners are, your long-distance vision becomes
impaired. Inside a sub or a spacecraft where you see no Earth for many
months, your eyes become used to seeing everything only a few feet away.
When you suddenly pop out and try to drive a car or land another spacecraft,
your brain needs time to re-adjust to seeing things that are far away.)

Not only that but your perception of space and distance changes
greatly. MCC wasn't that big (about 20'x20'), at the begining of
patrol it seemed fairly cramped, by halfway night it seemed fairly
roomy, and by the end of patrol it seemed 'just right'. Also by the
end of patrol, going the 300 feet or so aft to the engineering spaced
seemed to be a lengthy trip, one not undertaken without reason.

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

In article ,
says...
(One thing Collins mentions that I've never
even heard of before is that when you're cooped up in a small space for
months at a time, as submariners are, your long-distance vision becomes
impaired. Inside a sub or a spacecraft where you see no Earth for many
months, your eyes become used to seeing everything only a few feet away.)

Kevin Willoughby wrote in message ...
"Submarine myopia" is how my optometrist described this condition.
Quite ironic in a spacecraft!

Not exactly, traveling at the oceans of the Earth and the oceans of
space are quite similiar.

Yet another justification for big windows in every spacecraft.

There are reasons on why submarine don't have big windows, some of
these reasons also applied to spacecraft/spaceship.

It's much better if they regulary have the astronauts done eye
exercises.

I'd be curious to hear what Collins would have to say about how far along
we've come since he wrote this book. He doesn't think we should use the
Moon as a jumping-off point,

There are alternate opinions: "Mars or the moon? I feel that we should
establish ourselves on the moon and make our mistakes because that's
only a couple of days away. If anything goes wrong on Mars, it's nine
months back." -- Arthur C. Clarke

The problem with Martian mars is that it's way too long if some ways
are used, it's better to use a fast way to get to Mars.


For near term colonization, LEO is the place.

The moon seems to be the next step, but we got to remember that there
are reasons on why moon programs of the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R.
suddenly came into an abrupt stop.


For Martian mission, maybe the need is more of a space station in
Earth's orbit, so that there's a place of transit between the Earth
and Mars.

Of course, unless one want to make a vehicle going to Mars using
materials made out from the moon's surface. But then again, even with
the moon, the starting point would be still a space station.


As for Arthur C. Clarke's opinion. He's more of a Moon type person, so
that will explain his opinions. If you ask Gerard K. O'Neill, you will
be greeted with a space colony as the answer.


As for Space Station Freedom. Till this day, Space Station Freedom
still hasn't been orbited. Unless of course one is talking about the
ISS, which is essentially Freedom- plus a few Russian modules.

On Tue, 04 May 2004 07:04:43 GMT, (Derek
Lyons) wrote:

"Matt J. McCullar" wrote:
(One thing Collins mentions that I've never
even heard of before is that when you're cooped up in a small space for
months at a time, as submariners are, your long-distance vision becomes
impaired. Inside a sub or a spacecraft where you see no Earth for many
months, your eyes become used to seeing everything only a few feet away.
When you suddenly pop out and try to drive a car or land another spacecraft,
your brain needs time to re-adjust to seeing things that are far away.)

Not only that but your perception of space and distance changes
greatly. MCC wasn't that big (about 20'x20'), at the begining of
patrol it seemed fairly cramped, by halfway night it seemed fairly
roomy, and by the end of patrol it seemed 'just right'. Also by the
end of patrol, going the 300 feet or so aft to the engineering spaced
seemed to be a lengthy trip, one not undertaken without reason.

....Amazingly enough, something similar happens with distance & time
perception when you take a lengthy trip on a frequent basis. In the
last year, I've been to San Antonio at least twice a week back and
forth - gas is still cheaper than staying overnight! - and I've noted
that the perceived time it takes getting from here to there seems to
be much shorter than when I first started taking the trips, and the
duration from there to here is shorter than the trip down there in the
first place. IMHO, it appears that as the trip becomes more
commonplace, the mind almost seems to "tune out" the boring parts of
the trip and adjusts the environmental perceptions so that you don't
get totally bored.

Then again, it could be the fact that cranking up the Sex Pistols'
"Filthy Lucre Live" album might just make the time pass faster,
knowing full well that by the time the album is over, you're just
about to reach your destination...:-)

OM

--

"No ******* ever won a war by dying for | http://www.io.com/~o_m
his country. He won it by making the other | Sergeant-At-Arms
poor dumb ******* die for his country." | Human O-Ring Society

- General George S. Patton, Jr

In article ,
says...
In article ,
says...
(One thing Collins mentions that I've never
even heard of before is that when you're cooped up in a small space for
months at a time, as submariners are, your long-distance vision becomes
impaired. Inside a sub or a spacecraft where you see no Earth for many
months, your eyes become used to seeing everything only a few feet away.)

Kevin Willoughby wrote in message ...
"Submarine myopia" is how my optometrist described this condition.
Quite ironic in a spacecraft!

Not exactly,

Health problems due to limited space in the unlimited infinity of outer
space isn't ironic?


Yet another justification for big windows in every spacecraft.

There are reasons on why submarine don't have big windows, some of
these reasons also applied to spacecraft/spaceship.

No doubt there are engineering challenges to windows in spacecraft.
Heck, the windows in my house are expensive, require extra maintenance
and materials (Windex), and are notorious for leaking heat on cold days.
Still, I won't board them up. Nor do I want to give up the windows on an
airliner.


It's much better if they regulary have the astronauts done eye
exercises.

The eye exercises recommended by my optometrist was to go stare out a
window for 5 minutes several times a day.


I'd be curious to hear what Collins would have to say about how far along
we've come since he wrote this book. He doesn't think we should use the
Moon as a jumping-off point,

There are alternate opinions: "Mars or the moon? I feel that we should
establish ourselves on the moon and make our mistakes because that's
only a couple of days away. If anything goes wrong on Mars, it's nine
months back." -- Arthur C. Clarke

The problem with Martian mars is that it's way too long if some ways
are used, it's better to use a fast way to get to Mars.

Are there any non-Martian mars'?

For the foreseeable future, there isn't a fast way to get to Mars.


For near term colonization, LEO is the place.

Traditionally, exploration precedes colonization. No reason we can't
explore Mars while colonizing other places.


The moon seems to be the next step, but we got to remember that there
are reasons on why moon programs of the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R.
suddenly came into an abrupt stop.

Lack of political support. Why would LEO colonization be any different?
Does ISS have more support today than Apollo had in the mid-1960s?


As for Arthur C. Clarke's opinion. He's more of a Moon type person,

Ah yes, I remember one of his early books, The Sands of the Moon. (Or
was it A Fall of Marsdust?)
--
Kevin Willoughby lid

Imagine that, a FROG ON-OFF switch, hardly the work
for test pilots. -- Mike Collins

Does ISS have more support today than Apollo had in the mid-1960s?


I would have to say less support. Fact is I havent found ANYONE who understands
and likes it.

just the occasional it will do earth shattering things belief.
HAVE A GREAT DAY!

"Matt J. McCullar" wrote in message
...
(At the time this book was written, the space station
Freedom had not yet reached orbit.)

And still hasn't- what we have now is Space Station I (Freedom cut back to
the point where even the bars are off the F).

"Kevin Willoughby" wrote in message
...
No doubt there are engineering challenges to windows in spacecraft.

The Seaview had big picture windows back in the '60s.