Minimum cost plant the flag mission to Mars

$400 Million.

Two Delta4 launches @$50-75million each plus $125-150million for a
transit/surface hab then the same amount for a return vehicle.

2 people. Vehicle weight 6metric tonnes. transit/surface vehicle acts as a
rover - instead of landing legs it has wheels. The return vehicle also has a
more reduced mobility system for emergency use only, has spare food for
surface operations, and has a solar powered fuel factory.
Diet is supplemented by algae grown using processed waste, thus alleviating
concerns about food mass allocations and also providing an emergency
lifesupport system should stored food be spoiled.


Nathan Rogers
Australia
"Stephen" wrote in message
om...
What do you think a minimum cost of a manned plant the flag mission to
Mars would be.
This would be one way. No need for an elaborate base on Mars. The
astronaut is assummed expendible. The glory for them and their family
would be enough.
We could probably launch this with one or two Shuttle Launch systems
(as discussed in other threads) and use some kind of nucleur/ion
propulsion to speed the trip to less than six months of travel time.
Landing would be little more than a capsule with parachute and rocket
thrusters for final touchdown.
The astronaut has to walk on landing to qualify (has to touch down
alive).

All up US$10 billion ?

This could be within the realm of many nations, so could be a real
race. Why would the Chinese race us to the moon when they have already
lost, when they can win the much more important race to another
planet, and be remembered for all time.

I think we would have many volunteers and with a bit of ingenuity
aperson should be able to survive for a considerable amount of time.
Food is light, water and air can be extracted from Mars.

(Stephen) wrote in
om:

What do you think a minimum cost of a manned plant the flag mission to
Mars would be.
This would be one way. No need for an elaborate base on Mars. The
astronaut is assummed expendible. The glory for them and their family
would be enough.
We could probably launch this with one or two Shuttle Launch systems
(as discussed in other threads) and use some kind of nucleur/ion
propulsion to speed the trip to less than six months of travel time.
Landing would be little more than a capsule with parachute and rocket
thrusters for final touchdown.
The astronaut has to walk on landing to qualify (has to touch down
alive).

I hope that you're just using this number as a reference figure, because
you could never sell a program like this to the American public. Not to
mention that anybody willing to throw away his life in such a way would
almost certainly not be able to pass NASA's psychological requirements.

The financial costs may be comparatively low, but the political costs would
be very high. Americans wouldn't want to take their greatest hero and
throw his life down the toilet. The hue and cry against such a hare-
brained plan would be deafening.

John Schutkeker wrote:

I hope that you're just using this number as a reference figure, because
you could never sell a program like this to the American public. Not to
mention that anybody willing to throw away his life in such a way would
almost certainly not be able to pass NASA's psychological requirements.

The financial costs may be comparatively low, but the political costs would
be very high. Americans wouldn't want to take their greatest hero and
throw his life down the toilet. The hue and cry against such a hare-
brained plan would be deafening.

More sensible are the suggestions of a 'one-way ticket' like you might
buy a one-way airline ticket from Pittsburgh to San Jose. It doesn't
mean you can't later buy a return ticket, it's just not paid for while
you are doing the first part of the trip. Supposedly the sample return
mission (unmanned) would cost five times more than just sending the same
level craft to Mars one-way. I'm that applies similarly to a manned
mission, great savings are potentially possible.

Bill Bonde ( the oblique allusion in lieu of the frontal attack ) wrote:
More sensible are the suggestions of a 'one-way ticket' like you might
buy a one-way airline ticket from Pittsburgh to San Jose. It doesn't
mean you can't later buy a return ticket, it's just not paid for while
you are doing the first part of the trip. Supposedly the sample return
mission (unmanned) would cost five times more than just sending the same
level craft to Mars one-way. I'm that applies similarly to a manned
mission, great savings are potentially possible.

I agree, the cost of landing enough supplies to last a lifetime is of
the same order as the return flight. Instead of about 1 man-year of
useful work per person, you get about 25. Open return missions make a
lot of sense.

--
Mike Atkinson
(to reply remove NO SPAM)

Mike Atkinson wrote:

Bill Bonde ( the oblique allusion in lieu of the frontal attack ) wrote:
More sensible are the suggestions of a 'one-way ticket' like you might
buy a one-way airline ticket from Pittsburgh to San Jose. It doesn't
mean you can't later buy a return ticket, it's just not paid for while
you are doing the first part of the trip. Supposedly the sample return
mission (unmanned) would cost five times more than just sending the same
level craft to Mars one-way. I'm that applies similarly to a manned
mission, great savings are potentially possible.

I agree, the cost of landing enough supplies to last a lifetime is of
the same order as the return flight. Instead of about 1 man-year of
useful work per person, you get about 25. Open return missions make a
lot of sense.

I don't think this is really something that needs to be sold here (in
this newsgroup).




--
"Throw me that lipstick, darling, I wanna redo my stigmata."
+-Jennifer Saunders, "Absolutely Fabulous"

"Stephen" wrote in message
om...

What do you think a minimum cost of a manned plant the flag mission to
Mars would be.
This would be one way. No need for an elaborate base on Mars. The
astronaut is assummed expendible.

If that is the case, you can cut up and freeze dry the astronaut
before launch. He would weigh almost nothing and take up very
little space. The spacecraft need not be much bigger than
that used to hold the Sojourner rover.
A spring loaded flag and an astronaut ejector system and you're
all set. With a little inititive, you could maybe do it for a little over
$100 million.

The glory for them and their family
would be enough.

You could send the entire family for essentially the same cost.

One of the conditions was that the astronaut can walk on to the surface.
This is the very minimum manned mission to Mars. I would hope we could
achieve something more akin to a minor self supporting colony for still less
than a return journey.
If that is the case, you can cut up and freeze dry the astronaut
before launch. He would weigh almost nothing and take up very
little space. The spacecraft need not be much bigger than
that used to hold the Sojourner rover.
A spring loaded flag and an astronaut ejector system and you're
all set. With a little inititive, you could maybe do it for a little over
$100 million.