JPL Mars-Phobos Human Mission Study

[Frida Space]

Nothing huge here, I just wanted to share with you this nice Mars-Phobos manned mission study conducted by NASA's JPL. Obviously, to get an optimistic timeframe given current funding you would need to push the whole thing back a few decades, but actually the concepts themselves are very, very detailed and very, very interesting in my opinion. It gives real numbers to my dreams, and I like that

After the SLS Initial Test (2018), the SEP demo (2020?), Orion's first (2021?) and second (2023?) crewed flight, two Mars-simulation missions in cislunar space (2025-2027?) and a robotic EDL test (2026?) the real Mars mission could start.

The Phobos manned mission described requires 4 SLS launches:

1. First, a 100 kWE SEP Tug, a Phobos Transfer Stage (PTS) and a Trans-Earth Injection stage (TEI).
   
2. Second, another SEP Tug, this time with a Phobos Habitat module
   
3. Third, a Deep Space Habitat (DSH) and a Mars Orbiter Insertion (MOI) stage into High Earth Orbit (HEO), where it will await crew
   
4. Fourth, an Orion crew module (CM) with 4 crew members to be launched in HEO to dock with Launch #3 payload. The Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) would then ferry the whole thing through trans-Mars Injection (TMI). Transit time: 200-250 days
   

The modules would then be assembled in High Mars Orbit (HMO). The CM would separate from the DHS and the TEI stage would separate from the PTS, allowing the DHS and the TEI stage to be docked together and stay in HMO. The rest all docks together and spends 300 days on Phobo's surface, shielding from 50% or so of the radiation. After that, the modules can meet back with the TEI stage in HMO, and, after a 200-250 day cruise, the crew can reenter on Earth inside the CM.

The Mars Mission would instead require 6 SLS launches:

1. 4.5 years before the Crew Launch, a 100 kWe SEP Tug would be launched with a TEI stage. In 3.8y it would reach HMO.
   
2. Half a year later, another 100 kWe SEP Tug would bring a DSH resupply module and a MAV(Mars Ascent Vehicle)-to-HMO(High Mars Orbit) boost stage into HMO in 3.5 year's time.
   
3. 1.5 years later, a 2-man lander would be launched to loiter in HEO.
   
4. Half a year later, the upper stage (EUS) is launched and docked with the Lander. They are later aero-captured in HMO and the Lander docks with the TEI Stage (Launch #1) and the DSH resupply module.
   
5. 1.5 years later, a DSH together with a MOI stage are launched and loiter in HEO.
   
6. Finally, 4-crew Orion and an upper stage (EUS) launch toward HEO, where they dock with the DSH+MOI stage of Flight #5.
   

Afterwards, DSH+MOI+CM+EUS from Flights #5 & 6 perform TMI burn and reach HMO in 200-250 days. Here, the CM and the DSH dock with the TEI+DSH resupply+Lander from previous flights. Two of the four crew members move into the Lander and depart for Mars' surface.

The Mars Lander is a 12 m diameter traditional entry vehicle with heat shield andno parachutes or deployable aerodynamic decelerators. At about Mach 2, supersonic retro-propulsion (SRP) rockets would be ignited to perform the final descent and landing. Supersonic retro-propulsion has been validated to some extent by Space in their flight tests to return their first stage boosters for reuse. The propellants in this concept would be MMH and MON-25, using current technology pump-fed engines similar to the RS-725 or the Proton 3rd stage engine. The lander would have about a 75-ton entry mass and deliver a useful landed payload mass of about 23 t. Peak deceleration during EDL would be 6.4 g, touchdown would occur at <5 m/s.

After a 24 day stay, the MAV brings back the two men/women into LMO (Low Mars Orbit). Finally, the MAV-to-HMO boost stage of Flight #2, which had reached LMO previously, after having undocked from the DSH Resupply module. The MAV-to-HMO boost stage brings them back to HMO, where they dock, meet with the rest of the crew and perform TEI back to Earth.

I know it's just sci-fi currently, but to me it looks (from a technological point of view only) very feasible. It would be cool to see this done in KSP What do you guys think of it?

The whole thing, with even more info, figures and tables, can be found here.

[epoca]

Very cool and informative! Similar to previous studies, but at least this one is backed with real numbers and they didn't just put everything on top of a single SLS hoping that TWR > 1.

[notsosmart]

....and we thought the Apollo program was overthought, with all its docking action going on...

[vger]

So... who started building this in KSP already?

[Kryten]

Needs a 'not yet' option. Remember LDSD? We still don't know how to get payloads of this size on Mars.

[Frida Space]

Needs a 'not yet' option. Remember LDSD? We still don't know how to get payloads of this size on Mars.

At least this study doesn't include any parachutes/deployable aerodynamic decelerators/airbags and such, should make things a bit easier at least for EDL.

[regex]

I like how the illustration for the Phobos base has two astronauts just chilling out like they actually had some gravity.

Much as I think it's totally possible once we have a heavy lift vehicle, I doubt it'll happen. Would be interesting what the ISRU potentials are, though.

[clivman]

They should launch a unmanned sample return first as an SLS payload- it would do a lot to help us learn about launching from Mars with much lower cost

[kerbiloid]

How many at least unmanned multistage probes have been already assembled at least on low Earth orbit, without 5 min delay and multi-year orbital conservation?

When after 2050 thermonuke reactors will depreciate enough to be used in every school bus, somebody will rent a second-hand lunar pleasure boat and have a weekend trip to Mars - the first in the human history.

[prophet_01]

I wouldn't be surprised if the first human flight to mars will be sponsored by a certain corporation in order to promote softdrinks Seems more likely than an SLS launched Orion at this point...

But maybe the cooperation with other countries and space agencies holds enough potential international humiliation to finally get some serious political interest in the sucess of a mission. 4 SLS launches + the development of the necessary habs and tugs are certainly not cheap. That kind of mission would require a serious effort and focus on a single mission for a decade or more.

It's still a cool concept though and everything that cuts down on the number of heavy launches for such a mission makes it more likely to be realised some day.

I would love to see such a mission.

Edited June 30, 2015 by prophet_01

[Frida Space]

But maybe the cooperation with other countries and space agencies holds enough potential international humiliation to finally get some serious political interest in the sucess of a mission. 4 SLS launches + the development of the necessary habs and tugs are certainly not cheap. That kind of mission would require a serious effort and focus on a single mission for a decade or more.

True, but as you say, if it was an international effort it could actually happen. But by international I mean every single space agency - NASA, CSA, ESA, JAXA, RFSA etc.

[winged]

So... who started building this in KSP already?

I will probably make something like this in my RSS/RO series but not before recreation of the Constellation Mars mission.

btw. that one loooks like worse-off version of Constellation: less payload to LEO, less to Mars surface, fewer crew to land on Mars...

[Frida Space]

less payload to LEO, less to Mars surface, fewer crew to land on Mars...

... and thus, more likely to actually happen