Kerbal to Mars: Put a Kerbal on a real rover!

[_Augustus_]

I thought of this idea today. What if the Mars 2020 rover's skycrane carried a small, aluminum Kerbal that is 3 inches tall (Exactly 1/10 scale) that had it's own miniature parachute attached so that it lands on the ground on it's own?

Alternatively, the same model could land with the InSight lander (This would have to happen fast, InSight launches next year) or ExoMars lander and not need to have it's own parachute, instead it could simply land with the aeroshell/airbag lander package and stay there.

We could put a tiny microchip inside the metal Kerbal and put photos and videos of our KSP experiences on it, as an archive to future Kerbal players who visit Mars.

So what do you guys think of this idea? Is it so nuts and stupid that it could never happen or do you think that we could get it on InSight?

By the way, putting payloads on the Martian surface costs less than 1.5 million dollars per pound. Considering that a metal Kerbal probably weighs less than that, not only is it cheap but it probably wouldn't affect a spacecraft trajectory and NASA probably wouldn't charge the KSP community $1.5mill.

I've also added a poll for you guys to vote on this.

The current favorite opinion is to put the metal Kerbal on the Mars 2020 rover. As such the logo displays a metal Kerbal at Columbia Hills, which is the Mars 2020 rover's current selected landing site.

Here is the sig version of the image:

Edited September 30, 2015 by _Augustus_

[vger]

Why not just attach it to the rover so he can ride around and see the sights?

At some point they tied a Buzz Lightyear toy to a rocket payload, and that was a lot bigger than the kerbal models.

[_Augustus_]

Another idea: What if we put a tiny microchip inside the metal Kerbal and put photos and videos of our KSP experiences on it?

Who knows, maybe the first people on Mars will have once been KSP players who are kids right now.

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Why not just attach it to the rover so he can ride around and see the sights?

At some point they tied a Buzz Lightyear toy to a rocket payload, and that was a lot bigger than the kerbal models.

Yes, but that would be harder to do, as it could obscure a scientific instrument and also impede the rover's speed. A 3 inch tall piece of titanium, aluminum, or steel is quite heavy..

[Tristonwilson12]

First off INsight has everything attached and ready. There just testing the Heatshield and stuff like that.

Second. Mars 2020 is "proposed" and not 100% gonna happen

Third. It will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to get anything on a mars lander/rover

Edited September 27, 2015 by Tristonwilson12

[_Augustus_]

First off INsight has everything attached and ready. There just testing the Hartsfield and stuff like that.

Yes, but we are the KSP community! We like to do things at the last minute!

Also a metal Kerbal probably weighs less than a kilo. It's not gonna change the trajectory much... Or cost them more than like 100k.

[MajorLeaugeRocketScience]

Sorry Augustus, but not a very good argument. I mean, it cost 120k to launch a 5 kilo microsat into LEO. Multiply that by about 100 for Mars mission

[Tristonwilson12]

Sorry Augustus, but not a very good argument. I mean, it cost 120k to launch a 5 kilo microsat into LEO. Multiply that by about 100 for Mars mission

Maybe multiply that by 200

[vger]

Also I must be missing something here. Why does it have to be metal?

[Camacha]

I am pretty sure that nothing that has any chance of interfering with critical phases of the mission that are not critical to the mission has a chance of coming aboard. Data on a chip, an etching, a sticker maybe. Sure. Something physical? I doubt it. Something flying off on its own. I would bet against it.

[MajorLeaugeRocketScience]

Here I did the math: this would cost around 80 million dollars, according to a DoD estimate for a micro sat launch to mars, scales down from the sat's mass to the kerbal's mass

[Tristonwilson12]

Here I did the math: this would cost around 80 million dollars, according to a DoD estimate for a micro sat launch to mars, scales down from the sat's mass to the kerbal's mass

See. It's impossible

[_Augustus_]

Also I must be missing something here. Why does it have to be metal?

To survive the harshness of space, obviously. The LEGO figures on Juno are made of metal.

I am pretty sure that nothing that has any chance of interfering with critical phases of the mission that are not critical to the mission has a chance of coming aboard. Data on a chip, an etching, a sticker maybe. Sure. Something physical? I doubt it. Something flying off on its own. I would bet against it.

As I just said before, it's been done with metal LEGOs. It won't exactly be flying off on it's own, it would stay attached to the rover, orbiter, or lander forever.

Here I did the math: this would cost around 80 million dollars, according to a DoD estimate for a micro sat launch to mars, scales down from the sat's mass to the kerbal's mass

Nah... Putting a pound on Mars costs 500k. This thing at most weighs a few pounds. So to LAND it, it still only costs about $1.5 million.

To orbit? Probably less.

[MajorLeaugeRocketScience]

Sorry, but I trust the DoD a bit more than quick math

[xxhansonmaxx]

So where are u gonna get all this money?

[_Augustus_]

So where are u gonna get all this money?

That's not how it works. NASA will not literally charge you 500k per pound landed on Mars, they'll do it for free or they won't do it.

NASA does not charge for cute payloads like that.

Not to mention that half of the JPL plays KSP, which would probably help.

[MajorLeaugeRocketScience]

Erm... This is the US, nothing is free

[Tristonwilson12]

Here I did the math: this would cost around 80 million dollars, according to a DoD estimate for a micro sat launch to mars, scales down from the sat's mass to the kerbal's mass

That's not how it works. NASA will not literally charge you 500k per pound landed on Mars, they'll do it for free or they won't do it.

NASA does not charge for cute payloads like that.

Not to mention that half of the JPL plays KSP, which would probably help.

Since when did nasa do anything for free!! WAKE UP this can't and won't happen

[_Augustus_]

Erm... This is the US, nothing is free

The Atlas V 401 can carry 5000 pounds to Mars. InSight + CubeSats weighs 1000 pounds. You could fit an orbiter with them and still have extra payload room..

Using InSight as an example because we know it's LV and weight.

Edited September 27, 2015 by _Augustus_

[Tristonwilson12]

The Atlas V 401 can carry 5000 pounds to Mars. InSight + CubeSats weighs 1000 pounds. You could fit an orbiter with them and still have extra payload room..

Not for free. And certainly not for a 3 inch green figure

[MajorLeaugeRocketScience]

FYI, atlas V 401 is retired. They only use the upper numbers in the 4 series and the 5 series

[Tristonwilson12]

FYI, atlas V 401 is retired. They only use the upper numbers in the 4 series and the 5 series

401 is 4 meter fairing, no boosters and 1 RL-10

[_Augustus_]

401 is 4 meter fairing, no boosters and 1 RL-10

Yeah, they still fly 'em.

[Tristonwilson12]

Yeah, they still fly 'em.

I know

[wx7]

First off INsight has everything attached and ready. There just testing the Heatshield and stuff like that.

Hey, we have the "Revert to Editor" button for a reason, you know.

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

This seems way to ambitious