Mars Direct Mission by Dr. Robert Zubrin

[TomKerbal]

A friend and I have been working on the implementation of Dr. Robert Zubrin's Mars Direct 2.0 mission (described in his book “The Case for Mars”) for quite some time. For this we use KSP with the most realistic mods possible (RO, RP-1 etc.), some of which I try to make even more realistic, although this is not normally necessary as they are already excellent! But for the mission, for example, the new Raptor v3 engine is necessary, things like that. At the end there is the execution of the mission. We are also planning and working on a small publication to show things. Hopefully Dr. Zubrin's Mars Society, for example, will be interested.
I would also like to reflect that here in the forum, I think that's important. We live in turbulent times! And we may not even have realized what is currently happening at SpaceX and what significance it could have for the whole of humanity.
I will report here from time to time. Models will be published by me on KerbalX, videos etc. I will host and share here.
Per Aspera Ad Astra.
Tom.

 

Brief description of the main mission components
The aim is to establish a Mars colony.

First of all, an Earth Return Vehicle (ERV1) is sent to Mars, where it lands at the planned site of the colony.
ERV1 now begins to convert the CO₂ from the Martian atmosphere into methane and oxygen with the help of the hydrogen it has brought with it. The ERV uses this to replenish its fuel reserves.

After 2 years, the habitat ship HAB1 flies to Mars with 4 astronauts on board, accompanied by another ERV, the ERV2.
During the flight, the TMI (Trans Mars Injection) stage is detached and connected to the habitation unit of the HAB by a long steel cable.
The habitation unit and the TMI stage then orbit around each other and generate an artificial gravity that corresponds to that of Mars.
Course corrections must still be possible with the RCS.

HAB1 and ERV2 land at the colony landing site on Mars after a 9-month flight. The astronauts can leave Mars at any time with ERV1.

Otherwise, the 4 astronauts stay for 2 years, then board the ERV1 and fly back to Earth in it, leaving the HAB1 behind.
Artificial gravity is generated on the return flight in the same way as on the outward flight to Mars.
Once on Earth, the steel cable is cut, the habitation unit enters the Earth's atmosphere with its heat shield and then lands on parachutes in an Earth ocean.

At the same time as the first crew begins its return flight with ERV1, the third ERV (ERV3) and the second HAB (HAB2), again with four astronauts on board, fly from Earth to the Mars colony.
Once there, HAB2 is docked to HAB1.

The 4 astronauts stay for another 2 years and now have twice as much living space as the first pioneers.

After 2 years, they also fly back with an ERV (the ERV2), while at the same time ERV4 and HAB3 fly to the colony.

And so on. This is how a colony gradually develops.

If the colony is to grow faster, any number of ERVs and HABs can of course be sent out at the same time.

An immediate evacuation to orbit must be possible at any time with a sufficiently high number of refueled ERVs.

Additionally the ERVs are additional escape rooms in case something goes wrong elsewhere.

 

KerbalX :

Launch System: https://kerbalx.com/TomKerbal/EXP-STARSHIP-ZIIX

 

Edited 23 hours ago by TomKerbal
First Kerbal X post

[darthgently]

10 minutes ago, TomKerbal said:

A friend and I have been working on the implementation of Dr. Robert Zubrin's Mars Direct 2.0 mission (described in his book “The Case for Mars”) for quite some time. For this we use KSP with the most realistic mods possible (RO, RP-1 etc.), some of which I try to make even more realistic, although this is not normally necessary as they are already excellent! But for the mission, for example, the new Raptor v3 engine is necessary, things like that. At the end there is the execution of the mission. We are also planning and working on a small publication to show things. Hopefully Dr. Zubrin's Mars Society, for example, will be interested.
I would also like to reflect that here in the forum, I think that's important. We live in turbulent times! And we may not even have realized what is currently happening at SpaceX and what significance it could have for the whole of humanity.
I will report here from time to time. Models will be published by me on KerbalX, videos etc. I will host and share here.
Per Aspera Ad Astra.
Tom.

Cool!  Looking forward

[TomKerbal]

Testing Video Hosting ( hosted by "Dailymotion". You can see the 2nd Rover tests for the HAB)

 

https://dai.ly/k7aZVkfB6MUmTzC4jFQ

[TomKerbal]

You can see here the ERV ready to launch at Starbase. Launch Mass: 5495t , Height: 138m

Edited December 18, 2024 by TomKerbal
Picture too large

[TomKerbal]

The ERV has a lot of functions, which have to be explained in detail.

[TomKerbal]

The HAB with its greenhouses is also very complex:

[TomKerbal]

My first explanation video (more to follow) :

https://dai.ly/k5yDWxlFPzunneCaGbs

 

[TomKerbal]

Launch and LEO injection of the HAB carrier rocket system :

https://dai.ly/k3r5IQAuqPF3ptCaMDq

Edited Monday at 02:12 PM by TomKerbal
Screenshot from video added

[magnemoe]

Cool, note that you can not return to earth at any time you need an transfer window. 
So i say an second habitation module is better if the first fails, but having an spare return craft is also nice if the first has issues, you know its fueled before launching but it could be other issues you don't catch before manual inspection. 

[TomKerbal]

13 hours ago, magnemoe said:

Cool, note that you can not return to earth at any time you need an transfer window. 
So i say an second habitation module is better if the first fails, but having an spare return craft is also nice if the first has issues, you know its fueled before launching but it could be other issues you don't catch before manual inspection. 

Yes, you are right, I will correct this. Thank you !

[TomKerbal]

Next Video ready: The re-entry of the LEO injection stage.

https://dai.ly/k1LyoiK79UWKRSCba3K

Edited Monday at 02:17 PM by TomKerbal
Screenshot from video added

[TomKerbal]

My first KerbalX post today, since the LaunchSystem is ready now I think:

 

https://kerbalx.com/TomKerbal/EXP-STARSHIP-ZIIX

[TomKerbal]

So what is this all about ?

The aim of this is to show that a Mars colonization by humans can be represented with a KSP that has been trimmed for realism. Based on the book “The CASE for MARS” by Dr. Robert Zubrin we have developed a mission with the realism modification mod ‘Realism Overhaul’ (RO). RO turns the game into a serious real-time simulation that allows you to explore many fundamental problems of space travel. We tried to be very close to the description of the “Direct Mars” mission in the book. We were able to show in advance that the entire mission can be represented with this simulator, although this requires higher masses than described by Dr. Zubrin. However, these masses can be brought into the Earth orbit with the announced “Version 3” technology from SpaceX and flown from there to Mars. With the Starship v3 booster with the Raptor v3 engine, masses >250 tons can be brought into low earth orbit (LEO) in the near future, whereby the booster remains reusable and flies back to the launch tower.

 

 

The landing site on Mars

This is chosen so that there is water ice near the surface and, if possible, nitrogen in the sedimentary rock near the surface. In addition, the climate should be as temperate as possible. The choice fell on: Deuteronilus Mensae, 45 degrees north, 18 degrees east.

This is located in one of the two landing zones recommended by NASA 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-01290-z

[TomKerbal]

Artificial gravity

2 years after ERV1, the habitat ship HAB1 flies to Mars with 4 astronauts on board, accompanied by another ERV, the ERV2.
During the flight, the TMI (Trans Mars Injection) stage is detached and connected to the habitation unit of the HAB by a long steel cable. The habitation unit and the TMI stage then orbit around each other and generate an artificial gravity that corresponds to that of Mars.
Course corrections must still be possible with the RCS.
HAB1 and ERV2 land at the colony landing site on Mars after a 9-month flight.

Artificial gravity is generated on the return flight in the same way as on the outward flight to Mars. Once on Earth, the steel cable is cut, the habitation unit enters the Earth's atmosphere with its heat shield and then lands on parachutes in an Earth ocean.

Edited 18 hours ago by TomKerbal