Base Camp
How to design a base camp that is to land on Mars?
How to design a base camp that is supposed to land on Mars, and be able to support 8 people for 6 months? What must include this camp? How could the land and the design so that somehow unfolds? Or if that fails, how would you design such that it would be easy to construct on Mars? And another question, what should a lander Mars / probe included? --- Overview: This is a manned mission to Mars and is prepared to explore the northern polar ice caps.
Before you can begin to make any design that is, you must have a clear understanding of what the mission will be: what kind of experiments are carried out, What kind of instruments are needed to do those experiments, etc. It is also necessary to take into account the limitations you have, such as design and construction time, cost, safety and crew requirements, etc. Once all limiting factors are considered, the project can begin the design itself. Assuming this is a purely theoretical exercise, and one of the main objectives is "to find evidence of life" or some other typical enterprise, I would consider some of the most promising techniques of accommodation outside the earth, maybe the modules more rigid inflatable or buried under a layer of Martian soil for added protection. The new size will depend on the crew, mission, and technology: how much space your computer needs for equipment provides basic needs? How to create and / or oxygen tent? Water? Food? How waste, both biological and others, is managed? How do the psychological needs of the crew met not only on the surface, but in transit? How spacesuits, inner tubes and other equipment to be protected from massive storms of fine dust on the surface of Mars? What kind of power that will be used: solar, nuclear, or something more? Everything depends on the amount of detail you are willing to work with them. As for a lander, many of the same factors should be considered. What is the purpose of the probe? What kind of sensors, weapons, or experiments will be on board? How heavy? How much power is needed? Again, depends on the amount of detail you need: the mission will determine the location you need to land in which they give an idea of the type of terrain that will go, to determine the type of wheels used and the center of gravity, which affect the placement of everything else in the probe and the power of the engines, which will a factor in the amount of electricity that the vehicle would have to ... Well, you get the idea. Then there is the task of getting all those things outside the Earth, in the space, more to Mars, and landing safely on the surface. You will have to meet at some point, too, where and when depends on the type of weapon design you choose. You could choose an inflatable, modular design, the actual launch of each piece separately with existing technology, but then there is the question to reach, and landing on Mars. Do you send it piece by piece, or, or all at once? When sent to the crew before, or after main module? Do you send the whole crew at the same time? Do self-inflate modules (safer, but more complex), or crew members need to assist (technically easier but more dangerous for the crew)? Etc, etc, etc. .. In summary, the design of a base camp with tons and tons of planning, lots of technical assistance and consultation, the years of testing (materials, structures, equipment, etc), hundreds of experts, incredible time, billions and billions of dollars and a lot of failures. Enter the world of NASA ... But again, if is that it is only a theoretical question, which depends on the amount of detail you want and / or need. The more detail you want, more time and effort it will take to create a viable project. The best way to begin to break down into manageable chunks, and long term needs of the crew (housing, transport, energy, development mission, etc.), short-term needs of the crew (pressure, oxygen, water (being near the polar regions really helps), food, etc.) experimental equipment (sensors, computer data, tools, laboratory chemicals, etc.), the probe, the rocket (s), and the lander (s). The rest depends on your own creativity.
Base Camp
Base Camp
