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Robert Zubrin's Mars Direct would have got "flags and footprints" on Mars without needing something like Starship. He worked on a version of SLS in 1989 in Mart
by wolf550e 2y ago
Robert Zubrin's Mars Direct would have got "flags and footprints" on Mars without needing something like Starship. He worked on a version of SLS in 1989 in Martin Marietta that would have cost $1B and been ready in the second half of the 90s and would be retiring soon after many successful flight to Mars (and to the Moon), but instead we got SLS and Orion so we need Starship to get anything done.
- hnpolicestate 2y agoDidn't Von Braun have a plan too? Nuclear rockets or something.
- wolf550e 2y agoThe difference is that Mars Direct was a conservative plan, wrt rocket technology. It just used existing Shuttle parts and was meant to fly from Shuttle pads in between Shuttle flights. It didn't require developing anything new, that's why they were sure it would be cheap and fast, and flight rate would make it possible for it to be reliable. SLS is that idea turned into a jobs program.
- boznz 2y agoRegulations are hard enough just using methane, I wouldn't want to be the one filling out the paperwork if that was a nuclear rocket.
- davedx 2y agoThe Mars Direct book is worth reading not only for things like transport and mission design but also a wealth of other good ideas about how to “live off the land” when we get there too. Truly worth reading for anyone remotely interested in space exploration
- kqr2 2y agoHow does this differ from his other book The Case For Kats?
- wolf550e 2y agoThe Case for Mars is the book about Mars Direct https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Case_for_Mars https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Case_for_Mars
- m4rtink 2y agoCan recommend the book as well - its still not that dated and provides a very good overview of how not just a real missing to Mars, but also a sustainable settlement might look like. :)
- adastra22 2y agoTypo?