MARS ONE - Making a Mars settlement a reality!

[patrykus]

Originally Posted by erbse

Which buried modules? Everything will be overground, quite obviously.

Clearly those long modules in the back:




are buried here:

[The Cake On BBQ]

They are not buried, they are covered.

[patrykus]

Are you sure? One of the modules on the render is partially covered/buried and you can see the thick layer covering it. Looks like a layer of sand.

And why would they cover it anyway instead of just incorporating the outer layer into the module?

[Hed_Kandi]

This is a suicide mission. The astronauts are set to never return.

[erbse]

^ It's not and that was already stated. In the mid to long term, a return rocket can lift off from Mars.
But people choose to go there freely, just like researchers freely choose to stay in Antarctica for years or even decades.


Patrykus: I'm sorry, I don't quite understand the issue here.

Creating a covered structure is the most feasible and easiest way to create additional space on Mars for the first settlers.

[patrykus]

I think the issue is pretty simple here. Those cylinder-shaped moduls looks to be covered with sand. And kicaj rised the question about machines to move it.

This picture zoomed clearly shows those cylinder shaped modules being covered with thick layer of sand .

[erbse]

Well? The cylinder elements are inflatable.

The astronauts got a lot of time. They'll appreciate to fill it with meaning.

Do you remember these?

[patrykus]

I just feel like you still don't have answers to many questions and just escape from them (the same goes for mr Bas actually). I don't blame you. In materials you provided it is stated that even concept designs still haven't been prepared by suppliers because you first have to pay them so it's no strange that many details still don't fit and you don't know how a lot of things will work. It's just interesting if time for all the required study will be enough to meet the assumed deadlines. I hope it will. But because it looks to me that even basic plan still isn't ready so lets me stay skeptic for one or two more years when you will hopefully release more detailed plans

[kicaj]

Originally Posted by erbse

I don't think I understand your last question about dragon properly, kicaj.

sorry for the misunderstanding, englisch is not my native
I will try ask once again
If you try to land dragon next to one another. dragon standing on the surface can be damaged by the landing Dragon.
Is it clear now?

Which buried modules? Everything will be overground, quite obviously.

I think that part of the station is underground.

[erbse]

I didn't say the Dragons would land next to each other, I said they can be moved.

So they'll have different places where they go down, of course.


The new to be built structures don't have to be buried, but they can of course.
There's no "climate" on Mars, except for dust "breezes" that couldn't harm the colony in its basic structure.

[wino]

Originally Posted by erbse

Wino: You're not suggesting something out of the blue. Your concept is what is called Terraforming. There's a broad field of literature about it, Wiki gives quite some apt overview of how it'd be done on Mars: Terraforming of Mars

But this would take hundreds of years with current technology. We shouldn't wait that long to send humans to Mars and try to establish research stations there in the next decades. When on the planet, it might be a lot easier to find out how we could transform the planet into some Earth-like paradise, if we wish to do so.

thanks for answering..

if this concept (terraforming) is feasible, why not do it simultaneously with the exploration?
It's not critical that they transform the entire planet right away (as this will take hundreds of years as you mentioned..)
But, how about transforming a certain area initially.. just to support the people coming in the future.

I mean, it could hasten the goal of having a sustainable life for the visitors, eh?



other question i could think of is,
how is the sun's radiation in Mars? The planet doesn't have an ozone layer just like earth, or does it? It could play a vital role in plant's survival.
Is the sun's rays in Mars ideal for life?

[erbse]

Originally Posted by patrykus

I just feel like you still don't have answers to many questions and just escape from them (the same goes for mr Bas actually).

I'm repeating myself, but here we go

We don't do the detailed examination of the single steps of the project.
This will be up to the suppliers (which some of them became sponsors already). They're enthusiasts and experts in their respective fields.

Our job is to advertise the project and push things forward. And to carry out the selection and representative processes of the project.

Originally Posted by patrykus

It's just interesting if time for all the required study will be enough to meet the assumed deadlines. I hope it will.

It's a strict but feasible and realistic plan, considering all the technology is already there and hasn't to be developped anymore. Actually the critical aspects to the roadmap would be missing financing or unforeseen technical issues - or perhaps those of economical nature of the suppliers (we can't prevent anyone from bankruptcy, that'd of course postpone some things).

Originally Posted by patrykus

But because it looks to me that even basic plan still isn't ready so lets me stay skeptic for one or two more years when you will hopefully release more detailed plans

What do you mean by "basic plan still isn't ready"? How much more "ready" and steady could a basic plan become?

[erbse]

Wino: You can easily find answers in the respective articles.

Of course we can (and probably will) start terraforming the planet at some point in the not too distant future. But basic aims have to be met before. The human colony has to be safe and fully operational. And to create the technology for terraforming on Mars itself (which is necessary), huge facilities are needed.

It could still take some 50 years or even more until this really is possible and feasible.

But anyway, with the first people going to Mars, some "small scale terraforming" is taking place already: They'll grow their own crops on Mars to create food and air to breathe.

[kicaj]

Originally Posted by erbse

I didn't say the Dragons would land next to each other, I said they can be moved.

So they'll have different places where they go down, of course.


The new to be built structures don't have to be buried, but they can of course.
There's no "climate" on Mars, except for dust "breezes" that couldn't harm the colony in its basic structure.

how they will move? by wheels? In a post on the previous page, I suggested to use NASA ATHLETE rover, but we still need a lift to carry up dragon and put it in the right place.

[patrykus]

Originally Posted by erbse

What do you mean by "basic plan still isn't ready"? How much more "ready" and steady could a basic plan become?

Well it's all in your materials:

Mars One is now looking for a round of funding to pay our potential suppliers to perform conceptual design studies, which will result in more accurate calculations of the cost of each component and its mass. With the results of these studies, Mars One will have a much better indication of the mission's price and will have a far rounder, more detailed case to present for a new round of sponsorship or investment.

So even concepts aren't ready yet. What we have seen is more like a vision. Of course I understand that many elements exists but many basic problems still haven't been solved, like radiation shielding for the trip from earth to mars, how the trip will look (half a year in dragon?), problem of moving dragons, or the rover which suppose to be delivered already in 2018 doesn't exist yet.

[wino]

Originally Posted by erbse

But anyway, with the first people going to Mars, some "small scale terraforming" is taking place already: They'll grow their own crops on Mars to create food and air to breathe.

sorry, just to clarify.

This small scale terraforming will happen AFTER the first people have arrived..
or BEFORE?

[wino]

I've read the article you posted..

I realized, PRE Human arrival-Small scale terraforming in Mars is less feasible.

2 reasons i could think of.
1. Solar radiation
2. water is still frozen
and probably more other reasons....

though the ingredients of life are already present in Mars... the environment still is a challenge. Plants wouldn't grow on their own... (or not?)




Made me realize, what Mars need is to increase it's planets temperature.
i guess, It is a natural process.. the sun gets bigger after all... in time, Mars will be just like earth.

Humans are so impatient and just love to interfere with nature's natural processes.. eh?

[kicaj]

Maybe MarsOne should think about something like this.
The central heavy module and three inflated modules . According to the project gives it 1,000 square meters for people. Of course it is only a suggestion.

[erbse]

Patrykus: I got your point, thanks for clarifying. We're talking about supplier's concepts here.

It's not like we try to do magic here. The basic concepts are worked out at the companies, right. But since there's no political humpbump etc., this will work out rather fast. The technology is there, it's merely (a lot of, admittedly) details that need clarification.

For the trip to Mars, the astronauts indeed have to face a higher dose of radiation than those at ISS had to. There will be shelter inside the Dragon capsule. Still, a higher than average radiation has to be beared of course.

But keep in mind: This is no mission for pussies. Just as going to Antarctica in the 19th century wasn't. So we won't attract pussies complaining about higher radiation with the project.

The means to prevent high radiation for the coming years will improve as technology does.

We need the most sufficient components for the mission. Thus a race going on for the supply side of course would be healthy, just as the competition of the former super powers was during Cold War times.

[erbse]

Kicaj: Inflatable modules are an option - which was heavily discussed. We proposed that to participant suppliers and will wait for their concepts to get the most feasible options.