Doctor of Technical Sciences L. GORSHKOV.
The dream of a human flight to the planet Mars has a long history, but only today we have come very close to the possibility of its fulfillment. Much of the interest in Mars was due to the anticipation of a meeting between brothers in mind. And although we can’t count on finding intelligent creatures on Mars, some forms of life can probably be found there. But the significance of human flight to Mars goes far beyond the search for life beyond Earth. It is important that Mars is the only planet that is promising from the point of view of its colonization. There is an opinion that it is not a crew that should be sent to Mars, but automatic stations that can replace a human researcher (see “Science and Life” No.; No.). Despite this, work on the flight is underway, and a flight simulation experiment is beginning at the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems. Leonid Alekseevich Gorshkov, chief researcher at RSC Energia, Doctor of Technical Sciences, professor, State Prize laureate, full member of the Academy of Cosmonautics, talks about the project of the upcoming Martian expedition. One of the leaders of work on the Mars program at RSC Energia. He was directly involved in the design and development of the Soyuz spacecraft, the Salyut and Mir stations and the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS). In 1994-1998, L. A. Gorshkov was deputy director of the International Space Station program on the Russian side.
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Scheme of the Mars expedition.
This is how an electric rocket engine works.
The design of the first service module of the International Space Station "Zvezda" served as the basis for the interplanetary expeditionary complex.
Internal structure of the habitable module of an interplanetary orbital ship.
Interaction of solar tug module elements.
Truss structures form the basis of the propulsion system of the interplanetary expeditionary complex.
General view of the interplanetary expedition complex. The openwork trusses are equipped with solar photoconverter panels and two packages of electric jet engines.
Diagram of the operation of the takeoff and landing complex, which ensures the delivery of cosmonaut researchers to the surface of Mars and their return to the orbital ship.
What does a human flight to Mars look like?
A flight from Earth orbit to Mars orbit will take 2-2.5 years. The ship, in which the crew must live and work all this time, has a mass of 500 tons, and it requires hundreds of tons of fuel. It is the scale of the task that distinguishes a human flight to Mars from the flights of relatively small automatic vehicles. The total mass of the entire manned complex becomes significantly greater than even the most powerful launch vehicles can launch into orbit. Therefore, it makes no sense to create a giant rocket to launch the entire interplanetary complex from Earth. It’s easier to send it into low-Earth orbit in parts, from these parts, and assemble the complex there, using already proven in-orbit assembly technologies.
The flight will take place as follows. In a few months, the complex will be assembled, and the interplanetary expedition will fly in a heliocentric orbit to the vicinity of Mars. Since lowering the entire interplanetary spacecraft to the surface of Mars is impractical, the complex will include a takeoff and landing module. After the interplanetary expeditionary complex enters a circular orbit around Mars, the crew or part of it will land on the surface of the planet. After finishing work on the surface, the astronauts will return to the ship. The interplanetary expeditionary complex will launch from near-Martian orbit towards Earth and will enter the orbit from which it launched towards Mars. On the return ship, the crew will descend to Earth.
Thus, the interplanetary expeditionary complex consists of four main functional parts: a ship in which the crew works and all the main equipment is located; an interplanetary tug providing flight along an interplanetary trajectory; take-off and landing complex and return ship to Earth.
The main problem of organizing a human flight to Mars is to ensure a high probability of the safe return of the crew. The level of crew safety must comply with Russian standards, that is, a Martian expedition should be no more dangerous than, for example, a flight to an orbital station. Fulfilling this requirement is extremely difficult.
One of the fundamental technical decisions for the interplanetary complex was the choice of a tug, essentially a large rocket with multiple firing of engines.
Today, the most reliable rocket that carries humans into space remains the Soyuz launch vehicle, which has worked perfectly throughout the long history of manned flights. But even she, although rarely, refuses. In this case, an emergency rescue system is provided, when, if the launch vehicle fails, the powder engines take the descent vehicle with the crew away from the rocket and the astronauts land on the surface of the Earth. This rescue system has already had to be used in the operation of orbital stations.
The Soyuz rocket will be assembled on Earth and tested with the participation of many specialists, including quality control teams, and the interplanetary rocket will be assembled and tested in orbit. And it must have significantly higher reliability than the Soyuz, since it is impossible to create an emergency crew rescue system in the event of a failure during its entry into heliocentric orbit. Therefore, to ensure the necessary safety of the crew, fundamentally new technical solutions are needed when choosing an interplanetary tug.
Work on the concept of human flight to Mars has been ongoing since 1960 (see “Science and Life” No. 6, 1994). The first domestic project of a ship for landing a person on the surface of Mars was carried out at OKB-1, headed by Sergei Pavlovich Korolev. Nowadays it is the S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia. In the 1960 project, a fundamentally new technical solution was adopted: to use electric rocket engines for an interplanetary expedition (see “Science and Life” No.). This decision of RSC Energia remained unchanged for all subsequent modifications of the human flight to Mars project, and it was this decision that made it possible to largely solve the safety problem.
The operating principle of electric rocket engines is that the jet stream that provides thrust is created not as a result of thermal expansion of gas, as in liquid rocket engines (LPRE), but by accelerating ionized gas in an electromagnetic field created by an on-board power plant. The fuel, or rather the “working fluid,” will be xenon gas.
In 1960, they planned to use a 7 MW nuclear reactor as a power plant feeding electric rocket engines. Separate parts of the ship were supposed to be delivered into orbit by a heavy launch vehicle (at that time work on the N-1 rocket was just beginning). The crew was planned to consist of six people. After landing on the surface of Mars, the equipment would be assembled in the form of a “train” that would cross the planet from one pole to the other.
In 1969, this project was redesigned. The reactor power was increased to 15 MW. To increase the reliability of the propulsion system, instead of one reactor, three were planned. During the reworking of the project, it was necessary to moderate the “appetites”: the number of landing vehicles was reduced from five to one, and there were four crew members. They decided to use a modification of the new heavy rocket N-1 as a launch vehicle (see “Science and Life” No. 4, 5, 1994).
In 1988, due to great progress in the creation of film photoconverters and successes in the development of transformable truss structures, the nuclear reactor was replaced with solar panels. One of the motives for this decision was the desire to make the interplanetary expeditionary complex environmentally friendly. The main advantage of this solution was the possibility of multiple duplication of the propulsion system. The new Energia launch vehicle was supposed to be used to deliver the ship's parts into Earth orbit.
Elements of the expeditionary complex and the state of their development
The first element of the international complex is the ship in which the crew works. It's called an interplanetary orbiter. Orbital - because its main function is related to work in interplanetary flight orbits. The creation of this ship in a relatively short time is quite possible. In terms of its tasks, it is essentially an analogue of the Russian Zvezda module of the International Space Station, only slightly larger in size. The fact is that the required equipment can be delivered to the space station on the Progress spacecraft in two to three months, but the Mars expedition will not have such an opportunity for two to two and a half years. Therefore, everything that may be needed throughout the flight, including in the event of emergency situations, must be taken with you and placed on the ship.
The main systems of the interplanetary spacecraft have already been tested at the Salyut and Mir orbital stations. Therefore, for its construction, it is planned to use ready-made documentation for many structural elements, and most importantly, factory equipment and technologies available at the plant that manufactured the Zvezda module housing (Khrunichev Center plant).
The second element of the interplanetary expedition complex is the solar tug, providing flight along an interplanetary trajectory. It consists of two packages of electric rocket engines with control systems, tanks with a working fluid and large panels with film solar photoconverters that supply energy to the engines.
The solar tug also includes many already developed units, structures and systems. Electric rocket engines are widely used in space technology, and for a flight to Mars only a few improvements in their characteristics are required. Film solar photoconverters are manufactured in Russia for ground-based needs. And to test their durability in outer space conditions, their samples were placed on the outer surface of the Mir station. Transformable structures on which photoconverters should be placed were also tested during flights of orbital stations. The solar tug is supposed to take as a basis the design of the Sophora truss installed at the Mir station. To ensure that the connections did not have backlash, the so-called “shape memory effect” was used, that is, the ability of some materials, after heating, to take on the shape and dimensions that the corresponding parts had before special deformation.
The third element of the interplanetary complex is the takeoff and landing complex, in which part of the crew lands on the surface of Mars and returns back to the ship. The takeoff and landing complex, unlike previous elements, is a completely new development. There were no analogues in Russian programs yet. However, similar problems have been solved in Russian cosmonautics, and no serious problems with its creation are visible.
And finally the fourth element of the complex - return ship to Earth. It has a real prototype - the Zond spacecraft, which was developed in the USSR for a man to fly around the Moon and enter the dense layers of the atmosphere at the second escape velocity. "Zond-4" - "Zond-7" flew in 1968-1969 with animals in the cockpit. True, human flights in these ships were subsequently abandoned.
What is special about the RSC Energia project? Why does it seem so real? First of all, due to the choice of propulsion system for interplanetary flight. Electric rocket engines have a relatively low thrust, but a high jet exhaust speed, which significantly reduces the required fuel reserves for interplanetary flights. But the most important thing is that, unlike all other engines, they allow multiple redundancies. What is meant?
For an interplanetary complex with an initial mass of about 1000 tons, approximately 400 electric rocket engines with a thrust of about 80 gf (0.8 N) each are needed. All these engines or groups of engines operate independently of each other; each group has its own section of tanks with the working fluid, its own control system, and its own section of solar panels. And the failure of even several groups of engines will not affect interplanetary flight. Such a propulsion system is practically not subject to failure. This is something like the flock of geese that took Baron Munchausen to the Moon: any goose along the way had the right to get tired and leave the distance without harm to the entire flight.
The total thrust of all engines is 32 kgf, or 320 N. In open space, a ship weighing about 1000 tons under the influence of this force acquires an acceleration of 32x10 -5 m/s 2 . This meager acceleration is enough to gain the speed necessary for interplanetary flight during prolonged operation of the engines. The time it takes for the ship to move along a spiral trajectory around the Earth is about three months. In this part of the trajectory, the engines do not operate continuously; they are turned off when the Sun is obscured by the Earth. After the spacecraft transitions to a heliocentric orbit, the engines will continue to operate.
Russia has already come a long way towards organizing the first human flight to Mars. At the Salyut and Mir orbital stations, many elements of the future interplanetary complex were tested, and a huge amount of work was done to develop systems and technologies to support long-term human flights into space. No country has accumulated such experience.
Currently, the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems is preparing the “500 days” experiment to study the medical aspects of a future human flight to Mars. As the basis for the model of the Martian complex, a structure created in the 1960s on the initiative of S.P. Korolev is used, on which research has already been carried out under the program for testing interplanetary flights.
The name of the experiment is due to the fact that, although the time of a human flight to Mars is 700-900 days, depending on the year of the expedition, the first experimental “flight” on Earth will last 500 days. The first crew of the ground “flight” will be six people, and it will be international, from representatives of different countries.
It seems that the Americans have not yet finally decided on the concept of human flight to Mars. But, judging by publications and reports at international conferences, they are inclined to use nuclear engines. Russian experts do not share this approach for many reasons. Firstly, tests of such engines on Earth involve the release of a powerful radioactive jet. Despite the fact that there are technical ways to protect the earth’s atmosphere from it, testing stands for such engines still pose a certain danger to the surrounding area. But the most important thing is that for nuclear engines the level of reliability that can be achieved by using multiple redundant electric rocket engines is unattainable. In addition, the use of environmentally friendly engines for interplanetary flight makes it possible to make the interplanetary spacecraft reusable. Reusability is very attractive when it comes not to a single flight, but to a Mars exploration program.
The stage of landing on the surface of Mars is the most critical from the point of view of ensuring the safety of the crew. Unlike a solar tug and an interplanetary orbital vehicle, the takeoff and landing complex has much less ability to use backup sets of equipment: processes go quickly, and it is not always possible to connect backup equipment. Therefore, the main factor in ensuring the necessary reliability of the takeoff and landing complex is its thorough testing, including in unmanned mode in real Martian conditions. No one will dare to send a person to Mars until the takeoff and landing complex does not land and take off from the planet automatically. Therefore, the first human flights to Mars will be without a crew landing on its surface.
During the first flights to Mars, the crew will remain in Martian orbit; only a remote-controlled automatic vehicle will descend to the surface. Particular attention should be paid to this stage of human exploration of Mars. Essentially, the astronaut's eyes and hands "descend" to the surface. This flight combines well the safety of the crew and the full use of the experience and intuition of the planetary scientist who will conduct research from aboard the interplanetary orbiter. This results in a complete virtual human presence on the real surface of Mars. This is impossible to do from Earth due to the large distance and signal delay of several tens of minutes.
It is difficult to tell the difference in terms of work efficiency whether a person is physically present on the surface or virtually. Unless the sole of the astronaut's boots leaves a trace on the ground. During a virtual landing on Mars, the astronaut observes not through the window of the spacesuit, but through very advanced video means. He works not with his hands in the gloves of a spacesuit, but with the help of thinner instruments. Considering that one of the goals of expeditions to Mars is preparation for its colonization, a flight with a virtual crew landing will be only the first stage in this process.
Thus, the Russian project for a human flight to Mars has very important features. Firstly, the technical solutions included in the project and the presence of a large reserve make a flight to Mars the cheapest of all known expedition options; secondly, the safety of the crew on this flight is very high.
Why go to Mars?
And here the question is appropriate: is a human flight to Mars necessary at all? On the one hand, it would seem that everything is clear: a human flight to Mars is expensive. It does not promise any more or less noticeable benefits for earthlings. And on Earth itself there are many problems that require funds to solve. Even simply providing the earth's population with food seems to be a higher priority than a human flight to Mars.
But, fortunately, although the life of the Earth's population has not been prosperous at all times, humanity has never been guided by the principle of “short-term gain,” which is obvious at first glance. That is why today we are not sitting in animal skins by the fire near the cave. Exploration of the surroundings of one’s own “home,” from the World Ocean to outer space, has always been and remains one of the elements of the development of civilization.
But is there any pragmatic motivation for going to Mars? The first obvious task of the expedition is to study our neighboring planet. Research on Mars will help to significantly predict the development of the Earth, advance our understanding of the problem of the origin of life, and much more. They are on par with the study of stars, galaxies, the Universe around us, penetration into the essence of matter, studying the structure of the microcosm, the structure of the atomic nucleus... All this does not promise immediate benefits in the near future.
We all live on the same planet, and it is exposed to various global dangers that could destroy all of humanity. For example, a collision with an asteroid of sufficiently large mass would certainly mean the end of the history of Homo sapiens. And the earthlings themselves pose a danger to themselves. “Eggs should not lie in one basket,” and the organization of settlements on other planets of the solar system, and primarily on Mars, serves as a way out of this situation. Despite the fact that the likelihood of a global catastrophe is small, the price that humanity can pay for carelessness is the highest imaginable. The process of planetary exploration is lengthy, but it is unreasonable to delay its start, given this price. It would seem like a completely pragmatic goal. Nevertheless, many consider the probability of a global catastrophe to be too low to recognize the planetary exploration program as fully justified for the development of work on human flight to Mars. But it should be borne in mind that the totality of interests of members of society never corresponds to the interests of society as a whole.
The question of motivation for work on the Mars program in Russia is important. Are there any practical problems that Russia will solve by taking on the task of organizing a human flight to Mars? It turns out there is.
Despite the fact that the dynamics of development of the Russian economy is positive, it has a very weak point - its resource orientation (production and export of hydrocarbons, metallurgy, etc.), which the President of the Russian Federation has repeatedly drawn attention to. It has not yet been possible to restore Russian industry after the crisis of the 1990s. Which industry needs to be restored first? Probably one that uses advanced technologies that are in demand on the world market. And aerospace technologies are one of these. For many of them, our country has absolute priority.
The restoration of industry also has a social aspect. Thousands of enterprises operating in various regions and cities of the country took part in the creation of the Salyut and Mir orbital stations and the Russian segment of the International Space Station. To create space technology, not only purely “space” production is needed. Various devices and units, materials and much more are needed. And these are all jobs for specialists using advanced technologies, which is always very important for any country.
We are already accustomed to the concept of “brain drain”. There is a brain drain, but nothing terrible seems to be happening. In reality it only seems so. The process when the most valuable personnel leave Russia is dangerous for the country and threatens its very existence. Scientists leave the country not because they get more money abroad, but primarily because in our country there are no programs in which they would find application. Russia needs large scientific programs like air. In particular, the human flight program to Mars will require scientists of various specialties - biologists, doctors, materials scientists, physicists, programmers, chemists and many, many others.
You can have different attitudes to the concept of country prestige. But the authority of the state is also an economic concept. Let us remember how the authority of the United States grew after the Apollo program. The human flight to Mars, no matter what skeptics say about it, has always worried and will continue to worry humanity. The realization of this dream of many generations is extremely prestigious. So the project of a human flight to Mars is of particular importance for Russia.
Now about the situation with international cooperation in organizing a human flight to Mars. You can often hear that this flight is only possible through broad international cooperation. Indeed, the exploration of Mars is a long process, and at certain stages almost all countries with the appropriate technologies will participate in it. The flight program to Mars will require a variety of ships, bases, research and construction facilities. National programs of various countries will solve individual problems of Mars exploration. And each country will go its part of the way to this program.
As long as there are different states, the presence of national programs is inevitable. Each country is interested in developing its own advanced technologies based on its own experience and developments. Especially if these technologies are in demand on the world market. Therefore, in astronautics, both international and national programs will always coexist.
Today in the United States, human flight to Mars has been declared a national program. The Americans, in principle, can invite other countries to participate in it, but at their own expense. But your own funds should be spent with maximum benefit for yourself. It is hardly advisable to make some elements of the American program with your own money. It is more profitable to develop key technologies for human flight to Mars, which will allow the development of national programs in the future. For example, reusable solar tugs, which have become one of the elements of the Russian concept of flight to Mars, will make it possible to solve many other problems facing humanity. The fact is that effective space tugs in the future will largely determine space strategy, just as launch vehicles once did. In other words, Russia must have its own development program, and not serve the interests of others. This in no way hinders cooperation. Systems created in Russia will be important to provide broader capabilities, including American flights. And there will certainly be cooperation with various countries to create individual elements of expeditions.
Cooperation with the United States on the first human flight to Mars also has purely technical aspects. We respect the qualifications of American engineers. But the concept adopted by the Americans may not suit us. There are a number of American programs known that are technically unacceptable for Russian specialists, including from the point of view of ensuring the safety of the crew.
Let's assume that the Americans want to implement some grandiose Martian nuclear project like Freedom and, although this is unlikely, they will offer Russia to participate in this project on a parity basis. So what should we do? Participate? Or, for almost the same money, develop a project based on Russian technologies, cheaper, less ambitious and, as we hope, more effective. It seems that the second path is natural: the intellectual potential and experience in developing manned programs, especially those related to long-term human flights, among Russian specialists is, in any case, no less than that of the Americans.
Work on a Mars expedition in the United States and Russia will not be some kind of “Mars race.” Each country will develop its own key technologies that will allow the development of its national advanced industry and science. For example, to organize a very effective manned flight into Mars orbit with a virtual landing of the crew on the Martian surface, Russia already has a huge technical and technological reserve. And it is very important to use it in a large scientific and technical program.
Thus, Russia has everything to carry out a human flight to Mars: the necessary intellectual potential, unique experience in manned programs, efficient industrial cooperation, the need for investment in knowledge-intensive industry with advanced technologies. There is every reason to expect that in the coming decades, the long-standing dream of earthlings about a human flight to Mars will finally come true!
Expeditions to Mars have captivated humanity's attention more than once, dating back to the space race in the 1960s. Now this is no longer a fantasy, but a matter of time and resources. In 2020, missions of several organizations will start, which continue preparations for the exploration of a new planet and bring closer the realization of the main goal - the colonization of Mars.
NASA Mars 2020 Mission
The Mars 2020 rover mission is part of NASA's long-running program to study the Red Planet. The main goal of the project is a reconnaissance mission of the planet's surface, which will answer many fundamental questions. For example, was there life on Mars, were there traces of habitable conditions in the past on its surface, or signs of the existence of bacteria and other microorganisms.
In addition, the tasks of Mars 2020 include collecting information and testing technologies that will be used by colonizers in the future. The program will test the production of oxygen from the local atmosphere, search for minerals and resources (for example, groundwater), regulate planting processes, determine weather, dust concentrations, etc.
The Mars 2020 project is a rover that will be sent from Earth in July/August 2020 (as reported on the project's official website). The rover will move along the surface in an unusual way: using built-in helicopter blades. Thus, it will seem to “jump”, rising up, spilling a certain distance and landing on the ground. However, the helicopter can only fly 3-4 times a day because the rover is equipped with a small solar panel. This decision was made to maintain minimal weight of the device. Otherwise, he would not be able to fly in the local air density.
The expedition to the surface of the planet will last at least one Martian year (687 days). During this period, the necessary information will be collected, including soil samples, which are subsequently planned to be transported to Earth for further study in a specialized laboratory.
ExoMars
Another program to study the Red Planet is EXOMARS 2016-2020. It is developed and controlled by the European Space Agency and the Russian government organization Roscosmos. The program includes two missions:
- Launch of the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) in 2016.
- Flight of the rover to Mars in 2020.
The ExoMars program is aimed at surface exploration and demonstration of new technologies that will be used by a future expedition. Her tasks include:
- reentry, descent and landing of payload;
- testing mobility on the surface of Mars;
- access to subsoil and obtaining samples.
Interesting: One of ExoMars' priority goals is to participate in an international mission to return samples back to Earth.
The TGO orbiter was sent back in 2016. He successfully arrived in Mars orbit and is now performing the required research. TGO's tasks include studying the components of the atmosphere: in particular, methane and other gases, water vapor. In addition, it will act as a relay satellite to communicate with the Mars rover, which will be launched in 2020.
The rover is equipped with equipment for collecting soil and other samples of the planet. Its tasks include the study of exobiology and geochemistry. Roscosmos is providing the Proton launcher for both missions.
SpaceX
Elon Musk is planning a “human” expedition to Mars in 2024. At the moment, construction is underway on a spaceship and a rocket that will take the ship to orbit. This task will be assigned to the Falcon 9 rocket. It is a two-stage launch vehicle that is designed for reusable use.
The ability to bring the first stage back and reuse it has significantly reduced the costs of spaceflight. For example, launching Falcon Heavy cost SpaceX about $90 million, while launching a similar rocket from ULA (a Boeing company) would cost at least $400 million. If scientists manage to return the second stage, this will save even more money for the exploration of outer space.
In May 2018, Elon Musk presented the design of the Crew Dragon manned spacecraft, which will take people to Mars. Initially, it will undergo test flights, including transporting a payload to the ISS. And in the future it will be tested by pilots who will also go to the ISS.
Inspiration Mars Foundation
The non-profit organization Inspiration Mars Foundation, founded by Dennis Tito in 2013, announced its intention to organize a flight to Mars in 2018. The company planned to take advantage of a special orbital period in January 2018, which allows it to reach Mars orbit with minimal fuel consumption. An additional window is planned for 2021 if the mission cannot be implemented in 2018.
The proposal was based on a free return trajectory. The manned spacecraft was supposed to enter Mars orbit through the orbit of Venus and Earth, and return back to Earth after 501 days. This campaign was subject to significant criticism from government and independent organizations.
At the moment, there is no up-to-date information about the activities of the fund, since their official website is blocked.
Mars One
is a private project of the Dutch organization Mars One and Interplanetary Media Group under the leadership of Bas Lansdorp. The program involves a one-way expedition to Mars. The company positions itself as a non-profit organization. However, it offers a way to generate income from the expedition in the form of filming and further selling documentaries about the preparation and implementation of the mission.
The implementation of the project involves a phased implementation. Starting in 2020, the first landing module will be launched onto the surface of the planet to collect information for the expedition. By 2026, residential modules will be built on Mars with the help of robotics, equipment and other payloads will be transported. The flight of the first spacecraft with people is planned for 2026. The next ships with people will be sent in 2028 and 2029. By 2035, the organization expects to build a colony for 20 people.
However, the Mars One organization has repeatedly been heavily criticized and accused of misconduct for the purpose of obtaining material gain. In the Russian documentary “Discovering Mars,” its leaders were bluntly called fraudsters.
Elon Musk dreams of colonizing Mars: video
Based on materials from: 2020-god.com
Forgotten on Mars, Matt Damon in the Hollywood blockbuster “The Martian” had to cope with many difficulties on his own in order to survive on the Red Planet. However, in real life, you would have to fight for this very life long before you actually get to Mars itself. Indeed, in addition to radiation, psychological and physical problems associated with a long stay in space, a person will have to face other tests during real flights to Mars. Let's look at the most obvious of them.
Longer Martian days
A Martian day is only about 40 minutes longer than on Earth. And although at first glance you may, on the contrary, be glad that you will have as much as 40 minutes more every day, this can actually turn out to be a very serious problem, since the human daily biological rhythm is designed for 24 hours. An extra 40 minutes every day on Mars will soon lead to a person developing jet lag, which in turn will manifest itself in the form of constant fatigue and poor health.
NASA operators have already experienced all the “joys” of this syndrome, as they had to work in accordance with Martian time as soon as some of the first rovers sent to Mars began their daily work on the Red Planet. All workers on the Sojourner Mars mission, for example, adhered to the same hours as the rover had to work. After a month of such a busy schedule, the operators were, as they say, exhausted.
For subsequent Mars rovers, NASA's control center was able to successfully maintain Mars time for three months, but workers were still very tired by the end of the mission. Based on observations, scientists have found that humans are able to adhere to Martian time only for short periods. Astronauts, who will have to stay on Mars for months, will not be able to get out of the framework of Martian time.
Earlier studies on sleep showed that the human body has a natural 25-hour biological rhythm, but as it turned out, the results of these studies were incorrect. After new observations, none of the participants was able to adapt to Martian time.
Reduced Gravity
Despite the ability to simulate space travel to Mars on board the International Space Station by long stays on it, the effect of prolonged exposure to Martian gravity (38 percent of Earth's) on the human body is still a mystery to scientists. Will long-term exposure to such partial gravity preserve the integrity of muscle and skeletal density? And if not, how to deal with it? Considering that any mission to Mars would require humans to spend many months in a closed tin can, finding answers to these questions is a critical aspect.
In less-than-ideal simulations, two studies in mice showed that the loss of bone and muscle mass in Martian gravity may be equivalent to no loss at all. The first study found that even being in an environment with 70 percent of Earth's gravity did not prevent muscle and bone loss.
In a second study, researchers found that mice exposed to reduced gravity lost at least about 20 percent of their skeletal mass. However, it should be noted that all of these studies are based on simulations. Until astronauts actually land on Mars, it will be impossible to know the true effects of reduced gravity on their bodies.
The harsh Martian surface
The first thing Neil Armstrong learned after stepping onto the lunar surface was that the landing area was literally covered in large boulders, posing a danger to his lander. A similar problem may arise for astronauts who will land on Mars. They will have very little time to identify and avoid the lander from hitting such cobblestones or sandstones. Rocks and various slopes can cause the Mars lander to capsize. The fact is that even very large changes in the surface plane can be very difficult to detect from orbit, so people who will create landing plans may simply accidentally miss such changes.
Small cracks and depressions can also fool the sensors, which in turn can lead to untimely release of parachutes or landing legs, as well as incorrect automatic calculation of landing speed. The chances that a lander could crash due to an incorrectly analyzed landing site are surprisingly high. One study found that these chances are about 20 percent.
Rocket cone size
When developing a manned Martian landing module, one serious technical problem almost immediately arises - the diameter of the nose fairing of the rocket on which this Martian module will be launched. Although the largest fairing currently has a diameter of 8.4 meters, it will be very difficult to make its size relevant to the design of a manned Mars lander.
The protective heat shield needed to protect the heavy load would then be too large to fit under the fairing. Therefore, in this case, most likely, it will be necessary to use inflatable heat shield technology, the development of which is currently only at the experimental stage.
Using the current fairing design for a Mars mission would require a much more compact lander to match the 8.4 meter diameter fairing. Any larger modules simply will not fit.
Even if it is decided to use a more compact landing module, then, most likely, due to such technical limitations, its design will have to be redesigned. For example, it will be necessary to redesign not only the location of the astronauts, but also the fuel tanks of the module. The size of the fairing itself cannot be changed, because this will destabilize the launch vehicle.
Supersonic TDU
One of the main ways to reduce the speed of the Martian lander for soft docking with the Martian surface is a supersonic braking propulsion system (SPU). Its essence lies in the use of jet engines directed towards the direction of movement to slow down the device from supersonic speeds.
The use of a supersonic propulsion system in the thin rarefied atmosphere of Mars is a prerequisite. However, firing supersonic engines could create a shock wave that could damage the Mars lander. NASA, for example, has virtually no experience using such procedures, which, in turn, reduces the chances of the entire mission being successful.
This technology has three problematic aspects. First, the interaction effect between the airflow and the engine exhaust could literally break the lander in half. Second, the heat generated by the spent rocket fuel exhaust can heat up the lander. Third, maintaining the stability of the lander during the launch of supersonic thrusters can be a very difficult task.
Although there have been previous small-scale wind tunnel tests of such RTDs, many full-scale test trials are required to determine the reliability of such a system. This is a very expensive and time-consuming task. However, NASA may also have an alternative (indirect) option for testing such systems. The American private company SpaceX is actively trying to develop a reusable rocket that uses a similar landing principle. And it should be noted that there is progress in this direction.
Static electricity
Yes, yes, the one that makes your hair stand on end or gives you a little electric shock when you touch something. Here on Earth, static electricity may be the butt of many jokes and practical jokes (although it can also be dangerous in terrestrial conditions), but on Mars, static electricity can cause serious problems for astronauts.
On Earth, most static discharges occur due to the insulating properties of the rubber bases of the shoes we wear. On Mars, the insulating material will be the surface of Mars itself. Even just walking on the Martian surface, an astronaut can build up a static discharge strong enough to burn out electronics, such as an airlock, simply by touching the outer metal skin of the ship.
The peculiarity and dryness of the Martian surface makes it an excellent insulating material. Particles on the Martian surface can be up to 50 times smaller than dust particles on Earth. When walking on it, a certain amount of it will accumulate on the astronauts' shoes. When the Martian wind blows it away, his shoes will accumulate enough charge to cause a mild electrical shock, which in such conditions could be enough to bury the entire mission.
The Martian rovers currently operating on the Red Planet use special, very thin needles that discharge the charge into the atmosphere and prevent it from hitting the electronics of the rovers. In the case of manned missions to Mars, special spacesuits will be required to protect both the astronauts and the equipment they will use.
Suitable launch vehicle
The Space Launch System (SLS) is the largest launch vehicle currently in development and planned to be used in the near future. It is this rocket that the West plans to use for manned missions to Mars.
According to NASA's current plans, a single manned mission to Mars will require a dozen SLS rockets. However, the current ground infrastructure for SLS launches meets the necessary conditions only in minimal parameters: it is necessary to have at least one room for assembling the rocket, one giant transporter for delivering the rocket to the launch pad, and one launch pad itself.
If just one of these components breaks down or fails to cope with its task, then serious concerns will arise about the availability of the necessary launch vehicle, which in turn will call into question the very possibility of a manned mission to Mars.
For example, any delays associated with setting up and testing all SLS systems could cause major changes to launch schedules. Less significant technical problems and even weather conditions can create the same problems.
In addition, the in-orbit docking required to assemble a spacecraft that will go to Mars requires compliance with the so-called launch window, that is, the time within which the rocket will be launched. In addition, launching a spacecraft to Mars directly from Earth’s orbit also requires adherence to certain time frames. Based on historical data from early shuttle launches, scientists have developed entire launch models. They show a lack of confidence that the SLS rocket will be available at a specific launch window, which in turn could also put an end to any manned mission to Mars.
Toxic Martian soil
In 2008, NASA's robotic probe made a historic discovery. Perchlorates have been discovered on the surface of Mars. Although these toxic reagents have found their way into industrial production, they can cause serious thyroid problems in people even when used in small quantities.
On Mars, the concentration of perchlorates in the soil is 0.5 percent, which is already very dangerous for humans. If astronauts bring these reagents into their Martian homes, then over time, contamination and then poisoning will certainly occur.
Decontamination procedures commonly used in the mining industry can help reduce the likelihood of contamination to some extent. However, it will not be possible to completely get rid of the problem in the conditions of Mars, and, therefore, astronauts will sooner or later be expected to have problems with the thyroid glands.
In addition, perchlorate poisoning of the body is associated with various diseases of the circulatory system. True, scientists have not yet progressed far in this direction, and therefore the clarification of all the effects of perchlorates on the human body remains to be known. Therefore, in the long term, the consequences of being on the Red Planet are very difficult to predict.
It is likely that astronauts will need to take artificial hormonal medications on a continuous basis to maintain their metabolism to combat the effects of long-term perchlorate exposure.
Long-term storage of rocket fuel
To fly to Mars and back, we need rocket fuel. Huge fuel supply. The most efficient rocket fuel currently available is cryogenic fuel, which is liquid hydrogen and oxygen.
This fuel must be constantly cooled during storage. However, even with maximum preparation, according to statistics, 3-4 percent hydrogen leaks from fuel tanks every month. If, already in flight, the astronauts discover that there is not enough fuel in their fuel tanks for the trip back home, then - you understand - a complete disaster will occur.
Astronauts will have to watch the cryogenic fuel boil off for several years while their mission on the Red Planet continues. Additional fuel could be produced directly on Mars itself, but its storage and cooling would require the installation of special coolers, which, in turn, require electricity to operate. Therefore, before we begin a mission to Mars, we need to conduct many long-term tests of fuel storage technologies to ensure that we have enough fuel under any circumstances.
Love and quarrels
During long-term space flights, no one can deny the occurrence of romantic relationships between crew members. By the end of a difficult work day, many people need psychological and physical relaxation, the way out of which is a love relationship. And although at first glance all this sounds sweet and romantic, in practice in space this type of relationship can have a very bad effect on the entire mission.
In 2008, a group of people participated in an experiment. A long stay in a closed space was used as a simulation of a flight to Mars. The events of the experiment spiraled out of control when one of the “astronauts” became very upset that his girlfriend refused intimacy and chose the third astronaut instead. Being in a constant state of stress and fatigue, the first astronaut at some point could not stand it, and it all ended with a broken jaw for the third astronaut. If this were not an experiment, but a real space mission, then such behavior would cast serious doubt on its success.
Unfortunately, NASA doesn't even try to consider all of these possibilities. According to a recent report by the US National Academy of Sciences, NASA did not study the issues of possible sexual relationships during space missions to Mars at all, and also did not address the possible compatibility of people’s psychotypes during long-term space missions.
Mars One is a Dutch project for an irrevocable expedition to Mars. According to the organizers, in 2023, a group of four volunteers will go to the red planet and stay there forever, earthlings will watch the life of the colonizers in the format of a reality show. It was immediately stated that life conditions on Earth and the Red Planet are completely different, and anyone who has been to Mars will no longer be able to exist here. Returning the crew is an impossible task. Some scientists have already stated that they consider the upcoming expedition a mass suicide.
Photo: www.mars-one.com
However, 200 thousand people from all over the world applied to participate in the expedition. 52 Russians qualified for the second round. AiF.ru spoke with applicants for participation in the mission about why they are going to leave Earth forever.
Photo: www.mars-one.com
Ilya Khramov: “Gagarin flew, and so can I”
Togliatti resident Ilya Khramov passed the first qualifying round for the Mars One project. Out of 200 thousand applicants, only 1058 people were chosen. The AvtoVAZ design engineer is not afraid that he may never see the Earth again, and is confident that in ten years he will become one of the first colonizers of the red planet.
Ilya Khramov. Photo: AiF-Samara / Ksenia Zheleznova
25-year-old Ilya Khramov is already recognized by townspeople. On Kommunisticheskaya Street he greets a resident of Tolyatti and says that he doesn’t know him, but most likely the man saw him on TV.
“The media beats me up, they call me every day. As soon as it became known that 1,058 people made it to the second round of Mars One, including 52 Russians, including me, the phone didn’t stop ringing,” says Ilya.
In May, Ilya saw information about the recruitment of colonists to Mars and was one of the first residents of Russia to post his video on the Mars One website. Contestants had to convince the organizers why they should fly to the red planet, prove that they have a sense of humor and then tell about themselves.
Ilya Khramov. Photo from personal archive
The Mars colonizer candidate shows a video he and his friend made. Wearing a hat with earflaps and a vest, Ilya jokes in English that there is no doubt that he is a real Russian, because that’s exactly how everyone in Russia dresses.
Still from the competition video. Photo: Screenshot from the site
“I attached a questionnaire and a motivation letter to the video, in which I compiled my psychological portrait. I sent everything, saw that more than 200 thousand people were participating, and, frankly, didn’t expect to go any further,” admits Ilya.
Competition video by Ilya Khramov
At the beginning of January, the Togliatti resident no longer doubted his desire to leave planet Earth forever and go to an unknown planet. The young man received a letter to his email confirming that he had successfully passed the first qualifying round and should prepare for the next stage - passing a medical commission and a personal interview.
Letter from the organizers of the Mars One project. Photo: AiF-Samara / Ksenia Zheleznova
“I saw the letter and I thought that’s it, there’s no turning back. I will do everything to pass all the qualifying rounds. I have no doubt that I will successfully pass the medical examination,” says Ilya. — I have already taken a vacation in order to have time to prepare all the documents for the second round. I have perfect vision, an athletic build, and besides, I don’t drink or smoke. I’m also ready for an interview, I speak fluent English.”
“Bring a magnet”
Ilya shows a faded photograph in which he is three years old. A blue-eyed child sits in his mother's arms. The young man will definitely take this photo with him to Mars. The son immediately informed his mother Lada Yuryevna about his participation in the Mars One project.
“Mom is skeptical about my desire to fly to Mars. She doesn’t even take it seriously, she laughs at me. Without much joy, he tells me which channel they showed me on again,” admits Ilya.
In front of Ilya is a photograph of his mother. Photo: AiF-Samara / Ksenia Zheleznova
Khramov says that from early childhood he was raised on science fiction literature. At home, on the bookshelf there are books by Kir Bulychev and the Strugatsky brothers. From the army, the Togliatti resident brought many works by science fiction writer Sergei Lukyanenko, whom he constantly re-reads.
“I have always been attracted by the future and the unknown in literature, and the opportunity to fly to Mars is a dream come true and a step towards the future. I don’t want to become famous through this project, it’s more important for me to change my life. Yuri Gagarin and Neil Armstrong were not afraid to fly, so I’m not afraid either,” a participant in the Mars One project explains his desire to go into space. Khramov is not afraid that he will not return; he is ready for such a fate.
Ilya with friends. Photo from personal archive
Friends support Ilya, although they admit that before their friend had not yet passed the first round, they did not believe in his success. Someone tried to dissuade me, they asked me to stay because they would miss me. Now they write him messages: “Bring a magnet from Mars” or “You know, I would make a good flight mechanic, take me with you.”
A friend calls the young man, Ilya says that he will call back later and talks about how he will live without people close to him.
“On Mars it will be possible to communicate with people close to me, so I won’t feel lonely there. To do this, two satellites will be launched in 2018, which will communicate between astronauts and the Earth,” says Ilya. “If the Earth is overpopulated, I think that someone close to me will be able to fly to me, I will take their place.”
In case of overpopulation of the Earth, Ilya will wait for his mother on Mars. Photo: AiF-Samara / Ksenia Zheleznova
Responsibilities of colonialists
The first four colonizers will have to arrange the space base, maintain equipment and explore the planet.
Mars Photo: www.mars-one.com
“I'm fascinated by the research I could do on Mars. In addition, in case of a breakdown, I can repair the equipment. We will be preparing for the flight for nine years, so there is no doubt that we will go into space prepared,” says Ilya.
A young man shows a tattoo on his arm that depicts the things he won't be able to take with him to Mars: drums, a guitar, books, a city and cassette tapes.
A tattoo to commemorate life on Earth. Photo: AiF-Samara / Ksenia Zheleznova
“I’ll have to leave my snowboard on Earth, but I think I can come up with something similar there and ride through the Martian dust on a board,” says Ilya.
The next qualifying round will take place on March 8th. Then it will become known whether Ilya will increase his chances of flying to Mars or whether he will still remain on Earth, despite his dreams of space.
Anastasia Barkhatova: “I’ll fly away forever - it will be interesting”
Anastasia Barkhatova graduated from Chelyabinsk University with a degree in microbiology. She works as a laboratory assistant at a blood transfusion station and says her duties include checking blood for the presence of HIV and hepatitis. I accidentally found out that you can become a participant in the project to relocate to Mars from a note on a Dutch website.
“I immediately applied,” says Nastya. — It must be in English. I know it and am improving it, it is the official language of the expedition, at the next stages requirements will be imposed on the level of proficiency in it. I also had to state my motivation so that the organizers understood what was pushing me to Mars.”
Entered half a percent of the chosen ones
Anastasia’s relatives are physicists by training. Barkhatova admits that since childhood she has been fascinated by space, microbiology and science fiction; “The Andromeda Nebula” by Ivan Efremov was her favorite book. I was interested, but not to the point of fanaticism. I didn’t even think about going to Mars before the project.
Photo: www.mars-one.com
“I was included in half a percent of the chosen ones, this cannot but rejoice,” Barkhatova says frankly. “Almost two hundred thousand people from one hundred and forty countries of the world expressed a desire to take part in this fantastically interesting project; as a result, a little more than a thousand people completed the first stage. Among them is me.”
Nastya says she learned about her victory at the first stage on January 1, from an official email. For her it was the best New Year's gift.
Nastya was born in Verkhneuralsk. She graduated from ChelSU, did an internship at a research institute in Obolensk, and got a job at a blood transfusion station, as she had planned in her last year at university. Neither relatives nor colleagues knew that he was participating in the Mars colonization project. Until the last - until Nastya won the first stage.
So, waving her hand to her friends and family, Nastya will fly off to Mars. In ten years, if the remaining tests pass. Photo: AiF
Don't waste your time thinking
“The relatives, to put it in Russian, were stunned,” says Nastya. - Colleagues too. A trip to Mars is a one-way ticket. It was immediately stated that life conditions on Earth and the Red Planet are completely different, and anyone who has been to Mars will no longer be able to exist here. But I’m not worried or afraid: the project is too significant and global to waste time on thinking. Yes, we won’t be able to have children and start families, but I agree to sacrifice my usual way of life for the sake of life on Mars. I’ll fly away forever - it’s very interesting.”
As reported on the official website of the project, among those who passed the first stage are people aged from 18 to 81 years. The main condition for all applicants is excellent health: 100% vision, blood pressure within normal limits, no chronic diseases, height from 157 to 190 centimeters. Next, new tests await the lucky ones, although it has not yet been disclosed which ones.
Anastasia Barkhatova told AiF readers that she is not at all afraid of moving to Mars. Photo: AiF
“I’m really looking forward to the next stages,” says the microbiologist. “I know that if successful, I will have ten years of preparation for the trip, because the resettlement itself is scheduled for 2025.” By 2015, six groups of four people will be formed, and the first robotic vehicles to Mars are scheduled for 2018.”
Having learned about the victory in the international project of their fellow countrywoman, Chelyabinsk residents reacted differently. Some people consider the relocation to Mars to be nothing more than another “duck”, others are sure that everything will be limited to passing the selection process, and no one will fly into space, still others, and the majority of them, are sincerely happy for Anastasia. And they even envy her a little.
