Flight to Mars with a stop on the Moon

Flight to Mars with a stop on the Moon

The most effective path of humanity to Mars, necessarily includes a pit stop on the moon, according to a new study.

All ships heading to Mars will first have to get to the moon, where they will make refueling, which can be synthesized from moon ice.

This strategy will reduce the cost of a mission to Mars at the very start to 68 percent. But the total savings will be even higher. Currently, to deliver 1 pound, or 0, 45 kilograms of payload on the Earth's orbit, you need to spend thousands of dollars.

"This is completely contrary to common sense and the idea of ​​mass flights to Mars, because delivering all the necessary fuel to orbit for flight will be extremely expensive," said Olivier de Wack, a professor of aeronautics and engineering systems at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

“The idea of ​​flying without stopping on the moon ... is not very intuitive,” added de Uek. "But if you consider all the best options, this can be very beneficial in the long term, because you do not need to ship everything on Earth." Researchers believe that constantly shaded craters near the poles of the moon contain large amounts of water ice. From this ice it will be possible to isolate the molecules of hydrogen and oxygen, which are the main components of rocket fuel. Then this fuel can be used to fill the tanks of cruise ships.

Using lunar resources, you can significantly reduce the cost of space flight and help open the solar system for humanity.

A new study, which was published recently in the journal of spacecraft and rockets, comes to the same conclusion.

The researchers, led by Takuto Ishimatsu (a professor at MIT), developed mathematical models to determine the most effective routes for sending people to Mars. Scientists have discovered that the best option includes a “gas station” located in gravitationally stable places of the Earth-Moon system. The fuel at these stations will be synthesized from moon ice.

The first crews flying to Mars will not be able to use this infrastructure, but such a system can help pave the way for the creation of entire settlements on the red planet. Our ultimate goal is to colonize Mars and create a permanent, self-sufficient human presence there, "said Ishimatsu in the same statement." Nevertheless, I believe that it is also extremely important to create a wide infrastructure in space. A powerful branched system will help us travel among all the heavenly bodies of our system. "

A new study attracted the attention of NASA, which is facing a goal to visit Mars before the end of the 2030s.

"The study clearly proves that using water and other valuable space resources can greatly reduce the cost of human exploration of the solar system," said William H. Gerstenmayer, assistant administrator for human research and operations at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC Colombia.

"NASA had previously planned to use the resources of Mars to reduce fuel requirements on Mars," Gerstenmeyer added. "This study, among others, shows the potential benefits of using lunar resources."

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