You launch the earth return vehicle from earth long before the manned Mars craft is launched. As soon as it touches down it begins to automatically produce rocket fuel out of the martian atmosphere and some hydrogen brought from earth. The fuel is methane (and oxygen). The status of the fuel production is well monitored and checked before the Mars voyagers even take off. As they land the earth return vehicle is already fully fueled and ready to go. This is the "mars direct" approach. One version is for the crew to have a transfer vehicle left in orbit as they explore the surface. They just leave the unimportant equipment on the Martian surface ála Apollo and go into orbit with a minimum of weight. Buzz and Neil handled the Eagle pretty well on their own, didn´they?
2007-11-19 08:34:24
·
answer #1
·
answered by DrAnders_pHd 6
·
0⤊
0⤋
Apollo got back from the Moon and a Mars mission would get back too. Launching from the Moon is easier than launching from Earth because the Moon has only 1/6 the gravity of Earth and no atmosphere. Mars has 1/3 the gravity of Earth and 1/100 the atmosphere, so it is harder than the Moon but still much easier than launching from Earth. The navigation problem is basically a computer problem, and modern computers can compute that much more easily than the old 1960s computers that were used for Apollo.
2007-11-19 05:10:11
·
answer #2
·
answered by campbelp2002 7
·
2⤊
0⤋
I don't know if you were around in the late 60's or early 70's, but astronauts went to the moon and came back with not too much of a problem.Who's to say once we get there, we won't just stay for a little while. It is very likely within 200 years Mars can be made habitable to humans.
2007-11-19 05:09:53
·
answer #3
·
answered by Kelly P 4
·
2⤊
0⤋
Many people see the problem and that is why the precision of the calculation includes the return trip.
Launch "windows" include the fact that they must get there, spend some time there, and return to Earth.
2007-11-19 05:19:47
·
answer #4
·
answered by Raymond 7
·
0⤊
0⤋
those astronauts are too "below the impression of alcohol" on the same time as applying the area trip to ever make it to Mars. have you ever no longer learn the fewer than the impression of alcohol Astronauts? i like the single that became imprinted on the front web site of my Morning magazine final month. It suggested the fewer than the impression of alcohol NASA Astronaut who by twist of destiny took a Russian Soyuz area pill into orbit rather of the area trip. It became good there in print, so it would be authentic.
2016-10-17 06:59:04
·
answer #5
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋
The return trip would be planned before they go, and they would make minor adjustments once they reached earth orbit. Then they land like any other space ship.
The tough part is how do they get fuel for the return trip? They need to carry it to or manufacture it on Mars.
2007-11-19 05:08:31
·
answer #6
·
answered by 006 6
·
0⤊
0⤋
It's just a slightly more complex problem than taking off from the Moon and getting back to Earth.
2007-11-19 05:08:24
·
answer #7
·
answered by cosmo 7
·
0⤊
0⤋
I'd imagine the same way we got astronauts back from the moon; with good machinery and good math and good astronauts on-board who are able to make good decisions in the event of an emergency.
2007-11-19 05:10:32
·
answer #8
·
answered by kyeri y 4
·
2⤊
0⤋
Well, the calculations & orbital transfers will be figured out ahead of time; the worry is whether the hardware works to make the predicted trajectories happen.
2007-11-19 05:50:40
·
answer #9
·
answered by quantumclaustrophobe 7
·
0⤊
0⤋
they can take an army there too... by building a bigger aircaft first!
or
they can just come back to earth the same way as they did from earth to mars. ie. that they just somehow take off...... lol
2007-11-19 05:43:13
·
answer #10
·
answered by lavender_lights 3
·
0⤊
0⤋