SpaceX has announced its plans to land a robotic probe on the surface of Mars by the year 2018. However, that ambitious goal faces numerous challenges during its long flight to the Red Planet.
The Red Dragon probe could allow SpaceX founder Elon Musk to accomplish what no private corporation has ever done - landing on another world.
Planning to send Dragon to Mars as soon as 2018. Red Dragons will inform overall Mars architecture, details to come pic.twitter.com/u4nbVUNCpA
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 27, 2016
NASA currently plans to send a human crew to Mars sometime in the middle of the 2030s. Mission planners for this upcoming trip are working out details concerning methods of dealing with radiation, resource supply and psychological stress of confined living quarters.
The Dragon spacecraft is currently used to ferry cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). A variation of the craft will soon be able to carry up to seven astronauts into Earth's orbit and beyond.
The Red Dragon, currently under development, features a liquid-fuel rocket, designed to slow the vehicle for descent. This engine will provide the Mars lander with the a versatile method of softly touching down on the surface of the Red Planet.
Engines for the Red Dragon are already undergoing testing. However, legs will still need to be designed and tested for the system. SpaceX engineers will be able to draw heavily from their experiences in the construction of landing legs for the first stage of their Falcon 9 rocket.
Another challenge facing SpaceX in its quest to land on Mars in 2018 is finding how to launch and get the spacecraft to its destination. The vehicle would need to ride on a Falcon Heavy booster, still under development.
This rocket will be the third major rocket design for the private space agency. Its first design, utilizing a single engine, was named Falcon. This was then expanded to a rocket with nine engines, called the Falcon 9, used for launches to the ISS. The Falcon Heavy will encompass 27 engines, three sets of the systems onboard the current design.
Even though it seems that building 27 identical engines could reduce risk and uncertainty, the idea carries risks of its own. Firing multiple identical engines at the same time can create harmonics, potentially shaking the vehicle to pieces during launch.
But wouldn't recommend transporting astronauts beyond Earth-moon region. Wouldn't be fun for longer journeys. Internal volume ~size of SUV. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 27, 2016
Both SpaceX and NASA have their eyes set on placing boots on the surface of Mars as quickly as possible. Sending humans to the Red Planet presents additional challenges to mission planners, including protecting space travelers from the effects of long-term radiation exposure.
"In exchange for Martian entry, descent, and landing data from SpaceX, NASA will offer technical support for the firm's plan to attempt to land an uncrewed Dragon 2 spacecraft on Mars," Dava Newman wrote for NASA.
Space X has a history of re-using technology that works, as shown in the design of their Falcon boosters. This time, however, everything is new.
