What's the best way to get to Mars?

[Lancer]

Would the method have to involve artificial gravity to prevent bone loss? Could the ship be launched magneticly? Accelerated up a track using magnetism...

Anyway, what's the best way?

[yavoon]

the best is probably sling shot. or atleast any way we use will involve a sling shot.

I dont know about the bone loss thing, maybe u could device a way to have them sleep in gravity but not have the entire ship w/ it(less money). and that would enable them to keep most of their bone mass. but I don't know really.

[Lancer]

Sling shot around the moon?

[yavoon]

why would u do it around the moon?

[Lancer]

Around the Earth then? I mean what else is there?

[yavoon]

well yes the earth. its the larger of the two objects.

[PLATO]

eliptical path using initial rocket powered accelleration with ion drive for the trip. artificial gravity provided by centrifugal force of rotating hab space. On board nuke for power. Lot's of storage for water and other consumables. Take ya two years tops.

[Skanky Burns]

You would need a standard method of getting the spacecraft into space ie: rockets or similar. A magnetic track launching the craft from Earth would put way too much force on the crew, killing them within seconds. Getting to 8km/s just by using an initial boost is not going to be pretty. However, once they are in space a magnetic booster may just be useful, although most probably it will be too expensive.

The ship will probably feature some limited areas of artificial gravity as we already have the technology to create this. It will be powered by an ion engine throughout the flight which will provide a small but steady acceleration. It will also probably feature a rocket engine for use during the landing and perhaps takeoff, which will give a great deal of acceleration but at the cost of a large amount of fuel (which will have to be carried with the spacecraft).

I've heard that the best way is to launch the craft towards Venus, and using the planet's gravity to sling the craft at a much greater velocity towards Mars.

[PLATO]

I've heard that the best way is to launch the craft towards Venus, and using the planet's gravity to sling the craft at a much greater velocity towards Mars.

Isn't Venus approximately the same distance as Mars?

[Lancer]

yavoon, ok makes sense.

Plato, two years! I knew it was a long time but...at that rate they might as well just colonize the place rather than return. Hmmm...

Skanky, isn't the going the wrong way? Venus is towards the sun, Mars away from it...

[orange]

submarine.

[Zkribbler]

Venus is 0.72 AU's from the Sun.
Earth is 1.00 AU's from the Sun.
Mars is 1.52 AU's from the Sun.

So if all the planets are lined up, Venus is about half as close as Mars.

[Skanky Burns]

The minimum distance from Venus to Earth is 40 million km (25 million miles), while the minimum distance from Mars to Earth is (35 million miles). Apparently the idea is to fly on an intercept course with Venus, pick up a speed boost and then move on to where Mars will be. The total time taken will be less than if you went directly to Mars.

[orange]

So if all the planets are lined up, Venus is about half as close as Mars.

half as close, or half as far?

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by PLATO1003
eliptical path using initial rocket powered accelleration with ion drive for the trip. artificial gravity provided by centrifugal force of rotating hab space. On board nuke for power. Lot's of storage for water and other consumables. Take ya two years tops.

I agree with everything Plato1003 says, except I dunno how long the trip would take.