Shuttlecraft

[Lorizael]

Landing on Mars is harder than landing on other bodies in the solar system. This got me thinking: how difficult would it be to build the kind of generic landers seen in Star Trek and basically every other space show/movie? Would a lander need to be equipped with a variety of different landing methods depending on the characteristics of the place you're landing, or would it have an all-purpose landing method that wasn't great or terrible for any surface? Or will landers always be custom-built for the job as they are now? Monkeys.

[Proteus_MST]

You should play Kerbal Space Program

While it makes lots of simplifiations (for example gravitation spheres of influence instead of n body problem) it is IMHO a very good introduction into the problems faced by arospace engineering
(actually, there are mods that make KSP even more realistic (For example the Realism Overhaul Mod and the Real Solar System Mod))

I would say that, yes, unless we have some ultra efficient fuel that gives us an enormous amount of dV, we will always have to create specialized landers, especially for planets/moons wwith atmosphere ... and most probably also have to use one use landers, as we will do a staged ascent in order to save on weight we carry back to orbit

[BlackCat]

Building a functional cavorite shield would probably solve the problem, but since that may take a while, I would start with agreeing on one standard of measurement as a first.

Mars have two *****es - relative high gravity and very thin atmosphere. Landing even small things demands either elaborate parachute and/or bouncing gear or lots of rocket power.

It really doesn't make it easier that it can't be manually controlled.

[Aeson]

Just teleport the landing craft to the surface.

[BeBMan]

For this kind of space stuff the most important things are the ability to redirect auxiliary power and the one were you reverse shield polarity.

[Lorizael]

You should play Kerbal Space Program

I really should. I've know about it for years, but never actually sat down to "play" it.

[giblets]

We should send Ben to Mars