Spaceflight

The stages of MarsPolar project are partially based on Mars Direct, NASA's and other architectures with changes that are based on current available technologies and needs. The second Mars stage of the "MarsPolar" architecture works as follows: In an early mission opportunity, a rocket vehicle will launch with a substantial upper stage lifts off the spaceport and takes a Mars Transportation Vehicle to LEO with unmanned 35 metric tons payload.

The payload (kg) of a transportation vehicle consists of:
- Crew capsule: 8,000
- Habitat structure: 5000
- Life support system: 1,000
- Solar arrays (20 kWe): 4,000
- Pressurized electric driven truck: 2,000
- 4 Inflatable habitats: 800
- Water extraction unit: 200
- 4 Inflatable water barrels: 200
- 4 Spacesuits: 400
- Food: 3000
- Water: 6000
- Oxygen: 1000
- Other: 3800

Crew requirements for food:
- Food = 0.75 kg/person-day = 2100 cal/day for food with average of 2800 cal/kg Peanut butter = 5000 cal/kg, pasta = 3700 cal/kg, pork chops = 2200 cal/kg
- Water and oxygen are recycled
- With thickness of 0.8 mm, pressure of 5 psi, Kevlar inflatable has 10 X min strength
- Inflatable hab is potentially storable prior to entry, enabling reuse on Mars

After month from arriving of this first MTV's stage to LEO, the second stage with fuel tanks up to 40 tons and the additional engine will be launched to LEO and docked to the first stage.

When the transportation spacecraft will arrive to the orbit of Mars, the Crew capsule will be undocked and directed back to Earth.
The rest of the MTV will aerobrake into orbit around Mars and then lands with the help of parachute. As soon as it landed, the truck is remotely driven a few hundred meters away from the lander. Then remotely controlled it will be deploy the solar arrays and four inflatable parts of the habitat (8x6 meters). Then the life support systems and the water extractor will be turned on, so the breathable atmosphere will be ready till the second ship with the crew will arrive to Mars.

After successful crew landing of the first TMV and when the crew training will be finished, the preparation of the third stage of mission will be started. The third Mars stage of the "MarsPolar" architecture works as follows: In an early mission opportunity, a rocket vehicle will launch with a substantial upper stage lifts off the spaceport and takes a Mars Transportation Vehicle to LEO with crew of 4 and 35 metric tons payload.

The payload (kg) of a transportation vehicle consists of:
- Crew capsule: 8,000
- Habitat structure: 5000
- Life support system: 1,000
- Solar arrays (20 kWe): 4,000
- Pressurized electric driven truck: 2,000
- 4 Inflatable habitats: 800
- Water extraction unit: 200
- 4 Inflatable water barrels: 200
- 4 Spacesuits: 400
- Food: 3000
- Water: 6000
- Oxygen:1000
- Crew: 400
- Other: 3800

The first crew will spend a short term (from one week to one month) on orbit till the second FalconHeavy launch with the additional booster unit/propellant tank. For this time they will be able to make all preparations and tests for the transit to the Red Planet.

Mars Transport Vehicle Early Concept:

Concept of the spaceship, that will be used for carrying the settlers and the hardware for constructing human colony to Mars.
It is projected that the MTV will consist of two main stages, which will dock on the LEO before the start.
First stage fill consist of Crew capsule, habitation module and shield for aerobraking.
Second Stage - is an additional booster with up to 40 metric tonns of liquid propellant.

Click here to explore the transportation vehicle with VR (Controls: Mouse + WASD, Settings for Oculus is in the right bottom of the screen)