Fantastic question Hockey Hottie>>
Here is some food for thought!
Since we just can't jump into the old spaceship in the backyard, we might as well get a grip on the true experience of going to Mars.
The most important thing, at least in my mind, is that gravity thing. I could not take a trip anywhere without it. It's serious stuff indeed. ALL the SF space adventure TV shows etc...ignore it. and I smile when the famous line is belted out 'our life-support systems are going down, Captain', and that means gravity too, yet the actors are maintaining an upright position. Funny stuff. Seriously, the lack of gravity will make all tasks difficult while on ship, personal hygiene stands out in my mind as premiere.
Of course there must be a breathable atmosphere and pressure in the ship and at the Mars campsite. Nothing, absolutely nothing can go wrong with this equipment. Containment of this precious commodity requires volume, machinery and air changes and purification systems and must be monitored and maintained at all times.
Maintenace and monitoring of water, all food and all waste disposal is paramount. These are perishable items we take for granted on Earth. No reason to poison ourselves while we're there or going there.
I don't see this space-adventure as one of exploration, at least in the beginning, unless one includes that portion of getting there in a pressurized tin can, as to just staying alive and maintaining your existence. Just think about the good astronauts on the ISS and the garbage that accumulates in their contained space. I read the ISS updates often, and that's circling just 250 miles above our heads.
I estimate about 14 to 20 Mars Spacemen (MSM), (I will call them Spacemen and not astronauts, which is an old term, besides even Kirk and Spock wouldn't want to be called that!) are the minimum workforce for the trip, with each one trained for double or triple duty in something to maintain existence. That's 28 to 60 'things' of daily duties.(NOT a statment for those who think they must just keep active). I think that plants in space are not the answer for food and air...tremendous maintenance problems, (at least at this time) and what's the fall-back if plant disease sets in. Might as well use the fall-back to begin with. And that's prepackaged food. I have no problem with that, either in the ship or on Mars. The garbage must be minimal...and think about 2 food supplies.
Mars habitat, or 'a room with a view' should be in the manner of a spent ship or 2 with commodities that preceded the crew of 14 to 20. Bouncing balls, ejected and landed like the Rovers fell in, can provide the sustenance required for the stay. That system has been demonstrated several times, and may have to be repeated to confirm.
These are a few concerns that I mention, and there are more of course.
I would enjoy the trip as long as all the earthly parameters are maintained. And since I am one who cares not for baggage, in this case the more the better for the possibility to maintain humans on Mars.
One might not want to forget about clean laundry and the galley and the sick-bay, etc...just imagine if Kirk, Spock and the rest of the crew did all that we saw them do in zero gravity...we would probably see about 6 shows in total over that 3 year period.
Hey, this is not simple, but simple things must be thought of for a successful outcome.
...and that means no deaths on the way there or on the planet Mars.
I for one don't want to be hooked up with someone who never showered, combed their hair, brushed their teeth, put their deodorant on, and who wear their smelly socks and never washed their dirty filthy hands and nails, etc...and start the next discussion of course alterations or hand out the daily food supply, right in your face. Forget it.
The people who have that honor of space travel to Mars will be perfect ladies and gentlemen, representing the thoughts and manners of thinking mankind complete with etiquette, proper professional etiquette, something to be proud of that one can display a mature realism even in space.
This is a difficult task so don't let Hollywood interfere with the truth. After all Hollywood is only film and that's paper thin to begin with. The mind of man (Spacemen) is far greater in depth than Hollywood.
There is a large gap between what we witnessed in SpaceShip One and that rocket ship to be built that will take us to Mars.
Are we prepared?
I have also been reading those articles by the Russians. Why bother with 500 days in isolation...the 6 volunteers are still on Earth, and that little bit of knowledge in each participants mind is the psychological difference that will cause them to succeed. They have gravity and all their little irritations are a microphone away!
The real difference is THAT trip to Mars...
Just what is a crew of 14 to 20, as I suggest, (and there should be a mix of the sexes, why not?) or 6 as the Russians suggest, going to do? What are they going to do in drift-flight??? Play Nintendo Games?
Seriously, imagine, if you will, that the ship is on course with little or no course alteration until close encounter with the Mars gravity...1+ travel year? of doing nothing but staying alive...eating, sleeping, drinking, personal hygiene, breathing, cleaning, and full maintenance of the ship. There are no surrounding outside lights, other than the Sun and its getting further away! Its pitch black out there, and that's black. OK, OK there is light in the craft. That's a given.
This ship has got to be BIG. As large if not larger than the Shuttle. In my mind, the BigShuttle type of craft should be the way to go. IT HAS to have VOLUME. The only thing man has built that has SpaceVolume (the Cargo Bay) for everything required for transfer. Perhaps it should be longer, wider and capable of carrying several 2 man powered descent ships. Yeah, this is sounding like a good story from Hollywood, unfortunately its all coming to a head as SF now becomes real life.
So, the BigShuttle does not land on Mars, it remains in orbit, the BIG life-line for the little descent ships and our human relations as they set up camp on Mars using the spent rocket hulls as habitat. (more thought is required here). Those little descent ships have to be designed to glide-land, perhaps like the Shuttle does on Earth, and yet they are engine or rocket powered to escape the Martian gravity when required to rejoin and lock onto the orbiting mother ship...this can be done. I know there are no runways but the Plains have indicated as Oppy sees them are 'flat'. The historical and successful Moon landings and returns are the key to this Martian project.
On the return (what are they going to be doing again-you can only look at Martian rocks and other things for so long) to Earth the BigShuttle with its full crew of Spacemen glide-land at the Cape.
The amount of food makes no difference, the amount of people have to be determined first. You should be able to figure it out by using your own daily eating habits as a starter. And don't skimp on the desert, you may regret it. LOL. Add the amount and weight of it and imagine a ship to contain it. (keep in mind the volume of your classroom). You can set a time factor (daily) to get the full weight and volume required. Don't forget to take the garbage out!
Good luck with your project.
This is my personal view, use what you wish.
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