What is Mars Direct?
Mars Direct is a sustained humans-to-Mars plan developed by Dr. Robert Zubrin that advocates a minimalist, live-off-the-land approach to space exploration, allowing for maximum results with minimum investment. Using existing launch technology and making use of the Martian atmosphere to generate rocket fuel, extracting water from the Martian soil, and eventually using the abundant mineral supplies of Mars for construction purposes, the plan drastically lowers the amount of material which must be launched from Earth to Mars, thus sidestepping the primary stumbling block to space exploration and rapidly accelerating the timetable for human exploration of the solar system. The general outline of Mars Direct is simple. In the first year of implementation, an Earth Return Vehicle (ERV) is launched to Mars, arriving 6 months later. Upon landing, a rover is deployed that contains the reactors necessary to generate rocket fuel for the return trip. After 13 months, a fully-fueled return vehicle
Mars Direct is a plan for achieving human expeditions to Mars utilizing existing or near-term technology. The idea stresses pragmatism by emloying a live-off-the-land philosophy and has the potential to achieve a human expedition to Mars within the next decade at a fraction of previous cost estimates. Please refer to the Mars Direct web site for detailed information. Who’s the invited forum-expert? Dr. Robert Zubrin, President of Pioneer Astronautics What’s going to happen at this forum? • You will have the chance to discuss Mars exploration ideas with Dr. Zubrin and other space enthusaists while enjoying some fine mircrobrews. • If you let us know in time, you may be able to purchase one of the limited copies of Dr. Zubrin’s new book, The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must. See the contact information below. When and where is this forum going to be? Location: The Tied House, 954 Villa St., Mountain View. [We’ll be out in the beer garden, of course!] Date
Mars Direct is a plan for a manned Mars exploration program, first outlined by Robert Zubrin and David Baker in 1990. Mars Direct focuses on getting to Mars quickly, using current space technologies, direct launch from Earth, and the Martian atmosphere in place of chemicals brought from Earth. Mars Direct was later reviewed by NASA and Stanford University, and although several NASA plans based on Mars Direct have been published, none have been given official status as NASA’s plan for getting humans to Mars. Under Mars Direct, the vehicle used to return to Earth is launched separately from the crew, two years beforehand. This vehicle, carrying a crew compartment, rocket engines and a nuclear reactor, lands on Mars well in advance of the crew’s arrival and starts to produce rocket fuel for the journey home. The fuel used is methane, or natural gas, which can be produced by using hydrogen brought from Earth and carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere. The methane can also be used to fu
