ELEVATOR TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN MARS & IT’S MOONS
- Paper number
IAC-08.D4.1.6
- Author
Mr. CHIRAGKUMAR TALA, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. ASHISH MISTRY, SARDAR VALLBHBHAI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY , GUJARAT UNIVERSITY, India
- Coauthor
Mr. HARIRAM MISTRY, MISTRY CONSTRUCTION CO., India
- Year
2008
- Abstract
Mars presents the most exciting opportunities for a Space Elevator, but also challenges of it’s own. Whenever the subject of Mars is raised, thoughts turn to the twin moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos and how they might be used with an Elevator. Unfortunately the moons are more nuisance than ad-vantage. Compared to our Moon, these moons orbit very low above the Martian surface, and are very small. To examined for creation of an industrial civilization beyond Earth. The way is to take advantage of the unique configuration of Mars and its moon Phobos to make a transportation system capable of raising mass from the surface of Mars to space at a low cost. Mars would be used as the primary location for support per-sonnel and infrastructure. Phobos would be used as a source of raw materials for space-based activity, and as an anchor for tethered carbon-nanotube-based space-elevators. One space-elevator would terminate at the upper edge of Mars’ atmosphere. Small craft would be launched from Mars’ surface to rendezvous with the moving elevator tip and their payloads detached and raised with solar powered loop elevators to Phobos. Another space-elevator would be extended outward from Phobos to launch craft toward the Earth/Moon system or the asteroid belt. The out-ward tip would also be used to catch arriving craft. This approach would allow Mars to be colonized, and allow transportation of people and supplies from Mars to support the space industry. In addition, large quan-tities of material obtained from Phobos could be used to construct space habitats and also supply propellant and material for space industry in the Earth/Moon system as well as around Mars. Phobos is particularly valuable for such a system of space-elevators for several reasons. The first is its huge mass results in any unbalanced forces having small effect on its orbit over long time periods, even with large amounts of lifting. The second is that the materials on Phobos itself can support an extensive space industry. It actually would take less energy and propellant to send material from the outer Phobos ele-vator to high Lunar orbit than to get it from Lunar material, and incredibly less than to raise it from the surface of the Earth. The combination of location and (probably) available materials make Phobos the logical candidate for a space station and center of space activity,as well as the basis for the space elevator. More than one space-elevator could eventually be built to Phobos. These elevators could be made fully independent,or they could share platforms. This would allow more mass to be carried at a time, and would allow some continuity of activity in case an elevator needed repair. These space-elevators would allow low cost movement of people and supplies from Mars to Phobos and from Phobos to interplanetary space. While The Concept Of Space Elevator Is Very Complicated But If It Become Possible Than It Solve Many Problems Of Space Transportation System. If a truly economical method of lifting people and material out of the gravity well of Mars were possible, then Mars could support the major portion of space-based activity far more economically than directly from Earth. This is particularly important for extensive industrial capability, which would require a broad base of support facilities. A practical system would also have to have self sufficient life support systems including food production.- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)