Red Dragon |
Red Dragon |
Aug 7 2011, 09:46 AM
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#1
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1729 Joined: 3-August 06 From: 43° 35' 53" N 1° 26' 35" E Member No.: 1004 |
'Red Dragon' Mission Mulled as Cheap Search for Mars Life
any opinion on this? would it really make sense adapting a manned spaceship to unmanned Mars landing? I am skeptical... if replying, please remember forum guideline 1.5 |
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Aug 8 2011, 03:20 AM
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#2
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14448 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
No, the capsule is still a fixed size and it is a pressurized structure meant to contain personnel and loose cargo. It is ill suited to contain a rover or instrument suite such as Phoenix. All previous landers jettisoned their heat shield to expose the spacecraft, Dragon can't do this and if it could, it would expose a sealed vessel. You're thinking 'how would dragon deliver Phoenix'. That's not the goal here. It's a change in philosophy. The actual question is - what science could you do with a Dragon on the surface. One scientist, at least, clearly thinks there is plenty that can be done. I can see massive potential for Dragon as depicted in that video - and even more with comparatively simple modifications to the vehicle structure. |
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Aug 8 2011, 05:37 PM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 321 Joined: 6-April 06 From: Cape Canaveral Member No.: 734 |
You're thinking 'how would dragon deliver Phoenix'. No, I was thinking how Dragon could deliver Phoenix's instruments. Scientists will compromise everything for a free ride. There are no simple mods to the structure. Look at the recovered Dragon, the only place for instruments is in the interior. They would have extend through the two hatches. Any other mods and it is not a Dragon anymore. |
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