[X] My Assistant

[Guest_Zvezdichko_*]

Well, that's a tough question. What will happen, for example if Mars Phoenix fails to touch down successfully? Maybe I look a bit pessimistic, but I like to think in perspective. I think that:

1.If MSL managers give up the skycrane and decide to use Phoenix-like pinpoint landing system, it will effectively move the launch date from 2009 to 2011. Since there's no NASA orbiter planned for launch in 2009, maybe we won't have a new spacecraft then.

2. It will end the scout program or... the next scout mission will be a simple orbiter.

3. There will be several small landers in future, using the good old airbag bouncing method.

[Guest_Zvezdichko_*]

My idea about the airbag landing was much different. A crew can't survive an airbag landing, but could this be used as a backup system during unmanned landing? For example, Phoenix:

1. Parachute deployment- nominal.
2. Heat shield separation - nominal.
3. Separation of the lander from the aeroshel - nominal.
4. Ignition of the hydrazine engines - not nominal then switching to a backup system. Ejection of the landing legs+ engines then airbag inflating...

The main problem will be all that weight.

[djellison]

The main problem will be all that weight.

Well - the mass of the airbags would rule out every iota of instrumentation, communications hardware...everything.

It doesn't even begin to make sense.

Better to invest the time, money, volume in making the primary landing system reliable. Hell - if your airbags would work for a phoenix like lander - why take the thrusters and hydrazine at all? If your backup is going to be perfectly reliable when called upon - then why have the primary?

Better is the enemy of good enough.

Doug