OFMM MSEP: Mars Surface Experiments Package

[Bj]

I have been going over the wiki just now and realized we don't have a full list of things for our MSEP experiments. So far we have the basic:

• Central Station -includes radio and whatever
• Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG)-power
• RTG Cask

I saw 'Establish a grid network of permanent weather stations on Mars.' as an objective so I think we can add a weather station to our MSEP. Any other ideas on what to add to it?

These packages will need to be placed several places around Mars adding more suborbital/orbital flights, but I have a question for some of our more seasoned programmers here, can we make parts of these packages fail randomly? It would give a little more realism if parts of our packages fail every so often and we would need to 'repair' it. Thoughts?

 

[Salun]

Well we could use the stack as a orbital deployment platform to distribute UCGO probe like devices to land on the surface. Those probes then transmit ground data to the stack and the to the ground crew. Either via Mrs sat system or just wait till within line of site.

 

[Voyager]

Perhaps we could add a light 10-20 pound reconnaissance blimp that could take pictures of the nearby environment and we could send some small teams there for the future. This is a suggestion for the science package.
This is a proposed idea I have thought of: We could pack a rover that would land about a week ahead of the scheduled time that would land near the proposed base and act as a nearby science platform.

 

[River Crab]

Perhaps we could add a light 10-20 pound reconnaissance blimp that could take pictures of the nearby environment and we could send some small teams there for the future. This is a suggestion for the science package.

We were musing about some kind of martian UAV, but I think someone here already proved that a martian lighter-than-air craft would be impractical or impossible.

This is a proposed idea I have thought of: We could pack a rover that would land about a week ahead of the scheduled time that would land near the proposed base and act as a nearby science platform.

Earth-Mars launch windows are 26 months apart. You launch the rover 26 months ahead, or at the same time. I think we're set do everything at the same time, unless we're going to have our guys wait a week in a Mars parking orbit.

 

[Izack]

Well we could use the stack as a orbital deployment platform to distribute UCGO probe like devices to land on the surface. Those probes then transmit ground data to the stack and the to the ground crew. Either via Mrs sat system or just wait till within line of site.

Hmm, not a bad idea. Another idea could be to forego that part and just drop the weather experiments directly down there, instead of wasting fuel landing them at the main base and then sending them on suborbital hops around Mars.

Even something the size of a Progress/Soyuz would suffice, easily.

 

[fireballs619]

.
This is a proposed idea I have thought of: We could pack a rover that would land about a week ahead of the scheduled time that would land near the proposed base and act as a nearby science platform.

You would know this isn't possible if you had looked at this
http://orbiter-forum.com/picture.php?albumid=337&pictureid=2728 but no one seems to look at that

About the Weather stations: I don't think that should be done on the first mission, as it adds an uneeded extra amount of mass to the stack, as well as requireing travel across the martian globe. This would best be done later on, perhaps once an good foothold has been established.

 

[Izack]

You would know this isn't possible if you had looked at this
http://orbiter-forum.com/picture.php?albumid=337&pictureid=2728 but no one seems to look at that

Ah, I haven't had an opportunity to thank you for that, so thanks!

I had seen the image hanging around on the social group a while ago, and I thought it was excellently composed. Mind if I stick it on the Wiki page?

 

[fireballs619]

Go ahead- I labored for a few hours on it, so the more to see it, the better

 

[Salun]

Ah, I haven't had an opportunity to thank you for that, so thanks!

I had seen the image hanging around on the social group a while ago, and I thought it was excellently composed. Mind if I stick it on the Wiki page?

Think you guys can provide a LARGER version for the wiki? I have a PSP. I don't need another eye squinto vision item in my life >.<

And I think you misinterpreted something I mentioned. They are attached to the orbital stack. SO they would never land on the surface. They would go into orbit around Mars with the stack

Any whom Isack. It depends really on what we want to do for weather stations. A global reference. Or just what may or may not affect the mission.(Local weather) Deploying the probes all at once before landing will mean they will all land within a few hundred miles of one another. Which would be good for a local system. But a global frame will require probes to be spread out more evenly. If we deploy before the insertion then we need to have costume probes made up or re-scripted. Though if we go for a more global distribution we can use the UCGO auto unpack probes unaltered.

 

[Voyager]

How about we send the entire Mars Surface Experiment Package to it via a rocket just before the crew leaves, probably by a couple of hours or so.

 

[Urwumpe]

How about we send the entire Mars Surface Experiment Package to it via a rocket just before the crew leaves, probably by a couple of hours or so.

Why?

If you suggest something, there must be a reason why this should be done, that goes much beyond "because it is cool".

 

[Voyager]

We do not have to use as much fuel to carry it there. It wouldn't needed to be landed by the Skytrain and save fuel. It would also be relative easy to have the package landed ahead of time so we do not have to worry how long it will take to land it.

 

[Urwumpe]

We do not have to use as much fuel to carry it there. It wouldn't needed to be landed by the Skytrain and save fuel. It would also be relative easy to have the package landed ahead of time so we do not have to worry how long it will take to land it.

So, you would instead prefer adding its own engines to it and transport these engines and fuel tanks and guidance and stuff to Mars?

 

[fireballs619]

Also, we are not launching directly from earth's surface to mars. We are going in somewhat of a parking orbit first, and the TMI takes place. Also, if we send it with another rocket, how will we get it to the surface? Another skycrane?

 

[Urwumpe]

The problem is also, you need to remember that you would need precision guidance to get the package to its destination then. Even 15 km away from the landing site of the crew would mean the package is effectively lost.

 

[Bj]

The problem is also, you need to remember that you would need precision guidance to get the package to its destination then. Even 15 km away from the landing site of the crew would mean the package is effectively lost.

Um why would it be lost? I am looking at the OFMM wiki and somehow a few objectives got on there specifically

O30003 Establish a grid network of permanent weather stations on Mars.

In my mind the best way to observe Martin weather in detail is to have 'weather stations' every 10° - 40° longitude. Also the MSEP could collect seismic activities as well. (not simulated more likely) but in order to do this properly the experiments cannot be grouped up all in the same place.

 

[Urwumpe]

Um why would it be lost? I am looking at the OFMM wiki and somehow a few objectives got on there specifically

Because time is honey. If you need to seek a payload inside a 500 km ellipse, even if you have a radio beacon, it can take a lot of time.

 

[Izack]

Because time is honey. If you need to seek a payload inside a 500 km ellipse, even if you have a radio beacon, it can take a lot of time.

I agree, except for the part about time. Time tastes awful on toast.

 

[Bj]

Because time is honey. If you need to seek a payload inside a 500 km ellipse, even if you have a radio beacon, it can take a lot of time.

Alright I can go with that. So around a circle with the landing site at the center, 1 package every what, [math]\pi/4[/math] around the center?

 

[Urwumpe]

Alright I can go with that. So around a circle with the landing site at the center, 1 package every what, [math]\pi/4[/math] around the center?

In a perfect world. Yes.

But the reality is not perfect.

If you want to have the packages near you, you should have a radio beacon marking the landing site already there, or better land them with the same methods as the crew.