Jump to content

SpaceX Red Dragon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by BatteryIncluded (talk | contribs) at 05:14, 2 May 2016 (→External links: Was not formally proposed to NASA.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Template:Infobox spacecraft Red Dragon is a planned unmanned SpaceX Dragon capsule for low-cost Mars lander missions using Falcon Heavy rockets. These Mars missions will also be pathfinders for the much larger SpaceX Mars colonization architecture that will be announced in September 2016.[1]

Proposed uses call for a sample return Mars rover to be delivered to the Martian surface while also testing techniques to enter the Martian atmosphere with equipment a human crew could eventually use.[2][3]

The idea, conceived in 2011, was to propose it for funding in 2013 and 2015 as the United States NASA Discovery mission #13 for launch in 2022,[4][5][6] but it was not submitted. On 27 April 2016 SpaceX announced that they will be going forward with the uncrewed mission for a 2018 launch[7] and NASA will be providing technical support.[8]

Concept

NASA's Ames Research Center worked with the private spaceflight firm SpaceX to produce a feasibility study for a mission that would search for evidence of life on Mars (biosignatures), past or present.[2][3][9] SpaceX's Dragon capsule is used to ferry cargo, and is planned to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station in the future; the proposal called to modify it so it could transport payload to Mars,[2] land using retrorockets, and to become a precursor to a human mission to Mars.[5][6]

The concept, called Red Dragon, is a modified 3.6-meter (12 ft) diameter Dragon module, mass of 6.5 tonnes (14,000 lb), with an interior volume of 7 cubic metres (250 cu ft) for up to 1 tonne (2,200 lb)* of Mars-landed payload.[9] The instruments would drill about 1.0 metre (3.3 ft) under ground to sample reservoirs of water ice known to exist in the shallow subsurface. The mission cost was projected in 2011 to be less than US$400 million,[5] plus $150 million to $190 million for a launch vehicle and lander.[3][6] As of April 2016, SpaceX is planning the first Falcon Heavy rocket launch for November 2016,[10] and Dragon V2 is scheduled to undergo flight tests in 2016 and 2017.[11]

On 27 April 2016, SpaceX announced its plan to go ahead and launch a modified Dragon lander to Mars by 2018. This project is part of a public-private partnership contract between NASA and SpaceX, which is a "no-exchange-of-funds" agreement.[12] In exchange for Martian entry, descent, and landing data from SpaceX, NASA will offer technical support.[8][12] More details are expected in September 2016.[1]

Landing system

Because of its design, a modified Dragon V2 capsule may perform all the necessary entry, descent and landing (EDL) functions in order to deliver payloads of 1 tonne (2,200 lb) or more to the Martian surface without using a parachute; the use of parachutes is not feasible without significant vehicle modifications.[3] It is calculated that the capsule's own aerodynamic drag may slow it sufficiently for the remainder of descent to be within the capability of the SuperDraco retro-propulsion thrusters.[2] This approach should make it possible to land the capsule at much higher Martian elevations than could be done if a parachute was used, and with 10 km (6.2 mi) landing accuracy.[9] The engineering team continues developing options for payload integration with the Dragon capsule.[6] Potential landing sites would be polar or mid-latitude sites with proven near-surface ice.[3]

Goals

The goals, as originally proposed by NASA's Ames Research Center are:

Scientific goals[3]
  • Search for evidence of life (biosignatures), past or present
  • Assess subsurface habitability
  • Establish the origin, distribution, and composition of ground ice
  • Understand past climate using ground ice record
Human precursor goals[3]
  • Conduct human-relevant entry, descent and landing (EDL) demonstrations
  • Assess potential hazards in dust, regolith, and ground ice
  • Characterize natural resources
  • Demonstrate access to subsurface resources
  • Conduct in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) demonstration

Sample return

A study of a potential 2021 Red Dragon mission suggested that it could offer a low-cost way for NASA to achieve a Mars sample return for study. The Red Dragon capsule would be equipped with the system needed to return samples gathered on Mars, including a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), an Earth Return Vehicle (ERV), and hardware to transfer a sample collected in a previously landed rover mission, such as NASA's planned Mars 2020 rover, to the ERV.[2][13] ERV would transfer the samples to high Earth orbit, where a separate future mission would pick up the samples and de-orbit to Earth.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Cowing, Keith (28 April 2016). "SpaceX Will Start Going to Mars in 2018". SpaceRef. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  2. ^ a b c d e f David, Leonard (7 March 2014). "Project 'Red Dragon': Mars Sample-Return Mission Could Launch in 2022 with SpaceX Capsule". Space.com. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Red Dragon" (PDF), Feasibility of a Dragon-derived Mars lander for scientific and human-precursor investigations, 8m.net, October 31, 2011, retrieved 14 May 2012 {{citation}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
  4. ^ Spacex Dragon lander could land on Mars with a mission under the NASA Discovery Program cost cap. 20 June 2014.
  5. ^ a b c Wall, Mike (July 31, 2011). "'Red Dragon' Mission Mulled as Cheap Search for Mars Life". SPACE.com. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d "NASA ADVISORY COUNCIL (NAC) - Science Committee Report" (PDF). Ames Research Center, NASA. 1 November 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  7. ^ @SpaceX (April 27, 2016). "Planning to send Dragon to Mars as soon as 2018. Red Dragons will inform overall Mars architecture, details to come" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. ^ a b Newmann, Dava. "Exploring Together". NASA Official Blog. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  9. ^ a b c E. Sklyanskiy, M. R. Grover; A. D. Steltzner; Sherwood (February 2012). "RED DRAGON-MSL HYBRID LANDING ARCHITECTURE FOR 2018" (PDF). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA. Retrieved 4 July 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |last-author-amp= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "Clear November in your diary: SpaceX teases first Falcon Heavy liftoff". The Register. 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  11. ^ Grossman, Lisa (28 April 2016). "SpaceX claims it can get to Mars by 2018 – what are its chances?". New Scientist. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  12. ^ a b Drake, Nadia (April 27, 2016). "SpaceX Plans to Send Spacecraft to Mars in 2018". National Geographic News. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  13. ^ Wall, Mike (10 September 2015). "'Red Dragon' Mars Sample-Return Mission Could Launch by 2022". Space.com. Retrieved 2015-09-20.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SpaceX_Red_Dragon&oldid=718209076"