By opening up the possibility of economical asteroid water mining , the electric solar wind sail (E-sail, www.electric-sailing.fi) enables frequent and affordable manned Mars flights
The E-sail is a novel propellantless technology that was invented in Finland in 2006. The E-sail utilises long, charged tethers to convert natural solar wind momentum flux into spacecraft thrust.
According to Janhunen et al. (2015)Â the E-sail could make asteroid mining feasible by providing essentially free logistics in the solar system outside of Earth’s magnetosphere. After finding a suitable water bearing asteroid, a mining unit is could be sent by the E-sail to extract the water from asteroid soil. This can be done by heating the material and letting the evolving water vapour condense in a cool container. When the container is full, it is separated from the mining unit and transported with an E-sail in to the orbit of Mars or Earth, where it is split into hydrogen and oxygen and liquefied. The liquid hydrogen/oxygen (LH2/LOX) fuel can be used to fill the tanks of manned vehicles travelling between Earth and Mars.
Due to the exponential nature of the rocket equation, intermediate tankings reduce the launch mass dramatically. During the trip, asteroid-mined water could also be used as radiation shielding of the manned module to reduce the launch mass further. With cheap propellant available in Mars orbit, there is also the option of fully propulsive landing on Mars which eliminates the need of a massive and expensive heat shield.
Read more:Â Electric Solar Wind Sail could make bidirectional manned Mars flights economically feasible
The Latest on: Electric Solar Wind Sail
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Electric Solar Wind Sail” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Electric Solar Wind Sail
- NASA's Massive Solar Sail System Successfully Deployed In Space; Why It's Game-Changingon April 26, 2024 at 4:11 am
NASA confirmed on Thursday that its Advanced Composite Solar Sail System has been successfully deployed. It was launched by Rocket Lab from New Zealand's Mahia peninsula on April 24 to test a ...
- NASA will test sunlight-powered space travel after the launch of a solar sailon April 25, 2024 at 5:33 am
A new experimental mission by NASA is now flying in orbit, aiming to use photons from the Sun to propel its way to higher altitudes.
- NASA Launches Solar Sail to Test Sunlight-Propelled Space Travelon April 24, 2024 at 9:34 am
The mission will ride on board Rocket Lab's Electron, reusing one of the rocket's boosters for the first time.
- Liftoff! NASA’s Next-Generation Solar Sail Boom Technology Launchedon April 24, 2024 at 6:55 am
NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System Mission is on its way! The spacecraft lifted off from the launch pad aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket at the company’s Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New ...
- NASA Solar Sail to usher low-cost, renewable space travelon April 23, 2024 at 5:01 am
The desire to explore has compelled many to create new technologies for millennia. For example, we invented ships that harness the wind that carries us to faraway places. Eventually, we created ...
- NASA is about to make Treasure Planet real with a solar sail missionon April 19, 2024 at 1:02 am
NASA is preparing to launch its massive solar sail on the back of a rocket to test the power of sunlight and if it will be a viable means of transport.
- NASA Set to Launch Solar Sail for Sunlight-Propelled Space Travelon April 18, 2024 at 5:20 pm
The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) is scheduled for launch on Tuesday, April 23 on board Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from New Zealand. The mission will use composite booms in Earth orbit ...
- NASA to hoist its sail: Solar sail mission gets ready for launchon April 17, 2024 at 1:33 pm
A NASA mission testing a new way of navigating our solar system is ready to hoist its sail into space—not to catch the wind, but the propulsive power of sunlight. The Advanced Composite Solar Sail ...
- NASA Langley is testing solar sail technology that could reduce costs of space missionson April 17, 2024 at 6:03 am
NASA’s solar sail technology could be launching as soon as later this month from a Rocket Lab launch complex in New Zealand.
- NASA's New Solar Sail Spacecraft Will Shine So Bright We'll See It From Earthon April 13, 2024 at 1:58 am
American space agency NASA is getting ready to launch a new solar sail prototype that promises to revolutionize research in this field ...
via Bing News