I'm not an expert, but I was watching a show on one of the science channels about making trips to Mars; listening to scientists talk about cutting edge theories on how to send astronauts and materials there.
The show had a segment about how sending mass without humans has advantages, because non-living mass has a higher tolerance for variances in physical forces, radiation exposures and longer travel times.
The show then goes off into various ideas for powering ships; stuff like nuclear fuels and plasma laser drives.
In proper educational fashion, they talk about the celestial mechanics and the timing involved; they use a graphic of Earth and Mars rotating around the sun, with a moving red blur for the path of a vehicle traversing between.
As I look at that, I wonder; "How come they are driving everything there with rockets? Why don't they just throw the human-less packages, instead of propelling and then braking them so much?"
Celestial mechanics is, supposedly, as regular as clock work. The ancient Mayans, Ancient Egyptians, Old and New Testaments, Benjamin Franklin and Galileo proclaimed this.
So it should all be a matter of calculating the movements and masses involved; then applying the right force and trajectory to any object that we want to get there.
No mass for fuel to propel it. Only enough fuel and jets to slow it down and maneuver it into the "hole in one" required for orbit or atmospheric entry. The landing science that delivered the rovers safe and secure could take it from there.
Prudent current day science could also produce and launch a targeting and trajectory computer in the first package to orbit Mars. Then that computer could provide assistance in guiding all successive packages properly in.
Why today's scientists don't have plans to do this, and why they have not been doing this, is astounding to me. The practical concept of throwing packages through space has been the basis of many a dated science fiction novel. Of specific note would be Robert A. Heinlein's "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress".
Heinlein presented practical depictions of private industries taking advantage of the moon's natural resources, the uninhibited solar power, the reduced gravity, and the natural vacuum, in order to reduce manufacturing costs as well as make new types of products. Shipping goods to Earth was achieved in the story via catapults that threw filled containers to the Earth.
Does it not seem totally possible, then, that we could throw containers at, or to, Mars?
Personally, I'd bet we have enough technological ability and mathematical agility to land or orbit packages on Mars just by throwing them; but I think we lack the confidence and patience.
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Comments: 23
i'm cranky today so i'm going to leave the non-scientific crank response (only because i know you won't hold it against me, bill-friend):
shouldn't we spend out time/resources/energy cleaning up the mess we've made here before we start hurling shit at other celestial bodies?
just a thought...
Thanks for the comment, Mona. Sorry to hear that you are cranky today; and you are right, I won't hold it against ya.
I sort of agree with you about cleaning up messes here on our current planet, but I also agree with the scientists and other folks who think we are playing Russian Roulette by only having our species on this planet. If we've got colonies on other worlds, then humans would have a chance to continue on if our big blue marble were to experience an ELE (End of Life Event) like a major asteroid strike or massive volcanic eruption. Keeping all our eggs in this basket is a recipe for ending up extinct, like the dinosaurs did.
Hugs -- unless that will make you feel crankier. :-)
nope, hugs from you are all good. and right now, so is the thought of our species becoming extinct.
see, i told you i was cranky.
LOL - Yup, that sure is cranky.
(((((((((( Mona ))))))))))
ps. damn nice artwork
Thanks Mona.
You gotta tell NASA they're barking up the wrong tree !!! Do you have their phone number?
Thanks for the comment, Peter.
Nope, I don't have NASA's number; and I'm not sure they'd listen to me anyway. "Experts" don't usually accord much credence to the words of un-degreed writers; but maybe one of them will run across this article and have their gears stirred. That would be a good thing.
Yeah, I bet they Gather at work, too !!! ha ha
LOL - Doesn't everybody?
I've asked this question of my spouse who often watching the Science Channel. Send this idea to the tv show, "Brink.' They would appreciate it.
Thanks, Carrie.
I've seen ads for that show but never watched it. I'll send them a link and a copy.
Love the artwork. And you mentioned one of my two forever favorite authors, and one of his BEST stories.
Three words-
Big Slingshot Technology.
I'm not very good with scientific stuff, but would like to see us exploring other planets more; think we may be kind of surprised with what we find.
Whay would they want to mess with the massive budgets they have to work with by making something simpler? They want everyone to think rocket science is something beyond everybody else.
I do like Mars and follow the news from NASA site. I am not sure I fully understand the concept. Can you write a detailed post? Your art looked like idea from a lasso round Mars!
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977408723
Life On Mars
1. That method requires common sense. Some scientists have suggested it, but Nasa vetoed it.
2. It does not cost enough. They love to throw away money.
I was one of the millions of contributers to Galileo. We all contributed whatever amount we could. It did take many years because Nasa kept whining and dragging their feet.
When we did it, it was one of the most successful space ventures ever done.
I was an average contributer. I gave them all of $15.
thanks
Frankly, I think you humans should stay on your own planet! We just got Mars nicely dried out and dusty and now you want to send moist humans here! We don't need you and your moist organizisms. So unsanitary!
I think we once threw a spaceship at the moon, back before the more sophisticated missions. Not terribly informative though.