In "Human Missions to Mars" Donald Rapp looks at human missions to Mars
from an engineering perspective. He begins by describing the pros and
cons of robotic exploration versus human exploration and then examines
the ideas for sending humans to Mars from the point of view of both the
enthusiast and the skeptic. Chapter 2 describes how space missions are
planned and how they may be achieved as a sequence of separate steps.
Chapter 3 deals with the complex issues relating to the outward journey
to Mars and the return leg. The author deals with propulsion systems and
with the analysis of the various trajectories which may be utilized for
such a mission. He divides mission into a number of stages: Earth's
surface to low-Earth orbit (LEO); departing from LEO; Mars orbit
insertion and landing; ascent from Mars; trans-Earth injection from Mars
orbit and Earth orbit insertion and landing. Chapter 4 discusses a wide
range of elements critical to a human Mars mission, including life
support consumables, radiation effects and shielding, microgravity
effects, abort options and mission safety, possible habitats on the
Martian surface and aero assisted orbit insertion and entry decent and
landing.
For any human mission to the Red Planet the possible utilization of any
resources indigenous to Mars would be of great value and such
possibilities are discussed in Chapter 5. The use of indigenous
resources on the Moon is described as a precursor to the availability of
similar resources on Mars and issues such as fuelling Mars-bound craft
from lunar resources, the use of lunar ferries, staging, assembly and
refueling in near-Earth space are all discussed. The important
applications arising from the transportation of hydrogen to Mars are
also described. Chapter 6 deals with a range of previous Mars mission
studies and the technologies they employed. Chapter 7 looks as how NASA
is planning for its return to the Moon, and the use of the Moon as a
stepping stone to Mars. Chapter 8 presents the author's detailed
analysis of why, in his opinion, the current NASA approach will fail to
send humans to Mars before 2080. The book concludes with three
appendices describing the use of solar energy on the Moon and on Mars
and the value of indigenous water on Mars.
