Mars flyby: Difference between revisions
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One application of a Mars flyby is for a human mission, where after landing and staying on the surface for some time the ascent stage has a [[space rendezvous]] with another, unmanned spacecraft, thas was launched separately from Earth, flying by. This would mean the ascent stage of the lander to reach the speed necessary equal to that of the spacecraft flying by, the resources needed for Earth return would not have to enter or leave Mars orbit.<ref name="portree2001flyby"/><ref>[http://www.astronautix.com/craft/flem.html Astronautica - FLEM]</ref> |
One application of a Mars flyby is for a human mission, where after landing and staying on the surface for some time the ascent stage has a [[space rendezvous]] with another, unmanned spacecraft, thas was launched separately from Earth, flying by. This would mean the ascent stage of the lander to reach the speed necessary equal to that of the spacecraft flying by, the resources needed for Earth return would not have to enter or leave Mars orbit.<ref name="portree2001flyby"/><ref>[http://www.astronautix.com/craft/flem.html Astronautica - FLEM]</ref> |
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The spacecraft they live in on the journey to Mars does the flyby, but the crew separates and goes into a lander |
The spacecraft they live in on the journey to Mars does the flyby, but the crew separates and goes into a lander.<ref name="portree2001flyby"/> The Excursion module's ascent stage must rejoin the main spacecraft before it gets too far away.<ref name="portree2001flyby"/> An advantage is that the resources needed for Earth return don't have to enter and leave Mars orbit, but the ascent stage has to perform [[space rendezvous]] in solar orbit and the time on Mars is constrained by the need to to this.<ref name="portree2001flyby"/><ref>[http://www.astronautix.com/craft/flem.html Astronautica - FLEM]</ref> [[Mars cycler]]s orbit the Sun in such a way as to pass by Mars and the Earth on regular intervals, performing Mars flybys on regular intervals. The crews would live on the stations during the interplanetary voyages. The concept for [[Flyby-Excursion Landing Module]] meant the lander and flyby would separate in solar orbit, the lander would accelerate to get to Mars first, then land on Mars meanwhile the other segment does a Mars flyby, then the lander takes off and rendezvous with the flyby segment transferring the crew over.<ref>http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/01/to-mars-by-flyby-landing-excursion-mode-flem-1966/ W.I.R.E.D.]</ref> |
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Alternately, a flyby-only human mission is also possible, without detaching at Mars, but to slingshot around Mars and back to Earth.<ref> Washington Post, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/dennis-titos-mission-to-mars-launching-in-2018-for-the-children-and-to-beat-china/2013/02/27/4a4a98ce-8135-11e2-8074-b26a871b165a_story.html "Dennis Tito’s mission to Mars: Launching in 2018 for the children (and to beat China)"], Brian Vastag, 27 February 2013 </ref> |
Alternately, a flyby-only human mission is also possible, without detaching at Mars, but to slingshot around Mars and back to Earth.<ref> Washington Post, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/dennis-titos-mission-to-mars-launching-in-2018-for-the-children-and-to-beat-china/2013/02/27/4a4a98ce-8135-11e2-8074-b26a871b165a_story.html "Dennis Tito’s mission to Mars: Launching in 2018 for the children (and to beat China)"], Brian Vastag, 27 February 2013 </ref> |
Revision as of 16:34, 29 January 2014
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Mariner4_flyby.jpg/220px-Mariner4_flyby.jpg)
A Mars flyby is a movement of spacecraft passing in the vicinity of the planet Mars, but not entering orbit or landing on it.[1] Unmanned space probes have used this method to collect data on Mars, as opposed to orbiting or landing.[2] A spacecraft designed for a flyby is also known as a "flyby bus" or "flyby spacecraft".[3]
One application of a Mars flyby is for a human mission, where after landing and staying on the surface for some time the ascent stage has a space rendezvous with another, unmanned spacecraft, thas was launched separately from Earth, flying by. This would mean the ascent stage of the lander to reach the speed necessary equal to that of the spacecraft flying by, the resources needed for Earth return would not have to enter or leave Mars orbit.[1][4]
The spacecraft they live in on the journey to Mars does the flyby, but the crew separates and goes into a lander.[1] The Excursion module's ascent stage must rejoin the main spacecraft before it gets too far away.[1] An advantage is that the resources needed for Earth return don't have to enter and leave Mars orbit, but the ascent stage has to perform space rendezvous in solar orbit and the time on Mars is constrained by the need to to this.[1][5] Mars cyclers orbit the Sun in such a way as to pass by Mars and the Earth on regular intervals, performing Mars flybys on regular intervals. The crews would live on the stations during the interplanetary voyages. The concept for Flyby-Excursion Landing Module meant the lander and flyby would separate in solar orbit, the lander would accelerate to get to Mars first, then land on Mars meanwhile the other segment does a Mars flyby, then the lander takes off and rendezvous with the flyby segment transferring the crew over.[6]
Alternately, a flyby-only human mission is also possible, without detaching at Mars, but to slingshot around Mars and back to Earth.[7]
List of Mars flybys
- Dawn, closest approach was 549 km.[8][9]
- Rosetta[10] within 250 km[2]
- Nozomi[11]
- Mariner program spacecraft
- Mariner 4, Mariner 6, and Mariner 7 returned data from Mars flybys
- Mars program spacecraft
- Two Mars flyby attempts were made in 1960 under Mars 1M (Mars 1960A and Mars 1960B).
- The third attempt at a Mars flyby was the Soviet Mars 2MV-4 No.1,[12] also called Mars 1962A or Sputnik 22, which launched in 1962 as part of the Mars program.[13] but it was destroyed in low Earth orbit due to rocket failure.[14]
- Mars 1 also launched in 1962 but communications failed before it reached Mars.[15]
- Mars 4 achieved a flyby in 1974 and detected a nightside ionosphere.[15]
- Mars 6 and 7 were Mars landers carried by instrumented flyby buses.[16]
References
- ^ a b c d e Page 15-16 in Chapter 3 of David S. F. Portree's Humans to Mars: Fifty Years of Mission Planning, 1950 - 2000, NASA Monographs in Aerospace History Series, Number 21, February 2001. Available as NASA SP-2001-4521.
- ^ a b Space probe performs Mars fly-by - BBC
- ^ Joseph A. Angelo - Encyclopedia Of Space And Astronomy (2006) - Page 171
- ^ Astronautica - FLEM
- ^ Astronautica - FLEM
- ^ http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/01/to-mars-by-flyby-landing-excursion-mode-flem-1966/ W.I.R.E.D.]
- ^ Washington Post, "Dennis Tito’s mission to Mars: Launching in 2018 for the children (and to beat China)", Brian Vastag, 27 February 2013
- ^ Rayman, Marc D. "Dawn Journal: Aiming away from a bull's eye at Mars". The Planetary Society. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ Malik, Tariq (February 18, 2009). "Asteroid-Bound Probe Zooms Past Mars". Space.com. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^ ESA - Rosetta successfully swings-by Mars,
- ^ NSSDC - Nozomi
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
- ^ Zak, Anatoly. "Russia's unmanned missions to Mars". RussianSpaecWeb. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
- ^ Wade, Mark. "Mars". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
- ^ a b The Soviet Mars program, Professor Chris Mihos, Case Western Reserve University
- ^ NASA - Mars 6