All engines are now installed on SpaceX Super Heavy Booster and Starship 24. Static fire testing campaign set to begin before orbital launch

[Hamartia Antidote]

The solution is simple they send fuel and food/water supplies years ahead and the Mars expedition can pickup on the way there on Mars and on the way back and precisely calculated rendezvous points.

Correct. I think before anybody heads to Mars they will already have what is needed prepositioned there.

 

[WotTen]

Making Martian rocket biofuel on Mars​

Making Martian rocket biofuel on Mars: New study outlines biotechnology process to produce rocket fuel on red planet

Researchers have developed a concept that would make Martian rocket fuel, on Mars, that could be used to launch future astronauts back to Earth.

www.sciencedaily.com

The bioproduction process would use three resources native to the red planet: carbon dioxide, sunlight, and frozen water. It would also include transporting two microbes to Mars. The first would be cyanobacteria (algae), which would take CO2 from the Martian atmosphere and use sunlight to create sugars. An engineered E. coli, which would be shipped from Earth, would convert those sugars into a Mars-specific propellant for rockets and other propulsion devices.

 

[vi-va]

It will likely be so large that it wouldn’t be safe to land in it. It takes a Falcon 9 sized rocket to get a tiny Crew Dragon to orbit so while the gravity is significantly lower I think they will have to pre-send it to Mars and make sure it lands safely with tons of fuel. They may even need to land dedicated refuelers next to it and transfer the fuel. Plus nobody other than the Apollo astronauts has ever launched into space with no supporting pad infrastructure.

They will then send the people to the surface in a small landing pod detached from a bigger mothership in Mars orbit. Like that scene in the original Star Wars with the droids in it.

They then will have to walk (or take some scooter) to the big return rocket (which hopefully is near where they actually ended up landing) which will put them back in orbit where they can dock with the mothership.

Make sense. Multiple missions will be needed. The cost is very high. I highly doubt it's feasible within 20-30 years. I may not see it in my life time.

 

[Muhammed45]

I am dying to see the landing on Mars by a human being.

I am dying to see the landing on Mars by a human being.

Don't worry guys, you always have Holywood to fulfill your dreams.

The same way they landed on the moon, they will land on Mars too. But moon landing was so hard and technologically miraculous that they cannot repeat it again.

So open your eyes behind your screens, do not blink until they land on Mars since they won't be able to repeat it again.

If China, USA and Russia can abandon political barriers and sincerely cooperate in the space field, it will be the greatest blessing to all mankind.

In fact, we are all poor insects bound by gravity, but we are still biting and fighting each other.

That's a great gesture dear insect.

 

[WotTen]

Make sense. Multiple missions will be needed. The cost is very high. I highly doubt it's feasible within 20-30 years. I may not see it in my life time.

It will happen within 30 years for sure. First human on Mars will probably be a woman because they weigh 30% less on average.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

It will happen within 30 years for sure. First human on Mars will probably be a woman because they weigh 30% less on average.

I doubt that will be a consideration. The first people to fly new things are usually military aircraft test pilots.

First American to orbit the Earth: John Glenn: Test pilot

First Americans on the moon: Neil Armstrong/Buzz Aldrin both test pilots

First Space Shuttle Landing: John Young/Robert Crippen test pilots

First SpaceX Crew Dragon Crew: Doug Hurley/Bob Behnken test pilots

It will likely be one of the F-35 test pilots.

 

[Oldman1]

But at what cost. Is it basically just a vanity project or is there a purpose, at this point, to sending humans on a year long voyage each way? The moon was a few days each way.

Purpose to to spread around our Solar system. Ever watch the Expanse?

If China, USA and Russia can abandon political barriers and sincerely cooperate in the space field, it will be the greatest blessing to all mankind.

In fact, we are all poor insects bound by gravity, but we are still biting and fighting each other.

Wouldn't feel competitive.

 

[FuturePAF]

Purpose to to spread around our Solar system. Ever watch the Expanse?

Wouldn't feel competitive.

I haven’t seen it. I get the sentiment to want to spread the species, and perhaps it will payoff, but I doubt we will have a self sustaining outposts of our species on other worlds anytime soon.

 

[Oldman1]

I haven’t seen it. I get the sentiment to want to spread the species, and perhaps it will payoff, but I doubt we will have a self sustaining outposts of our species on other worlds anytime soon.

Only way they can really make it happen is to establish outposts on the moon for real experience and learn from it and apply it to other planets to colonize.

 

[FuturePAF]

Only way they can really make it happen is to establish outposts on the moon for real experience and learn from it and apply it to other planets to colonize.

And considering it’s only a few days away, most of the technology (especially manned) can be tested out there to see how feasible it really is. Sending people should only be if it is necessary or to prove humans can sustain life on other planets. Until then, the moon is the best place off world to colonize.