Red Dragon (NASA getting serious)

[Dr Mordrid]

The October 31, 2011 preliminary analysis on the proposed "Red Dragon" NASA/SpaceX Mars Discovery class mission has been released. It's looking good so far, and they've moved on to the studies proposed in the conclusion.

Necessary info-bits to movie on are the final numbers on the SuperDraco thrusters, both 100% thrust and the Specific Impulse (ISP.) The DragonRider system that uses them has been approved and is due for demonstration by May. 2012 so that info's not too far off.

The lifting re-entry profile clarifies how they'll scrub off all that energy before lighting up the SuperDraco's.

The mission would use a Falcon Heavy launcher and a Dragon spacecraft modded so instruments could be deployed.

Just for the fun of it I inserted the FH/Red Dragon image into a shot of SpaceX's Launch Complex 40. The current Falcon 9 is the same size as the strap-on boosters used for Falcon Heavy.

PDF......

Full sized imagery attached.

[degrub]

Those are some impressive lightning arrest towers and array.

[Dr Mordrid]

Yeah, they kinda did it right - didn't they?

The bases are 500' with 100' arresrors, total = 600'.

[Dr Mordrid]

Update:

VP Kris Zacny of Honeybee Robotics showing off a large drilling rig for Mars subsurface sample acquisition. They've field-tested it in Antarctica (working with Chris McKay of NASA Ames,) and they have tricky ways of delivering samples from different depths below the surface to instruments inside a lander.

The main focus is working with SpaceX on the Red Dragon mission; a Mars lander based on SpaceX's Dragon that would take not one but two of these beasts to Mars. The rigs would be mounted inside the Red Dragon and pass the drills through its hull and heat shield to get to the Martian soil. After acquiring the samples they'd be delivered to the instruments inside using compressed helium.

[Dr Mordrid]

Ames, JSC and KSC are all involved.

NASA ADVISORY COUNCIL (NAC)

Science Committee

NASA Headquarters

RED DRAGON

The Feasibility of a Dragon-derived Mars lander for scientific and human-precursor investigation

John Karcz, Ames Research Center

John Karcz said the starting point for his group's work had been the recognition that it might be possible to take advantage of the commercial spacecraft now in development to be able to do more with a Discovery class budget. The SpaceX capsule, he said, would be used to take people to low-earth orbit; SpaceX would have most of the capabilities needed to put material on Mars. He reported that SpaceX developers had been thinking along these lines. He believed that a substantially unmodified version of the crewed capsule intended for the International Space Station (ISS) could be used for payload transport to Mars. Currently, he said, the 'Icebreaker' concept was a drilling mission that would penetrate a meter or more into the Martian regolith. He noted that Dragon was a dense spacecraft; that is, it had a high ballistic coefficient. He believed Dragon could be used to deliver payloads of one ton or more to the Martian surface. He added that drag must slow the capsule sufficiently for the remainder of descent to be within the propulsion system capabilities.

Scott Hubbard said he thought propulsive entry into the Martian atmosphere was very difficult; all Martian missions to date had used a parachute to slow the rate of descent. John Karcz said the primary technical question was whether Dragon could perform all the necessary EDL (Entry Descent and Landing) functions. He believed a retro-propulsive descent would be possible as the basic approach.

Regarding costs, Dr. Karcz said that SpaceX estimates a cost of $150 million to $190 million for a launch vehicle and lander. The Dragon already has most of the necessary capabilities: sufficient lifetime and resources for a Mars transfer trajectory; atmospheric entry systems capable of guided lifting and highly capable retro-propulsion thruster. Falcon Heavy, he noted, could throw Dragon to Mars. He also noted that Dragon offers a large interior volume. He believed the EDL technology was scalable to large cargo and human landers. Assuming launch by Falcon Heavy, he said, the trunk would separate nears Mars; the capsule would decelerate through retro-propulsive action. The version under discussion would land on its legs.

Larry Lemke, Ames Research Center, said what was foreseen was both similar to and different from other landings. Ballistic coefficient and lift-to-drag determine the change in speed during the dissipative portion of entry. Basically, he said, Dragon's entry characteristics were in the middle of the spectrum of 'where we have been and where we wish to go'-between previous landers and future human-scale landers. Dr. Tapley asked what proportion of the deceleration would be performed retro-propulsively. Lemke said that retro-propulsion would start at supersonic speeds. This approach, he stated, should make it possible to land the capsule at much higher Martian elevations than could be done if a parachute was used. Professor Hubbard asked what sites were being considered; Dr. Karcz said all contemplated sites were in the northern hemisphere. He noted that retro-propulsion had been studied by NASA for human landings.

Addressing current results (slide #12), Dr. Karcz said that a few point cases for EDL had been examined and that they had explored various alternatives around the nominal cases, and that the group was very comfortable that it could put down more than a ton of payload on the selected landing site. He reported that the EDL 'looked okay' at least for the missions under consideration. Other work was continuing: for example, on how to integrate the payload to Dragon.

Dr. Huntress said it was a very interesting concept to pursue, particularly as a human precursor and even as a Discovery concept. He asked if any notion had been developed as to how this could address the decadal recommendations for Mars. Karcz said his group had engaged in preliminary discussion, but had not examined the possibilities carefully. A second team member said that if one considered sample return missions, he doubted a Dragon capsule could do everything one would want. Huntress asked if the group had 'pitched this approach to the human side' of the house. Karcz said the approach addressed a number of matters that the human effort would need to address. Conversation returned to the method of descent. Karcz said the angle of attack in landing would not be controllable; however, the length of the flight path could be altered by rolling and banking. Extending the 'flight path' of descent would in effect, compensate for adjustments in speed. Professor Hubbard asked how the payload would be moved from inside to outside the capsule. This drew the comment that the vehicle had 'a big hatch.' It was noted that the presentation had made reference to a 2006 analysis by Braun and Manning; in response to a question, John Karcz said he had not spoken directly to the authors.

[Dr Mordrid]

NASA is getting much more serious about this -

There is a conference in June covering 'Concepts and Approaches for Mars Exploration,' including both robotic and human exploration. In the below PDF are numerous links, many to interesting online papers dealing with the issues surrounding Mars missions. Included in the conference PDF are two papers about using SpaceX's Dragon as a Mars lander.

Summaries below.

Conference: http://www.lpi.usra....pdf/program.pdf

Ice Dragon - Johnson Space Center (pdf)....

Conclusions:

The payload and landing system we identify for Ice Dragon addresses high priority scientific and human exploration goals. The mission seeks to bridge the gap between science and human exploration, at low cost, by targeting key Strategic Knowledge Gaps. The mission can be scaled up in cost from Discovery- class to New Frontiers-class, and is easily adjustable to budget limitations. However for each class Red Dragon can deliver to Mars more science and technology than previous landing systems. Based on preliminary studies Ice Dragon could become a high pay-off mission as early as the 2018 launch opportunity

Red Dragon - Jet Propulsion Laboratory (pdf)....

Summary :

The Red Dragon-MSL Hybrid Landing Architecture, when coupled with the Falcon Heavy launch vehicle, could comprise an innovative, costeffective architecture for delivering payloads to the surface of Mars. By leveraging the commercially available SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and hypersonic guidance from JPL’s MSL, such an approach could deliver 1000-kg payloads to -1.3 km and lower elevations. In addition to becoming a workhorse for accomplishing NRC science objectives, the hybrid architecture could demonstrate an enabling technology for eventual human missions, and provide a foundation for near-term and sustained partnership among SMD, HEOMD, and OCT.

General outline -