Minimum craft to Mars and back !

I start this thread as the old one was sorta learning experience.

This has SRBs to get it to LEO and a one LH2/LOX engine.

In space it will use MPDT drive with 160-200 m2 of 30% efficient solar arrays.

Any comments or questions on this ?

Onme more picture to explain the system and its flexibility concerning the functions.

Yes there is an electric car there too of which a 1/6 scale model has been constructed.

One more where the MPDT ( magneto plasma dynamic thruster ) appears.

Systems explained.

There is a new kinda developement in MPDT....the NASSIKAS thruster.

http://etheric.com/nassikas-thruster-li ... on-system/

Sounds a bit too good tpo be true.

Here is a big minimum craft to Mars. Takes 24 people to LMO and 8 to surface with a 2 seater car.

I corrected the ISP of the MPDT to be what can be found ( I got mixed up with exhaust velocity and ISP ).

It is a bit bigger than shuttle was.

it is still small....compared to physical size of Apollo....and recent Elon Musk designs...like the MCT.

I have changed this a bit...to increase the delta-v with chemical rockets as this has to take off vertically.


This ship can bring 4 people to Mars surface and 8-12 man crew on orbit. It has two cars inside to be operated on Mars.


The carrier mother ship is fully reusable and can launch another ship to Mars in a week. It can also be controlled aerodynamically in ascent unlike the Space Shuttle.


The mothership wingloading of this "THUNDERBIRD-1" at re-entry is around half of what the Space Shuttle had.

Some calculations for the delta V.

I made a amazing discovery. If this mothership ( which is capable to reach orbit ) is reloaded for its main tank and also given 30 tons of cargo it could also reach planet MARS, but not only Mars...it could land there at the speed of 200 km/h. Landing empty the speed needs to be just 160 km/h.

This is due to the 1/3 gravity but also the 1/3 space shuttle wing loading.

Bridge explained and frontal area reduction with new concept.

Now after some tuning the idea is claer...or is it ?

Totally new kinda system to deliver 140 tons to LEO.

This is really the most minimalist craft to Mars...but since it gets only to LEO with SRB system ( TSTO ) it has to start travelling from there to Mars and it takes time months more than going faster with chemical rockets. But this could feed the people on the ISS or T-Bird one if that is left to orbit for some reason.

Calculation is for the first stage.

This is SRB staged only as the previous but gets you to MARS as fast as the larger mothership, but not reusable. This is also much heavier ( 400 tons ).

Here is also the cheapest thinkable manned mission to LEO IMHO.

This carrier is closely related to my rocket powered 80 km reaching mothership.

Unlike Solar Impulse I + II this uses the batteries during ascent with full solar power.