This is for Mars, not Earth.
The HERRO mission suggested a near sun synchronous Molniya orbit, which is elongated, similar to a Mars capture orbit. This is the easiest orbit to get to in terms of delta v, needing a similar amount of rocket fuel to a mission to the Moon for the same payload. This has the advantages that
This shows how you get into this orbit - just directly from the Earth-Mars transfer orbit.
With this orbit, you have several hours of close up telepresence every 12 hours over opposite sides of Mars each time, also always on the sunny side of Mars. The delta v is the same, to all intents and purposes as a Mars surface using aerobraking. But without the dangerous descent to Mars and without the expense of developing human rated landing equipment -I think pretty clear it would cost less than a surface mission.
This is a video I did which simulates the orbit they would use - in orbiter. I use a futuristic spacecraft as that was the easiest way to do it. Apart from that, it is the same as the orbit suggested for HERRO.
It would be a spectacular orbit and a tremendously humanly interesting and exciting mission to explore Mars this way.
I think myself also, it might help with "homesickness" as it were.
From above, with its icecaps etc, Mars looks quite a bit like an Earth like planet. We know it isn't really, is freezing cold, vacuum, dark skies etc. But from above it looks quite Earth like.
You also have continually changing views with these regular spectactular flybys, twice a day, passing close to the polar caps.
When exploring it by telepresence, we can arrange. through white balance, to have blue skies also when you look at it on the surface via VR. That would have scientific advantages also, because then you can see the colours of the rocks more clearly and under Earth equivalent illumination, so making it easier to identify them than if they are all a dull muddy red brown (same reason that the images from our Mars rovers are are optically enhanced by white balancing).
It's also better for science, the study for HERRO found that a single mission to explore Mars by telepresence from orbit would achieve more science return than three missions by the same number of crew to the surface - which of course would cost vastly more. Here is a powerpoint presentation from the HERRO team, with details of the comparison.
Read more: To Explore Mars With Likes Of Occulus Rift & Virtuix Omni - From Mars Capture Orbit, Phobos Or Deimos
The HERRO mission suggested a near sun synchronous Molniya orbit, which is elongated, similar to a Mars capture orbit. This is the easiest orbit to get to in terms of delta v, needing a similar amount of rocket fuel to a mission to the Moon for the same payload. This has the advantages that
- Less fuel to get there
- Approaches the sunny side of Mars twice a day, each time visiting the opposite hemisphere,
So the entire surface of Mars is available for close up direct telepresence control of the landers, in full sunlight, every single day, by just the one crew.
See: HERRO mission to mars using telerobotic surface exploration from orbit
This shows how you get into this orbit - just directly from the Earth-Mars transfer orbit.
This is a video I did which simulates the orbit they would use - in orbiter. I use a futuristic spacecraft as that was the easiest way to do it. Apart from that, it is the same as the orbit suggested for HERRO.
It would be a spectacular orbit and a tremendously humanly interesting and exciting mission to explore Mars this way.
I think myself also, it might help with "homesickness" as it were.
From above, with its icecaps etc, Mars looks quite a bit like an Earth like planet. We know it isn't really, is freezing cold, vacuum, dark skies etc. But from above it looks quite Earth like.
You also have continually changing views with these regular spectactular flybys, twice a day, passing close to the polar caps.
When exploring it by telepresence, we can arrange. through white balance, to have blue skies also when you look at it on the surface via VR. That would have scientific advantages also, because then you can see the colours of the rocks more clearly and under Earth equivalent illumination, so making it easier to identify them than if they are all a dull muddy red brown (same reason that the images from our Mars rovers are are optically enhanced by white balancing).
It's also better for science, the study for HERRO found that a single mission to explore Mars by telepresence from orbit would achieve more science return than three missions by the same number of crew to the surface - which of course would cost vastly more. Here is a powerpoint presentation from the HERRO team, with details of the comparison.
Read more: To Explore Mars With Likes Of Occulus Rift & Virtuix Omni - From Mars Capture Orbit, Phobos Or Deimos
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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