Transformational Release from Apex Anchor : Missions Impossible Every Day [#2] : Mars Logistics

The strengths of Apex Anchor Release originate within the permanent transportation infrastructure aspects of space elevators :

• Case One: Lunar Colony?(can you believe 14 hours to the Moon? See previous article dated 30 Dec 2021)

• Case Two: Mars Colony?[1,000,000 tonnes within 6 years], and?

• Case Three: Space Solar Power?[3,000,000 tonnes to GEO within 14 years].?

Each of these remarkable missions have the main strength of raising massive cargo against the Earth’s gravity while being friendly to our environment. The beauty of the Space Elevator is that it raises massive cargo with electricity [hence – “the Green Road to Space”].?

One example explains this conundrum well: Traditional launches to Mars are 8-month trips each and are separated by 26 months until the next opportunity. Releases from Space Elevator Apex Anchors (at 100,000 km altitude) can be every day : see Interplanetary study entitled “Space Elevators are the Transportation Story of the 21st Century” .

Case TWO: Mars Logistics from Galactic Harbour?:

Space Elevators have many strengths, but the most remarkable ones relate to it being a permanent transportation infrastructure. A recent study completed by the Arizona State University and the International Space Elevator Consortium illuminated some remarkable conclusions about supporting colonies on Mars. This new movement off planet includes th Space Elevator's ability to:

• Depart the Apex Anchor at great velocity (7.76 km/sec)

• Support interplanetary missions (Fastest transit as low as 61 days to Mars, with a range of travel times during the 26 month planetary dance)

• Supply massive payloads daily (170,000 tonnes per year)

• Enable carbon negative operations for delivery to Mars

• Exit the gravity well while avoiding the burden of the rocket equation

... and accomplish this daily, routinely, inexpensively and carbon negatively.

When describing the problem facing all of us when trying to move off planet, we must?Avoid the Rocket Equation!

When we look at Mars and dream of spaceflight, we forget how extremely difficult it was to land people on the Moon, both in energy and design complexity. Tsiolkovsky's remarkable rocket equation consumes so much mass to achieve orbit that, historically, we have been restricted as to what we can deliver. Essentially his equation says :

• 4% of launch pad mass to LEO,

• 2% towards GEO, the Moon and Mars

• 0.5% delivered to the surface of Mars or the Moon.?

One important realization is that the rocket equation has no factor (benefit) for reusability or cost. The new approach to rockets will improve the situation (less expensive, reusable, and more launches) but there is NO improvement in delivery statistics. The question becomes: Who would try to establish a colony or business when you can only deliver half a percent of the original mass to your destination??

To enable the dream of?“Making Humanity Multi-Planetary”?humanity must develop a pair of technologies that work collaboratively and complementary for moving people and mass towards Mars. This approach is called?Dual Space Access Architecture, where?

1. Advanced Rockets take people through radiation rapidly and enable the establishment of the habitats during the early 2030’s, while...

1. Space Elevators grow rapidly in the second half of that decade and take over the heavy lifting of mass towards Mars on the Green Road to Mars.?

Mr. Musk’s stated need is 1,000,000 tonnes of supplies on the surface of Mars : when the Galactic Harbours are mature, there will be more than 150,000 tonnes per year released at GEO and beyond.?

The inherent strengths of this permanent space transportation infrastructure are revolutionary in scope when dealing with support and logistics to Mars’ operations. During the ASU/ISEC study, students developed what they called a 'bus schedule to Mars' that showed the possibility of six launches per day (one per space elevator inside three Galactic Harbours) with delivery times someplace between 61 to 400 days. The concept was that logistics planners could choose rapid or slow trips for various supplies : critical-fast, routine-slower.?

The strength of Space Elevators is in its permanent transportation infrastructure characteristics. The vision of space elevators is:

Space Elevators are the?Green Road to Space?while they enable humanity's most important missions by moving massive tonnage to GEO and beyond. This is accomplished safely, routinely, inexpensively, daily, and they are environmentally neutral.

While,

• Rockets to Open up GEO, the Moon and Mars with

• Space Elevators to supply and grow the missions and colonies

Trajectory Example

This trajectory animation by Adam Hibberd shows one example of an 80-day Earth-Mars trajectory for a spacecraft released from the Apex Anchor at 100,000 km with no additional delta-V. The orbital dance means every day will be different...