Re: ISS as Mars vehicle

From: Bill the Cat (bill_at_the.cat.retro.com)
Date: 12/16/04 

Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2004 09:52:51 -0600
To: sci-space-tech@moderators.isc.org

Matthew Montchalin <chalin@aracnet.com> wrote in
news:Pine.LNX.4.44.0412140239580.10965-100000@onyx.spiritone.com:

> Bill the Cat wrote:
>|> But, is it strong enough to survive being shoved?
>
> <snip>
>
>|On the other hand, with low-thrust propulsion, ISS would have to spend
>|a long time spiraling out through the Van Allen belts, which would
>|certainly fry the electronics (not to mention the crew, if you're fool
>|enough to leave one onboard during the boost).
>
> All we really need is something that can still hold air, and be
> deployed in a high orbit around Mars.

Once ISS' electronics are fried by the Van Allen belts, it will be a dead
hulk, unable to perform midcourse corrections or insert into Mars orbit.

If you just want something in Mars orbit that can hold air, better to have
one purpose-built. It will be far, far cheaper than jury-rigging ISS.

Relevant Pages

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  • Re: ISS as Mars vehicle
    ... |> The semiconductors in the electronics will simply start glitching, ... if the ISS is first given a nice spin - something that is ... won't be from any lack of incidental solar radiation. ... be some malfunctioning from the radiation of the Van Allen Belts, ...
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  • Re: ISS as Mars vehicle
    ... Bill the Cat wrote: ... |On the other hand, with low-thrust propulsion, ISS would have to spend ... Everything else - electronics, ...
    (sci.space.tech)