Global Aerospace Corporation
(GAC) is a California company with a mission. If they get
their way, hopefully one day it will become a space mission.
They want to establish a system of "rapid transit"
by putting into place their version of plans for a human transportation
system between Earth and Mars. Their plan is radically different
than the one proposed by the National Commission on Space
(NCOS) back in 1985. If things are done their way, they insist
that they can get this job done with the amount of propellant
needed reduced by an amazing factor of sixty. These significant
savings in cost and in resources extend throughout every aspect
of their proposal.
The difference in propellant mass for conventional chemical
propulsion compared to their proposed expense, which uses
solar-electric powered vehicles, is more than significant.
The savings would be more than twice the amount needed to
build one of the main transports, which they have dubbed "Astrotel
vehicles" (a clever combination of "astronaut"
and "hotel"-the journey from point "A"
to point "B" will take approximately 5 months under
their plan).
Global Aerospace is not concerned about the effect of zero
gravity on the occupants of their Astrotels because they point
to both the Russian (one year) and US (six months) ventures
into space that demonstrate that a healthy person can cope
with weightlessness for at least six months at a time without
suffering any long-term effects.
In addition to saving on propellant with the use of solar-electric
powered Astrotels and other propellant-saving measures and
the reduction in total mass under their plan, they also propose
to cut the number of necessary trips for crews in half by
making the vehicles almost fully automated and capable of
self-correction.
By using highly automated on-board systems, they feel certain
they can reduce the number of crew needed to make the trip.
Reducing the size of crew and reducing the duration of their
time spent in space reduces the size of the space vehicle
and its complexity as well as the amount of logistics supporting
the daily needs of the crew. In addition, by eliminating crew
on long flight legs, they would also eliminate the need for
additional Taxis for return to Spaceports; reducing the number
required by one half.
This new plan supports the assumption of the original NCOS
estimate that there would be a crew of 20 humans on a sustained
Mars base by the year 2035 who would require transportation
on and off the planet, as well as the delivery of various
resources, supplies and equipment. Global Aerospace contends
that since their plan uses so much less resources and has
a significantly lower cost of operation than the NCOS plan,
using it would allow the Mars base to become a feasible concept
and a reality instead of a plan far sooner than other ideas.
Perhaps most significantly, the company points out that their
plan supports the four goals outlined by NASA's Enterprise
for Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS):
- Preparing to conduct human exploration missions to planetary
and other bodies in the solar system
- Expanding human knowledge
- Providing safe and affordable access to space
- Establishing a human presence in space
Source: Global Aerospace Corporation
Cosmiverse Staff Writer
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