Level 8: Mission design¶
Rockets and landing · level 8 of 8 · rough age 17 and beyond (a guide; anyone can start anywhere)
The last level puts the rocket side of a Mars mission together. You turn a delta-v budget into tonnes in Earth orbit, work out how to make the fuel for the trip home on Mars, account for gravity losses, use the air of Mars to save propellant by aerobraking and aerocapture, weigh nuclear and electric engines against chemical ones, and see how landings went from ellipses a hundred kilometres long to a few kilometres.
| Lesson | You will be able to |
|---|---|
| Delta-v to the surface | Turn a delta-v budget into the mass needed in Earth orbit for each tonne landed on Mars |
| Propellant from Mars | Balance the Sabatier and electrolysis reactions, and estimate the energy and time to make ascent propellant |
| Gravity losses | Find gravity losses for ascents and landings, and why high thrust-to-weight reduces them |
| Aerobraking and aerocapture | Work out the propellant saved by using the air of Mars to shrink an orbit |
| Nuclear and electric propulsion | Compare high-\(I_{sp}\) engines, and the thrust and time an electric engine gets from its power |
| Landing precision | Explain where landing errors come from and how guided entry and terrain-relative navigation shrink them |
Previous: Level 7: Landing on Mars · Rockets and landing topic page · The companion level: Gravity and orbits, level 8