Tag: Mars

Categories
Space

Large-Scale Energy Storage for Mars

Last year I wrapped up my Master’s studies at Cambridge with a year-long thesis project in the Whittle Laboratory, doing some very exciting work optimising ISRU components for Martian operation at scale. In the aftermath I continued pulling on threads in the thermodynamic optimisation space at the kilo- and mega-scale, and got to some equally fun conclusions. I’ve neglected to share these, apart from with some select people who asked, until I got a poke from a colleague that they might be appreciated. So enjoy – this is part 3 of 3 shortform reports that accompany the main thesis text.

Categories
Space

Heat Rejection at Scale for Mars

Last year I wrapped up my Master’s studies at Cambridge with a year-long thesis project in the Whittle Laboratory, doing some very exciting work optimising ISRU components for Martian operation at scale. In the aftermath I continued pulling on threads in the thermodynamic optimisation space at the kilo- and mega-scale, and got to some equally fun conclusions. I’ve neglected to share these, apart from with some select people who asked, until I got a poke from a colleague that they might be appreciated. So enjoy – this is part 2 of 3 shortform reports that accompany the main thesis text.

Categories
Space

Process Engineering for Mars at Scale

Last year I wrapped up my Master’s studies at Cambridge with a year-long thesis project in the Whittle Laboratory, doing some very exciting work optimising ISRU components for Martian operation at scale. In the aftermath I continued pulling on threads in the thermodynamic optimisation space at the kilo- and mega-scale, and got to some equally fun conclusions. I’ve neglected to share these, apart from with some select people who asked, until I got a poke from a colleague that they might be appreciated. So enjoy – this is part 1 of 3 shortform reports that accompany the main thesis text.

Categories
Space

Mars is not a “solutions” problem

Time and time again, people try to solve Mars. They suggest a radical solution, or some neat operating trick, that they claim makes the whole problem of exploration and settlement wildly easier. Many of these people are very smart and many of their ideas are genuinely insightful and unexpected. Unfortunately, in an overwhelming majority of cases, they aren’t helpful. If we could crack Mars open with a clever solution, or design the perfect settlement on paper, we would have done it by now. No – the reason we haven’t solved the problem of Mars yet is that Mars isn’t the kind of problem that has a solution. Yet.

Categories
Space

The hydrogen economy (no, not that one)

When it comes to measuring the value of things on Mars, it’s hard to find a baseline. You can balance things against import mass (like the slugs of Andy Weir’s Artemis), or the raw dollar cost considering launch and purchase cost. Both start to fall apart as our settlement industrialises and the value of goods is tied more and more to Mars rather than Earth. Enter a new value basis – one with a fixed root in engineering that can scale to any settlement beyond Earth. Enter the hydrogen economy.

Categories
Climate Space

The Big Why

The author arriving at any conversation

Four times out of five, the people I talk to are excited about space settlement (if they aren’t bored out of the conversation before that stage). But one in five asks the Really Sticky Question. Why are we even bothering going to space?

Categories
Space

In Event of Mars Disaster

A Mars Direct habitat at Martian atmospheric interface. Low quality due to own work

Consider any of the following events. A meteorite has fallen on the expedition outpost, shattering the main battery array beyond hope of repair. A crane line snaps while moving heavy equipment, mangling an astronaut’s leg. A gap in the insulation of a cryogenic tank causes an explosion, destroying the main communication system. There is no hope of a fix, the mission must be aborted and the crew evacuated.