Author: mic of orion
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SpaceX and NASA to work together on 2018 and future Mars missions. If you liked my video perhaps you might like my channel too, I create videos about Science & Technology, Space, Astronomy, Gameplay, Military technology and Environmental Architecture, Green and Eco news including latest on the photovoltaic, wind, solar and other renewable sources of energy such as Fusion Power. Please Subscribe if you like my videos, or press like. Please comment and if you have any question please ask, if I know the answer I'll try to Answer. You can also follow me on other sites. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mic_of_orion?... you can help me with a monthly donations here. Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76... Twitter: https://twitter.com/mic_orion Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/11216989747... Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/mic.orion Twitch : https://www.twitch.tv/micoforion SpaceX and NASA to work together on 2018 and future Mars missions. http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-six-companies-to-develop-prototypes-concepts-for-deep-space-habitats So finally SpaceX and NASA are working together on a proposed SpaceX Mars mission. SpaceX plans to send a Red Dragon spacecraft lander to Mars sometimes 2018. Elon Musk hopes to prove the concept works and can be used in future missions to the red planet. Red Dragon will be tested however Mars has very thin atmosphere and propulsive landing has its limits NASA has similar plans, however their timetable isn’t as audacious, they’re best with problems, Orion spacecraft has been delayed by at least 3 years and SLS Launcher is yet to be tested fully. SpaceX on the other hand is testing Raptor engines and is about to test Falcon Heavy rocket in December with first commercial flight scheduled for March 2017. Raptor is the first member of a family of cryogenic methane-fuelled rocket engines under development by SpaceX. It is specifically intended to power high-performance lower and upper stages for SpaceX super-heavy launch vehicles. The engine will be powered by liquid methane and liquid oxygen. However NASA has extensive experience and expertise with Mars landings and is working on a technology that SpaceX lacks. Namely Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator technology, something NASA and JPL have been working on for few years now. Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator is a lander technology that creates a drag and slows down re-entry vehicle as it enters planet’s atmosphere. The goal of the project is to develop a re-entry system capable of landing 2- to 3-ton payloads on Mars, as opposed to the 1-ton limit of the currently used systems. However LDSD Technology won’t be tested on 2018 mission as it is not ready, the extent of NASA co-operation with SpaceX will allow SpaceX access to NASA’s Deep Space Network to communicate and guide its spacecraft. Interplanetary navigation experts at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will be the ones plotting the course of the craft. Other than that, NASA will also be helping SpaceX to determine the best landing sites for the craft, guide and analyse the Red Dragon during entry, and evaluate the different systems in the craft. The success of SpaceX 2018 Mars mission should pave way for future NASA/SpaceX collaboration and perhaps even NASA financing part of the very first manned mission to Mars. Proposed 2018 SpaceX mission to Mars is set to cost between $300-320 million. NASA’s similar mission to Mars normally costs in region of $1.7-1.85 billion. Another reason why NASA is on-board with SpaceX Mars mission.