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Robert Zubrin's Mars Gashopper Airplane

Posted by michael on from the boing-boing dept.

Fraser Cain writes "Universe Today has a story about Robert Zubrin's (Mars Society President) Martian Gashopper Aircraft proposal to NASA. It uses solar power to liquefy carbon dioxide and then use it as a propellant to take off, fly hundreds of km above the surface of Mars like an airplane, and then land vertically again."

6 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Here and now? by Clay+Pigeon+-TPF-VS- · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Carbon dioxide is much more concentrated on Mars than on Earth. It would take a lot longer to get enough for fuel, and you would need more propellant to overcome Earth's larger gravity.

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  2. Re:Liquifying CO2? by Cid+Highwind · · Score: 5, Informative

    CO2 sublimates, doesn't it?
    It does under Earth's amospheric conditions. You can liquefy CO2 by putting it under high pressure (5+ atmospheres, IIRC). When they release the liquid CO2 it'll probably produce gas and small crystals that will sublimate away, like what happens when you discharge a CO2 fire extiguisher on Earth.

    It would be neat to watch a rocket powered aircraft that trails dry ice snow instead of smoke and flames...

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    0 1 - just my two bits
  3. Re:RTGs? by Dolphinzilla · · Score: 4, Informative

    RTG's don't release any chemical compounds, they are only used as heat sources (in this case heating banks of thermocouples to generate electricity) - the fuel pellets are usually bound in plastic to make handling safer.

  4. Re:Here and now? by InfiniteWisdom · · Score: 4, Informative

    I don't think CO2 is essential to the system... it just happens to be the most handy gas available on mars. Its really like a VTOL aircraft with jet engines except that the gas is heated electrically rather than by burning fuel. An earth-based gashopper would just use air.

  5. Re:Here and now? by r00zky · · Score: 4, Informative

    > The same 50 kg would weigh about 41 lbs on Mars.

    Do martians use the imperial system now?

    For the imperial impaired (like me) 41 lbs == 18,6 kg

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  6. He's not the only one.... by carambola5 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Last Friday (Nov. 19) was a big milestone for many small companies like Robter Zubrin's. This is when NASA announced its 2004 SBIR Phase I awards. And yes, this Gashopper is one of them.

    Check them all out at: http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR/sbir2004/phase1/awa rds/2004topic.html There's really some innovative stuff going on. Also, to the future rocket scientists out there: if you want to work in aerospace, this is an excellent site to find small companies doing NASA subcontracting.

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