Mars One is released.

Mars One
Mars One Refuel Tanker
Mars One Base

Features: Direct Lander, Mars Rover, a Plantable Flag, Capsule Control Panel, Habitation Module with interior. Complete mission from Launch to Parachutes.

Mars One

Description
This is an alternative Mars Direct, Proof of Concept using, Refueling in Earth Orbit, and Mars Orbital Rendezvous. Using two identical ships to Mars, one will orbit Mars while the other will land. After the landing crew completes surface operations, they will take the CSM boat up to the orbiting ship, to dock, transfer the crew, for the journey back to Earth.

It will take 4 refuel missions to refuel the 2nd stage to prepare for the TMI (trans mars injection} burn and the Mars Capture burn. The 3rd stage and the lander have enough DV for a landing. Also, enough DV for the orbiting ship to return to Earth. In fact, the orbiting ship has the capability to have 5 CSM boats docked for the return to Earth.

Mars One Refuel Tanker

The Habitation Module is designed to link with other HMs on the surface to create the first permanent Mars Base through its expandable connecting tubes. This is a base building concept for if we go to Mars, it needs to be more than a mere ‘flag and footprints’ to be of any value.

Be sure to download the ‘Mars One Refuel Tanker’ for those missions. However, if you wish to bypass the labor of refueling missions, you can spawn the ship in Earth Orbit and sperate the 1st stage and it will be identical to having done the four refuel missions.

Both this Ship and the Refueler have Vizzy launch codes for convenience.

Credit: Built for use in Hyperpatch’s Solar System 1.5.3.

Credit: FUTUREby322 - Vehicle Chassis 3

Credit: Canada Duck - Texture and Ornamentation by example.

Credit: SimpleRocketPlayer – American Flag

Credit: MasterOfNone – Command Seat 2.0

Instructions and suggestions:

First Stage – Let the Vizzy Launch code do it’s stuff. Throttle up to 100% and then hit AG 1 Launch.
I want to credit the author of this Auto Orbit program, but I cannot find the link or the name of the Author. Please contact me if you can help with this. All due credit is enthusiastically supported.

Second Stage – This stage is critical. Not only is it needed to reach Earth’s orbit, after refueling it will be used again to for the TMI burn and the Mars Capture burn. The second stage also has Thruster engines for fine tuning orbits and fine tuning the correction burn for Mars approach.

Third stage – This Stage's DV is needed to help with Mars Deorbit burn and then the Landing. For the orbiting ship, it will perform the TEI burn after the returning CSM boats have returned from the surface and docked.

TMI Burn – DV should be around 3.45 km/sec. Then do a correction burn halfway to Mars.

Mars Orbit – Aim for 125 km above the surface. Circularize also at 125 Km. Now you are ready to pick a landing spot.

My method to landing is to do a retrograde landing. It works well and keeps the ship vertical upon the final seconds before Landing. (I’ll finally learned the right way)
After the landing – EVA all the 4 crew members. I raise the Landing Legs to set the bottom on the surface for risk free Rover deployment.

Detaching the Rover– The Rover and the Flag must have the command focus on that piece of equipment in order to detach, hit the appropriate AG to separate the equipment from the ship. Pitch is used for forward and backward movement on the Rover. Having the Pitch slider and the Brake Slider is all you need to control the Rover plus using the A and D keys is best for steering.

To release a Rover,
1 – Place the focus on the Rover.
2 – Move the Pitch slider up one notch.
3 – Hit the release AG for that specific equipment and the Rover will roll right out of the ship. Be ready to hit the brakes once out.
The Flag will need to be detached the same way. Once done an astronaut can grapple the lower part of the Flagpole and drag it to the desired position.

Getting Home – After having too much fun on Mars, load two of your crew into the CSM Capsule. This can be done by grapple. Point the heading to match the inclination of the orbiting ship and launch. Make sure the 4 HM Lander engines are deactivated using AG 4 before launch. Using the astronauts can change the command configurations and using AG 4 is the best way to ensure these engines stay dormant when the CSM is separated and only the CSM engine fires.

After all desired CSM boats have docked, plot your return to Earth and do the burn. Make sure to deactivate all the docked CSM's engines before you do the TEI burn. Also, make sure all the capsules, original and docked, Control Settings are set to 1) Replicate Commands - off, 2) Replicate Stage Act - off, 3) Replicate AG - changes, to make sure stage separation is as wanted. Use the SM RCS to tilt the ship to your desired angle to achieve orbit. 3 to 6% fuel should be left after achieving Orbit.

Remember, you will need some RCS left for the Capsule upon re-entry.

Re-entry – You can tilt the pitch of the Capsule using the CM RCS. Do not tilt up until your velocity is below 7 Km/sec so as not to bounce off the atmosphere. I found that tilting the capsule up during re-entry about 20-25 degrees will rapidly decrease your vertical speed downward, which is important because if you dive down deep too fast you will just burn up.
A shallow re-entry, under 250m/s vertically, ensures no burn up and that you will be slow enough to not have your chutes line break once you reach chute deployment altitude. It is best to have the capsule be at retrograde alignment so that all Chutes pull on the capsule evenly upon deployment.
Installing RCS on the capsule is essential for all of this.
(Side Note – I tested this ship on Hyperpatch’s SS 1.5.3 and the new SS 2.0, both beautiful works. Unfortunately, every time I tried to reenter Earth’s atmosphere in 2.0, the capsule would reach 8500 degrees Celsius and burn up. Until this is corrected, I must suggest the 1.5.3 system for use for now.

Docking Ports – All Docking ports are not activated automatically. They must be activated manually. There are two sizes of Docking Port, 1.6x on the Lander and 4.0x for refueling.

Sliders All for use on the Habitation Module.

Slider 1 - Expands the tubes on the Habitation Module.

Slider 2 - Raises and lowers the leveling rods just like on an RV.

Slider 3 - Internal Elevator.

Slider 4 - Exit Hatch in the Rover Bay.

Copy and paste these directions to Word as to have a copy beside you when you give it a try.

This project is designed to show that we can do this now if we had the initiative and courage as in the 1960s. Also, to show that the shuttle and ISS ended up keeping our focus on non-relevant goals to achieving a Moon Base or a Mars Base.

I look forward to advancing this mission in future releases. 1) Include the Launch Pad. 2) Make the refuel tanker 100% Vizzy automated. 3) Build a deployable Crane to move the Habs around for Base building. 4) Complete the Habitation Module Interior to be more realistic. (I know that they will not use bunk beds in the Sleeping Quarters) 😉