SpaceX has a new launch option: 4 metric tons of cargo to Mars

[ecarfan]

See Capabilities & Services

SpaceX now lists "Payload to Mars" as a service it provides. It will launch up to 4,020 kg of payload on a Falcon and land it on Mars., or 54,400 kg on a Falcon Heavy. No price given.

This looks like Elon having a bit of fun, but also saying that in all seriousness, SpaceX will be glad to take your Mars mission cargo and put it down gently on the surface, just call us and we'll talk.

I love it. No other government entity or private company has ever made such an offer.

 

[electracity]

I recommend many extra potatoes and a lot of duct tape.

 

[andrewket]

An extra transceiver and antennas wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[RDoc]

It's only 13,600 kg on the Falcon Heavy, the other is to LEO, so forget the idea of landing your house on Mars. You'll have to live in a trailer.

I believe this is to Mars transfer, not to the surface, but there's a notional NASA/SpaceX project to land a Dragon on the surface (in one piece) with something like 2 tons of payload using a Falcon Heavy which is over twice the mass of Curiosity. There are likely some issues with getting anything out of the Dragon and onto the surface since the main hatch is on the top.

 

[Grendal]

It's only 13,600 kg on the Falcon Heavy, the other is to LEO, so forget the idea of landing your house on Mars. You'll have to live in a trailer.

I believe this is to Mars transfer, not to the surface, but there's a notional NASA/SpaceX project to land a Dragon on the surface (in one piece) with something like 2 tons of payload using a Falcon Heavy which is over twice the mass of Curiosity. There are likely some issues with getting anything out of the Dragon and onto the surface since the main hatch is on the top.

I'd bet the Red Dragon will be a modified version of the Dragon 2 to allow for more activity on the surface of Mars. As a throwback, I really wonder if Elon will insist on a little greenhouse.with a camera on it. That was his plan back in 2000-2001 using the Russian ICBM rocket.

 

[ecarfan]

It's only 13,600 kg on the Falcon Heavy, the other is to LEO, so forget the idea of landing your house on Mars. You'll have to live in a trailer.

I believe this is to Mars transfer, not to the surface, but there's a notional NASA/SpaceX project to land a Dragon on the surface (in one piece) with something like 2 tons of payload using a Falcon Heavy which is over twice the mass of Curiosity. There are likely some issues with getting anything out of the Dragon and onto the surface since the main hatch is on the top.

Thank you for correcting the FH payload to Mars figure that I stated, I read the wrong line on the page.

It doesn't say if that payload weight is to Mars transfer orbit or to the surface. I think Elon would state a payload weight to the surface, since the mission will use a Dragon capsule capable of a soft landing on Mars.

The Crew Dragon capsule that SpaceX showed last year had the hatch on the side. It is unknown what the Red Dragon capsule hatch configuration will be.

 

[neroden]

In the short term, this might actually be used by scientific missions like a successor to the Mars Rover mission.

 

[rolosrevenge]

I always wondered if the standard Falcoln 9 could make it to Mars. I guess it can, with four tons of stuff. Not a lot but could definitely send a little greenhouse with a webcam.

 

[woof]

As quaint as the "greenhouse with a webcam" idea was, I'm pretty sure SpaceX would still need to comply with the no contamination clauses in the Outer Space Treaty. Planetary protection - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The legal basis for planetary protection lies in Article IX of this treaty:

"Article IX: ... States Parties to the Treaty shall pursue studies of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, and conduct exploration of them so as to avoid their harmful contamination and also adverse changes in the environment of the Earth resulting from the introduction of extraterrestrial matter and, where necessary, shall adopt appropriate measures for this purpose..."

 

[MacroP]

I always wondered if the standard Falcoln 9 could make it to Mars. I guess it can, with four tons of stuff. Not a lot but could definitely send a little greenhouse with a webcam.

I guess if you have the finances to build a Mars probe and lander it may not be a real stretch now to upsize the payload and stick it top of the Facon heavy in a couple years. 12900kgs capacity would get you some nice toys to play with on the planet.

SpaceX are now advertising 2900kg to Pluto which is 7 times more mass than the New Horizons probe that went flying past Pluto last year. I wonder at those levels, if they could slow down enough and drop a lander on it?

 

[Grendal]

Here is a speculative article discussing SpaceX plans for Mars:

Next Big Future: Spacex will use Falcon Heavy for 2018 Mars Mission, then at least two Falcon Heavies in 2020 and then a Mars Colonial Transporter in 2022

It has speculative pictures of MCT and does go over what details about the project is known.

 

[Ulmo]

As quaint as the "greenhouse with a webcam" idea was, I'm pretty sure SpaceX would still need to comply with the no contamination clauses in the Outer Space Treaty. Planetary protection - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Terraforming Mars would violate such commie treaties, yes? Thus, colonization, the core principle of SpaceX, would violate the treaty. Let's just follow the treaty until the very end, at which point, when man has to step foot on Mars, and/or plant plants on Mars, and/or terraform, etc., then that part of the treaty is considered "archaic". (Not followed.)

 

[ggnykk]

It's only 13,600 kg on the Falcon Heavy, the other is to LEO, so forget the idea of landing your house on Mars. You'll have to live in a trailer.

I believe this is to Mars transfer, not to the surface, but there's a notional NASA/SpaceX project to land a Dragon on the surface (in one piece) with something like 2 tons of payload using a Falcon Heavy which is over twice the mass of Curiosity. There are likely some issues with getting anything out of the Dragon and onto the surface since the main hatch is on the top.

SpaceX already planned Falcon Super Heavy for the heavy lifting, which is a much bigger rocket than even the Falcon Heavy. Pretty sure that he will talk about it in September when he reveals the Mars plan.

 

[Ludus]

Terraforming Mars would violate such commie treaties, yes? Thus, colonization, the core principle of SpaceX, would violate the treaty. Let's just follow the treaty until the very end, at which point, when man has to step foot on Mars, and/or plant plants on Mars, and/or terraform, etc., then that part of the treaty is considered "archaic". (Not followed.)

. "Harmful contamination" or "adverse changes" are left to the interpretation of the signatories. It does provide a basis for challenges and lawsuits seeking to interfere with any mission. It doesn't give them very much to go on. Harmful to whom? What is contamination? Once there is a permanent human presence the default meaning of those words applies to them. In a legal contest between the rights of exobiologists who don't like anybody complicating their job and the rights of human beings trying to live there, the law will lean to the latter.