MAV taking shape
Fuel and nozzle cluster.
After months of studies, mainly old papers from the 70s and 80s, we have decided on the setup we'll use to leave Mars surface.
For propellant we chose Nitrogen (biggest tank) as oxidizer, MMH (middle tank) as fuel, and Helium (small tank) as pressure gas.
A Laval nozzle for the kick, all clustered in nine sets underneath our sitting platform (imagine the coolest flying carpet yet).
Use carbon fiber all we can; for fun we once took a class in the Bay Area how to make it (basically glue it, bake it and squeeze the heck out of it). Our instructor, incidentally, had worked on the cool Solar Impulse plane.
Counting and sketching is one thing, actually visualizing our ideas in CAD is another. All of the sudden it hits you: We'll actually do this. Sit on that thing. Drive it to a Space ship somewhere above Mars.
Crap.
Well, off to the 3D printers.
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Visualizing in Autodesk Fusion 360.
First model taking shape.
Nitrogen (biggest tank) is oxidizer, MMH (middle tank) is fuel, and Helium (small tank) is pressure gas. Ascent from Mars is easier than from Earth. Nine of those clusters should do the trick.
First look at our nozzle, in carbon fiber.
The hourglass nozzle type was developed by Swedish inventor Gustaf de Laval in 1888 for use on a steam turbine and first used in a rocket engine by Robert Goddard.
Nature's own nozzles. Recently we discussed closed system rebreathers (Space life support equivalent) with this record breaking deep diver of submerged caves.
Light and simple: we do things differently. So does Solar Impulse, in this image flying over the San Francisco bridge.
