Working Group Mars Settlement Transport Diagram by wblack
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Description
Working Group Mars Settlement Transport Diagram
An Orion’s Arm future history project image.
Future History Timeline Context Link: Orion’s Arm Future History Timeline.
In between expanding visualizations of different era’s in my future history, I’ve been re-imaging some elements along my future historical timeline – this is my latest: The Working Group Mars Settlement Transport.
My vehicle designs are anchored in reality and represent the results of empiric knowledge, theoretical studies, and tested hardware – working systems achievable by known science and existing technology – the Orion nuclear fission initiated pulsed plasma rocket is one example.
Project Orion was carried out at General Atomic primarily under auspices of the U.S. Air Force Special Weapons Center, the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center Future Projects Office, and Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.
As reference the data used to construct this diagram is sourced from declassified technical reports issued over the course of the program.
Regarding Orion: Arthur C. Clark
“Even now the only way we could get large payloads around the solar system is by something like Orion, because atomic bombs contain thousands of times more energy, indeed millions of times more energy, than any of the chemical fuels used in existing rockets – hydrogen and oxygen are feeble compared to the energies released by an atomic bomb. So when you talk of sending hundreds of tons, or even thousands of tons of payload, including human beings, to Mars, say, that’s the only way we could do it, even now. The space age hasn’t even begun yet. I believe the day will come when very few members of the human race will even be able to point at the part of the sky where the earth is.”
Image Composition Notes:
Data Source: GA-5009, Vol. III, Contract NAS 8-I1053 – Declassified by the Division of Classification, U.S. Energy Research and Development Agency, September 1, 1976.
”Orion Flight Profile Nuclear Ground Launch Direct to Mars Insertion” Diagram is my own creation, an extrapolation derived from technical data contained in the official documents and reports. Disclaimer: this data depends on my rough calculations and should be considered an “informed approximation” of an Orion nuclear ground launch.
“Gas Core Fission/Nuclear Thermal Rocket Open-Cycle” Engine schematic is my own creation based on examples contained in technical reports. The technical data is accurate – the design details of the schematic are my own extrapolation. Technical data contained in the data and the description is derived from information on Winchell Chung’s Atomic Rocket website.
Reference Link: NTR Gas Core Open-Cycle
Rare Flight test footage of Orion can be found here in an excerpt of the BBC documentary To Mars by A-Bomb.
I also highly recommend the entire seven-part documentary, part one here:
Project Orion- To Mars by A-Bomb-Part One.
All models are my own Bryce creations, constructed in Bryce 6.3, rendered in Bryce 7 Pro.
As always thank you for your interest, thoughtful comments, and encouragement.
Comments (7)
wblack
Orion’s Arm Future History Background Note: My Orion’s Arm future history centers on the pivotal endeavor of founding a permanent Mars settlement. The effort is free of government intervention, mounted by private interests, industrialists, venture capitalists: men prepared to lay destiny at their feet and risk everything in an effort to build a new world -- a world where free men may labor in their own interest, for their own benefit, limited only by science and the laws of nature -- not by the edicts, demands, or mandates of any predatory or tribal mob of activists, bureaucracy, or collective of other men. Over the span of the next 750 years an effort to terraform Mars via the Resource Importation method results in a solar system wide industrial civilization. The earth they are leaving is crumbling, its people Balkanized by tribalism and an intentionally fomented irrationality, robbed of prosperity and abundance by collectivism and predatory activism – this nightmare world is the direct consequence of the world we see around us today. P.S. Still at work on my aerial POV image of the Mars settlement under construction – the level of detail I am incorporating into the image has necessitated construction of numerous unique models of specialized surface transports along with construction sites populated with heavy equipment, and freight, trucks, lifts, and cranes, space suited workers, a nuclear power plant, Drill-Rig equipped wells (to access subsurface water) a distillation/desalinization and hydrogen/oxygen cracking plant, space suited residents of the Settlement moving about their business along broad avenues between temporary habitats all situated among the towering stripped cores of Cargo Carriers and Settler Transports set against the vista of chaos terrains and looming eroded lava domes present in the Tharsis region of Mars. The work is progressing, the compositing file, as it stands currently, is the result of 29 individual renders (+2 mask renders per file) with more in the works.
wblack
Related Image Links: The Sands of Mars Martian Dusk Aero Braking Orion Lander Separation Terminus of an Arc Orion Launch Vehicle Final Assembly Right Before Mars Settlement Project Orion Launch Syria Planum Landing
grafikeer
Excellent modelling and back story,as always!
geirla
Great chart! excellent detail on the flight profile and the best depiction of an open cycle engine that I've seen.
flavia49
excellent work
peedy
Fantastic modeling and info! Corrie
karl.garnham1
I have to say this is a genius design it is far better than any of my own and I like it so much its going straight to my favourites. Well Done 5+ Karl