The mission to Mars was a groundbreaking achievement for humankind. It involved sending a spacecraft, the Hermes, to explore the red planet and gather important data about its atmosphere and geology. However, one of the biggest challenges of this mission was getting the Watneys spacecraft from Mars to the Hermes.
The Problem:
The main problem with getting the Watneys spacecraft back to the Hermes was that it had to travel through space without any additional fuel. This was because it had used up all its fuel during its descent onto Mars. The only way to get it back to the Hermes was by using a technique called aerobraking.
Aerobraking:
Aerobraking is a technique used by spacecraft to slow down and enter orbit around a planet. This involves using the planet’s atmosphere as a brake, which slows down the spacecraft and allows it to enter orbit. In order for this technique to work, the spacecraft has to be able to withstand high temperatures and pressure caused by atmospheric friction.
The Challenges:
The main challenge with using aerobraking in this mission was that there were no previous missions that had successfully done this before. Additionally, since the Watneys spacecraft had not been designed for aerobraking, there were concerns about whether it could withstand the high temperatures and pressure.
Technical Issues:
There were also technical issues that made this process difficult. Firstly, since communication between Mars and Earth has a time delay of several minutes, it was impossible for engineers on Earth to control or monitor the aerobraking process in real-time. Secondly, there were concerns about whether the Watneys spacecraft would be able to accurately navigate through Mars’ atmosphere without burning up or crashing.
Solutions:
To address these challenges, engineers came up with several solutions. They conducted extensive simulations and tests on Earth before attempting aerobraking.
They also designed a heat shield to protect the spacecraft from the high temperatures and pressure. In addition, they programmed the spacecraft with an autonomous navigation system that could accurately guide it through Mars’ atmosphere.
- Extensive simulations and tests on Earth
- Design of heat shield
- Autonomous navigation system
The Outcome:
Despite these challenges, the aerobraking process was successful, and the Watneys spacecraft was able to rendezvous with the Hermes. This allowed scientists to gather important data about Mars’ atmosphere and geology, which has helped us better understand this fascinating planet.
In conclusion, getting the Watneys spacecraft from Mars to the Hermes was a significant challenge that required innovative solutions and careful planning. The successful execution of this process is a testament to human ingenuity and determination in exploring our universe.