A Mars Colonization Strategy

 

Count me as a skeptic of Elon Musk's plans to colonize Mars. However, his Starship could be used as part of a system that I will present here. The proposed system will consist of several elements. These elements could be lifted into space on an economical basis by Musk's Starship. The Starship will be best used for such projects, as it is not suitable for long term space habitation. The Starship could be used for lifting large amounts of cargo from Earth for a reasonable cost. That is its most advantageous use.

For getting to Mars, an Aldrin Cycler could be employed to transit the distance. The cycler system will consist of two parts. One part will transit between Earth and Mars, and the other part will make the return transit. Since the Delta-V budget for accessing the cyclers will be large, the Starship could be used for the transit between the respective planets and their respective cyclers.

 

The cyclers will be able to hold massive amounts of cargo and people. Consequently, it must be very large so as to be able to handle this function. The Starships could be employed to lift all the components necessary for its construction. Since these cyclers will be very massive, there will need to be a very strong propulsive kick to get them into proper position in their cycler orbits. How to do this?

 

Once the cyclers are constructed, I suggest an Orion nuclear propulsion tug that will push the cyclers into their appropriate orbits between the respective planets. The Orion will have the advantage of giving large mass the necessary Delta-V in order to perform their tasks.

 

There is little doubt that the Orion concept can work. It isn't new, as the ideas have been tested with conventional explosives. The last testing will have to take place in space. Once all the requirements are met, and the technology has been developed, the Orion can do the job. Once in place, the cyclers will need only small amounts of fuel for course corrections, and can serve for many years.

At the Mars end, JP Aerospace's technology could come into play. JP Aerospace is developing an Airship to Orbit concept. Such a concept would be much easier and more elegant on Mars. The Delta-V to Orbit for the Airship on Mars would be much reduced, and there's little doubt that it could be feasible on Mars. His ships could land on top of Olympus Mons. Olympus Mons could be jumping off spot to transit to any place on the Martian surface, while using his Airships.

 

Large amounts of Cargo and people could be transited in this manner, and that would be all of the transportation needed. The rest of the tech needed could be transited via a Starship to Cyclers system. Thus, all of the machines and people could be tranported this way, and the Mars colony could beome a reality.

 

What about the long transit times? The cyclers could be optimized for that. The Orion propulsion system could provide the necessary thrust to get large objects into position. A conventional fuel system would be too cumbersome. The use of atomic bombs as propulsion would yield ISP's of nearly a million. Therefore, the Orion propulsion method could simplify the logistics of moving large stations into an Aldrin Cycler orbit between the planets.

 

The cyclers themselves could be rotated, which could give artifical gravity to its traveler guests. It could be shielded from cosmic radiation so that the travelers wouldn't be harmed during their long transit times. They will arrive at Mars in optimal physical condition.

Of course, Mars could be configured to be safe for human habitation as well. What will be needed is a transport system to move the necessary mass into place. The machines could do the rest.

 

Who would do this? Elon Musk? He wants to use Starships, but those are only a small part of a viable system. His current plan is too risky. It is incomplete. It is not likely that simply economy of scale can still achieve everything that needs to be done.

 

But it could be a good start.

 

Asking LEO AI about the space station as Aldrin cycler:

 

Could you produce a graphic of a large space station which rotates in order to give artificial gravity to its inhabitants?

 

 

LEO's Answer: 

I apologize, but as an AI language model, I do not have the capability to generate or produce images. My primary function is to process and respond to text-based inputs. If you would like to create a graphic of a rotating space station that provides artificial gravity, I would suggest using a graphic design tool or software, or commissioning an artist to create the image for you.

 

However, I can provide a textual description of what such a rotating space station might look like:

 

The space station would be a large, cylindrical structure, spinning around a central axis to generate artificial gravity through centrifugal force. The cylinder would be large enough to accommodate living quarters, research facilities, and other necessary infrastructure for the inhabitants.

 

The exterior of the station would likely be made of a durable, lightweight material, such as aluminum or composite materials, to minimize the weight and maximize the efficiency of the rotation. The interior of the cylinder would be divided into different sections, with living quarters, recreational areas, and research labs arranged around the circumference.

 

The rotation of the station would create a gravitational force that would be felt by the inhabitants, simulating the effects of gravity on Earth. This would allow the inhabitants to live and work in a more Earth-like environment, reducing the negative health effects associated with long-term exposure to microgravity.

 

The station might also feature windows or viewports along the outer walls, allowing the inhabitants to observe the Earth, the Moon, and other celestial bodies as the station rotates. This could provide a unique and awe-inspiring perspective on the universe.

 

Overall, the rotating space station would be a remarkable engineering feat, providing a sustainable and comfortable living environment for its inhabitants in the vastness of space.

 

Never mind, this will do! 

 

Rock 'n Roll done rocked and rolled

7/24/25:

 

Just for grins, even though the scooter didn't need a charge, it got one anyway. For comparison purposes, the fully charged battery clocks in at 41.7 volts. Before the solar powered charge, it was under 34 volts. It works on 36 volts, btw.

 

The indicator on the display showed 20% discharge, but it's probably more than that. Distance so far is about 2 miles. Not as impressive as it appeared to be at first. The display is not going to be much use, I'm afraid.

 

7/23/25:

 

Rain was in the forecast yesterday, so no go on a trip. Today, I ran it around the place a bit. Still worried more about ME than the machine. This may take awhile to get in enough shape to really try it out like I want to. Cut it short because of fatigue.

 

7/20/25:

 

The scooter is now prepared for a real trip, but I am not... I want to practice with it some more, but I woke up with a sore foot. I will take it easy today, and hopefully the foot will stop bothering me.

 

I'm not as sure about its range as I should be. The last thing I want is for this thing to run out of juice before I get back. I may have decided to get an e-bike instead. It would've cost more, but I would have the option to use muscle power to get back to the comforts of home. Water under the bridge, as it is said.

 

7/18/25:

 

Things get disorganized around here sometimes. Focus gets lost, and things get started and not finished. Well, not this time. I re-read the manual, and I'm getting more familiar with the controls. Therefore, there's something to report. Most likely, I haven't used 20% of the battery, as earlier indicated. The readings "bounced" back up. It's a 36 volt set up, and there's a reading that shows 38.4 volts. My guess is that this is another way to read a discharged state.

 

The trip odometer reverts to zero on every new trip. There's a history odometer too. But you have to jump through a few hoops to find it. It doesn't show but 1 mile. I know I've done more, but since it doesn't show tenths of a mile, it could be close to 2.0 miles. Once it exceeds that, it will show 2 miles and no more. Still practicing with it. Until I feel a bit more confident with it, the trips will be short.

 

7/15/25; 1:47 PM:

 

Yesterday was rainy, so I stayed inside. Today is sunny and dry, so it was time for further tests. I made some adjustments to my ramp and to the scooter, and gave it another whirl.

 

This trip was longer. A total of 1.4 miles. It still has a good charge on it, according to the indicator. Very impressive. My adjustment made the speedometer too hard to see. Therefore, there's no speed to report. Seems like I got another comment from the locals. We met at an intersection at the same time, and he said, "go ahead, Bart". I got a kick out that, so I went on ahead.

 

It looks like it has discharged about 20% over about 2 miles on that last full charge. It may extrapolate out to 10 miles on a charge, which is a lot better than anticipated. It's already beyond my expectations as is.

 

7:38 PM; continued:

 

Some more adjustments were on tap, and now these are done. More adjustments to the ramp, but these are not yet done.

 

There's a chance I take her out for another spin tomorrow.

 

7/13/25:

 

That was so much fun I forgot to post about it. The ramp was completed, and off into the breeze did I go with my new scooter. I got a compliment on it as I breezed on by one house.

The seat may be hard on my achy breaky butt, but I may be able to tolerate it. I'm getting a little worried about a spill. I have enough trouble standing up. If I fall down, I may not be able to get back up. That would not be good.

Don't have any safety equipment. Shoot, I used to ride a bicycle all over the danged place, and never wore a helmet, but I did wear clothes.

These days, they may give you some shit about anything you do. Besides, it's probably good safety practice to have a helmet and guards for the elbows and knees.

The thing says it will go over 15 mph. That's faster than the electric scooter I had in the fairly recent past. When I rode that thing in Houston, there was a lady who went out of her way to laugh at me. I don't give a hoop. If I did, would I have bought another one of these things. I'm worried about other things.

Focus Fusion video

 

7/18/25:

 

There's another report out, and they're still making progress. It's a slow slog through all the problems and difficulties. If it was easy, anybody could do it.

 

Investing is easy, even a caveman can do it. Doesn't cost much, and the rewards could be revolutionary. It's a good way to put your money where your mouth is, if you believe in climate change. Even if you don't, as I most certainly DO NOT, it is still a good investment play. This thing will be worth some serious money if they're successful. Maybe the so-called greenie folks have something against making money.

I own a share.  It split so I really own two.  See, I made money already.

 

6/29/25:

Crazy idea has a certain charm to it

7/17/25:

 

My hometown is Houston, and there's an inland port that goes all the way into downtown. Or it once did. Back around the time the Panama Canal opened, the Houston Ship Channel was dredged out to within a few miles of downtown.

I recall seeing an old picture of a ship at dock in downtown Houston, with visible landmarks like the Harris County Courthouse in evidence. The pic I recall was about the time the Canal opened. If you go down to Allen's Landing, you can see where the ships tied up. It looks really different down there.

 

The Ship Channel is one of those interesting ideas that is somewhat like the outback sea idea. How so? You could use tides and such to keep it filled, and to replenish the water a bit so that it won't get so alkaline.

The idea is to dredge a very large pool, in which the tides can overflow, but can only channel back out through a narrow opening. In this way, large amounts of water can be impounded behind a type of dam that can be overflowed during high tide, and re-emerge during low tides, with the water rushing out through the channel.

 

Fresh water can be captured in dams as well in order to provide additional flushing. This is kind of the way the Houston Ship Channel Works. Houston is 50 feet above sea level. How do you get ships up stream, except some way to impound a lot of water to keep them afloat?

The outback sea will require a lot more water than the Houston Ship Channel. You would definitely need a LOT.

 

There are flood control dams in Houston. It rains a lot in Houston, and so I am to understand, does the Australian northern shores. Rainfall will help provide water, but there may need to be much, much more to make a really large lake so far inland.

 

7/15/25:

There's at least a couple videos like this one on the subject of the inland sea down under. Now they've got me thinking about it!

 

What if you could use the natural tidal action and siphoning effect to move massive amounts of water for long distances?

Here's the other video:

Can you ride your motor scooter, Billy Boy, Billy Boy

7/12/25:

 

Making the ramp now. It's almost ready to be tested. If that test works, then I can get the scooter outside and try it out. I tried it inside a bit. Everything seems to be working, and I'm nearly ready to ROCK n' ROLL!

 

But do I ever get tired easy. Maybe if I am lucky, I can rebuild myself while I'm doing this. This is embarrassing.

 

By the way, did I mention that I found the missing bolt? However, the other wire basket between the seat and the handlebars, and is actually large enough to carry some cargo, is IN THE WAY. So, I had to take it off. The seat feels okay for now, but I'm not bouncing up and down on a bumpy road yet. We'll see.

 

7/11/25:

 

The scooter came, I saw, but it did not conquer me. Not yet, anyway. There was some assembly required--for the scooter, that is. The cursed thing arrived late afternoon. I got the bright idea to take it out of the box while outside in the sun. By the time I got it out of the box, I knew I was in for a battle.

 

I fought this thing for the rest of the day, and retired for the evening in a very tired state. In theory, the assembly should have been easy. Among the issues were that the handle bars "quick disconnect" mechanism would not go on properly. Fortunately, this feature is not necessary. The status of the assembly was mostly finished by bedtime. But I was still in the fight.

 

First thing this morning, the battle raged on. The parts of this scooter have a very annoying tendency to want to fall to the floor. I have a strong tendency not to want to bend over and pick things up off the friggin' floor all the time. So I battled this thing for another hour before finishing up the assembly. That is, what I could do of it. A part went missing when it hit the floor. I spent another hour looking for it with no luck.

 

The original idea was to build it outside because I wanted to store it in the van. But it is too hot to store it outside, says the manual. So I have to keep it in-friggin'-side. So that is the current state of this adventure. The question being, how to I store this thing inside, and move it outside where it can be useful when I want it to be? I will build a ramp. There's some stairs to traverse in order to get it back down to ground level.

 

More assembly required. I'm getting too old for this shit.

 

7/10/25:

 

Amazon and UPS needs to get their heads wired up to their asses. They are giving conflicting information. It's not a problem so far. We'll see.

 

7/9/25:

 

The scooter is still on its way. Not due for a couple more days.

 

I tested the battery by using it to power the weed eater. The weed eater pulls about 700-800 watts estimated. It will drain a battery of this type in a relatively short time. It will run a dehumidifier for 3 hours continuous if it is in as good a shape as last year. It has seen little use since I stopped that experiment. Now there's this experiment.

 

There's always something, said Rose Ann Rosanna Dana.

 

7/8/25:

 

The repairs are complete, but there may be some tweaking ahead. Still in testing phase, but it appears to be working as intended.

 

Still waiting on the scooter to arrive.

 

7/7/25:

 

The solar panel system has been acting up. When I moved the trailer recently, I may have pulled a wire loose. I forgot to unplug everything, and while pulling the trailer, I notice something was being dragged along behind me. Oopsie.

 

It's been a slog to figure out what got messed up. It's charging the battery again, so that's good. I want the switches to shut it off and on to work, but these aren't cooperating at the moment. No biggie. I'll figure it out.

 

7/5/25:

 

Awaiting my moto scooter, and it is no ring-tail tooter. (Ref: Slick Willy Update of the Rush Limbaugh show dating back to 1992's election campaign ) Getting my stuff ready, as preparations are needed.

 

The following video is a little closer to the update version, but it isn't quite there. I can't find it on YouTube.

 

 

 

 

07/03/2025:

 

Got an idea about buying a mobility scooter. The one that would seem most handy would cost over $3k, and can be obtained on Amazon.

 

It is electric, and would have a 30 mile range, or so it says.

 

Having experimented with an electric scooter before, the range would seem be inflated. It all depends upon battery capacity. This one has a 48 V, 20 AH electrical setup. That's about 1 Kwh. If it is anything like autos, it may get 4 miles.

 

Even so, it would be sufficient for ample mobility.

 

The price is high, but not beyond me. What about a golf cart?

 

07/04/2025:

 

Here's what I did: I got an electric scooter. It is pretty much the same thing I had before, so it won't cost much, and it can't do all that much, but it can do a few things ( I hope ).

 

Back in 2003, I bought one for $150. It is now $450 on Amazon. Now that is what I call "progress". Free delivery! Like wow, man.

 

I'll use my solar panels to provide electricity for charging the thing. Maybe this idea will actually work. Most of my ideas don't work worth a sheet, main.

 

 

Interesting concept to use nuclear pulse propulsion

It was studied for many years, and then abandoned after the adoption of the nuclear test ban treaty in 1963.

 

The idea is discussed in the following video.

Not all of the technical challenges could be overcome at that time. The sticking point seemed to be with the pusher plate. There wasn't any way to model it, so that it could be developed. In order to do the tests, real nuclear bombs would have to be used. Such a testing procedure was deemed to be infeasible. After the treaty, it became illegal.

 

A question: What if it were to be developed in deep space? It couldn't do much harm way out there. If such could be developed successfully, would it not be better to send large numbers of people to another planet, like Mars, using a few bombs? Such a system could be used instead of the Starship. Indeed, the Starship could be used to send up the large amount of mass needed to construct such an ark, and send it on its way.