A chapter from a book called "Establishing Planetary Research Systems" written by Haim Mazar in the years 1978-1981 and which was scientifically reviewed by the late Prof. Dror Sde, but was not published in the end
Definition: A planetary research system is a network of ground bases on the ground of any planet or moon as well as all the spacecraft of their types that surround it.
Ground bases (on a planet or moon)
A terrestrial base is any base located on any planet or moon that is over 500 km in diameter. This base is an infrastructure for the exploration of the planet or the moon and its later inhabitation. Each planet or moon can have more than one ground base. At this base there are nine wings and they are:
1. The research wing - this is the main wing since it is responsible for all the research done on the surface of the planet or the moon. In this wing there are up to six departments:
- A. Atmospheric research department - responsible for the atmospheric research of the star or the moon and under its supervision the atmospheric circles.
- B. Meteorological research department - responsible for the meteorological studies of the planet or the moon. Under her supervision are the meteorological circles and the provision of regular meteorological services to the personnel of the base.
- third. Geological research department - responsible for the geological studies of a planet or the planet or the moon and under its supervision the geological circles and research laboratories.
- d. Biological research department - responsible for the biological studies of the planet or the moon and supervised by research laboratories.
- God. Department looking for cultures - responsible for looking for past and present cultures on the planet or the moon. Under her supervision are the life-seeking circles and research laboratories.
- and. Astronomical and Solar Research Department - responsible for astronomical and solar research. Under her supervision are the astronomical observatories, the solar observatories and research laboratories.
2. The Department of Agriculture - under its supervision are the resource funds, research laboratories and the responsibility for the current food supply.
3. The Communications Division - under its supervision are the communications envelopes and the entire communications system of the planet or the moon.
4. The transportation department - in this department there are two departments:
A. Space vehicle department - oversees the base's airport, the navigation boxes, the production of unmanned research spaceships, manned research departments, passenger spaceships, cargo spaceships, passenger or cargo spaceships, and garage spaceships.
B. Ground vehicle department - under its supervision all vehicles that move on the surface of the planet or the moon. This department has two sections:
- Manned vehicle section - wheeled vehicles, crawler vehicles, aircraft, vessels and submarines.
- Unmanned section - these are landers of their own kind, except that instead of being launched to other planets, they operate on the mother planet.
- Each department has its own workshops (for the production of vehicles and their repair) and its own fuel depots.
5. Medical Department - This department is responsible for the health of the residents of the base and oversees research laboratories, medical equipment and operating rooms. In this wing there are three departments:
- A. A department responsible for the day-to-day health of the residents of the base.
- B. A department responsible for inspecting the returns from various missions, whether on the planet itself or on the moon or from other bodies in the solar system.
3. A department that monitors potential diseases in the planet or the moon.
6. Engineering Department - In this department there are two departments:
- A. A department responsible for the ongoing technical maintenance of the base.
- B. A department responsible for the development, production and installation of various items as ordered by the other departments.
7 Farm and Construction Division - in this division there are two departments:
- A. A department responsible for the day-to-day economic maintenance of the base.
- B. A department that handles the construction of new buildings and facilities as ordered by the other departments.
8. The computer department - provides computer services to the other departments. In this wing there are two departments:
- A. A department responsible for providing ongoing services.
- B. A department responsible for their development and production according to the order of the other wings and installing them in the necessary places.
9. Power Division - responsible for the development and supply of power for the operation of the base. The power source can be solar or from other sources located on the surface of the planet or the moon.
base headquarters
The responsibility as a whole is given to the base headquarters and it has four departments:
- A. Planning department - in its hands is the responsibility for the research policy of the base and the increase of the area of the base and its activity, as well as the direction for the physical increase of the area of the base and the degree of intensity of the activity in it.
- B. Reception department - responsible for reception of new residents.
- third. Personnel department - responsible for placing employees in the various departments.
- d. Society and Culture Department - handles the social and cultural issues of the residents of the base.
- Absorption policy
Absorption of residents will not be on the basis of a temporary stay, but on the basis of permanent residence there. The professional who is invited or offers his candidacy for a job at the base comes with his family to live there for a permanent residence or at least for an extended period. The goal is to maintain regular contact between base workers and their families and create a solid social infrastructure in place.
the base structure
- The base is built in a concentric pattern. Three circles inside each other:
- Inner circle - base headquarters.
- Intermediate circle - the different wings.
- Outer circle - residential buildings and clubs. Shopping center and lots
This construction style aims to concentrate the mass of activities in close proximity to each other and in close proximity to the headquarters, while the residences where the small activities are carried out are in the outer circle, thus creating an eye contact between them and the landscape. As a rule, it must be ensured that the construction at the base is as spacious as possible. Between the circles and within them there are transport routes. The foundation must be as independent as possible in satisfying its needs.
The airport is outside the base at a distance of one to two km from the outer circle. If the star or the moon is not atmospheric, or it is different from that of the Earth, the base must be covered with a transparent dome or the base will be covered in sections. An inner circle with one dome, a dome for each wing of the intermediate circle and in the outer circle each group of buildings is covered with a dome. This is how neighborhoods can be created. The number of neighborhoods depends on the number of residents. All the domes are connected by axes of movement that are also covered with a transparent sheath.
In advanced stages the base will be able to expand its field of operation outside the planet it is on. For example, a base located on Ganymede in advanced stages of its operation could monitor an unmanned study of Jupiter and its moons. A base on Titan could oversee unmanned exploration of Saturn and its moons.
space bases
A space base is any base located in planetary orbit or around any moon or in solar orbit (for example the International Space Station AB)
Four types of bases will be needed:
- Research base - a base whose entire operation is in the solar and astronomical field.
- Fuel base - a base containing fuel for refueling spaceships and rockets.
- Training base - a base whose role is to train astronauts for a long stay in space and to accustom them to different gravities (gravitational forces).
- A manufacturing and engineering base responsible for the development of spacecraft that are not intended for any landings. The construction of space structures, the production of raw materials that can only be produced in space and the repair of enclosures.
Training, engineering and production bases can only be found in planetary or lunar orbit, research and fuel bases can be found in both planetary and solar orbit. The desired planetary orbit is the stationary equator for planets with high axial velocity and an orbit whose distance from the ground is the distance of the stationary equatorial orbit for stars or moons with low axial velocity. As for the solar orbit, the bases can move in any orbit, except those too close to the sun.
the base structure
The base structure is adapted to the function it is supposed to fulfill. The basic systems are the same in all bases and they are:
- The base body - the base skeleton
- Energy system - provides its systems with power. The energy can be solar or nuclear.
- communication system
- The base computer
- Navigation system - to stabilize the base in its course.
- Living system - living rooms, atmosphere, food, medical equipment, sanitary and hygienic equipment, clothing, library and more.
- Warehouses - in warehouses spare parts for the repair of the base systems, work tools and more.
- Adhesion docks
Unlike the ground bases, the crews manning these bases are on a temporary basis. Every few months they are replaced. Efforts should be made to have the crews and current supplies from the nearest inhabited planet.
In the second and last part: how to set up a planetary research system
More on the subject on the science website
6 תגובות
The book seems serious to me and could be realized first as a doctoral thesis and publication of scientific articles, and then as a book.
Israel is small about the book a little without insulting. Regarding a vision for the time. There are many challenges to establishing colonies on other planets, but it seems to me that propulsion is most important and today we already hear about a plasma particle engine at a speed of 100,000 km/h (3 times faster than normal rocket propulsion) and I have already talked about the conversion of nuclear energy to rocket energy. A nuclear reactor the size of an orange, from an entire Shlima aircraft carrier or a Shlima nuclear submarine that runs for 13 years.
It is clear that there is still a sea of challenges, at the current level of knowledge (I am not talking about the land of Mars, but about living cells). Systems that repair themselves and systems that economize themselves, and back themselves up. A culture that can finance itself alone, without the existence of humans on the target planet. In terms of difficulty, there is a difficulty similar to that of the Mayflower and Santa Maria/Niña/Pinta immigrants, but they encountered Indians and in one case, the American case, contact with the Indians, at least temporarily, helped them survive. We don't have that here.
In my opinion, all the inventions will return the investment in renewable energy technologies: a water system for maximum utilization, oxygen for maximum utilization, electricity for maximum utilization - all the needs of a world that is rapidly depleting its resources. There is no global leadership to put it together and we have a tendency to assassinate exceptional leaders for good and a tendency to return to a medieval reality.
Another vision for the time.
We have no argument about all this... I meant that the expenses of a parent are not high. On the other hand, the expenses are higher than the return...
To Mr. Nissim, in clearing pension payments. The education budget is more expensive than the defense budget! The problem is that there is inefficiency, such as unnecessary supervisors, a directorate for residential education, hidden unemployment, in short, little money goes to the students themselves! In Israel there are math teachers who don't know about sweets! And they cannot be fired! And the attitude towards teachers will not be improved because new teachers are contract workers!
Another vision for the time.
In Israel, the education system is very cheap. It's on the face, but it's cheap. Everything else is true.
A desire to be a leading country meets the ground of reality. For example, Israel has an unequal and expensive education system, in addition to an ineffective education system, there is legal corruption - teachers, contract workers, donations, and payments from parents. And this is how the gap between rich and poor, and between the periphery and the center is maintained. In addition to the housing prices - caused by the finance policy, which contrary to the public interest, sold mass housing and did not increase the stock of apartments.