tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post5100792291909872191..comments2024-01-03T20:28:17.727-08:00Comments on Future Planetary Exploration: Red Dragon and Planetary ExplorationVan Kanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227978868817989527noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post-42211092706375779472016-06-07T04:19:26.368-07:002016-06-07T04:19:26.368-07:00Very solid article, I enjoyed reading it. It is de...Very solid article, I enjoyed reading it. It is definitely worth noting that, above all else, Red Dragons funded largely by SpaceX have a single purpose, and that is testing tools necessary for the MCT's and subsequent colony's success. Red Dragon 1 will be largely a test of supersonic retropropulsion and its efficacy on Mars, while RD2 and beyond will likely be used to test ISRU, ranging from mining methane from a water source to oxygen from the CO2 atmosphere to testing out plant growth in Martian conditions (be that just gravity or some attempt to utilize Martian soil/water). Anything done outside of those pointed efforts will likely be at the whim of NASA and external parties with the wherewithal and desire to fund a generally more affordable and less bespoke planetary exploration vehicle.ericralphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06988320393657765076noreply@blogger.com