ITS

NOTE: the ITS is on hold while SpaceX prefect the smaller ITSy or BFR version 1.0

Interplanetary Transport System (ITS) - possible new name from Elon Musk of the MCT as it can do far more than Mars.

But its initial use using it first spaceship to be named 'Heart of Gold' will be to set up spaceX Mars base Alpha.

System Architecture

The System includes Booster, spaceship, tanker and the In Situ propellant production.

The spaceship is launched on top of a booster stage into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) that then returns to earth to fly 3-5 times back to LEO with a tanker to on-orbit fuel the spaceship ready for its trip to Mars or other destination. As long as the gravity well is low the spaceship just need to refuel and will not require a booster stage to get back to Earth.

FEATURES OF THE SHIP THAT WOULD TAKE US TO MARS (Space X)

ITS vs Saturn 5

Note for fun: given the MCT may carry 100-200 people what will be the crew complement and functions

The ITS is not like the ISS with just 6 full time crew it is more like a Nuclear Submarine that has no physical contact with the rest of the world for over a year.

One way trip may be 6-8 months.

The ITS will need doctors, dentists, repair technicians as well as the day to day Crew as in a Ocean going cruise liner.

As there are many people on board the use of robots except for external work is most likely just extra weight.

It might be wise to have multiple teams crew to function 24/7 and allow of time off, most positions will require 3-4 team members to work 6-8 hour shifts.

Food Technicians

This requirement in space to rehydrate and serve food is may be a full time job as there there is a need for 200,000 pre prepared dehydrated Meals to be stored for the round trip. (a hundred people with full access to the food storage may not be wise)

Micro meteor repair teams (could be Fire emergency team as well)

Communication team

Morale and entertainment teams

IT experts (Servicing onboard systems)

Astronauts - for any work requiring EVA (may also be celestial Navigators)

Toilet Maintenance team

Security (in case of mental breakdown problems)

I see little need for any bridge as such maybe a meeting room for emergency strategizing.

Also not sure if a captain in needed!!! but someone on-board may be needed to confirm that everything is 'Go' for landing etc.

The need for privacy may exclude "Hot bunking" or "space sleeping bag", even on the ISS the need for a private cubicle has been met.

Maybe the dentist will be robotic using a chair/Bench with securing straps, trying to imagine how a human word perform this type of work in space, This may also be useful for medical emergencies.

I guess 4-6 toilets will be required as will washing/cleaning stations.

If 4 hours of exercises each is required, 12 fully equipped exercise areas will be needed.

Heart of Gold (named after the ship in the famous sci-fi series Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), will drop off tools and components for a future mission to build the pieces of a full-scale methane fuel depot to enable the spaceships to refuel using this propellant for the return journey back to Earth ready for further missions.

"Beyond Mars" Interplanetary SpaceX Spaceship

Destinations

The spaceship will be able to go to the following low gravity well destinations as the booster is only needed for heavy gravity wells like Earth's and is not needed for Mars or our Moon, Pluto or any of the other moons etc.

    • The Moon (Earths)

    • Asteroids

    • Enceladus, a moon of Saturn

    • Titan a moon of Saturn

    • Callisto a moon of Jupiter

    • Europa a moon of Jupiter

    • Pluto

    • Ort Cloud objects

Saturn illustrations

ITS spaceship approaching Saturn's system with its Solar wings fully deployed.

ITS spaceship on Saturn's Moon Enceladus spewing steam Geysers Source: SpaceX

Jupiter illustrations

ITS spaceship on Jupiter's moon Europa

ITS spaceship approaching Jupiter system

Elon Musk has no ambition to build a base on our Moon but is open to others financing such a project using the ITS.

ON HOLD: BIG Interplanetary Transport System (ITS)

The ITS 1st stage booster rocket proposes to use 42 Raptor ER40 engines at it's base giving a lift off thrust 0f 13,033t(metric) that is 3.6 times that of the Saturn V rocket.

ITS Raptor configeration

ITS 1st stage rocket base showing the configuration of the 42 Raptor ER40 engines using the 40 expansion ratio Sea level nozzels.

The ITS Spaceship design plans to use 3 Sea level Raptor engines in the centre that can be gimbled for course direction changes(maneuvering), surrounded by 6 fixed (non gimbled) engines with more powerful 382 Isp vacuum Raptor ER200 version using larger 200 expansion ratio nozzels.

Spaceship

ITS Interplanetary Spaceship showing engine configuration (solar panels deployed)