Could the Space Shuttle be Un-Mothballed and Modified for Mars?

If they could pull a few shuttles out of retirement heavily shield the interior could be enough for a bare bones attempt at Orbiting Mars? Sealling cargo bay, and adding exterior solar panels, It wouldn't have to be used for re-entry just left in Earth Orbit? Probably keep the Budget down, Don't the Russians have a shuttle?

a reply to: I8THATAPPLEFRITTER

Now that would be a gut check flight.

a reply to: I8THATAPPLEFRITTER

en.wikipedia.org...(spacecraft)

i.pinimg.com...

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If the shell is available, perfect

www.popularmechanics.com...

The shuttle was a Mack Truck designed for Low Earth Orbit. It does not have the fuel capacity for anything further. It's not designed for inter-planetary flight. If you are going to Mars you need to get down to the surface and back up. The shuttle couldn't do that either. You need a purpose-built craft to get to Mars. The shuttle ain't it. It was a shuttle. That's all.

a reply to: I8THATAPPLEFRITTER

That would mean transporting a lot of dead weight (heat shield, wings etc) to Mars for no reason.

I highly doubt that it would be cheaper than a dedicated (and much lighter) Mars spacecraft.

a reply to: moebius

Heat shield could be stripped, replaced with solar panels
Reason: cheaper than building a new spacecraft
wings are good more space for solar panels
Fuel Tank capacity can be expanded
Ain't planning on landing it anywhere, Mars or Earth

14 months in a 25 x 15 foot space
i.pinimg.com...

Who cares what it was designed for, It's what I have planned for it right now.

a reply to: I8THATAPPLEFRITTER

We should build a one way, purpose built, lander /habitat mothership.

Have the whole thing lift off, make the trip and land. Then it becomes the habitat.

Launch supplies, fuel, all mission modules and / or booster stages in space assembled, unmanned shuttle craft ahead of the mother ship. Have them be picked up and then placed in orbit by the mothership over Mars.

These supply pods and mission modules can land individually once in Mars orbit.

Recycle everything once on Mars. Everything should be built with this in mind.

a reply to: tadaman

shoulda, woulda, Coulda

Who is going to be numero uno
A!
Top of the heap
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a reply to: tadaman

shoulda, woulda, Coulda

Who is going to be numero uno
A1
king of the hill
Top of the heap
www.youtube.com...

www.youtube.com...

No.

a reply to: I8THATAPPLEFRITTER

Basically you're suggesting that they use it for a capsule.

After the strip down and all the modifications you are talking about, the answer is yes they could sort of use it, but it would not really save very much money at all.

Not only would it need to be heavily shielded, you'd need to modify it so that those on board can survive a interplanetary round trip of 12 to 18 months.

a reply to: eriktheawful

Not buying the whole it's cheaper just to build new.

GUTCHECK

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a reply to: I8THATAPPLEFRITTER

You would have to completely replace the life support systems of the shuttle. They were not designed for a 12 to 18 month run. Your crew would be pretty screwed if the CO2 scrubbers failed, water filtration system failed, etc.

I don't care if you "buy" it or not. It's simply the truth. The only part of the shuttle that is useful for this would be it's hull. Period. And it would have to be modified itself.

Absolutely NO cost savings at all.

Since there is no cost savings in reusing the shuttle, there is absolutely NO reason to use it at all in a mission to Mars. Not when simply building a ship actually designed to go there in the first place is going to cost about the same.

a reply to: I8THATAPPLEFRITTER

so, replace them, 2 man crew

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: I8THATAPPLEFRITTER

No.

a reply to: I8THATAPPLEFRITTER

I wouldn't mind seeing what one of these schools could do with a spare shuttle.

Aerospace/the cant do crowd
thebestschools.org...

originally posted by: I8THATAPPLEFRITTER
a reply to: eriktheawful

Not buying the whole it's cheaper just to build new.

Well, you should. Look. I think we're all trying to let you down easily in a spirit of trying not to belittle your idea outright. But as we're pointing out the difficulties you are stubbornly maintaining your original idea is viable. You obviously have no education in engineering or space flight. The fact is your idea is crap. The shuttles are now museum exhibits, and that's where they will stay. Get over it. We're not refurbishing a shuttle to take to Mars. Period.

a reply to: schuyler

it's a joke, nobody's going to mars in a new ship or modified shuttle.

a reply to: I8THATAPPLEFRITTER

I'm buying those Russian shuttles

scp-foundation-rp.wdfiles.com...

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Making Russia Great Again

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When the Shuttle was retired it was obsolete, all of it's systems were antiquated. Just take a look at some of the pictures of the cabin(s) on some of the later missions, you can see covered up holes where they removed countless old instruments and replaced them with new ones. The whole cabin was holes patched all over the place. They replaced everything they possibly could to keep it flying. Those things are completely worn out.