From: niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid   
      
   On 2022-02-06 17:13, Alain Fournier wrote:   
   > Robotic missions to Mars have been getting more and more complex and   
   > rovers ever heavier. SpaceX should soon have a rocket capable of landing   
   > 100 tonnes on Mars. So they could theoretically put two T-90MS Tagil   
   > Russian military tanks. That is quite a lot more than the current   
   > rovers, but sending tanks is not a good idea.   
   >   
   > An obvious use of this new capability is to send humans to Mars, and   
   > that is what SpaceX has in mind. But lets assume that we are planning a   
   > robotic mission to Mars and we have a 100 tonnes mass budget. What do   
   > you think would be a good use of this capability?   
      
      
   1. A rover or flyer (helicopter) with a good ground-penetrating radar   
   and other prospecting instruments.   
      
   2. A powerful, heavy drill for deep sampling (tens of meters). Mobile,   
   of course.   
      
   3. An excavator for moderately deep trenches (a few meters). Mobile too.   
      
   4. A bigger and more versatile remotely controlled laboratory for   
   on-Mars sample studies. Mobile or trailer-mounted and pulled by the   
   drill or excavator.   
      
   5. One or several sample-return craft, direct from Mars to Earth without   
   any rendez-vous with a Mars orbiter. Either mounted on trailers or   
   independently mobile. Possibly with reusable first stages, if there is   
   also an ISRU propellant plant.   
      
   Open question: power sources for the above. Solar or kilopower fission?   
      
   Could the Starship solar panels be deployed on the surface after   
   landing? I haven't seen any new info about the Starship solar panels for   
   a goodish time, except for the HLS version.   
      
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