The security of as the crew is a priority in a manned space mission, it is There are therefore a number of safeguards depending on the different phases of the Mission. Of course, no backup can protect events extremes such as a collision in transit, a failure in the shield or a double or triple failure.
Launch: in the event of a launcher failure, the MMV that houses the crew can purge some of its propellants while turning on its engines to move away from the launcher and gain altitude before deploying the hydrogen recovery system.
Increase orbit: until the MMV has reached the speed of release, it remains in a very eccentric orbit. In the event of a failure, it can use its RCS engines to bring the perigee into the atmosphere and thus air-brakes until the final year. In the event of a more seriously, the crew has enough food to last at least 110 days, it will have to wait for a second MMV to be rescued.
Cycler rendez-vous: between the MMV reaches the speed of escape and reaches its apogee nominal orbital parameters, there is a critical phase that could lead to the crew to get lost in an unforeseen heliocentric orbit. It’s for avoid a total failure during this phase as the MMV is equipped with two low-size engines, and crossing the speed of escape can only be done with both engines in nominal operation. In addition, the cargo attached behind the MMV contains enough RCS propellants to finalize the thrust at the cost of a long-term loss of the cycler due to the lack of correction of trajectory to adjust Venus’ gravitational assistance.
Docking to cycler: in case of impossible to docking with the cycler or if during transit the cycler becomes inoperative, the crew can survive the 110 days of transit in the MMV at the cost of minimal comfort.
Failure MMV during transit: if the MMV has a failure during the fails to disarm, or an inspection reveals a defect on the heat shield, the crew cannot carry out their mission on the Venus. He will have to stay in the cycler until the next appointment with the Earth 1500 days later. From there, passengers will use the cargo ship as a canoe pumping all available RCS propellants, will perform a and will be joined by the MMV waiting for them. These four years and half to wait in space by eating only rations freeze-dried measures provided for this purpose will be very challenging. Crew members will surely have to undergo several months of rehabilitation, and a ban on flights due to radiation, but they will be in life.
Venusian reentry: a particularly critical phase, no backup is not possible, only the experience gained through the development program will be able to protect the crew.
Failure Venusian launcher: the main Venusian launcher will begin its filling once the set is deployed. This will allow the RCT to be placed rescue in orbit even before Vesta 1 departs. This life-size test will check the launcher and production to be on the right track. In the event of failure, the Vesta 1 mission will be postponed until a solution be found. Once Vesta 1 on Venus (and thus the emergency RCT in orbit), the system will prepare for the main RCT launch. Once the latter in orbit, the launch system (as well as the emergency system, if it is sent) will begin filling for manned launch with a MMV. If the system relief is present, the nominal manned launch is planned a few days before the return window, in order to allow in the event of failure to recover the emergency launcher before it’s too late. In any case, if it is impossible to leave Venus, the crew has enough food to hold an alignment moreover, by the time the Earth sends a new firing range and food if the situation is to continue.
Increase Venusian orbit: the presence of two RCT in Venusian orbit provides security during the push to the return path. Moreover, both that the escape velocity is not reached, a return to Venus for waiting for the next alignment is possible.
rendez-vous with cycler: as with the Earth, the change in the escape velocity is critical in terms of security as it could lead to a drifting the crew into a heliocentric orbit. To avoid this, in addition to a ban on passing the speed of release if the two engines of the MMV are not in nominal operation, as the emergency RCT can join it to finalize the thrust.
Transit return: as for the Earth-Venus transit, in case of a problem on the cycler, the crew may remain confined to the MMV for 110 days of the back travel. On the other hand, if the MMV is inoperative or if its shield is damaged, the crew will be able to take refuge in the cargo ship to go into orbit around Earth and wait for help.
Earth’s reentry: even after such a long travel, one of the phases the most critical will be the last 100 kilometres. Indeed, none of the emergency system cannot protect the crew during atmospheric re-entry.