Russian scientists believe that in the future it will be possible to abandon the use of expensive chemical-fueled rockets and launch cargo from Mars using ropes extended from satellites. RIA Novosti writes about it.
According to scientists, there are two ways to launch cargo into space from the surface of Mars. In the first case, the spacecraft will independently rise from the planet's surface and dock with the end of the cable, which moves at a speed of about two kilometers per second. In this case, it is impossible to abandon rocket engines, but this method is more economical than direct launch of the vehicle into orbit.
In the second case, the cable will be automatically captured from the surface of Mars due to the precise calculation of the coordinates of the docking and launching site. Scientists assume that the cargo will be on a cable loop suspended on masts, which must be picked up with the help of a special device located on one of the satellites of Mars - Phobos or Deimos. The power plant will also be located there, and the cable will also serve to transmit electricity to the cargo.
Scientists believe that by the middle of the 21st century, technologies will appear that will make it possible to build an Earth-Moon space elevator. In the same way, Mars and its moons can be tied with cables.
In 2004, Samara scientists announced plans to build a descent vehicle that would be attached to the orbital module using a special cable 30 kilometers long. The project was developed on the instructions of the European Space Agency.