North American Rockwell Mars Excursion Module (MEM) model

[Triton]

North American Rockwell Mars Excursion Module (MEM) model found on eBay.

URL: http://cgi.ebay.com/1967-ROCKWELL-NASA-MARS-PROTOTYPE-MODEL-SPACESHIP-RARE-/350404751800?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5195c031b8

Seller's description:

This is an original concept display piece from North American Rockwell Corporation. It is the 'Mars Excursion Module (MEM)', and was a project developed in 1967 for a manned landing on Mars. The project spaceship was to be tested and qualified between the years of 1971-1978, and a landing on Mars was scheduled for 1982. There are documents on the internet that describe the entire project, and give the history of the program. The case still has the Rockwell label on it that is dated 10/67. The spaceship is mounted behind a heavy duty type plexiglass type display, and has the conceptual type drawings on it of the occupants and how they would travel. The piece is in great condition, with no type of damage to it, and the blue metal display cover is in great condition as well, with only a few small marks on it. I have taken a number of photos. It is a good size piece, and the case stands 17" high, and is 14" in diameter, and it weighs in at 29pds.

 

[Triton]

North American Rockwell Mars Excursion Module (MEM) model found on eBay.

 

[Triton]

North American Rockwell Mars Excursion Module (MEM) model found on eBay.

 

[Orionblamblam]

North American Rockwell Mars Excursion Module (MEM) model found on eBay.

WANT.

Current bid: US $1,000.00

:'( CAN'T HAVE

 

[Grey Havoc]

That belongs in a Museum!



Seriously though, I hope it did end up in a good home.

 

[FighterJock]

Surprised that the Smithsonian never bought it from whoever was selling it in eBay.

 

[blackstar]

Surprised that the Smithsonian never bought it from whoever was selling it in eBay.

Every museum has an acquisition strategy, meaning an overall policy on what they want to own and display in their museum. The Smithsonian focuses primarily on famous flown artifacts. So models and drawings are much lower on their list. Also, they have a lot less money to purchase things than you would think. Private museums tend to have endowments and donations that they use to acquire things. The Smithsonian does not really have that. Instead, they have other things, like federal policies that give them first dibs on acquiring NASA objects.

 

[Archibald]

Attached to this post: DEFINITION OF EXPERIMENTAL TESTS FOR A MANNED MARS EXCURSION MODULE -- FINAL BRIEFING -- November 1967

My favorite part: MEM landing on the Moon. Very interestingly the main modification would have to be some plumbing between the descent and ascent stages.

Indeed a MEM landing on the Moon would need 7300 ft/s for the descent, but its descent stage would be sized for Mars and its atmosphere, that is only 3500 ft/s - hence a deficit of 3800 ft/s.

No problem them: the engine would shift to the ascent stage tanks. Which are sized for a Mars ascent 16 000 ft/s, when ascending from the Moon is only 6200 ft/s. And thus the ascent stage would be left with 16000 - 3800 = 12200 ft/s, twice as needed for a lunar ascent.

Bottom line: a MEM trading propellants between its descent and ascent stages through specific plumbing, could make a roundtrip to the lunar surface with propellants to spare: 6000 ft/s of them. This could be used to hover near the landing spot.

 

[Archibald]

Dear moderators, could you merge this thread with that one ? https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/mars-mission-module.5316/