Mars Landing Boat Magazine Version  

 

   One of the most spectacular spaceships ever designed has to be von Braun's Mars lander of 1954 (called a 'Landing Boat.')  These winged, chemical rocket ships were designed to have traveled to Mars, been assembled in Mars orbit, and then glide to a landing on the surface of Mars. 

        .

           .

The fact that they traveled to Mars with their wings stored beneath the ship is a fascinating observation of the state of technology of the day.  The wings were used only for landing in the atmosphere of Mars. After over a year of interplanetary flight, they would have to be re-attached in order to make the descent to the surface of Mars.

         . 

That is the main reason they were as big as they were. Unfortunately they were designed with data that showed the Martian atmosphere to be much thicker than it was eventually discovered and the wings would have to have been even larger to have actually worked. 

          .

The landing ship, or boat as it was called, was actually two parts.  The landing wings would be discarded once it was on the surface of Mars and the center rocket would return to orbit. 

       .

The amount of study, effort, and detail that went into designing this spaceship has to be read firsthand in order to be appreciated.  All equipment and consumables for a 400 day stay as well as the transit time between Earth and Mars had to be carried along with the mission.  The Mars landing boat itself would carry all material down to the surface of Mars. Then the return vehicle would have to be manually erected for its launch back into orbit. 

       .

Regardless of their limitations, these ships stand as some of the most beautiful ever designed.