Is a Continuous Mars-Earth Transporter Using Gravity Assist Viable?

[Stormer]

TL;DR Summary

Can a spaceship continuously go between Earth and Mars with gravity assist at each end and minimal motor input with the current orbits of Mars and Earth?

I watched a movie a while ago (i think it was called Stowaway) where there was a craft with artificial gravity, and enough space for everyone's needs that was continuously going between Mars and Earth gravity assist slingshotting around them each passing. And then the crew just used a small spaceship with supplies and the minimum space needed for the crew to be to shoot up from Earth or Mars and dock to the "transporter" craft for a comfortable ride the majority of the trip.
This seemed like a really good solution where you can add all of the shielding, artificial gravity and so on to the transporter craft, and then keep the launch craft down to a minimal weight and size. But is it possible? Can you keep a craft in a continues trip between Earth and Mars with gravity assist slingshotting at each end with minimal motor input on the way indefinitely?

 

[Filip Larsen]

It's an interesting concept (but not one I have been researching as such). In principle it looks possible, but not without some tradeoffs.

You should be able to find some more information on the topic if you search for "Mars cycler" or similar. For instance, this 1986 conference paper on circulating transport orbits between Earth and Mars dig into some candidate cycler orbits and the Mars cycler Wikipedia page also has some more references that looks interesting.

Edit: Another 2002 conference paper, Analysis of a Broad Class of Earth-Mars Cycler Trajectories, is perhaps giving a better overview of the orbit types.

 

[NatSusan]

That's a really interesting concept! I haven't seen the movie Stowaway, but it sounds like they have a pretty efficient system in place for traveling between Earth and Mars. I'm not an expert in space travel, but I do know that gravity assist slingshotting is a real technique used by spacecraft to conserve fuel and increase speed. So in theory, it is possible to continuously travel between Earth and Mars using this method.

However, there are a few factors that could potentially affect the sustainability of this system. One is the availability of resources and supplies on the transporter craft. If it's constantly shuttling between Earth and Mars, there may be limited opportunities for restocking and replenishing resources. This could become an issue if the trips become longer or more frequent.

Another factor is the wear and tear on the spacecraft itself. Even with minimal motor input, there will still be some strain on the craft from the gravity assist maneuvers and the constant travel. It would require regular maintenance and potentially replacements for parts that wear down over time.

Overall, I think it's a plausible concept, but there would need to be some careful planning and monitoring in place to ensure the sustainability of the system. It's definitely an interesting idea to think about though!