SPEV Mars Terraformer

After an ebay auction disappointment, I found myself in possession of three Venus Probe nose cones and I was determined to find a good use for them. So here's what I came up with for one of them. It's a Mars lander designed to begin terraforming the planet. The side pods will have nose cones on them and are supposed to be jettisoned from orbit to penetrate and begin pumping gases and water to the surface. The orbiter then lands at the pole and puts its reactor to work melting the frozen water.

Construction has begun...

Once the atmoshere processors come online and the colonists arrive, make sure the company doesn't send anyone out to explore a horseshoe shaped alien ship. The end result will be space marines blowing up the site and you will have to start all over again. Just FYI.

Nice!! These nosecones have been bugging me.... I have been thinking tha the HAS to be a use for them. This is a great adaptation.

Tell me about it Phred! I got 12 Venus Probe kits off of Ebay for like $2.99 each. When the same seller knocked them down even more I opened one to see if I could rationalize buying some more just for the parts and I could not do it! Unfinished tubes, weird nose cone and centering rings, strange fins and the alien always reminded me of my friends cat on the litterbox. She had a covered litterbox with a hole at the top, the cat would walk in, get "situated", pop its head out the top and do its business. That is what I think of every time that rocket is mentioned!

Hang on to them. I saw one selling for $8 on ebay the other day. Just a matter of time!

The design looks alot like a Boeing Air Miner (ref: Red Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson)

Originally posted by rokitflite
Once the atmoshere processors come online and the colonists arrive, make sure the company doesn't send anyone out to explore a horseshoe shaped alien ship. The end result will be space marines blowing up the site and you will have to start all over again. Just FYI.

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Man, I hate it when that happens.

Speaking of terraforming, I've just finished reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0765312662/qid=1118349216/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-7985395-3228834">Building Harlequin's Moon</a>, by Larry Niven and Brenda Cooper. It's really good!

Here's a shot of the SPEV so far.

Clsoe up shot of the lander's legs and exhaust. I'm going to reinforce the legs with balsa/thin ply for strength and to make the fin area. Now to cut eight lengths of BT-5 (ugh).

Originally posted by MetMan
Clsoe up shot of the lander's legs and exhaust. I'm going to reinforce the legs with balsa/thin ply for strength and to make the fin area. Now to cut eight lengths of BT-5 (ugh).

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UGH??? I don't want to hear it! See attached!!!


The rocket is looking real good! Very clean and unique. I can't wait to see more!

OK--the whining light is now off. Those are your nose cones on the lander, by the way...

Do you mean on the feet? Thats funny cause I looked at that and wondered what they were! I am a bad parent, I can't recognize my own children!

Hey, let me know if you need any nose cone bases for them. Ive just cast some.

Here it is with the eight "penetrators" attached. Need to do some sanding and detailing, then figure out how to finish...