Mars reconnaissance lander: Vehicle and mission design

Details Mars reconnaissance lander: Vehicle and mission design Mars reconnaissance lander: Vehicle and mission design

Oct 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011p%26ss...59.1621w&link_type=abstract

Planetary and Space Science, Volume 59, Issue 13, p. 1621-1631.

Mathematics

Logic

Scientific paper

There is enormous potential for more mobile planetary surface science. This is especially true in the case of Mars because the ability to cross challenge terrain, access areas of higher elevation, visit diverse geological features and perform long traverses of up to 200 km supports the search for past water and life. Vehicles capable of a ballistic ‘hop’ have been proposed on several occasions, but those proposals using in-situ acquired propellants are the most promising for significant planetary exploration. This paper considers a mission concept termed Mars Reconnaissance Lander using such a vehicle. We describe an approach where planetary science requirements that cannot be met by a conventional rover are used to derive vehicle and mission requirements.The performance of the hopper vehicle was assessed by adding estimates of gravity losses and mission mass constraints to recently developed methods. A baseline vehicle with a scientific payload of 16.5 kg and conservatively estimated sub-system masses is predicted to achieve a flight range of 0.97 km. Using a simple consideration of system reliability, the required cumulative range of 200 km could be achieved with a probability of around 80%. Such a range is sufficient to explore geologically diverse terrains. We therefore plot an illustrative traverse in Hypanis Valles/Xanthe Terra, which encounters crater wall sections, periglacial terrain, aqueous sedimentary deposits and a traverse up an ancient fluvial channel. Such a diversity of sites could not be considered with a conventional rover. The Mars Reconnaissance Lander mission and vehicle presents some very significant engineering challenges, but would represent a valuable complement to rovers, static landers and orbital observations.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Mars reconnaissance lander: Vehicle and mission design does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Mars reconnaissance lander: Vehicle and mission design, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Mars reconnaissance lander: Vehicle and mission design will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1672962