Planet-Wide Access: Impact of Spatial and Atmospheric Variability on the Design of Entry, Descent And Landing Systems
- Paper number
IAC-06-A3.P.3.12
- Author
Mr. Elie Allouis, Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey, United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Dr. Alex Ellery, Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey, United Kingdom
- Year
2006
- Abstract
With the current emphasis on Mars exploration, more missions are being investigated to return even more scientific data from the red planet. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), Phoenix, ExoMars or the Mars Surface Laboratory (MSL) are all challenging missions designed to piece together valuable information in the search of past life as well as preparing for future manned missions. As of now, most of the Martian missions have been concentrated in relatively benign regions around the equator, except for the failed Mars Polar Lander (MPL) and Deep Space Probe 2 (DS2) and the forthcoming Phoenix mission. But as the need for new data grows so does the necessity to reach new targets and specific regions from the heights of Olympus Mons to the depth of Valles Marineris. This paper addresses the capabilities of current and foreseeable entry descent and landing systems (EDLS) by using a systematic approach to characterise the domains of applicability of penetrators (DS2 type), small (<150kg) and medium (<900kg) missions. The impact of the landing site altitude and location as well as the atmospheric variability are investigated to provide accessibility maps for any given type of missions. From this data, it is possible to build an overall understanding of the influence of these parameters on specific aspects of the design of EDL sub-systems whether it is a penetrator relying on specific soil conditions, or a descent system based on parachute, inflatables or propulsion systems. Finally by understanding these effects, it may be possible to propose a number of mitigation strategies to cope with a given EDL system and non-nominal conditions at Mars as recently illustrated by the Beagle2 and Mars Exploration Rover missions.
- Abstract document