Intercontinental rovers servicing automated solar-powered Rodriguez Wells can supply water for Human Exploration on Mars. This paper describes a solar-powered multi-vehicle concept that can turn water resources obtained from mid-latitude glacier ice into a sustained water supply. A robotic drilling platform is proposed that can access relatively pure water ice in mid-latitude Martian glaciers through 1–10m of loose regolith, whereupon long-distance tanker rovers continually traverse terrain between the drilling operation and human outposts located in Mars equatorial zones. Robotically deployed solar-thermal panels will be able to passively heat warm water that is delivered into a Rodriguez Well (a melted cavity in an expanse of water ice such as a glacier). Newly melted water will be pumped up out of the well and cycled through the solar panels to fill tankers. The tankers will consist of multiple four-wheeled linked cars in a tram-like configuration that can overcome steep terrain and obstacles. The system will be able to deliver its own landed mass of water to the human explorers every ∼74 Mars days. The resources, power, vehicle configurations, and detailed functions are described.


    Zugriff

    Zugriff prüfen

    Verfügbarkeit in meiner Bibliothek prüfen

    Bestellung bei Subito €


    Exportieren, teilen und zitieren



    Titel :

    Robotic infrastructure for Mars outpost water supply


    Beteiligte:
    Wilcox, Brian H. (Autor:in) / Howe, A. Scott (Autor:in)

    Erschienen in:

    Erscheinungsdatum :

    2018-03-01


    Format / Umfang :

    5933249 byte




    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Konferenz)


    Format :

    Elektronische Ressource


    Sprache :

    Englisch



    Robotic Infrastructure for Mars Outpost Water Supply

    Howe, Scott A. / Wilcox, Brian H. | NTRS | 2018


    Future Mars outpost architecture

    Williams, T. D. / Owens, J. / Easter, R. W. et al. | NTRS | 2000


    Future Mars outpost architecture

    Williams, T. D. / Owens, J. / Polko, C. et al. | NTRS | 2001


    Future Mars outpost architecture

    Williams, T. D. / Owens, J. M. / Easter, R. W. et al. | NTRS | 2001


    Future Mars Outpost architecture

    Williams, T.D. / Owens, J.M. / Easter, R.W. et al. | IEEE | 2001