A Mars Sample Return mission is the highest priority science mission for the next decade recommended by the recent Decadal Survey of Planetary Science, the key community input process that guides NASAs science missions. A feasibility study was conducted of a potentially simple and low cost approach to Mars Sample Return mission enabled by the use of developing commercial capabilities. Previous studies of MSR have shown that landing an all up sample return mission with a high mass capacity lander is a cost effective approach. The approach proposed is the use of an emerging commercially available capsule to land the launch vehicle system that would return samples to Earth. This paper describes the mission and technology requirements impact on the launch vehicle system design, referred to as the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV).
Mars Sample Return Mars Ascent Vehicle Mission and Technology Requirements
2013
58 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Unmanned Spacecraft , Manned Spacecraft , Mars sample return missions , Mission planning , Ascent trajectories , Ascent , Launch vehicles , Spacecraft design , Spacecraft propulsion , Mars landing , Return to earth space flight , Engine design , Weight reduction , Cost effectiveness , Systems engineering , Spacecraft launching , Nozzle design , Computational fluid dynamics , Structural weight , Fuel tanks , Hypergolic rocket propellants