Project Genesis is a low cost, near-term, unmanned Mars mission, whose primary purpose is to demonstrate in situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology. The essence of the mission is to use indigenously produced fuel and oxidizer to propel a ballistic hopper. The Mars Landing Vehicle/Hopper (MLVH) has an Earth launch mass of 625 kg and is launched aboard a Delta 117925 launch vehicle into a conjunction class transfer orbit to Mars. Upon reaching its target, the vehicle performs an aerocapture maneuver and enters an elliptical orbit about Mars. Equipped with a ground penetrating radar, the MLVH searches for subsurface water ice deposits while in orbit for several weeks. A deorbit burn is then performed to bring the MLVH into the Martian atmosphere for landing. Following aerobraking and parachute deployment, the vehicle retrofires to a soft landing on Mars. Once on the surface, the MLVH begins to acquire scientific data and to manufacture methane and oxygen via the Sabatier process. This results in a fuel-rich O2/CH4 mass ratio of 2, which yields a sufficiently high specific impulse (335 sec) that no additional oxygen need be manufactured, thus greatly simplifying the design of the propellant production plant. During a period of 153 days the MLVH produces and stores enough fuel and oxidizer to make a 30 km ballistic hop to a different site of scientific interest. At this new location the MLVH resumes collecting surface and atmospheric data with the onboard instrumentation. Thus, the MLVH is able to provide a wealth of scientific data which would otherwise require two separate missions or separate vehicles, while proving a new and valuable technology that will facilitate future unmanned and manned exploration of Mars. Total mission cost, including the Delta launch vehicle, is estimated to be $200 million.


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    Titel :

    Project Genesis: Mars in situ propellant technology demonstrator mission


    Beteiligte:
    Acosta, Francisco Garcia (Autor:in) / Anderson, Scott (Autor:in) / Andrews, Jason (Autor:in) / Deger, Matt (Autor:in) / Hedman, Matt (Autor:in) / Kipp, Jared (Autor:in) / Kobayashi, Takahisa (Autor:in) / Marcelo, Mohrli (Autor:in) / Mark, Karen (Autor:in) / Matheson, Mark (Autor:in)

    Erscheinungsdatum :

    1994-07-31


    Medientyp :

    Report


    Format :

    Keine Angabe


    Sprache :

    Englisch


    Schlagwörter :


    Project Genesis: Mars in Situ Propellant Technology Demonstrator Mission

    F. G. Acosta / S. Anderson / J. Andrews et al. | NTIS | 1994


    MARS IN SITU PROPELLANT TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR MISSION

    Bruckner, A.P. | Online Contents | 1995


    Project Hyreus: Mars Sample Return Mission Utilizing in Situ Propellant Production

    Bruckner, A. P. / Thill, Brian / Abrego, Anita et al. | NTRS | 1993



    Project Hyreus: Mars sample return mission utilizing in situ propellant production

    Abrego, Anita / Bair, Chris / Hink, Anthony et al. | NTRS | 1993