A Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) systems engineering study is underway to define the driving requirements, system architecture, major risks, and required technology developments to support the launch of a rock core sample to a specified delivery orbit for later retrieval and return to Earth. The proposed MAV would essentially be a small-scale launch vehicle, the first of its kind to be launched autonomously from another planet. The MAV would be a flight element of the proposed Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign architecture, which currently assumes a 2018 launch of the sample caching mission and a 2024 (Earth) launch date of the MAV and lander, with arrival on Mars in 2025. After 9 months on the surface the MAV would be erected and launched to a specified delivery orbit. In the delivery orbit it would release its payload, a 5 kg sphere containing the rock core sample. An orbiter would rendezvous and capture the payload, returning it to Earth a year later.


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    Title :

    Systems Engineering and Technology Considerations of a Mars Ascent Vehicle


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    2011 IEEE Aerospace Conference ; 2011 ; Big Sky, MT, United States


    Publication date :

    2012-03-12


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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