Mars Exploration Entry, Descent and Landing Challenges
- Creators
- Braun, Robert D.
- Manning, Robert-M
Abstract
The United States has successfully landed five robotic systems on the surface of Mars. These systems all had landed mass below 0.6 metric tons (t), had landed footprints on the order of hundreds of km and landed at sites below -1 km MOLA elevation due the need to perform entry, descent and landing operations in an environment with sufficient atmospheric density. Current plans for human exploration of Mars call for the landing of 40-80 t surface elements at scientifically interesting locations within close proximity (10's of m) of pre-positioned robotic assets. This paper summarizes past successful entry, descent and landing systems and approaches being developed by the robotic Mars exploration program to increased landed performance (mass, accuracy and surface elevation). In addition, the entry, descent and landing sequence for a human exploration system will be reviewed, highlighting the technology and systems advances required.
Additional Information
The authors are indebted to the following personnel for helpful discussions and insight in the preparation of this material: Mark Adler, Adam Steltzner, Allen Chen and Robert Mitcheltree of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Juan Cruz and John Dec of the NASA Langley Research Center; Al Witkowski of Pioneer Aerospace; Grant Wells, Amanda Verges and Jarret Lafleur of the Georgia Institute of Technology; and Clem Tillier of the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory. A portion of the research described in this paper was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 119987
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20230314-222623000.21
- NASA/JPL/Caltech
- Created
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2023-03-15Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2023-03-15Created from EPrint's last_modified field