Comparative assessment of human–Mars-mission technologies and architectures

We compare a variety of mission scenarios to assess the strengths and weaknesses of options for Mars exploration. The mission design space is modeled along two dimensions: trajectory architectures and propulsion system technologies. We examine direct, semi-direct, stop-over, semi-cycler, and cycler architectures, and we include electric propulsion, nuclear thermal rockets, methane and oxygen production on Mars, Mars water excavation, aerocapture, and reusable propulsion systems in our technology assessment. The mission sensitivity to crew size, vehicle masses, and crew travel time is also examined. Many different combinations of technologies and architectures are applied to the same Mars mission to determine which combinations provide the greatest potential reduction in the injected mass to LEO. We approximate the technology readiness level of a mission to rank development risk, but omit development cost and time calculations in our assessment. It is found that Earth–Mars semi-cyclers and cyclers require the least injected mass to LEO of any architecture and that the discovery of accessible water on Mars has the most dramatic effect on the evolution of Mars exploration.     

美国新型载人火星探测技术方案

文章概括介绍了＂发现号＂宇宙飞船的布局结构。然后详细介绍了飞船用于火星探测的两种着陆舱的具体设计方案以及载人火星探测的任务剖面。最后分析了＂发现号＂宇宙飞船火星探测方案的关键可行技术和诸多设计优点。     

“凤凰号”火星探测器着陆过程

文章主要介绍了＂凤凰号＂火星着陆器的着陆过程、着陆点选择方法原则、巡航阶段工作任务,对进入（Entry）、下降（Descent）和着陆（Landing）即EDL阶段的蒙特卡罗分析结果和飞行器重建数值结果进行了总结比较。并对＂凤凰号＂相关的经验和教训进行了比较总结,这对中国未来的火星探测以及其他深空探测具有一定的借鉴作用。     

Gravitational wave detection on the Moon and the moons of Mars

The Moon and the moons of Mars should be extremely quiet seismically and could therefore become sensitive gravitational wave detectors, if instrumented properly. Highly sensitive displacement sensors could be deployed on these planetary bodies to monitor the motion induced by gravitational waves. A superconducting displacement sensor with a 10-kg test mass cooled to 2 K will have an intrinsic instrument noise of 10⁻¹⁶ m Hz^−1/2. These sensors could be tuned to the lowest two quadrupole modes of the body or operated as a wideband detector below its fundamental mode. An interesting frequency range is 0.1–1 Hz, which will be missed by both the ground detectors on the Earth and LISA and would be the best window for searching for stochastic background gravitational waves. Phobos and Deimos have their lowest quadrupole modes at 0.2–0.3 Hz and could offer a sensitivity h_min ? 10⁻²² Hz^−1/2 within their resonance peaks, which is within two orders of magnitude from the goal of the Big Bang Observer (BBO). The lunar and Martian moon detectors would detect many interesting foreground sources in a new frequency window and could serve as a valuable precursor for BBO.     

Mars Phobos and Deimos Survey (M-PADS) – A martian Moons orbiter and Phobos lander

We describe a Mars ‘Micro Mission’ for detailed study of the martian satellites Phobos and Deimos. The mission involves two ∼330 kg spacecraft equipped with solar electric propulsion to reach Mars orbit. The two spacecraft are stacked for launch: an orbiter for remote investigation of the moons and in situ studies of their environment in Mars orbit, and another carrying a lander for in situ measurements on the surface of Phobos (or alternatively Deimos). Phobos and Deimos remain only partially studied, and Deimos less well than Phobos. Mars has almost always been the primary mission objective, while the more dedicated Phobos project (1988–89) failed to realise its full potential. Many questions remain concerning the moons’ origins, evolution, physical nature and composition. Current missions, such as Mars Express, are extending our knowledge of Phobos in some areas but largely neglect Deimos. The objectives of M-PADS focus on: origins and evolution, interactions with Mars, volatiles and interiors, surface features, and differences. The consequent measurement requirements imply both landed and remote sensing payloads. M-PADS is expected to accommodate a 60 kg orbital payload and a 16 kg lander payload. M-PADS resulted from a BNSC-funded study carried out in 2003 to define candidate Mars Micro Mission concepts for ESA’s Aurora programme.     

Development of a gas chromatography compatible Sample Processing System (SPS) for the in-situ analysis of refractory organic matter in martian soil: preliminary results

In the frame of the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission a new sample preparation system (SPS) compatible with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) has been developed for the in situ analysis of complex organic molecules in the Martian soil. The goal is to detect, if they exist, some of the key compounds that play an important role in life on Earth including carboxylic acids, amino acids and nucleobases.     

中俄联合火星电离层星-星掩星探测

中俄联合火星星-星掩星探测是人类首次在火星空间环境进行此类的联合试验。用于探测火星电离层的星-星掩星技术较以前星地间的探测技术相比,有可接收高信噪比信号,反演精度高,可探测火星上太阳天顶角大于43°,或者小于138°的区域电离层等优点。本文介绍了中俄联合火星星-星掩星探测方案、基本原理,给出了主要技术指标、地面模拟测试结果。     

一种共轴双旋翼式火星飞行器设计及其试验验证

针对火星飞行器探测需求,提出了一种共轴双旋翼式火星飞行器,基于计算流体力学方法优选了桨叶翼型、平面形状和扭转角等结构参数,基于叶素动量理论建立了旋翼气动力学模型,利用数值模拟方法选择了旋翼转速、旋翼间距和桨叶安装角等飞行参数,设计了原理样机"火星飞鸟-I"的结构与控制系统。构建了火星大气环境模拟器和重力补偿与运动约束装置,开展了模拟火星环境下旋翼式飞行器地面飞行试验,验证了共轴双旋翼式火星飞行器的推进性能,展望了旋翼式火星飞行器技术的发展方向。研究成果对我国开展的火星探测工程具有重要借鉴价值。     

火星探测转移轨道初始设计与分析

根据推进方式和是否采用金星借力,火星转移轨道分为大推力直接转移轨道、大推力金星借力转移轨道、小推力直接转移轨道和小推力金星借力转移轨道4类。传统的轨道设计方法只是针对某一类特定的转移方案进行轨道优化,而并未针对不同的转移方案进行详细对比分析。文章以2020/2022年发射窗口为例,针对4类基本火星转移轨道进行研究。首先,基于不同轨道初始设计方法,对4类轨道进行了初始设计,得到了每类转移方案的能量最优转移轨道。然后,基于设计结果和能耗对4类转移方案进行了横向对比分析,得到了不同策略下的转移轨道的特性。基于小推力的火星探测任务轨道对发射能量要求低;大推力直接转移和借力金星的发射窗口交替分布,可以互为备份;基于小推力推进的探测器采用金星借力转移策略相比直接转移能够减少10%的能耗,优势十分明显。     

火星车三折平展坡道转移方案及转移姿态分析

以火星车从着陆平台安全转移至火星表面为研究目标,提出一种三折平展坡道转移方案。火星车坡道式转移方案难点在于,着陆点地形地貌不确定和着陆器自身姿态的不确定将导致火星车转移姿态不确定从而增大转移风险。为保证火星车坡道式转移安全性,开展火星车坡道式转移姿态分析,获得满足火星车安全转移要求的最小坡道长度并评价出极限转移姿态。为使三折坡道展开总长度尽可能靠近最小坡道长度需求,进行了三折坡道长度优化分析,获得在着陆器构型约束下三折坡道长度最大值,可为我国火星车转移工程实施提供借鉴。