A&AE 450 – Senior Design

1. A&AE 450 – Senior Design Un-pressurized Surface Vehicles, Local Science Issues and Robotic Exploration February 13, 2000 Christopher Burnside

2. Order of Presentation • Vehicle Designs • Mars Dune Buggy • All Terrain Vehicle • Nuclear Reactor Vehicle • Multi-Purpose Trailer • Vehicle Communication and Navigation • Science • Robotic Exploration • Future Direction

3. Vehicle Design -- MDB • Mars Dune Buggy • Designed for higher speed surface mobility • Emergency vehicle to return to base • One-way range of 1000 Km • Provisions for safety (extra oxygen, fuel, water) • Small “web-cam” style camera for the people of earth to see Mars Exploration in near-real time • Methane or Methanol can be used with a Carbon Dioxide buffer

4. Vehicle Design -- MDB • 2.3x1.3x2 m (LxWxH) • 1 m ground clearance • Main structure elements are a beam structure and is an open frame • Structure ~350 Kg • Fuel ~ 125 Kg for 1000 Km sortie • Total weight ~ 475 Kg • 45 hp engine (based on Earth vehicles) • Designed to fit on the MPT

5. Vehicle Design -- ATV • All Terrain Vehicle • Carry a complement of 2 vehicles • Short-range science from Base or Pressurized Rover • One-way range of 100 Km • Emergency Oxygen tank is present • Methane or Methanol can be used

6. Vehicle Design -- ATV • 2x1x1 m (LxWxH) • .5 m ground clearance • Main structure is an open beam frame • Structure ~ 160 Kg • Fuel ~ 25 Kg • Total weight for 2 vehicles ~ 370 Kg • 25 hp engine (based on Earth vehicles) • Designed to fit on the MPT

7. Vehicle Design -- NRV • Nuclear Reactor Vehicle. • Designed to hold 30 tonnes due to launch and entry loads. • Mount the reactor right on the frame. • Use the reactor to power the electric motor. • Short-wave communication to move it from earth ala Pathfinder method. • Video cameras from base used in navigation. • Autonomous navigation is 2nd option. • Wait for Astronauts to get there to move it is the 3rd option.

8. Vehicle Design -- NRV • 5x2x1 m (LxWxH) • .5 m ground clearance • Main structure elements are: • (2) 2x.028x.1 m • (2) 5x.028x.1 m • Structure weight • Main structure = 105 Kg • Other weight ~ 300 Kg • Total weight ~ 400 Kg

9. Vehicle Design -- MPT • MPT (Multi-Purpose Trailer). • Designed to hold 5 tonnes of equipment, rovers, and Martian rocks. • Can be hitched to any of the vehicles with the exception of the NRV which has no reason to use the MPT. • Customizable – meaning the sides can be removed for easy storage, transport to Mars and large payloads. • Full complement of straps and tie-downs included in the tool compartments. • Simple 1 axial design and a crank hitch for stability. • Pivot for easy loading of the rovers and any large items which can be rolled onto the bed of the trailer.

10. Vehicle Design -- MPT • 2.4x1.2x1 m (LxWxH) • .5 m ground clearance, but can be increased with a larger set of wheels if desired. • Main structural elements are: • (2) 2.4x.028x.1 m • (2) 1.2x.028x.1 m • Structure Weight. • Main structure = 60 Kg • Other weight ~ 60 Kg • Total weight ~120 Kg

11. Rover Com and Navigation • Satellite is the main communications method. Rely upon NASA having a satellite infrastructure built. • Short-wave radio is good backup for limited bandwidth (>200 bps). • Inertial and satellite navigation are primary, but either can function without the other. • Base has an emergency beacon which can be picked-up by the rover using a directional antenna.

12. Science • Equipment for science mission • Under 10 KW of power consumption • Computers, microscopes, electron microscopes, mass spectrometry, plant biology, drilling equipment, ovens, lab utensils (beakers, test tubes),sample isolation equipment, chemicals, saws, X-ray diffraction machine, scales, Sample containers, etc. • Working Mass ~ 1500 Kg

13. Science • Experiments which can be performed • Chemical composition via mass spectrometry • Volatile gases contained in the samples (what is and was the Martian atmosphere made of.) • Search for microfossils with microscopes and electron microscopes • Soil processing for greenhouse plants • Meteorological sciences

14. Robotic Exploration • Size • Gondola 1x1x1 m cube • Balloon 24 m • 27 Kg of Hydrogen per balloon • Total weight ~37 Kg • At this size we can take a lot of balloons • Want to take a dozen balloons and launch one every 45 days • Reasonable life span of 25 days.

15. Robotic Exploration • Airplane. • Feasibility is not good at least for a first mission to Mars. • To big and cumbersome to fly. Needs a large turning radius. Speed is incredible to stay in the air. • Once it crashes its done, there is no recovery from a downed plane.

16. Near Future • Cool names for all of the vehicles. • Decide what equipment is most important and can survive the trip to mars intact. • More design of rovers. • Determine actual experiments which can be done by the astronauts using the equipment available.

17. Conclusion • 6 surface vehicles going to Mars; each class serving a unique purpose. • Satellite Communication is primary, short-wave radio is secondary. • Satellite and Inertial navigation is primary, short-wave radio is secondary, beacon is ternary. • Balloons and Airplanes are 2 types of robotic exploration under consideration.

18. Conclusion • Total Mass ~ 3300 Kg