Final Project

Casey W.

Legislator:  Jim Pitts, Representative

(Click on the image above to enlarge.)

Final Project- Manned Martian Rover

Building a Martian colony will be a major advancement in space exploration and being able to explore the planet is very important. Once the first colonists arrive on the planet they will need a safe, durable way to explore the planet. My new design for a manned Martian rover will further the success of the colony by allowing the colonists to explore the planet, while searching for evidence of life, water, microenvironments, and many other things.

The manned rover is among the most important parts of a successful colony.  With the rover, the crewmembers will be able to take samples and explore a much larger area, which they could not do using pressurized space suits. My new development is a six-wheeled vehicle that will be very useful because of its versatility and compactness. Because of the amount of dust on Mars the rover will have to be pressurized. The rover will be about the size of a subcompact car and can accommodate up to four crewmembers.

The rover will be constructed here on earth, but will be very easily transported to Mars and stored away. The wheels of the rover will fold up underneath it, much like the rovers used in the Apollo missions to the moon.

The rover will also be powered much like the Apollo rovers. It will use three 36-volt silver zinc batteries, and it will have sufficient power for a range of 75 miles at speeds up to twenty miles per hour. If one of the batteries failed the other two could still carry the rover back to the colony. Six separate motors, one at each wheel, will drive the vehicle; any wheel could be cut out to the circuit and be allowed "free wheel" if its drive mechanism developed a problem. This system is also much like the Apollo lunar rovers.

The Martian rover will, among other things, include racks for equipment, tools, and sample bags. The fact that the rover includes six-wheel drive will make it very durable on the rocky Martian terrain. The rover's driving functions will be controlled by one crewmember. All the driving functions will be controlled by a T-handle mounted between the two front seats. Because the rover has six-wheel drive, it can climb over obstacles as much as one and one half feet high, climb and descend slopes of 35 degrees, and park on slopes of 40 degrees.

The rover will include a highly advanced communications system with links to earth and the Martian colony. The crewmembers will be able to speak directly to scientists at Mission Control. Also at the front of the rover will be a television camera; this will allow NASA scientists to witness the Martian terrain, just as the crewmembers would. The camera will be controlled on earth, so the earth based scientists can explore the planet as they wish. They can also continue to use the camera while the crewmembers conduct experiments or work on any repairs outside the rover.

The Martian rover will weigh approximately 650 pounds and can carry about 1,100 pounds, including crew members, their life support systems for when they leave the rover, their tools and equipment, and eighty pounds of Martian samples that can be brought back to the colony.

Besides the rover being an important asset to the exploration of Mars, it will also be a means of recreation for the colonists. Just as people love to go places in their cars here on earth, the colonists will enjoy exploring the Martian planet in my new rover design. The rover will include a radio, CD player, comfortable seats, and be painted bright red! The rover will be used to explore Mars and gain knowledge of the Red Planet, but this does not mean that the crewmembers cannot have fun while doing so! These new devices that will be added to the rover will not interfere with the experimentation or exploration of Mars, and will only be used when light work is being done.

Once a colony is established on Mars, the crewmembers will need a safe way to explore the planet that will also prove to be successful. My new design will ensure safety and success to the exploration of the Red Planet. The rover is a very important key to expanding our knowledge of Mars after a colony is established.

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Work Cited

"Lunar Exploration Concluded: The Lunar Rover and New Experiments"

www.hq.nasa.gov

 

"Mars Pathfinder: The Rover" (chapter in unit 3)

http://aerospacescholars.org

 

 

"Unit 6: Mars Live! - Transportation"

http://aerospacescholars.org

 

Last Updated:  09/10/01