Final Project

Susan S.

Legislator:  Arlene Wohlgemuth, Representative

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Martian Rover

Rovers on Mars have already gained valuable insights into the composition of the planet. By landing more rovers on Mars, humans can pave the way for an easier transition from living on Earth to a colony on Mars. Various satellites have been sent out and each has relayed valuable information, but only one rover has ever landed on Mars. The rover, Sojourner, found a wealth of information. If more rovers are able to land on Mars even more information can be found and used towards developing a Martian colony, which will be able to maximize the materials around it. While rovers are expensive to build, cost-cutting efforts can be taken to offset the price.  The information gained would greatly outweigh these costs. The rover I plan on sending to Mars would have the specific purpose of finding materials that would be useful for a future Martian colony.

While finding water would be one of its top priorities, the rover would be used to gather information in many other areas as well. If an area didn't have any water beneath the soil then that location would be stored in the rovers memory along with the best places that did have water. Locations with water will give a colony on Mars the very best chance for survival since water is needed in many basic maneuvers and everyday life. Also, the rover would look for oxygen particles bound up in other compounds so that a future colony could manufacture its own fuel. The rover would take samples of Martian soil and analyze it through a series of tests, determining the useful elements from the regolith. From those samples, the rover could tell us what part of Mars would be the most suitable for a human colony. The rover would also sense potential geothermal energy that a colony could harness and use for power. Every potential resource on Mars needs to be found so those colonies can survive on their own.

The rover I have designed has 4 main elements: propulsion, communications, guidance, and energy. It would use a liquid oxygen and hydrogen mix to propel itself great distances around Mars. The fuel would only be used in the first stages of landing on Mars since it would not have very much solar energy, if any, built up. The rover would use the solar energy gathered from various solar cells placed around the surfaces of the rover. The energy generated from these solar cells would take the place of the fuel used by the rover. The day to day routine of collecting data, taking samples, and relaying it back to earth would all be charged by solar energy.

In order for the rover to send its information back to earth a satellite would need to be sent out along with the rover. This satellite would not only help relay information but have the dual purpose of transporting the rover to Mars. A system of digital signals will be sent out to and from the rover and satellite. These signals would then be sent back to earth. Any commands given to the rover from Mission Control on earth could be sent straight to the rover or through the satellite, depending on their positions relative to earth. For guidance, the rover would use the same operating systems that the communications used. It would position itself according to landforms on Mars and star constellations, not to mention the computer and human guidance on earth.

As I have said before, the rover can't get to Mars by itself. A satellite would be sent out carrying the rover and will release it once the satellite reaches a certain point in Mars' atmosphere. The rover's landing will be controlled by a predetermined course set by engineers on earth. If anything should go wrong during its landing, then the rover would enable its own maneuvering system because the time delay from the earth to Mars is so great that it would take over ten minutes for any command to reach the rover. For that very reason the rover would have to be a semiautonomous rover. For the landing, the rover would be surrounded by many air bags so the crash landing wouldn't damage any delicate parts. After landing, the air bags around the rover would deflate and break off of it, allowing the rover to move freely around the planet. The rover mission will not have a set date to finish its experiments. It will be built to withstand the harsh Martian weather and to keep recharging its energy supply. The satellite orbiting Mars will continue to be used even if the rover has stopped.

Last Updated: 09/07/01