Engineering topics
Vijendran, Sanjay
Publications and source records attributed to Vijendran, Sanjay.
Mars Sample Return mission concept status
This paper will provide an overview of current options and specific concepts for a potential Mars Sample Return (MSR) architecture being jointly studied by NASA and ESA. Overall objectives and mission options will be described, including the architecture’s constraints and notional timelines. The paper will highlight architecture-level trade studies, including specific elements and their status. The overall Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL) mission concept, including vehicle options will be described, including the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), Sample Fetch Rover (being studied by ESA), Orbiting Sample container (OS), and tube transfer robotics systems. The concept and status of the Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) mission, being studied by ESA, and the Capture/Containment and Return System (CCRS) which would be the payload on the ERO, will be discussed.
Potential campaign architectures and mission design challenges for near-term international Mars Sample Return mission concepts
Mars Sample Return (MSR) continues to be a high priority in the planetary science community and a decades-long goal of international planetary exploration programs. Options for architectures and mission concepts are currently under study by NASA and ESA to find potential partnership opportunities to achieve MSR in the 2020s. The major elements of a potential MSR campaign have significant architectural flexibility and mission launch, arrival, and return options. The decision criteria often depend on mission design and functional allocations across many elements. This paper outlines the reference architecture and key trades among the campaign elements.