Manned Mars mission sunlight and communication occultations

Abstract

Calculations are presented for the 1999 opposition class mission and a procedure for obtaining singlar occultation data for any other given Mars mission is given. Occultation data for a Mars orbiter in a 24.5 hour parking orbit and a Mars base were calculated for: sunlight occultation - the time in darkness; and radio communication occultation - the communication losses between the lander and the orbiter, the lander and Earth, and orbiter and Earth.