Marsplane

Abstract

The concept of utilizing a winged vehicle for the remote exploration of Mars was studied in the 1970's. This study, directed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, considered an unmanned, instrumented platform to perform the necessary mission requirements to study the Mars environment. Two versions were considered. In one, the Marsplane was deployed during the entry maneuver and flew until its fuel was exhausted. Its mission ended with the subsequent landing. In the second version, the Marsplane could land and take off a limited number of times. In the past decade, technological advances in materials, aerodynamics, and propulsion systems have increased the feasibility of a Marsplane. It was the objective of this year's design project to examine the impact of these technological advances and to investigate (1) the feasibility of a manned Marsplane, and (2) the spacecraft system necessary to deliver the Marsplane to the surface of Mars.