The Technology of Landing on Mars :: Computers Space Papers

The Technology of Landing on Mars While just traveling to Mars is a difficult task, landing on the planet has proved to be next to impossible, with only a small fraction of the attempted landings ending in success. Over the years there have been several different designs of Martian landers that have attempted to slip past the proverbial â€Å"galactic ghoul† protecting the planet Mars. However, few of these designs have fared successful at landing smoothly. These technologies have ranged from the original Viking using aero braking and rocket power, to the Mars Pathfinder mission’s novel air bag solution. In order to gain insight into the surface of the red planet, landing is a must. Thus, the potential solutions and their benefits and drawbacks must be examined. The Purpose: Delta V Requirement To get from orbit around Mars to the surface requires a significant amount of braking. First, the lander in orbit has a large amount of gravitational energy with respect to the surface of the planet. Second, orbiting the planet requires a certain velocity that will be greater than the velocity of rotation of the planet for a low orbit, this excess velocity must be bled off as well. Energy requirements they are usually expressed in terms of the change in velocity necessary for a given maneuver, or delta-v. To escape from a planet requires a certain increase in velocity and to land requires a certain decrease. Either way, however, energy is required; in absolute terms, the energy required to land should match the energy required to escape. Escaping the surface of the Earth requires about 11,000 m/s of delta-v. To travel to Mars orbit about 6,000 m/s is required. The smallest portion of the delta-v required is the approximately 5,000 m/s necessary to land on the surface of Mars. (Clarke 221). However, what makes this one of the most interesting phase of the trip is that whereas we pretty much know what to expect from the first two legs of the trip, what types of situations we may encounter on landing are largely unknown. How To: Methods of Landing There are several different options to lower the velocity of the lander once it has reached the planet. These options are generally used in combination with one another for maximum effect. Each has its own advantages and drawbacks, but in combination, some of these can be alleviated. Aerodynamic Drag The most broadly used, and most useful, of the speed-reduction mechanisms fall under the category of aerodynamic drag.