ACCESS Mars: A Mission Architecture for an initial settlement on Mars; using caves as habitation
Abstract
This paper summarizes a team project report produced during the Summer Space Program of the International Space University, held at Nasa-Ames Research Center (CA, USA) by 56 students from 15 countries. Chair of the team project was Rene Laufer. Facilitators were Alfonso Davila and Jhonny Zavaleta, and teacher associate supporting the team was Beatriz Gallardo. The human race has evolved, grown and expanded through the exploration of Earth. After initial steps on the Moon, our next challenge is to explore the solar system. Mars shows potential for both scientific discovery and future human settlement, and therefore represents a prime candidate for the next leap of human exploration. Such a bold endeavor will be a driver for an unprecedented worldwide cooperative effort and the catalyst for a new era of international, intercultural and interdisciplinary human relations. Scientific and technological progress will also accelerate as mankind is ushered into a new era of space exploration. Currently proposed Mars missions have identified a number of challenges such as high levels of radiation, harsh climate and limited launch windows. Recently discovered lava tubes on Mars present potential solutions to some of these issues, but raise a variety of intriguing new challenges. This paper reviews existing reference missions and identifies areas of further research essential for adapting mission architectures to utilize caves. Different mission scenarios are proposed and analyzed, with a number of different recommendations given. An analysis of the feasibility of using Martian lava tubes as habitation is given in another paper by the same authors at COSPAR 2010 F34 Technical Session. Literature suggests a low radiation environment within Martian caves, allowing for extended duration missions. The ACCESS Mars Team concludes that the use of lava tubes as human habitats will be more beneficial for human Mars exploration than currently proposed surface solutions.
- Publication:
-
38th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010cosp...38..520P