Faculty Mentor
Snorri Gudmundsson
Abstract
To support possible future human presence on Mars where bases are likely to be spread apart, aerial vehicles could be used to transport crew and cargo between them. Designing and operating such a vehicle is very challenging because of the low atmospheric density on Mars compared to Earth, the logistics involved with transporting it to Mars, and the infrastructure necessary to operate it. This study discusses the problems involved with designing, building, and operating fixed-wing and powered parachute aircraft on Mars and presents a concept involving a powered parachute vehicle utilizing an inflatable parachute wing that can be packed together tightly, allowing it to be transported to Mars on a single rocket. Aerodynamic and flight performance analysis was carried out through hand calculations and a CFD-based aircraft design software to arrive at conceptual design. Results show that a powered parachute vehicle could theoretically sustain flight on Mars assuming the parachute stays inflated, and that it would have an operating range of 364 kilometers with battery technology projected to be available by 2030.
Recommended Citation
Spier, Louis J.
(2025)
"Powered Parachute Vehicle for Crew Transportation on Mars,"
Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 9
, Article 9.
Available at:
https://commons.erau.edu/beyond/vol9/iss1/9