GLTRS--Glenn
TITLE AND SUBTITLE:
Exploration Rover Concepts and Development Challenges

AUTHOR(S):
James J. Zakrajsek, David B. McKissock, Jeffrey M. Woytach, June F. Zakrajsek, Fred B. Oswald, Kelly J. McEntire, Gerald M. Hill, Phillip Abel, Dennis J. Eichenberg, and Thomas W. Goodnight

REPORT DATE:
March 2005

FUNDING NUMBERS:
WBS-22-794-20-69

PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES):
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field
Cleveland, Ohio 44135-3191

PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER:
E-14998

SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES):
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, DC 20546-0001

REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED:
Technical Memorandum

SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER:
NASA TM-2005-213555
AIAA-2005-2525

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES:
Prepared for the First Space Exploration Conference: Continuing the Voyage of Discovery sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Orlando, Florida, January 30-February 1, 2005. Responsible person, James J. Zakrajsek, organization code RSM, 216-433-3968.

ABSTRACT:
This paper presents an overview of exploration rover concepts and the various development challenges associated with each as they are applied to exploration objectives and requirements for missions on the Moon and Mars. A variety of concepts for surface exploration vehicles have been proposed since the initial development of the Apollo-era lunar rover. This paper provides a brief description of the rover concepts, along with a comparison of their relative benefits and limitations. In addition, this paper outlines, and investigates a number of critical development challenges that surface exploration vehicles must address in order to successfully meet the exploration mission vision. These include: mission and environmental challenges, design challenges, and production and delivery challenges. Mission and environmental challenges include effects of terrain, extreme temperature differentials, dust issues, and radiation protection. Design methods are discussed that focus on optimum methods for developing highly reliable, long-life and efficient systems. In addition, challenges associated with delivering a surface exploration system is explored and discussed. Based on all the information presented, modularity will be the single most important factor in the development of a truly viable surface mobility vehicle. To meet mission, reliability, and affordability requirements, surface exploration vehicles, especially pressurized rovers, will need to be modularly designed and deployed across all projected Moon and Mars exploration missions.

SUBJECT TERMS:
Surface exploration vehicles; Lunar roving vehicles; Lunar mobile laboratories; Manned lunar surface vehicles; Mars roving vehicles

NUMBER OF PAGES:
29

PDF AVAILABLE FROM URL:
2005/TM-2005-213555.pdf ( 1,729 KB )
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