AAS 98-135

HUMAN MARS EXPLORATION: STUDENT-DESIGNED MISSIONS AND THE CURRENT NASA REFERENCE MISSION

C. C. Seybold, W.T. Fowler - The University of Texas at Austin

Abstract

The Advanced Design Program (ADP) was a NASA-funded project, administered by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), to encourage upper-level undergraduates to develop high quality aerospace design projects and share them with their peers nationwide. Currently, the focus on Mars has revived an interest in having students participate in developing mission and vehicle designs, particularly through the Human Exploration and Development in Space-University Partners (HEDS-UP) program. This paper reviews the student ADP projects which focused on Mars missions and facilities. Each project is summarized, and the projects are compared with respect to types of assumptions, vehicle sizes, crew complements, propulsion systems, etc. The goal of the paper is to provide a quick and concise reference to ten years of innovative student work focusing on Mars.

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