Mission Artwork

Evolution of a Robotic Mars Outpost

I created these images as part of the Mars Outpost studies in 1999. The idea of a permament robotic outpost is still under consideration but the timetable and spacecraft will be quite different than what is portrayed here. This particular Mars Outpost is not in the current Mars program.

 
The construction of a Mars Outpost might begin with the delivery of an Outpost construction rover.

 

  

 

 
After several more launches, two rovers are constructing a drill to search for water. A solar-powered ISRU lander in the background distills important resources from the Martian atmosphere. Two ComSats enable Earth to Mars Outpost communication.   Rovers continue constructing a drill to search for water. A solar-powered ISRU lander in the background provides power for the drill.

 

 
  

 
After more launches, there are now three rovers working on the solar-powered ISRU lander's production. A Mars aerobot has also been launched to conduct science investigations.   Human may arrive at the Mars Outpost to utilize the resources already being developed by robotic technology, including water.

 

 

Subsurface Drilling at a Mars Outpost

 

 

 
  

 In this cutaway view, the rovers have constructed a drill to look for shallow subsurface water.   In this cutaway view the rovers have constructed a drill to look for deep subsurface water. The drill is powered by the tent-like solar arrays.

 

ISRU lander in Ganges Chasma

 

I created this set of images showing the possible evolution of a Mars Outpost in Dec., 1999, for the JPL director at the time, Dr. Ed Stone. They were published in: "Mars and the Search for Life Elsewhere - Innovations in the Third Era of Space Exploration, Stone, E. C., AIAA Paper 99-0002, Spring 2002"

American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

 

 

3D Images

 

 

Return to mission artwork index.