Title: Hydrolysed polar terrain ice aerobot mission platform

Authors: Eric M. Shear; John E. Moores

Addresses: York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada ' Centre for Research in the Earth and Space Sciences (CRESS), York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada

Abstract: HYPATIA is a proposed mission that would demonstrate the use of planetary balloon and water electrolysis technology on the Martian northern polar cap. The combination of both technologies allows a small science payload to be landed repeatedly and carried across the polar terrain. HYPATIA consists of a small gondola under a metallised Mylar balloon filled with hydrogen from the polar ice. This paper details the mission objectives and the science requirements. It describes the overall mission design and the science payload of the balloon vehicle.

Keywords: mission concept; spacecraft design; ISRU; Mars; planetary balloons; water electrolysis; polar science; hydrolysed polar terrain; ice; aerobots.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSPACESE.2015.075918

International Journal of Space Science and Engineering, 2015 Vol.3 No.4, pp.342 - 359

Received: 21 Nov 2015
Accepted: 11 Dec 2015
Published online: 12 Apr 2016 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article