Publication: Communication strategies for colonization mission to Mars
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2015-06
Defense date
2015-07-07
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Abstract
Earth-Mars cycler trajectories could be used as a periodic and cost-efficient human transportation system from Earth to Mars in a future mission to colonize Mars. Continuous and reliable communication between Mars and the Earth will be required in such a mission. In a circular-coplanar model, the existance of a particularly interesting cycler trajectory (ballistic outbound Earth-Mars S1L1 cycler trajectory) is proven, which has relatively short Earth-Mars transfer times, low relative velocities with respect to the
planets at the encounters, and an intermediate Earth encounter within every two-synodic-period cycle. Two outbound Earth-Mars S1L1 cycler vehicles launched one synodic period apart could be used to maximize the number of trips from Earth to Mars. A new and economic method to maintain communication over periods of direct Earth-Mars link blockage (i.e. Earth-Mars solar conjunction) is introduced for a mission such that two outbound Earth-Mars S1L1 cycler vehicles are used for human transportation to
Mars, using the cycler vehicles also as communication relays to avoid the need of a heliocentric communications satellite constellation to communicate from and to Mars. The analysis is performed in a circular-coplanar model and in a more realistic model (i.e. ephemeris model for the states of Earth and Mars, and STOUR results for the orbit parameters of the cycler trajectories). Continuous communication with only one cycler vehicle in orbit is proven not to be possible. In a mission with permanent human
settlements on Mars and Phobos (inside Stickney Crater), two two-satellite Mars-centered communication constellations are designed (in a circular-coplanar model) to continuously communicate the colonies on Phobos and Mars, and the Earth (directly or through the cycler vehicles), which could avoid the need of a three- or four-satellite constellation around Mars. A communication constellation consisted of two satellites in a stationary orbit around Mars is determined to be a more cost-efficient solution than two satellites in Phobos’ orbit. The link performance of each of the communication links is analyzed for the communication architecture composed of two areostationary satellites, the colonies on Mars and Phobos, two cycler vehicles and the ground stations on Earth. Power requirements, antenna sizes and frequency are estimated for a demanding HDTV transmission from Mars and Phobos to Earth.
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Astronautics, Mars, Artificial satellites, Telecommunications, Astronáutica, Marte, Satélites artificiales, Telecomunicaciones, Colonization, Colonización