Human Mars EDL pathfinder study: Assessment of technology development gaps and mitigations

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a NASA initiated Agency-wide assessment to better characterize the risks and potential mitigation approaches associated with landing human class payloads on Mars. Due to the criticality and long-lead nature of advancing Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) techniques, it is necessary to determine an appropriate strategy to improve the capability to land large payloads. A key focus of this study was to understand the key EDL risks with a focus on determining what “must” be tested at Mars. This process identified the various risks and potential risk mitigation strategies, along with the required key near-term technology development efforts and in what environment those technology demonstrations were best suited. The study identified key risks along with advantages to each entry technology. In addition, it was determined that with the EDL concept of operations (con ops) which minimized large scale transition events during entry, there was no technology requirement for a Mars pre-cursor demonstration as a necessary risk-mitigation test. Instead, NASA should take a direct path to a human-scale lander.