Date and time: 3 May 2012
Written by: Mike Bodnar, Crew 118, First Officer
Exploring the Mars-like Utah desert environment around the Mars Desert Research Station is a lot of fun, when you do it on an ATV - an all-terrain vehicle.
Call it a Quad bike, call it an ATV, doesn't matter. It's practical and simple as well as fun, and it makes you wonder just what sort of transport real explorers on Mars might eventually use.
For longer - and especially overnight trips - a pressurised vehicle of some sort would be necessary. Something like a large people-mover, big enough to include an airlock so that crew could re-pressurise on entry, and be inside comfortably without having to wear spacesuits. It would likely need to be the size of a modest recreational vehicle, and would also need to have enough reserve power to be heated during the bitterly cold Martian nights.
Big balloon-like tyres would almost certainly be standard, given the rocky and sandy nature of the Martian terrain, as would excellent suspension.
But for shorter journeys of just a few hours, or day-return trips, something like the Habitat's ATVs would be ideal. The engines would obviously need to be capable of operating in a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere, and might even be powered by some sort of nuclear or hydrogen fuel cells, but design-wise the current ATVs that we are riding here would likely do.
They are big enough to carry a variety of gear, could tow a small trailer if required, and already have the tyres and suspension to cope with unruly terrain. We now this because we have used them almost every day during the mission, and some of the tracks are quite challenging, yet the ATVs take everything in their stride.
So NASA, if you're listening, the crew of KiwiMars 2012 would be happy to trial any prototype surface vehicles for you, any time. Just give us the nod (and the air fares) and we'll be there!
ENDS.