1. Ares Aloft: Martian Atmospheric Entry and In-Situ Resource Use via CubeSat Jeffrey Stuart Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology jeffrey.r.stuart@jpl.nasa.gov 11/20/2014 Copyright 2014 California Institute of Technology. Government sponsorship acknowledged. Approved for unlimited release 1

2. Motivation & Overview Use Mars 2020 launch opportunity to demonstrate key technologies for future exploration Mission Concept Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) In-Situ Resource Use (ISRU) – Enabling technologies Feasibility & Benefits Approved for unlimited release 2

3. CubeSat Mission Concept TMI Mars 2020 CubeSat Separation: Protects Mars 2020 Requires independent operation When is best time to separate? CubeSat EDL: On same scale as Sojourner Advancements in state-of-the-art? What methods can be tested by 2020? ISRU = Propellant Production How much will we really get? Pre-Decisional Information -- For Planning and Discussion Purposes Only 3

4. Mars CubeSat EDL Sojourner EDL (Heritage) Components Fixed heat shield Parachute Airbags Solid rockets Tether & backshell Landing platform Image courtesy: Savino & Carandente, 2012 Deployable heat shield Components Heat shield Parachute Low TRL (2-3) Numerical study Key Questions Concept needs to be studied for Mars. Will Earth / ISS-based test be beneficial? How sensitive is concept to entry conditions? Other advanced EDL concepts to be explored? Pre-Decisional Information -- For Planning and Discussion Purposes Only Approved for unlimited release 4

5. Mars ISRU Oxygen (O2) Water (H2O) Propellant (CH4) Support life Oxygen & Water:  ISS electrolysis system  Phoenix (water ice)  Mars 2020 (MOXIE) Atmospheric CO 2 Ground H 2 O Support return Propellant:  ISS Sabatier reactor  Ground experiments  Mars ??? Key Questions Will ISRU produce sufficient propellant in time? Can stored hydrogen be transported on CubeSat? Approved for unlimited release Sabatier reaction Water electrolysis 5

6. ISRU Technology Sabatier reaction [exothermic] Water electrolysis Reverse water-gas-shift (RWGS) process [endothermic] Images courtesy: Holladay et al., 2007 1/8 scale of reference robotic return mission Images courtesy: Junaedi et al., 2011 Unit above supports 2 crew Units shown: TRL 4-6 Approved for unlimited release 6

7. Feasibility & Benefits Mars Entry and Propellant Production Cubesat Demonstrates: – CubeSat atmospheric entry, descent, and landing – In-situ propellant production critical for sample or manned return Specific architecture proposed: – Mid- to high-TRL for Cubesat-size, full-capability ISRU components – Low TRL deployable heat shield – 6-year development and construction timeline Pre-Decisional Information -- For Planning and Discussion Purposes Only Approved for unlimited release 7

8. References Stuart et al. “Mission Report Summary (Team Kanau)”, International Inspiration Mars Student Design Competition, 1 st Place. URL: https://sites.google.com/site/occupyplanet4/final-report-1 https://sites.google.com/site/occupyplanet4/final-report-1 Savino & Carandente, “Aerothermodynamic and Feasibility Study of a Deployable Aerobraking Re-Entry Capsule”, Fluid Dynamics and Materials Processing, vol. 8, no. 4, 2012, pp. 453-476. Holladay et al., “Microreactor development for Martian in situ propellant production”, Catalysis Today, vol. 120, 2007, pp. 35-44. Brooks et al., “Methanation of carbon dioxide by hydrogen reduction using the Sabatier process in microchannel reactors”, Chemical Engineering Science, vol. 62, 2007, pp. 1161-1170. Junaedi et al., “Compact and Lightweight Sabatier Reactor for Carbon Dioxide Reduction”, 41 st International Conference on Environmental Systems, Portland, Oregon, 17-21 July 2011, AIAA 2011-5033. Approved for unlimited release 8

9. Helpful Links JPL CubeSats: http://cubesat.jpl.nasa.gov/ INSPIRE Mission (Earth escape CubeSat): http://cubesat.jpl.nasa.gov/projects/inspire/overview.html Approved for unlimited release 9

10. CubeSat Propulsion Commercially Available Aerojet Rocketdyne – https://www.rocket.com/cubesat https://www.rocket.com/cubesat Busek – http://www.busek.com/cubesatprop__main.htm http://www.busek.com/cubesatprop__main.htm In Development Microfluidic Electrospray Propulsion – http://microdevices.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news-microfluidic- electrospray-propulsion.php http://microdevices.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news-microfluidic- electrospray-propulsion.php CubeSat Ambipolar Thruster – http://pepl.engin.umich.edu/thrusters/CAT.html http://pepl.engin.umich.edu/thrusters/CAT.html Approved for unlimited release 10

11. Mars ISRU Oxygen (O2) Water (H2O) Propellant (CH4) Support life Oxygen & Water:  ISS electrolysis system  Phoenix (water ice)  Mars 2020 (MOXIE) Atmospheric CO 2 Ground H 2 O Support return Propellant:  ISS Sabatier reactor  Ground experiments  Mars ??? Key Questions Will ISRU produce sufficient propellant / other material? Can stored hydrogen be transported on CubeSat? Approved for unlimited release 11