A Mars 2011 Balloon Mission Trade Study

Mars “Scouts" are competitively selected, PI-led missions to further Mars exploration in ways that satisfy NASA’s overall objectives but are not currently in the planned line of missions. The current 2006 Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for Mars Scouts has just closed. The goal of this SwRI study was to develop a new balloon mission concept to where it could be credibly proposed for the AO. The balloon system was defined in the study as consisting of two parts: the balloon flight system (BFS) and the balloon deployment/inflation system (DIS). The BFS includes the balloon envelope, accessory hardware, and gondola. The balloon includes the envelope, seams, end fittings, load core, inflation tube, diffusers, payload tether/shock attenuator, and separation hardware. The DIS includes the balloon container, deployment hardware/sequencer, tankage, gas and control hardware. Trade studies were performed to better define the mission design space. These studies included: (1) effect of varied atmospheric/thermal loads; (2) effect of varying latitudes; (3) effect of payload mass for varying altitudes; (4) effect of radiative material properties on balloon size/mass; (5) effect of material areal densities on balloon size, mass; and (6) effect of inflation gas on system masses. Results of the balloon trade study for the Mars 2011 mission opportunity will be presented.