Team develops conceptual motor for Mars Hopper
Scientists and engineers at Leicester University’s Space Research Centre are developing a conceptual motor design for a hopping vehicle that could lead to a greater understanding of Mars.
The university team has been working with collaborators including Astrium in the UK and Center for Space Nuclear Research in the US.
The focus in the UK has been the development of a 400kg Mars Hopper concept that can fly in 1km ’hops’.
It is claimed the Hopper can collect fuel between hops by compressing gas from the Martian atmosphere and can fly between sites, powered by a long-life radioisotope power source.
‘The Hopper is different from other rovers because of its power source,’ said Dr Nigel Bannister, a lecturer in detector physics at the Space Research Centre. ‘In one mode the heat source generates electric power to drive a compressor to gather the CO2 propellant from the Martian atmosphere. The heat source then stores thermal energy and injects it into the propellant, which is accelerated out of a rocket nozzle to provide thrust.’
Dr Hugo Williams, a research associate at Leicester, said: ‘At Leicester we have concentrated on the motor and design features that translate into the performance of the vehicle.
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