Exploration of Mars-Illustration - Martian “” Motor Home”” - The exploration of Mars by men...

Exploration of Mars-Illustration - Martian “” Motor Home”” - The exploration of Mars by men will require vehicles that can take a crew long distances and provide them with all the necessary protection against this hostile environment. A thorough human exploration of Mars would require some means for transporting explorers long distances over the martian surface while providing sustenance and protection from Mars' extremely inhospitable environment. This image suggests how such a martian “” motor home”” might be realized. Providing transportation and housing for a crew of two to four human explorers, this pressurized rover would provide stability, visibility, storage, and a means for generating power for locomotion and electrical systems. In this example, a pair of wing-like solar arrays atop the rover help to meet some of the energy needs, and the transparent windshield ports have been coated to shield the interior from ultraviolet light and provide additional visual contrast to the rust-colored landscap