Abstract
Technical Report
With Mars getting so much attention in the space sector, many companies and agencies are making moves that will put astronauts on the surface. Once they’re on the surface they’ll need a way to get off, this is where our capstone project comes into play. My team has been designing a Mars Ascent Vehicle that will take astronauts to rendezvous with a separate vehicle to return to Earth. After studying the tradeoffs, this mission structure was deemed the most ethical and likely to succeed. Due to the enormous scope of this project my team focused on the main structure of the vehicle and the orbital maneuvers needed to get on and off Mars. We designed a structure that could both fit within any commercially available payload, to be launched from Earth, and would be structurally sound under any loading experienced during landing or descent. To accomplish this we used 3D Computer Aided Design software for a design, iterated over multiple times to improve it, and used Finite Element Analysis to test the structural strength. We didn’t do any orbital calculations due to technical difficulties but we designed the overall procedure for landing on Mars and leaving Mars using known constraints. This was all done following NASA’s design procedures which included a conceptual design review, preliminary design review, and critical design review.
STS Report
With more and more companies creating products for space travel there’s concerns with these companies abusing their power. My study looks at how companies got into the space sector, how they compare to traditional Multi National Corporations, and what steps should be taken to limit their power. To do this I’ve taken key examples from the recent past to highlight different ways in which Multi National Corporations have undermined the authority of national and international governing bodies. Then, I compared the current state of space companies to the progression these example companies took. In doing so I found that space companies are already influencing governments and could very well start going around government agencies for the sake of their profits. To mitigate any damage done, and prevent any further damage, I recommend an intergovernmental council, with both policymakers and industry experts, be made and appointed. Enforcing this would be harsh profit limitation or trade bans. This leverages the only way to harm businesses, their bottom line. Banning lobbying could be an efficient fix as well but much harder to enact.
Notes
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Technical Advisors: Michael McPherson, Chris Goyne
STS Advisor: Karina Ripley
Technical Team Members: Amen Alemu, Anne Marie Branch, Craig Kalkwarf, Mariam Leweed, Nayeon Son, David Truong
