A superpressure balloon for Mars observations Original Research Article

The Mars Pathfinder has demonstrated that a relatively low cost program can produce a wealth of data which is useful to the scientific community. To this end, the use of a superpressure balloon as an observation platform for Mars exploration has been a goal of many scientists for some time. The many reasons to consider the use of a long duration balloon as an observational platform on Mars were outlined in a concept known as the Mars Aerial Platform (MAP) which was a candidate NASA Discovery Mission. The collection of unprecedented, high-resolution science data over the Martian surface for an extended period of time would permit a new perspective on the nature and history of Mars. A superpressure balloon capable of containing the lifting gas for seven days would permit the platform to circumnavigate the planet. Continuous measurements of atmospheric properties such as wind, temperature and pressure could be obtained along with detailed images of the planet surface. In addition to these images, a magnetometer with sufficient resolution could be flown in order to quantify the influence of recently identified geologic formations on the magnetic field of the planet. Due to the rarefied atmosphere present at the lower altitudes of Mars, the balloon must be uniquely designed to limit the stresses in the ultra-thin film required for this long duration application. This paper will present such a design, and list a set of candidate materials that could be used for the construction of the observation platform in the near future.