Development of Passive Thermal Control for Mars Surface Missions

The extreme thermal environment on Mars asks for an effective thermal insulation to keep equipment within allowable temperature limits and to limit power consumption. Furthermore the thermal insulation should be light weight, flexible, adaptable and consume minimum volume. As a consequence of the Mars atmosphere, conventional vacuum based multilayer insulation offers low efficiency. Therefore, a novel thermal insulation making use of the existing Mars atmosphere was developed. This paper describes in detail the entire process and its results. Potential materials were identified based on literature, samples and manufacturer data and underwent material testing for characterization. Concepts and designs of three-dimensional demonstrators incorporating attachment, grounding and venting provisions were developed. Thermal performance of the demonstrators was validated by measurements in representative environments.