The vehicle will be able
to provide the two astronauts with enough consumables for excursions that
would require two life-support backpacks. In addition, a surplus will be
available in case of a dust storm or other emergency. Consumables will
be stored just behind the astronauts. The vehicle will be equipped with
a dust shield that can be deployed to protect the astronauts and equipment
in the event that a storm must be waited out away from the habitat. It
will stretch across the vehicle's roll-bars and be made of a tightly woven
synthetic fabric with a coating on the outside for further dust protection.
A deployment mechanism similar to the lines and pulleys that are found
on sail boats will be manually employed to deploy and stow the shield.
In the case of vehicle failure,
it has been proposed that a small, fast, three person rescue rover be kept
ready at all times at the habitat. Further design work has yet to be done
on this rover, but it would allow one member of the crew to drive out to
the surface vehicle's location and return with the two astronauts or bring
them more consumables. |
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Copyright
© 2000 Massachusetts Institute of Technology