ISRU Implications for Lunar and Martian Plume Effects

TL;DR

This paper investigates the effects of rocket engine plumes on planetary surfaces, highlighting the challenges for human Mars landings and proposing lunar in situ construction as a safer alternative.

Contribution

It analyzes plume effects through experiments and simulations, emphasizing the need for robotic soil stabilization for safe Mars landings and suggesting lunar in situ pad development as a solution.

Findings

Mars lander plumes create deep craters and ejecta over 1 km.

High-momentum impacts threaten lander safety during Mars landing.

Lunar in situ construction offers a feasible solution for safe landing pads.

Abstract

Experiments, analyses, and simulations have shown that the engine exhaust plume of a Mars lander large enough for human spaceflight will create a deep crater in the martian soil, blowing ejecta to approximately 1 km distance, damaging the bottom of the lander with high-momentum rock impacts, and possibly tilting the lander as the excavated hole collapses to become a broad residual crater upon engine cutoff. Because of this, we deem that we will not have adequate safety margins to land humans on Mars unless we robotically stabilize the soil to form in situ landing pads prior to the mission. It will take a significant amount of time working in a harsh off-planet environment to develop and certify the new technologies and procedures for in situ landing pad construction. The only place to reasonably accomplish this is on the Moon.