Design of the ARES Mars Airplane and Mission Architecture

Significant technology advances have enabled planetary aircraft to be considered as viable science platforms. Such systems fill a unique planetary science measurement gap, that of regional-scale, near-surface observation, while providing a fresh perspective for potential discovery. Recent efforts have produced mature mission and flight system concepts, ready for (fight project implementation. The development of a Mars airplane mission architecture that balances science, implementation risk, and cost is summarized. Airplane mission performance, flight system design, and technology maturation are described. The design, analysis, and testing completed demonstrates the readiness of this science platform for use in a Mars flight project.