Effectiveness of a Magnetohydrodynamics System for Mars Entry

The atmospheric entry phase of a Mars mission is one of the most important mission phases of the nearly two-year journey. During the entry, a vehicle experiences major difficulties which are related to heating, communication, and deceleration. To solve these entry issues, the typical methods, such as the thermal protection system and aerodynamic parachute, are employed. However, these methods have limitations as a solution of Mars entry issues because of the properties of the Martian atmosphere. For solving the Mars entry issues, the innovative concepts of plasma-based magnetohydrodynamic systems could be applicable instead of the classical methods. In this study, numerical simulation is used to evaluate the feasibility of the magnetohydrodynamic system for the future planetary entry missions in terms of heating, communication, and deceleration. To demonstrate the possibility for a magnetohydrodynamic system as a solution of the Mars entry issues, the geometry of the Mars Pathfinder is numerically simulated in hypersonic flow with a magnetohydrodynamic system using a hypersonic flow code. The simulation results show that the innovative concepts using a magnetohydrodynamic system, magnetic heat shield, and magnetic parachute could provide an alternative solution for heating and deceleration issues during Mars entry. Since current superconducting electromagnet technology makes it possible to generate a strong magnetic field within a reasonable weight, the proposed system has the potential to be employed in future planetary entry missions.