In February 2000, the Mars Society initiated a global project to define options for an analogue pressurised rover vehicle. Several US-based Society Chapters entered, together with the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland. In difference to the majority of projects entrants, which were aimed at the development and construction of a rover-type vehicle based on an available vehicle or chassis, the UK project entry focused on the technologies and requirements needed in a purpose-built vehicle required for surface operations in support of the MARS project.

Lead by Mike Atkinson, the project developed a series of papers examining the requirements outlined in the the original project proposal. These papers have been collated into a publication by the Mars Society UK which remains a valid source of reference for the development of purpose-built analogue rover vehicles and which contains information pertinent to those developed analogue rover vehicles based on existing vehicles and/or chassis designs.

Read the full study here.

 

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