Les Zinzins de l'espace - Space Apps Challenge

Les Zinzins de l'espace | Can You Hear Me Now?

Can You Hear Me Now?

Human missions to Mars are moving from the realm of science fiction to science fact. Your challenge is to design an interactive application to explore the challenge of communicating with astronauts on Mars from Earth.

Trio of satellites

Summary

We use the ground bases present in Goldstone, Madrid and Canberra to broadcast a signal in the form of electromagnetic waves to Mars, where we have the idea of setting up three equidistant stations, to pick up the signal whatever the orientation and stage of revolution of the two planets.The signal transmission therefore seems to be hampered by the presence of the sun.Our idea therefore consists of the creation of a relay satellite in constant gravitation around the Sun, adapted to the conditions due to this solar proximity. Its pace would be adapted to constantly form an Earth-Satellite-Mars triangle.

How We Addressed This Challenge

Our project makes possible an all-year internet connection on Mars, with no matter about the seasons, even if the link between Mars and the Earth looks impossible because of the Sun that may avoid it. It is a satellite orbiting the Sun, at a speed suitable to form a Mars-Satellite-Earth triangle, the area of which would contain no point of the Sun. In addition, several antennas that can pick up the signal will be set up on Mars, placed equidistantly and covering the entire planet surface.

Thus an internet connection is available on Mars, regardless of the seasons, the orientation of the Earth and the orientation of Mars.

How We Developed This Project

This project was chosen by our team because we conjecture the human arrival on Mars in less than twenty years, and the transmission of information seems essential to us during such missions. We therefore want to set up a means of data transmission, active all year round regardless of the location of the stars in the solar system.

To imagine our project, we modeled everything; first with a model and then using a GeoGebra link, which shows the orbital motion of the planets as a function of time (and thus of the seasons).

How We Used Space Agency Data in This Project

We needed the orbital trajectories, the periods of revolution of the Earth and Mars to find the ideal trajectory of the relay satellite around the Sun (to constantly form an Earth-satellite-Mars triangle).

In addition we need the spatial condition data, in order to design the satellite for it to function sustainably.

Finally, we need the Martian condition data to be able to place the antennas there.