mars lighthouse: an integrated sustainable mars exploration system based on co₂ compressed energy storage and intelligent navigation
- Paper ID
97538
- DOI
- author
- company
China Academy of Aerospace Science and Innovation
- country
China
- year
2025
- abstract
For future planetary exploration missions, ongoing work is focused on establishing Mars as a key outpost. However, in the context of current unmanned systems for Mars development, there are two core challenges: the inability to provide continuous energy supply and the lack of remote control for operations. To address these issues, this study proposes the "Mars Lighthouse" system — an integrated energy system that combines in-situ resource utilization, efficient energy storage, and intelligent navigation. Based on the 95\% carbon dioxide content in the Martian atmosphere, this system innovatively employs gas-liquid compressed CO$_2$ energy storage technology, incorporating multi-stage compression and a temperature-driven energy release mechanism. This significantly enhances energy storage density and cycle efficiency, overcoming the intermittent shortcomings of traditional solar energy reliance. The system also integrates dust-resistant solar technology, utilizing superhydrophobic surface coatings and active dust-removal designs to ensure long-term, high-efficiency photovoltaic generation in the harsh Martian dust storm environment. To address the limitations posed by the absence of a global navigation satellite system on Mars, this system leverages remote sensing images and the infrared characteristics of energy supply facilities, enabling global positioning of unmanned equipment under both day and night conditions. By utilizing remote sensing images and the infrared characteristics of the energy system, it achieves spatial positioning based on multi-source, multi-modal fusion technology, supporting large-scale autonomous operations. Through a modular design, the system can be deployed as a distributed energy node, forming a "charging-navigation" network that covers the exploration area and provides stable energy supply and precise navigation support for multi-robot collaborative missions. Quantitative analysis has verified the feasibility of gas-liquid CO$_2$ energy storage in the low-pressure, low-temperature environment of Mars. The energy storage efficiency of this system is generally higher than that of traditional solutions, and the compression energy consumption is reduced by 14\%.The system design is compatible with the future needs of Mars missions, including crewed exploration and long-term base construction, and provides an energy storage interface for emerging energy technologies such as micro nuclear reactors. The current results have been validated through simulations and ground-based tests are planned. The implementation of this system will significantly enhance the autonomy, continuity, and scalability of Mars exploration missions, providing key technological support for the long-term development of Mars in collaboration with multiple nations.