Autonomous Self-Deploying Rocket and Spacecraft Landing Platform for the Moon and Mars

The Critical Importance of a Landing Platform

The successful landing of rockets and spacecraft on the Moon or Mars is a cornerstone of future space exploration and colonization. However, both celestial bodies present unique challenges that make conventional landing methods insufficient. For example:

• Unstable Terrain: The Moon’s surface is covered by a powdery regolith layer that is 4–5 meters deep in some areas. This loose material cannot provide adequate stability for large rockets like SpaceX’s Starship, which weighs up to 5,000 metric tons when fully loaded. No matter how well-designed the landing gear is, uneven distribution of pressure on this powdery surface could result in tilting or even catastrophic failure during landing.
• Mars-Specific Challenges: While Mars has a more cohesive surface, its uneven terrain, hidden subsurface ice pockets, and dust storms pose significant risks. Heavy vehicles could sink, slide, or experience critical damage without a stable platform to land on.
• Safety for Heavy Payloads: To address these challenges, the landing platform has been engineered with a maximum capacity of 10,000 tons, giving it a robust safety margin for accommodating fully laden rockets like SpaceX’s Starship. This ensures that even the heaviest vehicles can land securely without risk of structural failure or surface instability.
• Mission Safety and Reusability: A landing platform is essential for ensuring the safety of astronauts, payloads, and rockets. It provides a reliable, flat surface for landing, minimizing risks associated with surface irregularities. For reusable spacecraft, like Starship or future interplanetary vehicles, the platform protects key landing components from abrasive surface materials that could degrade their structural integrity over time.
• Environmental Protection: Rockets generate immense thrust during takeoff and landing, which can displace large amounts of regolith and create hazardous dust clouds. These particles can damage equipment, obstruct visibility, and pose health risks to astronauts. A landing platform mitigates this by absorbing the forces and containing debris.

Advanced Materials for Extreme Conditions

The landing platform is constructed from an advanced alloy that combines Tantalum, Hafnium, Inconel, Tungsten, and further enhanced with graphene reinforcement, as well as several Additives and other Compounds FAST Space has developed through another company in the group.

This material is engineered for exceptional strength, rigidity, and thermal resilience, enabling it to withstand temperatures ranging from the freezing cold of -459.67°F (absolute zero) to extreme heat of 6,000°F—conditions experienced during rocket landings and potential solar flares. The alloy also resists deformation, corrosion, and wear, ensuring durability in the harsh environments of the Moon and Mars.

Autonomous Deployment System

The platform is designed to self-deploy upon reaching the Lunar or Martian surface. To achieve this, it incorporates:

• Origami and Auxetic Structures: These advanced folding techniques allow the platform to be compact enough to fit within most rocket or spacecraft payload bays with ease during transport. Once on the surface, it unfolds into a 400-square-meter landing pad, providing ample space for even the largest spacecraft.
• Self-Leveling Hydraulic Suspension: The platform automatically adjusts to the terrain, creating a perfectly level surface even on uneven ground. This self-leveling feature ensures the stability of the spacecraft’s landing, thus reducing the risk of tipping or imbalance.
• Mecanum-Influenced Tracks: Equipped with custom-designed tracks, the platform can navigate and reposition itself across challenging terrain. This mobility ensures that it can be deployed in the optimal location or moved to accommodate mission needs.

Mobility and Safety Enhancements

The landing platform is more than a stationary surface—it is a mobile unit capable of performing critical operations:

• Rocket Relocation: After landing, the platform can transport the spacecraft to a hangar or another secure location, ensuring it is shielded from environmental hazards such as micrometeoroid storms or intense dust activity.
• Emergency Response: In the event of a meteor storm or other imminent danger, the platform can rapidly relocate the rocket or spacecraft to a safe zone, preserving valuable equipment and mission assets.

Autonomous Guidance and Integration

The platform features a plug-and-play guidance system that seamlessly integrates with the rocket or spacecraft’s onboard computer. This system provides the following capabilities:

• Autopilot Landings: The platform’s advanced computer guidance allows spacecraft to land autonomously with unparalleled precision. This reduces human error and enhances safety, especially during missions to uncharted or high-risk areas.
• Real-Time Communication: The onboard systems of the rocket and platform continuously communicate to ensure coordinated operations, from descent to landing and post-landing procedures.

Powering the Platform

The platform is equipped with a hybrid power system designed for sustainability and resilience in any condition:

• Solar Technology: The latest solar panels ensure continuous power generation, optimized for the different sunlight conditions on the Moon and Mars.
• High-Output Battery and Generator Systems: Until nuclear microreactors become viable, the platform relies on a combination of cutting-edge batteries and compact generators to provide consistent energy for its autonomous functions and mobility.

Expanding Mission Capabilities

The self-deploying landing platform is a game-changer for space exploration. With its 10,000-ton safety rating, it ensures the stability and safety of even the heaviest spacecraft, like a fully laden SpaceX Starship.

Its robust design, adaptability, and advanced technologies provide unmatched versatility, ensuring safe and reliable landings for a new era of interplanetary missions. By addressing the challenges of unstable terrain, harsh environmental conditions, and the logistical needs of heavy spacecraft, it becomes an indispensable tool for pioneering the Moon, Mars, and beyond.