Most of the Mars rovers that have landed successfully have done so using parachutes, but the success rate is not high, and researchers around the world are now challenging this method. To find the deceleration method that is the key to landing a spacecraft, we first focused on parachutes and verified the shape that has the longest dwell time on Earth.

In Experiment 1, we found that a rectangle with a side ratio of 5:3 had the longest air-to-air time. However, upon closer observation of the parachute falling, we noticed that the umbrella of the parachute was shaking unstably. We hypothesized that we could eliminate this swaying by making a hole in the umbrella to allow air to escape, and are now experimenting to see how the position, size, and number of holes affect the swaying of the umbrella.

Advice from Researchers

Research on Mars exploration is being conducted all over the world. In recent years, the key point of research trend is how to make a mathematical model and run a simulation with high accuracy. You can check the conditions of Mars on the Internet, so why don't you try simulations using the Internet as a reference?
In order to reach our grand goals, most of us lack the technology, knowledge, and experience. We must develop all the necessary technology ourselves, and we must pave the way for ourselves where it does not yet exist. To achieve this, it is essential to draw a line from what we want to do to where we are and steadily build up from where we think we can achieve it. We cannot reach our goals in a single attempt, so we must try again and again without giving up. It is important to do your best and believe in what you can do now.

Advisor for this study

National Aerospace Exploration Agency of Japan
Senior Fellow/
Professor, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Department of Space Flight Engineering

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