MARCO — Mars Autonomous Renewable COlony

MARCO — Project Story

Mars Advanced Renewable COmplex Optimizing solar power for Mars habitat resilience

Inspiration

MARCO was inspired by the need for reliable and sustainable energy systems to support human life on Mars. Solar power is the most viable solution, but it requires optimization due to harsh environmental conditions.

What I Learned

This project improved my understanding of photovoltaic systems and their nonlinear behavior:

• Series cells increase voltage
• Parallel strings increase current

The system is governed by:

[ P = V \cdot I ]

Method

The system was modeled in Simulink using Simscape Electrical.

• A variable resistor (10–1 $\Omega$) was used to sweep operating conditions

• The solar array was scaled by tuning:

  • $N_s \rightarrow V \approx 500,\text{V}$
  • $N_p \rightarrow P \approx 50,\text{kW}$

An automated MATLAB routine minimized:

[ J = \left(\frac{V-500}{500}\right)^2 + \left(\frac{P-50000}{50000}\right)^2 ]

Challenges

• Tuning $N_s$ and $N_p$
• Managing nonlinear I–V behavior
• Matching the required operating point

Conclusion

MARCO shows how simulation and optimization can be used to design efficient solar power systems for Mars habitats.

Built With

• english
• matlab
• simscape
• simulink