Missions to Mars will require electric power. A leading candidate for
providing power is solar power provided by photovoltaic arrays. To des
ign such a power system, detailed information on solar radiation avail
ability on the Martian surface is necessary. The variation of the sola
r radiation on the Martian surface is governed by three factors: (1) v
ariation in Mars-Sun distance, (2) variation in solar zenith angle due
to Martian season and time of day, and (3) dust in the Martian atmosp
here. A major concern is the dust storms, which occur on both local an
d global scales. However, there is still appreciable diffuse sunlight
available even at high opacity, so that solar array operation is still
possible. Typical results for tracking solar collectors are also show
n and compared to the fixed collectors. During the northern hemisphere
spring and summer the insolation is relatively high, 2-5 kW-hr/m2-day
, due to the low optical depth of the Martian atmosphere. These season
s, totalling a full terrestrial year, are the likely ones during which
manned missions will be carried out.