According to Nikolay Denisenko, co-author on the official entry in the competition, the only alternative source of energy that might have been also used was solar, but “the panels used in space are too heavy.”
The team is currently planning to create two prototypes of the aircraft to test both its aerodynamics and other functions on Earth. Minus the isotopic thermo-electric generator – the system that actually converts the CO2 into propellant – almost all the materials they require can be found in Ukraine.
To learn more about the Mars Hopper, check out this interview with Denisenko below:
