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The primary objective of this thesis is to develop a framework to compare the performance of fixed-wing aircraft, airships, and the rotary-wing aircraft in the Martian environment and through that framework, determine which of these platforms is best suited to conduct a series of scientific investigations on Mars. Three Mars mission scenarios provide the context within which the performance of the platforms is evaluated. The mission scenarios are used to derive the performance requirements including the range and flight path to be covered, the altitude at which the platforms fly, and the scientific investigations to be performed along with the associated scientific instrumentation to be carried as payload. Existing platform designs are used for the purpose of this comparative study and are modified depending on specific mission requirements. A set of weighted performance metrics, including the gross takeoff mass, power required, manoeuvrability, and complexity, serves as a common basis for comparing the performance of the three aerial platforms. The results of this comparative study indicate that the airship is best suited for all mission scenarios considered due to its simplicity and high degree of manoeuvrability. However, it is important to note that a series of subjective design choices with respect to platform speed and available power were made that significantly impact the overall performance of the platforms. Altering these design choices as well as the mission requirements could result in a different platform being best suited for each Mars mission. For instance, increasing the cruising velocity of the fixed-wing aircraft may allow its dimensions to be scaled down thereby reducing the complexity and making it a more competitive platform for long-range missions. In addition, for short-range missions that do not require a high degree of manoeuvrability but where the gross takeoff mass and complexity are more important factors, the rotary-wing aircraft becomes the best option.

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