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NASA NTRS2017

Testing and Modeling of the Mars Atmospheric Processing Module

Here we report further progress in the development of the MARCO POLO-Mars Pathfinder Atmospheric Processing Module (APM). The APM is designed to demonstrate in situ resource utilization (ISRU) of the Martian atmosphere, which primarily consists of carbon dioxide (CO2). The APM is part of a larger project with the overall goal of collecting and utilizing CO2 found in the atmosphere and water in the regolith of Mars to produce methane and oxygen to be used as rocket propellant, eliminating the need to import those to Mars for human missions, thus significantly reducing costs. The initial focus of NASA's new ISRU Project is modeling of key ISRU components, such as the CO2 Freezers and the Sabatier reactor of the APM. We have designed models of those components and verified the models with the APM by gathering additional data for the Sabatier reactor. Future efforts will be focused on simultaneous operations of the APM and other MARCO POLO-Mars Pathfinder modules.

Mars In Situ Resource Utilizatio↗
NASA NTRS2017

Fabrication of the HIAD Large-Scale Demonstration Assembly and Upcoming Mission Applications

Over a decade of work has been conducted in the development of NASAs Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) technology. This effort has included multiple ground test campaigns and flight tests culminating in the HIAD projects second generation (Gen-2) deployable aeroshell system and associated analytical tools. NASAs HIAD project team has developed, fabricated, and tested inflatable structures (IS) integrated with flexible thermal protection system (F-TPS), ranging in diameters from 3-6m, with cone angles of 60 and 70 deg.In 2015, United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced that they will use a HIAD (10-12m) as part of their Sensible, Modular, Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) for their upcoming Vulcan rocket. ULA expects SMART reusability, coupled with other advancements for Vulcan, will substantially reduce the cost of access to space. The first booster engine recovery via HIAD is scheduled for 2024. To meet this near-term need, as well as future NASA applications, the HIAD team is investigating taking the technology to the 10-15m diameter scale.In the last year, many significant development and fabrication efforts have been accomplished, culminating in the construction of a large-scale inflatable structure demonstration assembly. This assembly incorporated the first three tori for a 12m Mars Human-Scale Pathfinder HIAD conceptual design that was constructed with the current state of the art material set. Numerous design trades and torus fabrication demonstrations preceded this effort. In 2016, three large-scale tori (0.61m cross-section) and six subscale tori (0.25m cross-section) were manufactured to demonstrate fabrication techniques using the newest candidate material sets. These tori were tested to evaluate durability and load capacity. This work led to the selection of the inflatable structures third generation (Gen-3) structural liner. In late 2016, the three tori required for the large-scale demonstration assembly were fabricated, and then integrated in early 2017. The design includes provisions to add the remaining four tori necessary to complete the assembly of the 12m Human-Scale Pathfinder HIAD in the event future project funding becomes available.This presentation will discuss the HIAD large-scale demonstration assembly design and fabrication per-formed in the last year including the precursor tori development and the partial-stack fabrication. Potential near-term and future 10-15m HIAD applications will also be discussed.

Swanson, G. T.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Fabrication of the HIAD Large-Scale Demonstration Assembly

Over a decade of work has been conducted in the development of NASA's Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) technology. This effort has included multiple ground test campaigns and flight tests culminating in the HIAD projects second generation (Gen-2) deployable aeroshell system and associated analytical tools. NASAs HIAD project team has developed, fabricated, and tested inflatable structures (IS) integrated with flexible thermal protection system (F-TPS), ranging in diameters from 3-6m, with cone angles of 60 and 70 deg.In 2015, United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced that they will use a HIAD (10-12m) as part of their Sensible, Modular, Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) for their upcoming Vulcan rocket. ULA expects SMART reusability, coupled with other advancements for Vulcan, will substantially reduce the cost of access to space. The first booster engine recovery via HIAD is scheduled for 2024. To meet this near-term need, as well as future NASA applications, the HIAD team is investigating taking the technology to the 10-15m diameter scale. In the last year, many significant development and fabrication efforts have been accomplished, culminating in the construction of a large-scale inflatable structure demonstration assembly. This assembly incorporated the first three tori for a 12m Mars Human-Scale Pathfinder HIAD conceptual design that was constructed with the current state of the art material set. Numerous design trades and torus fabrication demonstrations preceded this effort. In 2016, three large-scale tori (0.61m cross-section) and six subscale tori (0.25m cross-section) were manufactured to demonstrate fabrication techniques using the newest candidate material sets. These tori were tested to evaluate durability and load capacity. This work led to the selection of the inflatable structures third generation (Gen-3) structural liner. In late 2016, the three tori required for the large-scale demonstration assembly were fabricated, and then integrated in early 2017. The design includes provisions to add the remaining four tori necessary to complete the assembly of the 12m Human-Scale Pathfinder HIAD in the event future project funding becomes available.This presentation will discuss the HIAD large-scale demonstration assembly design and fabrication per-formed in the last year including the precursor tori development and the partial-stack fabrication. Potential near-term and future 10-15m HIAD applications will also be discussed.

Swanson, G. T.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Engineering a Live UHD Program from the International Space Station

The first-ever live downlink of Ultra-High Definition (UHD) video from the International Space Station (ISS) was the highlight of a “Super Session” at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in April 2017. Ultra-High Definition is four times the resolution of “full HD” or “1080P” video. Also referred to as “4K”, the Ultra-High Definition video downlink from the ISS all the way to the Las Vegas Convention Center required considerable planning, pushed the limits of conventional video distribution from a space-craft, and was the first use of High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) from a space-craft. The live event at NAB will serve as a pathfinder for more routine downlinks of UHD as well as use of HEVC for conventional HD downlinks to save bandwidth. A similar demonstration was conducted in 2006 with the Discovery Channel to demonstrate the ability to stream HDTV from the ISS. This paper will describe the overall work flow and routing of the UHD video, how audio was synchronized even though the video and audio were received many seconds apart from each other, and how the demonstration paves the way for not only more efficient video distribution from the ISS, but also serves as a pathfinder for more complex video distribution from deep space. The paper will also describe how a “live” event was staged when the UHD video coming from the ISS had a latency of 10+ seconds. In addition, the paper will touch on the unique collaboration between the inherently governmental aspects of the ISS, commercial partners Amazon and Elemental, and the National Association of Broadcasters.

Grubbs, Rodney↗
NASA NTRS2017

Live Ultra-High Definition from the International Space Station

The first ever live downlink of Ultra-High Definition (UHD) video from the International Space Station (ISS) was the highlight of a 'Super Session' at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in April 2017. The Ultra-High Definition video downlink from the ISS all the way to the Las Vegas Convention Center required considerable planning, pushed the limits of conventional video distribution from a space-craft, and was the first use of High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) from a space-craft. The live event at NAB will serve as a pathfinder for more routine downlinks of UHD as well as use of HEVC for conventional HD downlinks to save bandwidth. HEVC may also enable live Virtual Reality video downlinks from the ISS. This paper will describe the overall work flow and routing of the UHD video, how audio was synchronized even though the video and audio were received many seconds apart from each other, and how the demonstration paves the way for not only more efficient video distribution from the ISS, but also serves as a pathfinder for more complex video distribution from deep space. The paper will also describe how a 'live' event was staged when the UHD coming from the ISS had a latency of 10+ seconds. Finally, the paper will discuss how NASA is leveraging commercial technologies for use on-orbit vs. creating technology as was required during the Apollo Moon Program and early space age.

Grubbs, Rodney↗
NASA NTRS2019

CLARREO Pathfinder/VIIRS Intercalibration: Quantifying the Polarization Effects on Reflectance and the Intercalibration Uncertainty

Atmospheric scattering and surface polarization affect radiance measurements of polarization-sensitive instruments on orbit. Neglecting the polarization effects may lead to an inaccurate radiance/reflectance determination and underestimated radiance/reflectance uncertainty. Of the two instruments, CERES and VIIRS, slated to be intercalibrated by the CLARREO Pathfinder(CPF), the latter is known to be sensitive to polarization. The Pathfinder mission is tasked with accurately determining the uncertainty contribution of polarization and will provide the bench mark for the determination of the polarization correction factor for polarization-sensitive instruments. In this article, we show the formalism necessary to correct the reflectance for sensitivity to polarization after the CLARREO Pathfinder/VIIRS intercalibration, as well as the associated polarization uncertainty contribution to the overall intercalibrated reflectance error. To illustrate its usage, the formalism is applied to three dominant scene types.

Goldin, Daniel↗
NASA NTRS2019

Uncertainties for Pre- and Post-Launch Radiometric Calibration of Imaging Spectrometers for Multi-Sensor Applications

An important aspect to using imaging spectrometer data is the radiometric characterization and calibration of the sensors and validation of their data products and doing so with error budgets with known traceability. The radiometric accuracy of a given sensor is important for demonstrating the expected quality of data from the sensor. Known traceability allows data from multiple sensors to be directly comparable as will become more important in the near future with the expected launches of multiple imaging spectrometers from multiple countries, agencies, and commercial entities. The current work describes the state of pre- and post-launch radiometric absolute and relative uncertainties and their role in harmonising on-orbit data. Examples of prelaunch uncertainties based on the calibration of EnMAP and the calibration planned for the CLARREO Pathfinder Mission are presented highlighting recent work in the area of detector-based approaches using tunable laser sources. Post-launch calibration approaches for Pathfinder, EnMAP, CHIME, and DESIS including traditional vicarious calibration methods and the challenges of working with commercial data are presented. The vicarious calibration discussion relies on the example of the recently-available RadCalNet data to describe typical methods and challenges that will be faced when harmonising data between imaging spectrometers as well as with multispectral sensors.

Thome, K.↗
NASA NTRS2016

MarCO: Interplanetary Mission Development on a CubeSat Scale

Shortly after JPL’s Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission launches, separates, and commences its cruise phase, two CubeSats will deploy from the launch vehicle’s upper stage and begin independent flight to Mars (Fig. 1). During InSight’s entry, descent, and landing (EDL) sequence, these twin Mars Cube One (MarCO) spacecraft will fly 3,500 km above the Martian surface, recording and relaying InSight UHF radio data to the Deep Space Network (DSN) on Earth1. MarCO is a twin CubeSat mission developed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to accompany the InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) Mars mission lander. MarCO's primary mission objective is to launch with InSight and independently fly to Mars to serve as a communications relay during InSight's entry, descent, and landing (EDL) phase. MarCO represents a new type of deep space mission: CubeSats at Mars. Building on the development of JPL's first interplanetary CubeSat project, the Interplanetary Nano-Spacecraft Pathfinder in Relevant Environment (INSPIRE), MarCO further refined the approach to hardware, software, and ground architecture development to solve the challenges of quickly building low-budget spacecraft to fly to Mars. The greatest constraint, beyond others typical of CubeSat missions, was time. The duration between MarCO's conception to completion of spacecraft assembly was less than two years - an unprecedented schedule for any planetary mission to date. Through necessity, MarCO has built on previous experience, procedures, systems, and development methodologies, defining a new niche for supporting larger primary missions. The MarCO spacecraft are poised to write a new chapter in deep space exploration. Originally slated to launch and reach Mars in 2016, the InSight mission schedule subsequently slipped to 2018. During the original landing of InSight, Earth would not be in view, and no orbiter around Mars would have been in position to both receive UHF EDL data and simultaneously relay it back to Earth. It was from this obstacle that MarCO was conceived. Regardless of any changes to InSight’s 2018 EDL configuration geometry, MarCO is still expected to fly and serve in the same capacity as originally designed: the first CubeSat mission to Mars. CubeSats have historically been firmly in the domain of universities and small companies. As first conceived, they served as a platform upon which to teach all aspects of the space mission lifecycle. JPL took on this mission type with Interplanetary Nano-Spacecraft Pathfinder in Relevant Environment2 (INSPIRE), moving the concept into a new domain: deep space. Building from the INSPIRE platform and lessons learned, MarCO addressed new challenges in the domain of planetary missions: independent interplanetary flight and navigation, integration with a large-scale mission, long-distance and long-delay communication, short development time, and a small development team. Of these, the greatest constraint was schedule: only 18 months passed from conception of mission concept until delivery of fully assembled and tested flight hardware. Careful selection of mission team, along with extensive use of off-the-shelf equipment, and streamlining automated processes, was essential. This achievement represents the next step in the evolution of CubeSats beyond low-Earth orbit.

Werne, Thomas↗
NASA NTRS2018

ST7 Disturbance Reduction System (DRS) Colloid Micronewton Thruster Performance and Control Algorithm Model Simulation Validation in Flight

Colloid Micronewton Thrusters (CMNT) were flight demonstrated for the first time on the ST7Disturbance Reduction System (DRS) payload on the European Space Agency (ESA) Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Pathfinder spacecraft for attitude and drag-free spacecraft control. LISA Pathfinder was a technology demonstration mission for ESA’s LISA gravitational wave observatory, currently in Phase A with a launch date of 2034. The DRS included the Integrated Avionics Unit (IAU), eight Colloid Micronewton Thrusters (CMNT), Dynamic Control Software (DCS) and Flight Software (FSW). The CMNT technology met performance requirements operating at 5-30 µN of thrust with ≤0.1 µN resolution and ≤0.1 µN/Hz thrust noise to deliver the required nanometer-level precision spacecraft control measured by the gravitational reference sensor (GRS) in the ESA LISA Technology Package (LTP). The performance of seven of the CMNT in flight was consistent with ground test results. The colloid thruster performance model of thrust and thrust noise as a function of operational parameters (i.e. beam current, voltage, temperature, etc.) was validated in flight over a wide range of conditions. A model and simulation of the thruster control algorithm was developed and validated with flight data to predict thrust noise. This capability is important because it is considered to be a significant source of position noise on the spacecraft and, therefore, the acceleration noise on the test masses, which provide the gravity wave measurements. The CMNT thruster model data and validation with LISA Pathfinder/ST7-DRS flight experiments are discussed in this paper.

Hruby, Vlad↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

VIPER: Introduction to the Resource Prospecting Mission

With the Artemis Program, NASA plans to return humans to the Moon to stay, which means if there are local materials available, they could be deployed to help support extended lunar stays. Since the moon’s polar regions have confirmed the presence of volatiles, as revealed by LCROSS, LRO and other lunar missions, the next step is to understand the nature and distribution of those candidate resources and how they might be extracted. Recent studies have even indicated local volatiles could be processed into propellants and human life-supporting resources, significantly aiding in sustaining humans on the Moon, and eventually and later to support missions to Mars. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Resource (VIPER) is an in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) mission within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), based on the pathfinding development of the Resource Prospector (RP) mission concept. This clever mission is targeting late 2023 and may spend over 100 days mapping and surveying four different Ice Stability Regions to understand the nature and distribution of water and volatiles already confirmed to be there, including measuring mineralogical content such as silicon and light metals from lunar regolith. The knowledge attained by a mission like VIPER could have many-fold benefits for space exploration, but also commercial applications. VIPER is an essential, early mission supporting the “moon rush” which has developed over the past few years, with both governments and commercial entities making their cases for lunar exploration. VIPER aims to understand just how the water-ice and other volatiles are distributed, both horizontally and vertically, enabling creation of volatiles resource maps, which will guide what might be required to harvest those resources at scale. With sufficient infrastructural investment, led by governments and then optimized by the commercial marketplace, VIPER will be a pathfinder mission addressing key decadal lunar science and early strategic knowledge gaps.

Daniel Andrews↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

High-Propellant Throughput Sub-kW Electric Propulsion System for Deep Space Science and Exploration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is maturing high-propellant throughput sub-kilowatt electric propulsion technologies to enable small spacecraft deep space science and exploration missions with high delta-v requirements. The pathfinder model (PM) propulsion system consists of the H71M-PM Hall-effect thruster, a breadboard 1-kW power processing unit (PPU), and a propellant flow control system. The propulsion system requirements balance the needs of various high delta-v NASA and commercial industry mission concepts to achieve a design that both enables a variety of NASA small spacecraft deep space missions, while remaining viable for select commercial applications. The H71M-PM thruster has completed performance characterization and three 500-h short duration wear tests (SDWT). The propulsion system provides stable thrust generation over a wide range of operating conditions from 200 W to 1 kW, and 200 V to 400 V. The thruster has demonstrated a thrust as high as 68 mN at 300 V and 1 kW. The thruster has similarly demonstrated a specific impulse of 1850 s at 400 V and 1 kW. Key surfaces were machined between each SDWT to simulate accelerated discharge channel and pole cover erosion. Profilometry scans across masked pole cover surfaces were conducted to determine erosion rates. SDWT results support that a target thruster lifetime of 14 kh with 50% margin is achievable. Component testing has demonstrated propellant azimuthal flow uniformity better than ± 2 percent of the nominal value, azimuthal magnetic field uniformity better than ± 0.5 percent of the nominal value, and cathode heater cycle testing to greater than 30,000 cycles. Propulsion system integrated system testing is planned to use the H71M-PM and a breadboard 1-kW PPU. Pathfinder model test results are now supporting the design of the H71M-EM engineering model thruster. A second-generation breadboard PPU has been fabricated and is currently under test. NASA has made these technologies available to U.S. industry through a no cost, nonexclusive license agreement.

Hall↗
NASA NTRS2022

Precipitation Estimation From the NASA TROPICS Mission: Initial Retrievals and Validation

This paper describes the initial results of precipitation estimates from the Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) Millimeter-wave Sounder (TMS) using the Precipitation Retrieval and Profiling Scheme (PRPS). The TROPICS mission consists of a Pathfinder cubesat and a constellation of six cubesats, providing a low-cost solution to the frequent sampling of precipitation systems across the Tropics. The TMS instrument is a 12-channel cross-track scanning radiometer operating at frequencies from 91.655 to 204.8 GHz, providing similar resolutions to current passive microwave sounding instruments. These retrievals showcases the potential of the TMS instrument for precipitation retrievals. The PRPS has been modified for use with the TMS using a database based upon observations from current sounding sensors. The results shown here represent the initial post-launch version of the retrieval scheme, as analyzed for the Pathfinder cubesat launched on June 30, 2021. In terms of monthly precipitation estimates the results fall within the mission specifications and are similar in performance t

Chris Kidd↗
NASA NTRS2024

Mock Truss-Braced Wing Loads Calibration Research Utilizing Fiber-Optic Sensors

In support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Advanced Air Transonic Transport Truss-Braced Wing structural research, the Armstrong Flight Research Center Flight Loads Laboratory is performing pathfinder tests on a small, scaled test article (dubbed the mock Truss-Braced Wing) to study the application of a loads calibration on a truss-braced wing structure. The addition of a truss to the wing structure, as opposed to a purely cantilever beam setup, changes the strain-gage-based loads calibration techniques. In a truss-braced configuration, the internal shear and moments, inboard of the truss-wing connection, are not directly representative of the external aerodynamic loading as is the case for a traditional cantilever configuration. A 3-axis load cell was used at the wing-to-strut interface to estimate the load sharing between the two structural members. Crosstalk within the 3-axis load cell is added to the measurement uncertainties of the calibration effort, and the results, including crosstalk uncertainties, are presented. The calibration tests presented in this report are used as a pathfinder for developing an understanding how to perform loads calibration on a truss-braced wing structural configuration. The use of distributed fiber-optic strain sensors is leveraged to provide a near-full-span strain profile along the leading and trailing edge of the wing structure for strain-based loads calibration.

Francisco Peña↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Towards an Optimal Estimation Retrieval of Cirrus Cloud Optical and Microphysical Properties Using Hyperspectral Shortwave Instruments and A Fast Radiative Transfer Algorithm

Cirrus cloud retrieval products (here, cloud optical depth, effective particle size, and cloud top height) are important inputs into numerical weather and climate models. Uncertainties in such retrieval products, as a matter of course, propagate downstream, impacting model calculations. Improvements in high-quality global cirrus cloud optical and microphysical data products from satellite observations are needed to understand and reduce retrieval uncertainties. Hyperspectral shortwave instruments produce high-resolution and information-dense spectra, thus offering the opportunity to reduce uncertainties in retrieval products. We are in the process of developing a retrieval that uses the very fast Principal Component Radiative Transfer Model in the solar spectral region (PCRTM-Solar) in the forward model calculations. This retrieval will use measured reflectances from the NASA Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) and the forthcoming Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory Pathfinder (CLARREO-Pathfinder) instruments. In this manuscript we present progress towards a reference retrieval employing a widely used, verified, accurate, yet computationally slower radiative transfer modeling technique. The reference retrieval, while too slow for using the complete hyperspectral measurement, will allow us to study the behavior of retrieval products and help us verify results from our in-development fast retrieval. Both retrievals will use the optimal estimation retrieval framework. In this manuscript we present results from an uncertainty analysis considering three uncertainty sources for a cirrus cloud retrieval in the form of error covariance matrices: reflectance uncertainty due to water vapor, the reflectance uncertainty due to ice crystal scattering assumptions, and the instrument measurement uncertainty. Results show that the uncertainty due to habit selection is the largest, while that due to water vapor is at most 0.6% relative to channel reflectance. As a first step, the retrieval is being designed for single layer ice clouds over open ocean water.

Cirrus cloud↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Impact Assessment of All-Sky TROPICS Microwave Observations on the NASA GEOS Analyses and Forecasts and Progress to Use the Data in the JEDI-GEOS Analysis System

The NASA Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) mission is a constellation of small satellites carrying state-of-art microwave temperature and humidity sounders with 12 channels between 91 GHz and 205 GHz frequency. Including TROPICS-pathfinder, launched on 30 June 2021, five TROPICS CubeSats operate and provide temperature and humidity data to NWP and atmospheric retrieval communities. This study is dedicated to evaluating the impact of the TROPICS satellite constellation microwave observations in numerical weather prediction (NWP) using the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS). The TROPICS-01 (TROPICS-Pathfinder), TROPICS-03, TROPICS-05, and TROPICS-06 data in all-sky conditions over the ocean during the period of 25 July 2023 and 6 September 2023 are used for assessing forecast impacts on global NWP analysis and five-day forecasts. A series of experiments are carried out to measure the benefits of assimilating observations from only temperature sounders, water vapor sounders, and both sounders. Statistical analysis of the Observing System Experiments (OSEs) results has shown incremental improvements in global model forecast skills for critical geophysical parameters, including temperature, winds, and geopotential heights. The results demonstrate the potential of the TROPICS-like data to positively impact NWP by adding new information to the current observation and forecast system. In another set of experiments, the TROPICS-03, TROPICS-05, and TROPICS-06 data sets are added to the TROPICS-01 one by one to evaluate the impacts of increasing the revisit rate of TROPICS satellite measurements on NWP analysis for a tropical cyclone’s dynamical and microphysical structures. This study offers important insights into the capabilities of a new generation of small satellite microwave radiometers based on emerging technologies, including their unique measurements at 118 GHz and 205 GHz that are not available in traditional operational microwave sounders. Finally, the efforts to implement these new developments for TROPICS in the JEDI-GEOS atmospheric data assimilation system are in progress, and preliminary results from cycled JEDI-GEOS data assimilation experiments are presented.

Min-Jeong Kim↗
NASA NTRS2026

Hyperspectral Detail Meets Radiometric Accuracy: A Foundational Reflected Solar Capability for the Coming Decade

Hyperspectral Earth-reflected solar measurements contain rich, detailed information about clouds, aerosols, and the atmosphere. This information compounds when paired with high, SI-traceable radiometric accuracy. Unlike spectral resolution, which can be resampled to coarser spectral resolutions, radiometric accuracy cannot be recovered once a measurement is made, making the choice to invest in this capability now a decision with lasting consequences for the climate record. CLARREO Pathfinder is demonstrating that this combination of hyperspectral sampling and benchmark-quality accuracy is achievable today, but no follow-on mission is currently planned within NASA's Earth Science Division portfolio, and the recent cancellation of the European Space Agency TRUTHS mission has heightened the urgency of sustaining this capability. We recommend prioritizing investment in a follow-on to CLARREO Pathfinder, along with dedicated support for the science community to fully exploit these measurements. This capability would reduce long-standing uncertainties in cloud feedback, aerosol forcing, and global energy imbalance, while providing a degradation-resistant, gap-resilient calibration foundation for the broader Earth observing system. Building on flight-proven technology and an engaged science community, this is a near-term, fiscally realistic opportunity to secure a foundational Earth observation capability for the coming decade.

satellite↗
NASA NTRS1996

Solar Array Passive Functional Tests

Passive functional tests are required to monitor the health of Mars Pathfinder solar arrays. To accomplish this, a Solar Array Ground Support Equipment Testbed (SAGSET) was proposed with five passive tests to be performed in sequence:.

Testbed SAGSET↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Mars Rover Mobility System

The Mars Pathfinder SOJOURNER Rover vehicle has completed its mission. It explored the vicinity of the lander, probing the Martian surface while getting pictures of the rocks and the way they are arranged. It analyzed the chemical make up of the soil and the various rocks.

Mars Rover Mobility Sojourner Mars Pathfinder↗