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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

Pico Reentry Probes: Affordable Options for Reentry Measurements and Testing

It is generally very costly to perform in-space and atmospheric entry experiments. This paper presents a new platform - the Pico Reentry Probe (PREP) - that we believe will make targeted flight-tests and planetary atmospheric probe science missions considerably more affordable. Small, lightweight, self-contained, it is designed as a "launch and forget" system, suitable for experiments that require no ongoing communication with the ground. It contains a data recorder, battery, transmitter, and user-customized instrumentation. Data recorded during reentry or space operations is returned at end-of-mission via transmission to Iridium satellites (in the case of earth-based operations) or a similar orbiting communication system for planetary missions. This paper discusses possible applications of this concept for Earth and Martian atmospheric entry science. Two well-known heritage aerodynamic shapes are considered as candidates for PREP: the shape developed for the Planetary Atmospheric Experiment Test (PAET) and that for the Deep Space II Mars Probe.

Ailor, William H.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Science Goals and Mission Concept for the Future Exploration of Titan and Enceladus

Saturn׳s moons, Titan and Enceladus, are two of the Solar System׳s most enigmatic bodies and are prime targets for future space exploration. Titan provides an analogue for many processes relevant to the Earth, more generally to outer Solar System bodies, and a growing host of newly discovered icy exoplanets. Processes represented include atmospheric dynamics, complex organic chemistry, meteorological cycles (with methane as a working fluid), astrobiology, surface liquids and lakes, geology, fluvial and aeolian erosion, and interactions with an external plasma environment. In addition, exploring Enceladus over multiple targeted flybys will give us a unique opportunity to further study the most active icy moon in our Solar System as revealed by Cassini and to analyse in situ its active plume with highly capable instrumentation addressing its complex chemistry and dynamics. Enceladus׳ plume likely represents the most accessible samples from an extra-terrestrial liquid water environment in the Solar system, which has far reaching implications for many areas of planetary and biological science. Titan with its massive atmosphere and Enceladus with its active plume are prime planetary objects in the Outer Solar System to perform in situ investigations. In the present paper, we describe the science goals and key measurements to be performed by a future exploration mission involving a Saturn-Titan orbiter and a Titan balloon, which was proposed to ESA in response to the call for definition of the science themes of the next Large-class mission in 2013. The mission scenario is built around three complementary science goals: (A) Titan as an Earth-like system; (B) Enceladus as an active cryovolcanic moon; and (C) Chemistry of Titan and Enceladus - clues for the origin of life. The proposed measurements would provide a step change in our understanding of planetary processes and evolution, with many orders of magnitude improvement in temporal, spatial, and chemical resolution over that which is possible with Cassini-Huygens. This mission concept builds upon the successes of Cassini-Huygens and takes advantage of previous mission heritage in both remote sensing and in situ measurement technologies.

future missions↗
NASA NTRS2014

Human Exploration Science Office (KX) Overview

The Human Exploration Science Office supports human spaceflight, conducts research, and develops technology in the areas of space orbital debris, hypervelocity impact technology, image science and analysis, remote sensing, imagery integration, and human and robotic exploration science. NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) resides in the Human Exploration Science Office. ODPO provides leadership in orbital debris research and the development of national and international space policy on orbital debris. The office is recognized internationally for its measurement and modeling of the debris environment. It takes the lead in developing technical consensus across U.S. agencies and other space agencies on debris mitigation measures to protect users of the orbital environment. The Hypervelocity Impact Technology (HVIT) project evaluates the risks to spacecraft posed by micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD). HVIT facilities at JSC and White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) use light gas guns, diagnostic tools, and high-speed imagery to quantify the response of spacecraft materials to MMOD impacts. Impact tests, with debris environment data provided by ODPO, are used by HVIT to predict risks to NASA and commercial spacecraft. HVIT directly serves NASA crew safety with MMOD risk assessments for each crewed mission and research into advanced shielding design for future missions. The Image Science and Analysis Group (ISAG) supports the International Space Station (ISS) and commercial spaceflight through the design of imagery acquisition schemes (ground- and vehicle-based) and imagery analyses for vehicle performance assessments and mission anomaly resolution. ISAG assists the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) Program in the development of camera systems for the Orion spacecraft that will serve as data sources for flight test objectives that lead to crewed missions. The multi-center Imagery Integration Team is led by the Human Exploration Science Office and provides expertise in the application of engineering imagery to spaceflight. The team links NASA programs and private industry with imagery capabilities developed and honed through decades of human spaceflight, including imagery integration, imaging assets, imagery data management, and photogrammetric analysis. The team is currently supporting several NASA programs, including commercial demonstration missions. The Earth Science and Remote Sensing Team is responsible for integrating the scientific use of Earth-observation assets onboard the ISS, which consist of externally mounted sensors and crew photography capabilities. This team facilitates collaboration on remote sensing and participates in research with academic organizations and other Government agencies, not only in conjunction with ISS science, but also for planetary exploration and regional environmental/geological studies. Human exploration science focuses on science strategies for future human exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, asteroids, and beyond. This function provides communication and coordination between the science community and mission planners. ARES scientists support the operation of robotic missions (i.e., Mars Exploration Rovers and the Mars Science Laboratory), contribute to the interpretation of returned mission data, and translate robotic mission technologies and techniques to human spaceflight.

Calhoun, Tracy A.↗
NASA NTRS2017

NEEMO 21: Tools, Techniques, Technologies and Training for Science Exploration

The 21st mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) was a highly integrated operational field test and evaluation of tools, techniques, technologies, and training for science driven exploration during extravehicular activity (EVA). The mission was conducted in July 2016 from the Aquarius habitat, an underwater laboratory, off the coast of Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. An international crew of eight (comprised of NASA and ESA astronauts, engineers, medical personnel, and habitat technicians) lived and worked in and around Aquarius and its surrounding reef environment for 16 days. The integrated testing (both interior and exterior objectives) conducted from this unique facility continues to support current and future human space exploration endeavors. Expanding on the scientific and operational evaluations conducted during NEEMO 20, the 21st NEEMO mission further incorporated a diverse Science Team comprised of planetary geoscientists from the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES/XI) Division from the Johnson Space Center, marine scientists from the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University (FIU) Integrative Marine Genomics and Symbiosis (IMaGeS) Lab, and conservationists from the Coral Restoration Foundation. The Science Team worked in close coordination with the long-standing EVA operations, planning, engineering, and research components of NEEMO in all aspects of mission planning, development, and execution.

Graff, T.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Precision pointing and tracking system /PPTS/

As part of its advanced development work, JPL is developing a Precision Pointing and Tracking System (PPTS) for science platform control on unmanned planetary spacecraft. The PPTS will extend science capabilities on future missions by providing highly accurate (10 arcsec) and stable (0.2 arcsec) pointing of the platform. Key features of the design include closed-loop tracking of target bodies using an optical sensor and decoupling of spacecraft dynamics via high-bandwidth, inertially stabilized control. This paper discusses the analyses and design. Computer simulations were used to establish the feasibility of the design approach and to verify that the performance requirements can be met. A breadboard demonstration of the entire system is expected in late 1980.

Brown, T. K.↗
NASA NTRS2000

The Space Science Enterprise Strategic Plan

It is a pleasure to present our new Space Science Strategic Plan. It represents contributions by hundreds of members of the space science community, including researchers, technologists, and educators, working with staff at NASA, over a period of nearly two years. Our time is an exciting one for space science. Dramatic advances in cosmology, planetary research, and solar-terrestrial science form a backdrop for this ambitious plan. Our program boldly addresses the most fundamental questions that science can ask: (1) how the universe began and is changing, (2) what are the past and future of humanity, and (3) whether we are alone. In taking up these questions, researchers and the general public--for we are all seekers in this quest--will draw upon all areas of science and the technical arts. Our Plan outlines how we will communicate our findings to interested young people and adults. The program that you will read about in this Plan includes forefront research and technology development on the ground as well as development and operation of the most complex spacecraft conceived. The proposed flight program is a balanced portfolio of small missions and larger spacecraft. Our goal is to obtain the best science at the lowest cost, taking advantage of the most advanced technology that can meet our standards for expected mission success. In driving hard to achieve this goal, we experienced some very disappointing failures in 1999. But NASA, as a research and development agency, makes progress by learning also from mistakes, and we have learned from these.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2021

Fit to be Tied: Embracing Tethered Robots for Exploring Extreme Planetary Environments

Tethers are supportive wires that could provide power, communication, and even science instrument capabilities to planetary rovers, landers, and future human settlements. Whether it be power distribution and optical communication connecting robots exploring extreme, undersea and deep subsurface environments, to your home office on Earth, we live, and will continue to live, in a predominantly ‘wired’ world. Accordingly, as humanity continues to push beyond Earth to exploring extreme planetary terrains like caves, cliffs, craters, and crevasses, and moves towards establishing human settlements on the Moon and Mars, we can expect tethers to play a major role. For exploration purposes, tethers are critical to enabling next-generation, science-focused missions to access high-value, resource-limited targets, where exploring rovers or astronauts lack direct communication or access to viable sunlight for solar power. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is formulating new mission concepts that could deploy robotic assets into some of the Solar System’s harshest and steepest terrain and, in many cases, tethers are the enabling technology. Examples include i) a rappelling rover to explore vertically along lunar pit walls to determine how the Moon formed, ii) tethered rovers to reach ice deposits on Mars and the Moon, iii) large, tether-deployed antenna structures to probe into the subsurface of a planet and/or look skyward to image the highly red-shifted, early universe, iv) probes that descend into the icy layers of Europa and Enceladus in search of subsurface oceans and, potentially, extant life, and v) science instruments that could be suspended on supportive tethers from balloons on Venus to directly image the surface and sample its clouds. This paper will present a survey of the state-of-the-art for tether related exploration of the solar system and chronicle ongoing work at JPL, which is leading to robust tether designs, high-power and communication transmission over multi-km distances, and highly capable, tether-based rover systems.

McGarey, Patrick↗
NASA NTRS2026

Organic Inventory - Planetary Protection on the Moon

All spacecraft generate and carry contaminants, i.e., unwanted and potentially harmful material. When a spacecraft lands and operates in vacuum, as onto Earth’s Moon, it introduces contaminants into its environment that may compromise mission science objectives and engineering performance. Contamination may degrade sites of unique value to planetary science or in situ resource utilization. This presentation will identify and compare source terms and transport vectors for contaminants – in particular, organic material – generated by landed spacecraft. An integrated modeling framework for the organic contamination footprint of spacecraft missions will be described and presented.

Planetary Protection↗
NASA NTRS1994

Assessment of Image Sensor Technology for Future NASA Missions

An assessment of solid-state UV/visible image sensor technology for future NASA missions is presented. The paper will attempt to summarize the state of the art in image sensor technology in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Europe. The state of the art and future trends will be compared to a forecast of future NASA needs in scientific image sensors for planetary exploration, earth science, astrophysics, and spacecraft systems such as star trackers and optical communications.

solid-state↗
NASA NTRS2021

Bistatic Radar Experiments with UAV: Qualification and Performance of a Miniaturized Instrument

Spacecraft-to-ground bistatic radar is an established technique that has enabled the study of the planetary surfaces and near sub-surfaces properties by using the telecommunication signals amplitude, phase, and polarization. The Planetary Radar and Radio Science group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has been involved in many planetary bistatic radar experiments since the 1970’s using orbiters and Deep Space Network (DSN) antennas. The recent advances in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) technologies are making the UAVs more popular in scientific surveying applications. One such application is the use of UAVs in bistatic radar measurements to explore surfaces on Earth. Our analyses show that UAV-based bistatic radar measurements will improve our understanding of the finer-scale characteristic variations of the surface by acquiring the higher resolution data for a specific region of interest compared to data obtained from a spacecraft. The Mars helicopter, a technology demonstration to test the first powered flight on Mars, will be the beginning of a new era of exploration with UAVs on Mars. This leap in planetary UAV technology has renewed the importance of developing a miniaturized bistatic radar instrument (under 1 kg) compatible with a UAV platform able to meet the science requirements for studying surfaces on Earth, Mars, and other planetary bodies. As part of a task at JPL, we have been working on a technology demonstration using a compact bistatic radar instrument designed to be the payload of a UAV employing signals of opportunity from Earth’s orbiters, i.e. Global Positioning System (GPS). In this paper, we present our design and development of the instrument, our evaluation of different L-band antennas, the performance of compact open-loop receivers in support of Earth and planetary bistatic radar observations, and the instrument fit test on an UAV platform. As part of this publication, we also highlight the results of a field experiment dedicated to test the sensitivity of the miniaturized bistatic radar instrument to different electrical properties of the surface.

Brockers, Roland↗
NASA NTRS2011

Planetary Education and Outreach Using the NOAA Science on a Sphere

Science On a Sphere (SOS) is a large visualization system, developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAH), that uses computers running Redhat Linux and four video projectors to display animated data onto the outside of a sphere. Said another way, SOS is a stationary globe that can show dynamic, animated images in spherical form. Visualization of cylindrical data maps show planets, their atmosphere, oceans, and land, in very realistic form. The SOS system uses 4 video projectors to display images onto the sphere. Each projector is driven by a separate computer, and a fifth computer is used to control the operation of the display computers. Each computer is a relatively powerful PC with a high-end graphics card. The video projectors have native XGA resolution. The projectors are placed at the corners of a 30' x 30' square with a 68" carbon fiber sphere suspended in the center of the square. The equator of the sphere is typically located 86" off the floor. SOS uses common image formats such as JPEG, or TIFF in a very specific, but simple form; the images are plotted on an equatorial cylindrical equidistant projection, or as it is commonly known, a latitude/longitude grid, where the image is twice as wide as it is high (rectangular). 2048x] 024 is the minimum usable spatial resolution without some noticeable pixelation. Labels and text can be applied within the image, or using a timestamp-like feature within the SOS system software. There are two basic modes of operation for SOS: displaying a single image or an animated sequence of frames. The frame or frames can be setup to rotate or tilt, as in a planetary rotation. Sequences of images that animate through time produce a movie visualization, with or without an overlain soundtrack. After the images are processed, SOS will display the images in sequence and play them like a movie across the entire sphere surface. Movies can be of any arbitrary length, limited mainly by disk space and can be animated at frame rates up to 30 frames per second. Transitions, special effects, and other computer graphics techniques can be added to a sequence through the use of off-the-shelf software, like Final Cut Pro. However, one drawback is that the Sphere cannot be used in the same manner as a flat movie screen; images cannot be pushed to a "side", a highlighted area must be viewable to all sides of the room simultaneously, and some transitions do not work as well as others. We discuss these issues and workarounds in our poster.

Simon-Miller, A. A.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Simulating the Surface of Venus on Earth

The growing interest in comparative climatology among the terrestrial planets, the explosion of planets being discovered around other stars and the exciting results of recent orbital and remote observations of Venus provide evidence for a growing case to better understand Earths sister planet. The surface of Venus is quite unlike Earths surface conditions, and in fact is rather extreme. Science, technology, and planetary mission communities have a growing interest in the unique physiochemical properties and processes that occur under extreme temperature and pressure conditions in exotic and even hostile chemical environments such as Venus. The steadily growing catalog of exoplanets likely contains many examples of bodies with environments dramatically different than the surface of the Earth. Understanding these properties and processes will help us under-stand the history and present day state of inhospitable and even inaccessible regions of the Earth as well as other solar or extrasolar planets. Additionally, Venus and Saturn targets are prioritized in the current Planetary Decadal Survey, with reference missions that include in-situ investigations of these challenging environments. The fact that two of the five recent Discovery mission proposals selected by NASA for further development are Venus-focused adds additional priority and even urgency to laboratory-based extreme environment investigations. In addition to the importance of science-focused investigations, there is a current and future need for understanding the behavior of advanced technologies and materials in these extreme environments. The materials of course make up instruments and systems in missions and ultimately the success of planetary missions is dependent upon performance testing of instruments and systems in conditions that closely approximate those of the target. Until very recently, there was limited ability to accurately simulate Venus surface-like conditions, especially in vessels large enough to accommodate full-size instruments and components. This gap in capability is being addressed by NASA Glenn's Extreme Environment Rig, called GEER, located in Cleveland, Ohio. This large chamber allows for engineering tests of newly-developed as well as heritage instruments, while simultaneously affording opportunities for geochemical and materials-based science investigations.

Simulation↗
NASA NTRS1994

Matrix evaluation of science objectives

The most fundamental objective of all robotic planetary spacecraft is to return science data. To accomplish this, a spacecraft is fabricated and built, software is planned and coded, and a ground system is designed and implemented. However, the quantitative analysis required to determine how the collection of science data drives ground system capabilities has received very little attention. This paper defines a process by which science objectives can be quantitatively evaluated. By applying it to the Cassini Mission to Saturn, this paper further illustrates the power of this technique. The results show which science objectives drive specific ground system capabilities. In addition, this process can assist system engineers and scientists in the selection of the science payload during pre-project mission planning; ground system designers during ground system development and implementation; and operations personnel during mission operations.

Wessen, Randii R.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Developing Science Operations Concepts for the Future of Planetary Surface Exploration

Through fly-by, orbiter, rover, and even crewed missions, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been extremely successful in exploring planetary bodies throughout our Solar System. The focus on increasingly complex Mars orbiter and rover missions has helped us understand how Mars has evolved over time and whether life has ever existed on the red planet. However, large strategic knowledge gaps (SKGs) still exist in our understanding of the evolution of the Solar System (e.g. the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, Small Bodies Analysis Group, and Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group). Sending humans to these bodies is a critical part of addressing these SKGs in order to transition to a new era of planetary exploration by 2050.

Young, K. E.↗