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NASA NTRS2004

Proposing an International Collaboration on Lightweight Autonomous Vehicles to Conduct Scientific Traverses and Surveys over Antarctica and the Surrounding Sea Ice

We have continued to develop a concept for use of autonomous rovers, originally developed for use in planetary exploration, in polar science on Earth; the concept was the subject of a workshop, and this report summarizes and extends that workshop. The workshop on Antarctic Autonomous Scientific Vehicles and Traverses met at the National Geographic Society on February 14 and 15, 2001 to discuss scientific objectives and benefits of the use of autonomous rovers. The participants enthusiastically viewed rovers as being uniquely valuable for such tasks as data taking on tedious or repetitive routes, traverses in polar night, difficult or hazardous routes, extremely remote regions, routes requiring only simple instrumentation, traverses that must be conducted at low speed, augments of manned traverses, and scientific procedures not compatible with human presence or combustion engines. The workshop has concluded that instrumented autonomous vehicles, of the type being developed for planetary exploration, have the potential to contribute significantly to the way science in conducted in Antarctica while also aiding planetary technology development, and engaging the public's interest. Specific objectives can be supported in understanding ice sheet mass balance, sea ice heat and momentum exchange, and surface air chemistry processes. In the interval since the workshop, we have concluded that organized program to employ such rovers to perform scientific tasks in the Fourth International Polar Year would serve the objectives of that program well.

polar science↗
NASA NTRS2018

A Comparison of Energy Conversion Technologies for Space Nuclear Power Systems

A key element of space nuclear power systems is the energy conversion subsystem that converts the nuclear heat into electrical power. Nuclear systems provide a favorable option for missions that require long-duration power in hostile space environments where sunlight for solar power is absent or limited. There are two primary nuclear power technology options. Radioisotope Power System (RPS) utilize the natural decay heat from Pu238 to generate electric power levels up to about one kilowatt. Fission Power System (FPS) rely on a sustained fission reaction of U235 and offer the potential to supply electric power from kilowatts to megawatts. Example missions for nuclear power include Mars science rovers (e.g. Curiosity, Mars 2020), lunar and Mars surface landers ? including crewed missions, deep space planetary orbiters, Ocean World science landers, and robotic space probes that utilize nuclear electric propulsion. This paper examines the energy conversion technology options that can be used with RPS and FPS, and provides an assessment of their relative performance and technology readiness.

Mason, Lee S.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Comparison of Energy Conversion Technologies for Space Nuclear Power Systems

A key element of space nuclear power systems is the energy conversion subsystem that converts the nuclear heat into electrical power. Nuclear systems provide a favorable option for missions that require long-duration power in hostile space environments where sunlight for solar power is absent or limited. There are two primary nuclear power technology options: (1) radioisotope power systems (RPSs) utilize the natural decay heat from 238Pu to generate electric power levels up to about 1 kW and (2) fission power systems (FPSs) rely on a sustained fission reaction of 235U and offer the potential to supply electric power from kilowatts to megawatts. Example missions utilizing nuclear power include Mars science rovers (e.g., Curiosity, Mars 2020), lunar and Mars surface landers, crewed surface outposts, deep space planetary orbiters, Ocean World science landers, and robotic space probes that utilize nuclear electric propulsion. This report examines the energy conversion technology options that can be used with RPSs and FPSs, and provides an assessment of their relative performance.

Lee S Mason↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Researching the Planetary Environment with an Interstellar Probe

In 2018, a study originated with the idea of a mission that would be feasible to launch in the 2030s, targeting 1000 AU within 50 years using current technology. While the primary objective of such an Interstellar Probe would be to understand the heliosphere and interstellar medium, this probe offers an excellent opportunity for rock, dust, and ice sciences. In the initial stages of its journey through the solar system, this Interstellar Probe would carry out a wide range of potential observations to study the planetary environment, particularly focusing on dust/ice analysis and planetary science through fly-bys of critical science targets, especially in the trans-Neptunian region. A flyby of a trans-Neptunian dwarf planet, such as Quaoar, would provide further geological, compositional, and geophysical context for Earth-based observations. Aside from in-situ remote sensing techniques, VISIR and dust analyses would also benefit in this region of the solar system to determine (i) dominant ice and dust compositions and potential variations depending on heliocentric distance (e.g., chemical or irradiated products); (ii) collections and identification of PAH-type components; and (iii) solar nebula chemical and mechanical processing, such as collisions. The purpose of our poster is to provide a background of the Interstellar Probe’s objectives and possible instrumentation to offer insight on current questions about the planetary environment.

C J Ahrens↗
NASA NTRS2018

Field Camp for Astronauts: NASA's Geoscience Training Program for Planetary Exploration

Fifty years ago Apollo astronauts walked on the Moon to explore the geology and collect samples for Earth return. Several authors have discussed the strategic planning and training that enabled the Apollo successes, and assembled recommendations regarding today’s lunar science objectives and astronaut training required to achieve those science goals. Since the 1980s, geoscience training for astronauts focused on observing the Earth from orbit. Today, we are building a geoscience training program to support informed Earth observations as well as the exploration culture for future human missions to the Moon and Mars. Our team partnered with JSC’s crew training and astronaut offices to develop our 4-week geoscience program for the 2017 astronaut class. Because the astronauts have a variety of professional backgrounds, we provide a broad introduction to Earth and planetary sciences. But our prime focus is 2 weeks of intensive field work, a methodology introduced with the 2013 astronaut class. We completed the first half of the training – a field trip to observe hurricane deposits along Galveston Bay; keynotes by Apollo colleagues highlighting Apollo experiences; a tightly-integrated week of introductory geology in the classroom followed by a week of fieldwork in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. The classroom included interactive map exercises that allowed the students to progressively build a base map of the field area that they used as a starting point for their week-long mapping exercise. We divided the class into small mapping groups to conduct their observations, mapping and interpretation of the geology. In addition to learning geological field work, our field training provided the platform for practicing expeditionary leadership, a key skill set valued by NASA for astronaut crews. Next summer the capstone fieldwork for the 2017 astronauts will include both mapping and rock sampling. Throughout the mapping, the class will collect additional data to help inform field and sampling decisions using diagnostic field instruments that are being tested in analog settings for their operational efficacy for future planetary exploration.

Evans, Cynthia A.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

LASSIE: Legged Autonomous Surface Science In Analogue Environments

Roving planetary surface exploration missions operate using a pre-programmed plan that can limit the capability to effectively detect unexpected changes in terrain properties, adjust locomotion or sampling strategies, and autonomously identify scientifically valuable observations and adjust exploration strategies. In particular, the inability to measure and react to unexpected changes in regolith properties can negatively impact mission operations. The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit and InSight lander both experienced challenges related to understanding the geotechnical properties of regolith. The advancements in legged robotic platforms hold potential to address these challenges through greater sensitivity to changing surface properties. The Legged Autonomous Surface Science In Analogue Environments (LASSIE) project explores how legged roving platforms can use the leg motors to measure geotechnical properties of crusted and icy surface regolith and utilize those measurements to autonomously update the science operations plans. These tests will be performed in martian and lunar analog environments and also within lab settings.

K. R. Fisher↗
NASA NTRS2006

Life Support and Habitation and Planetary Protection Workshop

A workshop entitled "Life Support and Habitation and Planetary Protection Workshop" was held in Houston, Texas on April 27-29, 2005 to facilitate the development of planetary protection guidelines for future human Mars exploration missions and to identify the potential effects of these guidelines on the design and selection of related human life support, extravehicular activity and monitoring and control systems. This report provides a summary of the workshop organization, starting assumptions, working group results and recommendations. Specific result topics include the identification of research and technology development gaps, potential forward and back contaminants and pathways, mitigation alternatives, and planetary protection requirements definition needs. Participants concluded that planetary protection and science-based requirements potentially affect system design, technology trade options, development costs and mission architecture. Therefore early and regular coordination between the planetary protection, scientific, planning, engineering, operations and medical communities is needed to develop workable and effective designs for human exploration of Mars.

Hogan, John A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Low-noise microwave receiving systems in a worldwide network of large antennas.

The Deep-Space Network (DSN) consists of a worldwide network of 26- and 64-m antennas spaced approximately 120 deg around the world. The DSN is a precision communications system designed to communicate with and control unmanned spacecraft traveling at interplanetary ranges. Recent developments in the performance and evaluation of the antennas and maser receivers are discussed, and developments which have contributed to radio-science projects, such as planetary radar astronomy, very-long-baseline interferometry, pulsar, and other astronomical observations are described. It is also shown how these radio-science measurements have been used to evaluate the performance of the antenna-receiver systems.

Reid, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Mission Planning for Trident: Discovery proposal to Neptune’s moon, Triton

Trident was one of the four Discovery-class Step-1 mission proposals selected by NASA in 2020 for further development and study; however, in 2021, the Step-2 proposal was not down-selected to transition into the next phase of mission development, i.e., a mission for flight.Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, was the primary focus of study for Trident. Triton’s physical and orbital characteristics make it a unique planetary target for scientific exploration, providing opportunities for investigations in a wide variety of scientific fields, including geomorphological, atmospheric, geophysical, magnetospheric, and ionospheric studies. The science objectives of the Trident mission encompassed an in-depth interior-to-exterior set of objectives, focused on multiple outstanding questions resulting from the 1989 encounter of Voyager 2, and subsequent analysis.Ball Aerospace Corp. was tasked with building the Trident spacecraft, with JPL responsible for providing Engineering Support (Mission Design & Navigation, Mission Planning, Flight Operations, Ground Data Systems, Systems Engineering) and leading Project Management. The observatory would carry a wide-ranging suite of scientific instruments onboard, including an Infrared Spectrometer (IRS) and Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) to be provided by Ball Aerospace Corp., a Wide Angle Camera (WAC) from JPL, a Magnetometer from UCLA, a contributed Plasma Science Suite from IRF (Sweden), and a contributed Radio Science instrument from ASI (Italy). All of these instruments would be used to collect unique datasets during the Triton encounter. Trident would have taken advantage of an ~13-yr, nearly-ballistic trajectory to Triton, utilizing a timely Jupiter Gravity Assist, to execute a 10-day long encounter in the Neptunian system. Launch was planned for October 2025, with Triton arrival scheduled for December 2038. The timeline for this mission would have been sub-divided into seven major phases: Launch, Commissioning, Inner Planet Cruise, Outer Planet Cruise, Approach, Encounter, and Science Data Return. Multiple planetary flybys were planned to be performed during the cruise, including three Earth flybys and one Venus flyby in the Inner Planet Cruise phase, and one Jupiter flyby in the Outer Planet Cruise phase. Along with conventional (Range and Doppler) tracking data, Delta-DOR and Optical Navigation data were also to be acquired to assist with spacecraft navigation during the Approach and Encounter phases. A 3 meter X-Band High Gain Antenna would allow playback of all science data at 1 kbps within 1 year after the Triton Encounter. The Mission Planning element on Trident encompassed and informed multiple aspects of this proposal, ranging from science observation planning during the Triton Encounter phase, to generation of activity timelines for all mission phases; performing ground coverage analysis for science observations to be acquired by all instruments and tracing them to science requirements; evaluation of spacecraft resources including data volume stored onboard, power/energy consumption, telecom (commanding/telemetry) requirements, and overall, working at the interface of science and engineering teams on the mission. All of these functions that were performed by the Mission Planning team on this proposal are discussed in this paper.

Prockter, Louise↗
NASA NTRS2001

SNOOPY: Student Nanoexperiments for Outreach and Observational Planetary Inquiry

As scientists and engineers primarily employed by the public, we have a responsibility to "communicate the results of our research so that the average American could understand that NASA is an investment in our future...". Not only are we employed by the public, but they are also the source of future generations of scientists and engineers. Teachers typically don't have the time or expertise to research recent advances in space science and reduce them to a form that students can absorb. Teachers are also often intimidated by both the subject and the researchers themselves. Therefore, the burden falls on us - the space scientists and engineers of the world - to communicate our findings in ways both teachers and students can understand. Student Nanoexperiments for Outreach and Observational Planetary InquirY (SNOOPY) provides just such an opportunity to directly involve our customers in planetary science missions.

Kuhlma, K. R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Procedures for the interpretation and use of elevation scanning laser/multi-sensor data for short range hazard detection and avoidance for an autonomous planetary rover

An autonomous roving science vehicle that relies on terrain data acquired by a hierarchy of sensors for navigation was one method of carrying out such a mission. The hierarchy of sensors included a short range sensor with sufficient resolution to detect every possible obstacle and with the ability to make fast and reliable terrain characterizations. A multilaser, multidetector triangulation system was proposed as a short range sensor. The general system was studied to determine its perception capabilities and limitations. A specific rover and low resolution sensor system was then considered. After studying the data obtained, a hazard detection algorithm was developed that accounts for all possible terrains given the sensor resolution. Computer simulation of the rover on various terrains was used to test the entire hazard detection system.

Troiani, N.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA’s Planetary Protection Program to Assure Mission Safety and Success

NASA’s planetary protection program seeks to understand and control harmful contamination of solar systems targets of exploration by terrestrial contamination and prevent harmful biological contamination of the Earth-Moon system by extraterrestrial life, should it exist. To accomplish these objective’s NASA has developed a balanced safety and mission assurance strategy that leverages COSPAR Policy guidelines, workshops, scientific consensus, partnerships and international working groups to develop policy and implementation guidelines. Upcoming crewed missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as robotic missions to small solar system bodies, Europa, Titan and Mars are some of the driving activities of astrobiological interest that continue to emphasize the importance of planetary protection throughout the project life cycle. Development of a responsive and updated agency planetary protection policy has been a focus area in supporting upcoming mission opportunities for exploration to include Mars sample return and crewed mission concepts. An extensive update of this policy is underway which encompasses crewed and robotic procedural polices, a general technical requirements standard, and an implementation handbook. During this timeframe NASA has been working with the international community to develop scientific consensus, and to identify and fill in knowledge gaps for developing balanced policy guidelines, incorporation of risk informed decision making and quantitative technical standards. NASA has developed a planetary protection roadmap as a technology management strategy to track and monitor the development of each knowledge gaps. The Committee of Space Research (COSPAR) Policy on Planetary Protection and the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee of Planetary Protection are used to inform updates to the planetary protection polices and guidelines. This integrated strategy for planetary protection seeks to provide a transparent, structured approach for enabling missions, providing guidance for NASA and NASA partnered missions, and being responsive to the increased interest and activities in space exploration whilst maintaining an understanding and control of harmful contamination.

James Benardini↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA's Planetary Protection Program to Assure Mission Safety and Success

NASA's planetary protection program seeks to understand and control harmful contamination of solar systems targets of exploration by terrestrial contamination and prevent harmful biological contamination of the Earth-Moon system by extraterrestrial life, should it exist. To accomplish these objective's NASA has developed a balanced safety and mission assurance strategy that leverages COSPAR Policy guidelines, workshops, scientific consensus, partnerships and international working groups to develop policy and implementation guidelines. Upcoming crewed missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as robotic missions to small solar system bodies, Europa, Titan and Mars are some of the driving activities of astrobiological interest that continue to emphasize the importance of planetary protection throughout the project life cycle.Development of a responsive and updated agency planetary protection policy has been a focus area in supporting upcoming mission opportunities for exploration to include Mars sample return and crewed mission concepts. An extensive update of this policy is underway which encompasses crewed and robotic procedural polices, a general technical requirements standard, and an implementation handbook. During this timeframe NASA has been working with the international community to develop scientific consensus, and to identify and fill in knowledge gaps for developing balanced policy guidelines, incorporation of risk informed decision making and quantitative technical standards. NASA has developed a planetary protection roadmap as a technology management strategy to track and monitor the development of each knowledge gaps. The Committee of Space Research (COSPAR) Policy on Planetary Protection and the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine's Committee of Planetary Protection are used to inform updates to the planetary protection polices and guidelines. This integrated strategy for planetary protection seeks to provide a transparent, structured approach for enabling missions, providing guidance for NASA and NASA partnered missions, and being responsive to the increased interest and activities in space exploration whilst maintaining an understanding and control of harmful contamination.

Planetary Protection↗
NASA NTRS2013

Planetary Data Systems (PDS) Imaging Node Atlas II

The Planetary Image Atlas (PIA) is a Rich Internet Application (RIA) that serves planetary imaging data to the science community and the general public. PIA also utilizes the USGS Unified Planetary Coordinate system (UPC) and the on-Mars map server. The Atlas was designed to provide the ability to search and filter through greater than 8 million planetary image files. This software is a three-tier Web application that contains a search engine backend (MySQL, JAVA), Web service interface (SOAP) between server and client, and a GWT Google Maps API client front end. This application allows for the search, retrieval, and download of planetary images and associated meta-data from the following missions: 2001 Mars Odyssey, Cassini, Galileo, LCROSS, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Exploration Rover, Mars Express, Magellan, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MESSENGER, Phoe nix, Viking Lander, Viking Orbiter, and Voyager. The Atlas utilizes the UPC to translate mission-specific coordinate systems into a unified coordinate system, allowing the end user to query across missions of similar targets. If desired, the end user can also use a mission-specific view of the Atlas. The mission-specific views rely on the same code base. This application is a major improvement over the initial version of the Planetary Image Atlas. It is a multi-mission search engine. This tool includes both basic and advanced search capabilities, providing a product search tool to interrogate the collection of planetary images. This tool lets the end user query information about each image, and ignores the data that the user has no interest in. Users can reduce the number of images to look at by defining an area of interest with latitude and longitude ranges.

Stanboli, Alice↗
NASA NTRS2016

Utilizing the ISS Mission as a Testbed to Develop Cognitive Communications Systems

The ISS provides an excellent opportunity for pioneering artificial intelligence software to meet the challenges of real-time communications (comm) link management. This opportunity empowers the ISS Program to forge a testbed for developing cognitive communications systems for the benefit of the ISS mission, manned Low Earth Orbit (LEO) science programs and future planetary exploration programs. In November, 1998, the Flight Operations Directorate (FOD) started the ISS Antenna Manager (IAM) project to develop a single processor supporting multiple comm satellite tracking for two different antenna systems. Further, the processor was developed to be highly adaptable as it supported the ISS mission through all assembly stages. The ISS mission mandated communications specialists with complete knowledge of when the ISS was about to lose or gain comm link service. The current specialty mandated cognizance of large sun-tracking solar arrays and thermal management panels in addition to the highly-dynamic satellite service schedules and rise/set tables. This mission requirement makes the ISS the ideal communications management analogue for future LEO space station and long-duration planetary exploration missions. Future missions, with their precision-pointed, dynamic, laser-based comm links, require complete autonomy for managing high-data rate communications systems. Development of cognitive communications management systems that permit any crew member or payload science specialist, regardless of experience level, to control communications is one of the greater benefits the ISS can offer new space exploration programs. The IAM project met a new mission requirement never previously levied against US space-born communications systems management: process and display the orientation of large solar arrays and thermal control panels based on real-time joint angle telemetry. However, IAM leaves the actual communications availability assessment to human judgement, which introduces unwanted variability because each specialist has a different core of experience with comm link performance. Because the ISS utilizes two different frequency bands, dynamic structure can be occasionally translucent at one frequency while it can completely interdict service at the other frequency. The impact of articulating structure on the comm link can depend on its orientation at the time it impinges on the link. It can become easy for a human specialist to cross-associate experience at one frequency with experience at the other frequency. Additionally, the specialist's experience is incremental, occurring one nine-hour shift at a time. Only the IAM processor experiences the complete 24x7x365 communications link performance for both communications links but, it has no "learning capability." If the IAM processor could be endowed with a cognitive ability to remember past structure-induced comm link outages, based on its knowledge of the ISS position, attitude, communications gear, array joint angles and tracking accuracy, it could convey such experience to the human operator. It could also use its learned communications link behaviors to accurately convey the availability of future communications sessions. Further, the tool could remember how accurately or inaccurately it predicted availability and correct future predictions based on past performance. The IAM tool could learn frequency-specific impacts due to spacecraft structures and pass that information along as "experience." Such development would provide a single artificial intelligence processor that could provide two different experience bases. If it also "knew" the satellite service schedule, it could distinguish structure blockage from schedule or planet blockage and then quickly switch to another satellite. Alternatively, just as a human operator could judge, a cognizant comm system based on the IAM model could "know" that the blockage is not going to last very long and continue tracking a comm satellite, waiting for it to track away from structure. Ultimately, once this capability was fully developed and tested in the Mission Control Center, it could be transferred on-orbit to support development of operations concepts that include more advanced cognitive communications systems. Future applications of this capability are easily foreseen because even more dynamic satellite constellations with more nodes and greater capability are coming. Currently, the ISS fully employs its high-data-rate return link for harvesting payload science. In the coming months, it will double that data rate and is forecast to fully utilize that capability. Already there is talk of an upgrade that quadruples the current data rate allocated to ISS payload science before the end of its mission and laser comm links have already been tested from the ISS. Every data rate upgrade mandates more complicated and sensitive communications equipment which implies greater expertise invested in the human operator. Future on-orbit cognizant comm systems will be needed to meet greater performance demands aboard larger, far more complicated spacecraft. In the LEO environment, the old-style one-satellite-per-spacecraft operations concept will give way to a new concept of a single customer spacecraft simultaneously using multiple comm satellites. Much more highly-dynamic manned LEO missions with decades of crew members potentially increase the demand for communications link performance. A cognizant on-board communications system will meet advanced communications demands from future LEO missions and future planetary missions. The ISS has fledgling components of future exploration programs, both LEO and planetary. Further, the Flight Operations Directorate, through the IAM project, has already begun to develop a communications management system that attempts to solve advanced problems ideally represented by dynamic structure impacting scheduled satellite service. With an earnest project to integrate artificial intelligence into the IAM processor, the ISS Program could develop a cognizant communications system that could be adapted and transferred to future on-orbit avionics designs.

Jackson, Dan↗