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NASA NTRS2018

Space-to-Ground Interactions While Conducting Scientific Fieldwork Under Mars Mission Constraints

The Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains (BASALT) project is a 4-year program dedicated to iteratively designing, implementing, and evaluating concepts of operations (ConOps) and supporting capabilities to enable and enhance scientific exploration for future human Mars missions. BASALT incorporates three field deployments during which real (non-simulated) biological and geochemical field science is conducted at two high-fidelity Mars analog locations under simulated Mars mission conditions, including communication de-lays and data transmission limitations. BASALT’s primary science objective is to investigate how the redox conditions of altered basaltic environments affect the development of microbial communities in these Mars-relevant settings. Field sites include the active East Rift Zone on the Big Island of Hawaii, reminiscent of early Mars when basaltic volcanism and interaction with water were widespread, and the dormant eastern Snake River Plain in Idaho, similar to present-day Mars where basaltic volcanism is rare and most evidence for volcano-driven hydrothermal activity is relict. BASALT’s primary science operations objective is to investigate exploration ConOps and capabilities that facilitate scientific return during human-robotic exploration under Mars mission constraints. Each field deployment consists of ten extravehicular activities (EVAs) on the volcanic flows in which two extravehicular and two intravehicular (IV) crew-members conduct the science while communicating across time delay and under bandwidth constraints with an Earth-based Mission Support Center (MSC) comprised of expert scientists and operators. Communication latencies of 5 and 15-minute one-way light time and low (0.512 Mb/s uplink, 1.54 Mb/s down-link) and high (5.0 Mb/s uplink, 10.0 Mb/s downlink) bandwidth conditions are being evaluated. EVA crewmembers communicate with the MSC via voice and text messaging and provide scientific instrument data, still imagery, video streams, and GPS tracking information. The MSC reviews this data across delay and provides recommendations for presampling and sampling tasks. The scientists used dynamic leaderboards (priority rank-ing lists), to track and rank candidate samples relative to one another and against the science objectives for the current EVA and the overall mission. Updates to the dynamic leaderboards are relayed regularly to the IV crewmembers to provide scientific feedback from Earth and to help minimize crew idle time (time spent waiting for Earth input during which no productive tasks are performed). EVA timelines are strategically designed to enable continuous (delayed) feedback from an Earth-based science team while simultaneously minimizing crew idle time. Such timelines are operationally advantageous, reducing transport costs by eliminating the need for crews to return to the same locations on multiple EVAs while still providing opportunities for recommendations from science experts on Earth, and scientifically advantageous by minimizing the potential for cross-contamination across sites. This paper will highlight the space-to-ground interaction results from the three BASALT field deployments, including planned versus actual EVA time-line data, ground assimilation times (the amount of time available to the MSC to provide input to the crew), and idle time. Furthermore, we describe how these results vary under the different communication latency and bandwidth conditions. Together, these data will provide a basis for guiding and prioritizing capability development for future human exploration missions.

Beaton, Kara H.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Intra-EVA Space-to-Ground Interactions when Conducting Scientific Fieldwork Under Simulated Mars Mission Constraints

The Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains (BASALT) project is a four-year program dedicated to iteratively designing, implementing, and evaluating concepts of operations (ConOps) and supporting capabilities to enable and enhance scientific exploration for future human Mars missions. The BASALT project has incorporated three field deployments during which real (non-simulated) biological and geochemical field science have been conducted at two high-fidelity Mars analog locations under simulated Mars mission conditions, including communication delays and data transmission limitations. BASALT's primary Science objective has been to extract basaltic samples for the purpose of investigating how microbial communities and habitability correlate with the physical and geochemical characteristics of chemically altered basalt environments. Field sites include the active East Rift Zone on the Big Island of Hawai'i, reminiscent of early Mars when basaltic volcanism and interaction with water were widespread, and the dormant eastern Snake River Plain in Idaho, similar to present-day Mars where basaltic volcanism is rare and most evidence for volcano-driven hydrothermal activity is relict. BASALT's primary Science Operations objective has been to investigate exploration ConOps and capabilities that facilitate scientific return during human-robotic exploration under Mars mission constraints. Each field deployment has consisted of ten extravehicular activities (EVAs) on the volcanic flows in which crews of two extravehicular and two intravehicular crewmembers conducted the field science while communicating across time delay and under bandwidth constraints with an Earth-based Mission Support Center (MSC) comprised of expert scientists and operators. Communication latencies of 5 and 15 min one-way light time and low (0.512 Mb/s uplink, 1.54 Mb/s downlink) and high (5.0 Mb/s uplink, 10.0 Mb/s downlink) bandwidth conditions were evaluated. EVA crewmembers communicated with the MSC via voice and text messaging. They also provided scientific instrument data, still imagery, video streams from chest-mounted cameras, GPS location tracking information. The MSC monitored and reviewed incoming data from the field across delay and provided recommendations for pre-sampling and sampling tasks based on their collective expertise. The scientists used dynamic priority ranking lists, referred to as dynamic leaderboards, to track and rank candidate samples relative to one another and against the science objectives for the current EVA and the overall mission. Updates to the dynamic leaderboards throughout the EVA were relayed regularly to the IV crewmembers. The use of these leaderboards enabled the crew to track the dynamic nature of the MSC recommendations and helped minimize crew idle time (defined as time spent waiting for input from Earth during which no other productive tasks are being performed). EVA timelines were strategically designed to enable continuous (delayed) feedback from an Earth-based Science Team while simultaneously minimizing crew idle time. Such timelines are operationally advantageous, reducing transport costs by eliminating the need for crews to return to the same locations on multiple EVAs while still providing opportunities for recommendations from science experts on Earth, and scientifically advantageous by minimizing the potential for cross-contamination across sites. This paper will highlight the space-to-ground interaction results from the three BASALT field deployments, including planned versus actual EVA timeline data, ground assimilation times (defined as the amount of time available to the MSC to provide input to the crew), and idle time. Furthermore, we describe how these results vary under the different communication latency and bandwidth conditions. Together, these data will provide a basis for guiding and prioritizing capability development for future human exploration missions.

Beaton, Kara H.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

VERNE: Revealing the Mysteries and Histories of Venus

Introduction: The three Venus missions that were recently selected for upcoming flight (VERITAS, DAVINCI+, and EnVision) will be incredibly valuable to our understanding of Venus’ history, geology, and atmosphere. However, even once completed, key gaps in our knowledge of Venus, and more generally the formation and active processes on rocky, Earth-like planets, will still persist. Remaining questions include 1) how global intrinsic magnetic fields might be maintained on rocky worlds, and how they could then go extinct, and 2) what role atmospheric sulfur chemistry plays in climates of Earth-like planets, which is an increasingly timely subject as Earth’s own atmospheric sulfur content is climbing due to human activity. These questions require in-situ observations from Venus’ cloud deck, at the altitudes at which the UV absorber exists. The Venus Environment Research and Novel Exploration (VERNE) mission will address these questions with an aerial platform that will drift around the equatorial region of the planet for 9 days. VERNE will collect data to determine the identity of the mysterious UV absorber, while also taking magnetic field measurements over the tesserae, the regions on Venus that are most likely to retain remanent crustal magnetization, in order to understand the potential role of a past intrinsically-generated global magnetic field on Venus. Mission Objectives: The two major science objectives that drive the VERNE mission are: 1) Determine the identity of the Venusian unknown ultraviolet absorber(s). First observed approximately a century ago [1], the composition of Venus’ ultraviolet (UV) absorber is one of the oldest mysteries in Venus atmospheric chemistry [2,3]. While several candidate UV absorbers (mostly sulfur species) have been proposed, no consensus has been reached on its composition and its specific interactions with the atmosphere. Determining the identity of the UV absorber will aid climate models by showing how and where incident solar energy is absorbed by the atmosphere and make progress towards understanding the chemical and energetic processes taking place above Venus’ upper cloud deck [4]. 2) Determine if Venus retains evidence of a past, internally-generated magnetic field. While Venus does not currently have an intrinsically-generated magnetic field, evidence for the existence of a past field on Venus and a timeline of its decay will fill in a more holistic picture of the evolution of Venus’ geological record and atmosphere. As the oldest geologic units on the surface, Venus’ tesserae may still have remanent crustal magnetization signatures within the rocky composition [5]. In any case, the signatures detected will provide insight into Venus’ past geological and core dynamo activity. Mission Summary: VERNE includes a 3-part flight system made up of 1) an entry system with a HEEET (Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology) aeroshell, 2) an orbiter for data relay, and 3) an in-situ balloon and gondola. After entry into Venus’ atmosphere, the balloon will be deployed within the upper cloud deck, at an altitude of 62 km, over a tesserae region. The in-situ data collection will last for the duration of 2 full circumnavigations of the planet, which will take ~9 days. Instrumentation Suite: The four instruments that comprise VERNE’s instrument payload will enable the identification of the unknown UV absorber and the detection of remanent crustal magnetization if it exists in the tesserae. The proposed instrument suite cycle during mission operations is shown in Fig. 1. The four instruments are described below: 1) Adams (ion neutral mass spectrometer) has a range of 18-257 AMU and will detect and distinguish the mixing ratios of O₂, H₂O, H₂SO₄, S, S₂, S₃, S₄, S₅, S₆, S₇, S₈, SO, SO₂, OSSO, SO₃, Cl₂, FeCl₃ and other trace sulfur and organic species. The spatial (longitudinal) and temporal (day/night) variations will be observed throughout 2 circumnavigations with a sample cadence of 12 minutes. 2) Shelley (nephelometer) will determine the size distribution of the aerosols (0.4 to 36 um) in the atmosphere. With a size resolution of <0.7 um, it can determine which mode of H2SO4 is present and characterize the large (>30 um) organic particles previously detected by the Venera and Galileo missions [6,7]. 3) Herbert (UV imager) will measure UV radiance at 283 nm (the wavelength of SO2 absorption) and 365 nm (the unknown part of the absorber). UV images will be taken concurrently with the INMS and nephelometer to correlate UV absorption with abundances of the UV absorber species. 4) Vonnegut (magnetometer) has a range of >600 nT and a precision and accuracy of 1 nT. If magnetized by a past field, the crust may have retained a magnetization of up to 3 A/m2 [5]. With a noise floor of 10 nT, the magnetometer will be able to detect RCM from an altitude of 62 km, even if the thickness of the magnetized crust is just 1 km (Fig. 2). Mission Concept Design: VERNE will be launched with a mass of 3300 kg in an intermediate-high performance class vehicle with a 4-m fairing. The 475-day mission includes 466 days for the cruise, coasting, and orbit initialization phases before entry, descent, and balloon deployment. During the 9-day science phase, the aerial platform will make 2 circumnavigations of the planet at an altitude of 62 km. The INMS and the nephelometer will acquire data for 2 hours during the daytime and nighttime during each circumnavigation, while the UV imager will be on for the duration of the daytime, and the magnetometer will be operational throughout the entirety of the science phase. Data will be stored and processed with the JPL-designed Sphinx command and data handling system. Data will be sent from the balloon to the orbiter using an S-band relay link, stored on the orbiter, and then forwarded to Earth where it will be received by the DSN. Conclusion: VERNE will fill key gaps in our understanding of the history and ongoing processes related to the geology and atmosphere of Venus and rocky worlds in general. Even with adequate flight system contingencies and expected costs below the $900M New Frontiers cost cap, VERNE is not without its risks and challenges. Further trade spaces to explore include 1) using solely battery power vs. including solar panels to increase the mission duration and 2) investigating the use of lightweight materials and 3D-printed structures to reduce the gondola mass, among others. Acknowledgments: We would like to thank the JPL Planetary Science Summer School, especially our mentors Troy Hudson, Karl Mitchell, and Leslie Lowes, as well as our Team-X study lead Al Nash and the members of Team-X. We’d additionally like to thank our review panel for asking insightful questions and providing valuable feedback. References: [1] Ross, F. E. (1928) Astrophysical J., 68, 57-92. [2] Rossow, W. B. et al. (1980) J. Geophysical Research, 85, 8107-8128. [3] Pinto, J. P. et al. (2021) Nature Communications, 12, 175. [4] Titov, D. V. et al. (2007) Cosmic Research, 21, 401. [5] O’Rourke, J. et al. (2019) Geophysical Research Lett., 46, 5768–5777. [6] Limaye, S. S. et al. (2018) Astrobiology, 18(9), 1181-1198. [7] Grinspoon, D. H. et al. (2013) Planetary and Space Sci., 41(7), 515-542. [8] Parker, R. L. (2003) J. Geophysical Research, 108, 5006. *The cost information contained in this document is of a budgetary and planning nature and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute a commitment on the part of JPL and/or Caltech.

H Alpert↗
NASA NTRS1998

Rovers for Mars Polar Exploration

Mobility is a generic capability needed for Mars exploration. Requirements for mobility range from those to get observations of individual rocks all the way to getting high resolution observations of regional areas. Table 1 shows the required-range of mobility to achieve various tasks. The Pathfinder mission and field experiments simulating rover missions [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] provide guidance as to rover capabilities that can reasonably be expected in the next decade. Rover mobility can be accomplished in a variety of ways, the most common being wheels or tracks and legged-walkers. Wheeled vehicles can traverse over rocks smaller than 1/2 wheel diameter, and with path planning to avoid larger rocks, can traverse terrains comparable to those seen on Mars in the Viking and Pathfinder landing sites. Slopes of 45 deg can be easily negotiated by wheeled rovers. Walking vehicles can negotiate even more complex terrain but requires computation capability to select each leg placement. Extremely complex terrain was traversed by the Nomad II walker which descended into (and most of the way out of) an active volcanic caldera (Mount Spur, AK) in 1995, although a slope failure eventually resulted in broken legs. The traverse range of a rover is limited by its science objectives, performance capabilities, and operational lifetime. The speed of rover traverse is a relative minor factor. With a different communication system, and no stops for science experiments, Sojourner could probably have traveled a kilometer. But, achieving land speed records is not a major objective of a science mission. Achieving science objectives requires targeting particular objects and studying them in detail, and the associated operational requirements will likely limit rover traverse range significantly. Traversing from target to target requires relatively few command cycles provided the traverse is over a short enough distance that it can be adequately planned. An operational goal of 100 m traverse per command cycle, arriving at a predetermined target, seems achievable. Investigating science targets requiring manipulator or instrument placement and sample collection will likely take several command cycles per target. Mission simulations [6] have demonstrated that traverse dI stances of 100-300 m, with detailed investigation of 5-10 targets take 50-100 command cycles, not unlike the Pathfinder experience in spite of the use of larger, faster, more capable rovers. Significant advances in rover autonomy will be needed to improve this Situation and it is not clear how much improvement will be brought to flight programs in the next decade. Dust accumulation on solar panels degrades power over time and, without dust removal, rover operational lifetimes may be limited to 90 sols.

Stoker, Carol↗
NASA NTRS1990

Saturn orbit insertion mission plan for Cassini

The Cassini mission will be launched in April 1996 and will arrive at Saturn in December 2002. Upon arrival, a large maneuver near Saturn periapsis called Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI) will reduce the energy of the spacecraft and result in capture into Saturn orbit. SOI is one of the most critical events of the entire mission. Therefore it is prudent to determine what resources must be dedicated to assure successful execution of SOI and what operational resources can be provided to satisfy SOI science objective. To prolong undisturbed science observations near the periapsis, a delayed SOI burn strategy has been developed. To examine potential resource conflicts between science and engineering activities, key considerations such as power and data storage capability have been evaluated. Other constraints such as turning the spacecraft to burn attitude and slewing platforms for science have also been examined. Although there are many constraints and the spacecraft resources are limited, a reasonable amount of science can still be carried out prior to and during the SOI burn.

Chang, Ya-Pei Holden↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Science Utilizing Data from Spire Global as Part of the NASA Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program

As part of the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program, NASA has evaluated data from Spire Global, Inc. and subsequently established a sustained purchase agreement with them. The primary goal of this agreement is to acquire and make available Spire datasets to the research community with the aim of enhancing the science objectives through the Earth Science Division (ESD), though there are noted applications to the NASA Heliophysics Division as well. This talk will present the data access details and holdings of Spire data by the CSDA Program, including those from radio occultation and reflectometry. It will also present selected scientific results and applications of these data from both the pilot evaluation and the sustained purchase stages to highlight their use within the ESD research portfolio.

Wil McCarty↗
NASA NTRS1998

Kuiper Belt Objects Along the Pluto Express Path

The science objective of this work was to identify objects in the Kuiper Belt which will, in the 5 years following Pluto encounter, be close to the flight path of NASA's Pluto-Kuiper Express. Currently, launch is scheduled for 2004 with a flight time of about 1 decade. Early identification of post-Pluto targets is important for mission design and orbit refinement. An object or objects close enough to the flight path can be visited and studied at high resolution, using only residual gas in the thrusters to affect a close encounter.

Jewitt, David C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Design, test, and applications of the Alaska SAR Facility

The key science requirements, the overall design, and the innovative testing approaches that have been used to ensure the functionality of the Alaska SAR Facility (ASF) are described. The facility is to play an important role in the remote sensing applications of Arctic oceanography, geology, glaciology, hydrology, and ecosystem processes. Attention is given to the ASF's three major components: the Receiving Ground Station, the SAR Processing System, and the Archive and Operations System. The ASF hardware configuration and software support, through extensive design and implementaton reviews, were shown to satisfy the initial memorandum of agreement first initiated by NASA for the establishment of a receiving ground station and image processing facility at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and also to satisfy the science objectives formulated by the prelaunch Science Working team. The testing strategy and techniques used in the implementation of the ASF to assure functionality is outlined. The test structures, approach, and environment are considered.

Berwin, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICE)

This viewgraph presentation contains an overview of the mission of the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICE), a proposed International Space Station (ISS) payload dedicated ot the study of neutron stars. There are also reviews of the Science Objectives of the payload,the science measurements, the design and the expected performance for the instruments for NICE,

Gendreau, Keith C.↗
NASA NTRS2012

A Lunar L2-Farside Exploration and Science Mission Concept with the ORion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and a Teleoperated Lander/Rover

A novel concept is presented in this paper for a human mission to the lunar L2 (Lagrange) point that would be a proving ground for future exploration missions to deep space while also overseeing scientifically important investigations. In an L2 halo orbit above the lunar farside, the astronauts would travel 15% farther from Earth than did the Apollo astronauts and spend almost three times longer in deep space. Such missions would validate the Orion MPCV's life support systems, would demonstrate the high-speed re-entry capability needed for return from deep space, and would measure astronauts' radiation dose from cosmic rays and solar flares to verify that Orion would provide sufficient protection, as it is designed to do. On this proposed mission, the astronauts would teleoperate landers and rovers on the unexplored lunar farside, which would obtain samples from the geologically interesting farside and deploy a low radio frequency telescope. Sampling the South Pole-Aitkin basin (one of the oldest impact basins in the solar system) is a key science objective of the 2011 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. Observations of the Universe's first stars/galaxies at low radio frequencies are a priority of the 2010 Astronomy & Astrophysics Decadal Survey. Such telerobotic oversight would also demonstrate capability for human and robotic cooperation on future, more complex deep space missions.

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV)↗
NASA NTRS2022

Europa Clipper Mission: System Integration Review Report

Jupiter’s icy moon Europa is a prime target in our exploration of potentially habitable worlds beyond Earth. The combination of a subsurface liquid water layer in contact with a rocky seafloor may yield an ocean rich in the elements and energy needed for the emergence of life, and for potentially sustaining life through time. Europa may hold the clues to one of NASA’s long-standing quests – to determine whether or not we are alone in the universe. The Europa Clipper mission will characterize Europa’s habitability as the first step in the search for potential life at Europa by conducting approximately four dozen flybys. The project is preparing for a System Integration Review in November of 2021. This paper will summarize changes from the mission’s Preliminary Design Review (PDR) baseline, including science objectives, launch vehicle, interplanetary trajectory, science tour, flight system, payload and mission phases. Since PDR several of the Level 1 science requirements were descoped and the science requirement flow was realigned, in order to control cost growth. The realignment deemphasized science redundancy, which had resulted in an over-constrained science tour, in favor of a more targeted linkage to the primary responding instrument. Additionally, changes to the PDR flight system design baseline include changes to the sounding radar antenna design, the magnetometer architecture, and the heat redistribution system pumps. All changes have been incorporated into a reference science tour used to demonstrate that the requirements and design of the flight system and payload are mature enough to support flight builds.

Cook, Kendra↗
NASA NTRS2014

James Webb Space Telescope: The First Light Machine

NASA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will search for the first luminous objects of the Universe to help answer fundamental questions about how the Universe came to look like it does today. At 6.5 meters in diameter, JWST will be the world's largest space telescope. Its architecture, e.g. aperture, wavelength range and operating temperature, is driven by JWST's science objectives. Introduction: Scheduled to start its 5 year mission after 2018, JWST will study the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars and planetary systems. Its science mission is to: Identify the first bright objects that formed in the early Universe, and follow the ionization history. Determine how galaxies form. Determine how galaxies and dark matter, including gas, stars, metals, overall morphology and active nuclei evolved to the present day. Observe the birth and early development of stars and the formation of planets. And, study the physical and chemical properties of solar systems for the building blocks of Life. Principle: To accomplish the JWST science objectives requires a larger aperture infrared cryogenic space telescope. A large aperture is required because the objects are very faint. The infrared spectral range is required because the objects are so far away that their ultraviolet and visible wavelength spectral lines are red-shifted into the infrared. Because the telescope is infrared, it needs to be cryogenic. And, because of the telescope is infrared, it must operate above the Earth's atmosphere, i.e. in space. JWST is probably the single most complicated mission that humanity has attempted. It is certainly the most difficult optical fabrication and testing challenge of our generation. The JWST 6.5 m diameter primary mirror is nearly a parabola with a conic constant of -0.9967 and radius of curvature at 30K of 15.880 m. The primary mirror is divided into 18 segments with 3 different prescriptions; each with its own off-axis distance and aspheric departure. The radius of curvature for all 18 segments must match to +/- 0.150 mm at 30K. JWST is diffraction limited at 2 micrometers which translates into a transmitted wavefront specification of 156 nm rms. Of that amount, 50 nm rms is allocated to the primary mirror. Each segment is allocated 22 nm rms surface error. At the start of the JWST program, the capability to make such a mirror did not exist. In 1996, NASA began a systematic and comprehensive mirror technology development effort which resulted in JWST. This program resulted in a qualified mirror fabrication process being approved in 2006. Today, all JWST primary mirror segments meet their requirements and are on schedule for a 2018 launch. The next step is system level assembly, integration and test. Ambient tests will be conducted at Goddard Space Flight Center and cryogenic system level testing will be performed in Chamber A at the Johnson Space Center.

Stahl, H. Philip↗
NASA NTRS2012

Science with the James Webb Space Telescope

The science objectives of the James Webb Space Telescope fall into four themes. The End of the Dark Ages: First Light and Reionization theme seeks to identify the first luminous sources to form and to determine the ionization history of the universe. The Assembly of Galaxies theme seeks to determine how galaxies and the dark matter, gas, stars, metals, morphological structures, and black holes within them evolved from the epoch of reionization to the present. The Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary Systems theme seeks to unravel the birth and early evolution of stars, from infall onto dust-enshrouded protostars, to the genesis of planetary systems. The Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life theme seeks to determine the physical and chemical properties of planetary systems around nearby stars and of our own, and to investigate the potential for life in those systems. These four science themes were used to establish the design requirements for the observatory and instrumentation. Since Webb's capabilities are unique, those science themes will remain relevant through launch and operations and goals contained within these themes will continue to guide the design and implementation choices for the mission. More recently, it has also become clear that Webb will make major contributions to other areas of research, including dark energy, dark matter, active galactic nuclei, stellar populations, exoplanet characterization and Solar System objects. In this paper, we review the original four science themes and discuss how the scientific output of Webb will extend to these new areas of research. The James Webb Space Telescope was designed to meet science objectives in four themes: The End of the Dark Ages: First Light and Reionization, The Assembly of Galaxies, The Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary Systems, and Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life. More recently, it has become clear that Webb will also make major contributions to studies of dark energy, dark matter, active galactic nuclei, stellar populations, exoplanet characterization and Solar System objects. We review the original four science themes and discuss how the scientific output of Webb will extend to these new areas of research.

Gardner, Jonathan P.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Neurolab: Final Report for the Ames Research Center Payload

Neurolab, the final Spacelab mission, launched on STS-90 on April 17, 1998, was dedicated to studying the nervous system. NASA cooperated with domestic and international partners to conduct the mission. ARC's (Ames Research Center's) Payload included 15 experiments designed to study the adaptation and development of the nervous system in microgravity. The payload had the largest number of Principal and Co-Investigators, largest complement of habitats and experiment unique equipment flown to date, and most diverse distribution of live specimens ever undertaken by ARC, including rodents, toadfish, swordtail fish, water snails, hornweed and crickets To facilitate tissue sharing and optimization of science objectives, investigators were grouped into four science discipline teams: Neuronal Plasticity, Mammalian Development, Aquatic, and Neurobiology. Several payload development challenges were experienced and required an extraordinary effort, by all involved, to meet the launch schedule. With respect to hardware and the total amount of recovered science, Neurolab was regarded as an overall success. However, a high mortality rate in one rodent group and several hardware anomalies occurred inflight that warranted postflight investigations. Hardware, science, and operations lessons were learned that should be taken into consideration by payload teams developing payloads for future Shuttle missions and the International Space Station.

Maese, A. Christopher↗
NASA NTRS2005

In situ Analysis of Organic Compounds on Mars using Chemical Derivatization and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

One of the core science objectives of NASA's 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission is to determine the past or present habitability of Mars. The search for key organic compounds relevant to terrestrial life will be an important part of that assessment. We have developed a protocol for the analysis of amino acids and carboxylic acids in Mars analogue materials using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS). As shown, a variety of carboxylic acids were readily identified in soil collected from the Atacama Desert in Chile at part-per-billion levels by GCMS after extraction and chemical derivatization using the reagent N,N-tert.-butyl (dimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA). Several derivatized amino acids including glycine and alanine were also detected by GCMS in the Atacama soil at lower concentrations (chromatogram not shown). Lacking derivatization capability, the Viking pyrolysis GCMS instruments could not have detected amino acids and carboxylic acids, since these non-volatile compounds require chemical transformation into volatile species that are stable in a GC column. We are currently optimizing the chemical extraction and derivatization technique for in situ GCMS analysis on Mars. Laboratory results of analyses of Atacama Desert samples and other Mars analogue materials using this protocol will be presented.

Glavin, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS2006

The Mars Microbeam Raman Spectrometer (MMRS): From Concept to Category-1 Proposal

Laser Raman Spectroscopy is flexible and can be deployed in many ways. The Mars Microbeam Raman Spectrometer (MMRS) is tailored for rover-based mobility platform and for Mars fundamental science objectives. The MMRS was initiated by science requirements to determine mineralogy, mineral chemistry, and molecular phase identification, including organics. MMRS is ready for any near term mission to Mars and the Moon. Science is the driving force for development.

mobility↗
NASA NTRS2016

The Habitable Exoplanet (HabEx) imaging mission concept: preliminary science drivers and technical requirements

HabEx is one of 4 possible NASA flagship mission concepts studied for a possible launch in the 2030s. It will be optimized for direct imaging and spectroscopy of habitable exoplanets, and will also enable a wide range of general astrophysics observations. HabEx shall characterize full planetary systems around nearby solar-type stars for the first time, including rocky planets, possible water worlds, gas giants, ice giants, and faint circumstellar debris disks. It will in particular explore our nearest neighbor planetary systems and search for signs of habitability and bio-signatures in the atmospheres of rocky planets. Such high spatial resolution high contrast observations require a large (~3.5 to 8m) stable diffraction- limited optical space telescope, which also opens new unique capabilities for studying the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies. We present here some preliminary science objectives identified for HabEx by our Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT), together with a first look at the key challenges and design trades ahead.

Mennesson, Bertrand↗