Discovery Planetary Mission Operations Concepts
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PICA Forebody Heatshield Qualification for the Stardust Discovery Class Mission
This paper presents the qualification of the light weight Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablators (PICA) as the forebody heatshield for the Stardust Discovery Class Mission. The Stardust spacecraft will be launched in early 1999 and fly by Comet Wild-2 to collect cometary and interstellar dust and return them back to earth in the Sample Return Capsule (SRC). This earth re-entry will be the fastest to date, at 12.6 km/s, and therefore requires a heatshield that can withstand very high heating rates and stagnation pressures, as well as provide the necessary insulation to the vehicle structure. The PICA material was developed as part of the Lightweight Ceramic Ablators program at NASA Ames Research Center, and was baselined as the forebody heatshield because of its low density and superior ablation and thermal performance at severe aerothermodynamic conditions. Under a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program with NASA Ames, Fiber Materials, Inc. developed a process to manufacture a single-piece PICA heatshield for the forebody of the SRC, along with witness material for the fabrication of the test models. The test models were fabricated and instrumented by the staff of Lockheed Martin Astronautics in Denver, Colorado. Full body preliminary aerothermal CFD calculations were performed at NASA Ames to determine the heating and stagnation pressure conditions. The Heat shield sizing was also performed at NASA Ames by using a new material response code that accounts for the highly porous characteristics of the PICA material. The ablation and thermal performance of PICA was qualified in the NASA Ames Interaction Heating Arc Jet Facility. A total of 24 models and four test conditions were used to qualify PICA at the predicted peak heat flux, heat load, shear, and stagnation pressure conditions. Surface and in-depth temperatures were measured using optical pyrometers and thermocouples. Surface recession was measured by using a template and a height gage. Several models were tested to evaluate repair procedures, and two models were cold soaked in liquid nitrogen, prior th testing, to investigate the effect of the cold space environment on the performance of the material. In addition, material cored from a demonstration single-piece heatshield was tested to verify that the PICA process can be successfully completed on a large, complex heatshield shape.
Tran, Huy K.↗
Science Enabling Exploration: Using LRO to Prepare for Future Missions
Discoveries from LRO have transformed our understanding of the Moon, but LRO's instruments were originally designed to collect the measurements required to enable future lunar surface exploration. A high lunar exploration priority is the collection of new samples and their return to Earth for comprehensive analysis. The importance of sample return from South Pole-Aitken is well-established [Jolliff et al., this conference], but there are numerous other locations where sample return will yield important advances in planetary science. Using new LRO data, we have defined an achievability envelope based on the physical characteristics of successful lunar landing sites. Those results were then used to define 1km x 1km regions of interest where sample return could be executed, including: the basalt flows in Oceanus Procellarum (22.1N, 53.9W), the Gruithuisen Domes (36.1N, 39.7W), the Dewar cryptomare (2.2S, 166.8E), the Aristarchus pyroclastic deposit (24.8N, 48.5W), the Sulpicius Gallus formation (19.9N, 10.3E), the Sinus Aestuum pyroclastic deposit (5.2N, 9.2W), the Compton-Belkovich volcanic complex (61.5N, 99.9E), the Ina Irregular Mare Patch (18.7N, 5.3E), and the Marius Hills volcanic complex (13.4N, 55.9W). All of these locations represent safe landing sites where sample returns are needed to advance our understanding of the evolution of the lunar interior and the timescales of lunar volcanism. If LRO is still active when any future mission reaches the surface, LRO's capability to rapidly place surface activities into broader geologic context will provide operational advantages. LRO remains a unique strategic asset that continues to address the needs of future missions.
Lawrence, S. J.↗
Remote geochemical experiment package for Discovery class missions
Remote sensing x-ray and gamma-ray spectrometers can be used to infer elemental composition on atmosphereless bodies, such as asteroids, the moon, and Mercury. The composition of the planetary body and variations in its surface chemistry are of fundamental importance in understanding the formation and dynamics of that body. Thus, for Discovery class missions, x-ray fluorescence (XRF), gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS), or a combined Geochemical Experiment Package (GEP) have been proposed. These instruments can meet the mission science objectives, while still meeting the weight, power, and cost constraints. These missions include the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous, the Main-belt Asteroid Rendezvous, and others such as HERMES (Mercury Orbiter). This paper presents the results of calculations done to assess the sensitivity of a combined instrument to obtain elemental compositions of planetary bodies with an uncertainty small enough to be scientifically useful.
Clark, Pamela E.↗
Small spacecraft for planetary exploration
There is need for lower cost, more frequent planetary science missions to compliment the 'once a decade' large multidisciplinary missions. The Solar System Exploration Division of NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications has initiated a program of planetary missions using small spacecraft. This program is called Discovery. Conceptual designs of small spacecraft (100 to 500 kg) for potential Discovery missions to near Earth asteroids are summarized. Another class of spacecraft that could be used for Discovery missions are called microspacecraft. Microspacecraft would be compatible with small launch vehicles such as Pegasus. The term 'microspacecraft' is used here for spacecraft concepts whose mass is about 10 kg. A study of a microspacecraft for a mission to near Earth asteroids is also summarized.
Jones, Ross M.↗
Performance of High-Efficiency Advanced Triple-Junction Solar Panels for the LILT Mission Dawn
NASA's Discovery Mission Dawn is designed to (LILT) conditions. operate within the solar system's Asteroid belt, where the large distance from the sun creates a low-intensity, low-temperature (LILT) condition. To meet the mission power requirements under LlLT conditions, very high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells were selected to power the spacecraft to be built by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) under contract with JPL. Emcore's InGaP/InGaAs/Ge advanced triple-junction (ATJ) solar cells, exhibiting an average air mass zero (AMO) efficiency of greater than 27.6% (one-sun, 28 C), were used to populate the solar panels [1]. The two solar array wings, to be built by Dutch Space, with 5 large- area panels each (total area of 36.4 sq. meters) are projected to produce between 10.3 kWe and 1.3 kWe of end-of life (EOL) power in the 1.0 to 3.0 AU range, respectively. The details of the solar panel design, testing and power analysis are presented.
triple junction solar cells↗
Cost efficient operations for Discovery class missions
The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) program at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is scheduled to launch the first spacecraft in NASA's Discovery program. The Discovery program is to promote low cost spacecraft design, development, and mission operations for planetary space missions. The authors describe the NEAR mission and discuss the design and development of the NEAR Mission Operations System and the NEAR Ground System with an emphasis on those aspects of the design that are conducive to low-cost operations.
Cameron, G. E.↗
Learning from the Mars Rover Mission: Scientific Discovery, Learning and Memory
Purpose: Knowledge management for space exploration is part of a multi-generational effort. Each mission builds on knowledge from prior missions, and learning is the first step in knowledge production. This paper uses the Mars Exploration Rover mission as a site to explore this process. Approach: Observational study and analysis of the work of the MER science and engineering team during rover operations, to investigate how learning occurs, how it is recorded, and how these representations might be made available for subsequent missions. Findings: Learning occurred in many areas: planning science strategy, using instrumen?s within the constraints of the martian environment, the Deep Space Network, and the mission requirements; using software tools effectively; and running two teams on Mars time for three months. This learning is preserved in many ways. Primarily it resides in individual s memories. It is also encoded in stories, procedures, programming sequences, published reports, and lessons learned databases. Research implications: Shows the earliest stages of knowledge creation in a scientific mission, and demonstrates that knowledge management must begin with an understanding of knowledge creation. Practical implications: Shows that studying learning and knowledge creation suggests proactive ways to capture and use knowledge across multiple missions and generations. Value: This paper provides a unique analysis of the learning process of a scientific space mission, relevant for knowledge management researchers and designers, as well as demonstrating in detail how new learning occurs in a learning organization.
Linde, Charlotte↗
Earth observations during Space Shuttle flight STS-26: Discovery's mission to earth - September 29-October 3, 1988
During the late September-early October, 1988 flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery, astronauts took 1505 photographs of earth using handheld cameras. The resulting pictures provide an overview, not available from any other source, of dynamic environmental phenomena on five continents. The Discovery photographs show that: (1) atmospheric clarity has improved in the Northern Hemisphere, (2) widespread burning of natural vegetation throughout the Southern Hemisphere continues to generate immense smoke palls and extensive sedimentation in rivers and estuaries, and (3) although the drought in Africa was partially relieved by heavy rains in autumn, 1988, Lakes Chad and Nasser are at the lowest levels ever seen from space.
Wood, C. A.↗
Sustaining Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) for Future NASA Missions Including Discovery and New Frontiers
Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) was invented in the mid 1990's and due to its relatively low density and efficient performance has been the heat shield TPS of choice for a range of missions includ-ing, Stardust, OSIRIS-Rex, Mars Science Laboratry (MSL) and Mars 2020. PICA has also been the TPS solution on numerous Discovery and New Frontiers proposals, as both the heat shield and back shell TPS and is under consideration as both for the Mars Sample Return Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV) and the heat shield on the Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL). Recently NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has funded an activity to develop a more sus-tainable version of PICA and to expand the demon-strated capabilities of PICA both in manufacturing and aerothermal performance.
Thermal Protection Material↗
Performance of high-efficiency advanced triple-junction solar panels for the LILT Mission Dawn
Dawn, a NASA Discovery Mission, is planned to operate and gather information and data within the solar system's asteroid belt.
space cells↗
TEM Characterization of Solar Wind Effects on Genesis Mission Silicon Collectors
The Genesis Discovery Mission passively allowed solar wind (SW) to implant into substrates during exposure times up to ~853 days from 2001 to 2004. The spacecraft then returned the SW to Earth for analysis. Substrates included semiconductor wafers (silicon, sapphire, and germanium), as well as a number of thin films supported by either silicon or sapphire wafers. During flight, subsets of the SW collectors were exposed to one of 4 SW regimes: bulk solar wind, coronal hole solar wind (CH, high speed), interstream solar wind (IS, low speed) or coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Each SW regime had a different composition and range of ion speeds and, during their collection, uniquely changed their host SW collector. This study focuses on bulk vs IS SW effects on CZ silicon.
Allums, K. K.↗
Detection of a Satellite of the Trojan Asteroid (3548) Eurybates – A Lucy Mission Target
We describe the discovery of a satellite of the Trojan asteroid (3548) Eurybates in images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. The satellite was detected on three separate epochs, two in September 2018 and one in January 2020. The satellite has a brightness in all three epochs consistent with an effective diameter of d2=1.2±0.4km. The projected separation from Eurybates was s~1700-2300 km and varied in position, consistent with a large range of possible orbits. Eurybates is a target of the Lucy Discovery mission and the early detection of a satellite provides an opportunity fora significant expansion of the scientific return from this encounter.
K. S. Noll↗
Satellite and Ground System Solutions at Your Fingertips
In the summer of 1998, the blockbuster action movie Armageddon captivated audiences with a thrilling doomsday plot about a meteor the size of Texas that was racing towards the Earth. Though the premise of the movie was purely fictional, the unfortunate reality is that near-Earth asteroids such as the one portrayed in the film do exist. On December 23, 2004, NASA announced that an asteroid it anticipated to pass near the Earth on April 13, 2029, had been assigned the highest score to date on the universally used Torino Impact Hazard Scale. At first, the flyby distance for the asteroid, dubbed MN4, was uncertain and an Earth impact could not be ruled out. The odds of impact were initially believed to be 1 in 300, high enough to merit special monitoring by astronomers around the world, but were then escalated to 1 in 37 on December 27. NASA officials noted, however, that these odds should not be of public concern, since they were likely to change on a day-to-day basis as new data were received. The officials were correct in their assertion, as any chances of an impact with Earth in 2029 were completely ruled out later that same day. Integral Systems, Inc., a leading provider of satellite ground systems and the first company to offer an integrated suite of commercial-off-the-shelf software products for satellite command and control, is helping NASA keep a careful watch for any close-encountering asteroids with its tracking technology. The company supported the first NASA Discovery mission, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) program, back in 1996, and has expanded its business by building more ground systems for a greater variety of satellites than any other company in the world. (NASA has since launched seven more Discovery missions, with the eighth lifting off earlier this year.) The experience gained from the company s participation in developing satellite command and control ground systems for the NEAR program has bolstered its flagship product line, the EPOCH Integrated Product Suite (IPS), first featured in Spinoff 1997, and led to the creation of its latest product, the Skylight Direct Broadcast Ground Terminal.
Source record↗
Exploring the Clouds of Venus: Science Driven Aerobot Missions to Our Sister Planet
Venus is essential to our understanding of the evolution and habitability of Earth-size planets throughout the galaxy. The selection of the VERITAS, EnVision, and DAVINCI missions by NASA and ESA in June 2021 is an important step in advancing the science. However, addressing many of the most challenging questions will require in situ platforms that can operate in the Venus environment for extended periods in order to capture the full complexity of our sister planet. Aerobots are aerial vehicles that exploit buoyancy to achieve long-duration operation in the Venus cloud layer where environmental conditions are comparatively benign. Buoyancy control, explained in more detail in a companion paper at this conference, allows aerobots to change altitude with little energy expenditure enabling new scientific measurement opportunities. These include atmospheric chemistry, dynamics, geophysical measurements of the crust and interior and geological investigations enabled by high resolution surface imaging. One aspect to our approach to defining missions that fit within the resource constraints of competitive missions is keeping the scale small. Today’s science-driven appetite for sophisticated measurements and large volumes of data is driving size upwards but advances in technology can enable aerobots that can be delivered to Venus at manageable costs. The other aspect is supporting the aerobot at Venus with orbiters providing data relay, localization and synergistic science. The recently selected orbiters, equipped with low-cost proximity relay systems routinely used at Mars may obviate the need for dedicated orbiters thereby enabling Discovery mission candidates. Four aerobot mission concepts have been defined which fit comfortably within the current New Frontiers (NF) cost cap ($900M in $FY22). One of these concepts would also be a candidate for a Discovery mission if that cost cap ($500M in $FY19) were raised. Raising the NF cost cap would enable more capable aerobot missions combining both altitude control with synergistic orbital observations. Investigations of surface geology at high resolution with subcloud NIR nightside imaging and dropsondes on the dayside of Venus could also benefit from collaborations with foreign contributions.
"O'Rourke, Joseph"↗
A Participating Scientist Program for the STARDUST Mission
It is the Policy of NASA s Office of Space Science to emphasize and encourage the addition of Participating Scientist Programs (PSP s) to broaden the scientific impact of missions. A Participating Scientist Program for the STARDUST Mission: STARDUST is the fourth Discovery mission, and it is the first sample return mission selected within the Discovery Program. The STARDUST Spacecraft will fly through the coma of comet PIwildt-2 in early January 2004, and return the samples to the Earth in January 2006. The Principal Investigator of the STARDUST mission, Dr. Donald Brownlee, has generously requested the implementation of a PSP for STARDUST in order to provide more community participation in the initial characterization and analysis of the samples from PIwildt-2. In particular participating scientists will fill out the membership of the Preliminary Examination Team (PET) called for in the original 1994 STARDUST proposal accepted by NASA in 1995. The work of the PET will be organized around major subdiscipline areas such as mineralogy and petrology, isotopic abundances, and elemental composition. There will be leaders for each of these areas, and also a number of team members within each. Support will be commensurate with the level of participation.
Morgan, T. H.↗
The Geospace Dynamics Observatory; a Mission of Discovery for Geospace
A few examples of potential advances include: 1. Unparalleled advances in the connection of the upper atmosphere to the Sun. In the aurora and lower latitudes, extending the duration of uninterrupted images would advance understanding of the transfer of energy from the Sun to the upper atmosphere and the response of the space environment. 2. Advances in the influence of waves and tides on the upper atmosphere. Increasing both the signal to noise and the duration ofthe observations would reveal contributions that are not identifiable using other approaches. 3. The ability to probe the mechanisms that control the evolution of planetary atmospheres. The vantage point provided by this mission allows the flux of hydrogen (which is tied to the escape of water from a planet) to be mapped globally. It also allows unique observations of changes in the atmospheric structure and their causes.
Spann, James↗
Earth observations during Space Shuttle flight STS-41 - Discovery's mission to planet earth
An overview of space flight STS-41 is presented, including personal observations and comments by the mission astronauts. The crew deployed the Ulysses spacecraft to study the polar regions of the sun and the interplanetary space above the poles. Environmental observations, including those of Lake Turkana, Lake Chad, biomass burning in Madagascar and Argentina, and circular features in Yucatan are described. Observations that include landforms and geology, continental sedimentation, desert landscapes, and river morphology are discussed.
Lulla, Kamlesh P.↗