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NASA NTRS2015

AMO EXPRESS: A Command and Control Experiment for Crew Autonomy Onboard the International Space Station

Autonomous Mission Operations↗

NASA NTRS2015

AMO EXPRESS: A Command and Control Experiment for Crew Autonomy Onboard the International Space Station

Stetson, Howard K.↗

NASA NTRS2015

AMO EXPRESS: A Command and Control Experiment for Crew Autonomy Onboard the International Space Station

NASA is investigating a range of future human spaceflight missions, including both Mars-distance and Near Earth Object (NEO) targets. Of significant importance for these missions is the balance between crew autonomy and vehicle automation. As distance from Earth results in increasing communication delays, future crews need both the capability and authority to independently make decisions. However, small crews cannot take on all functions performed by ground today, and so vehicles must be more automated to reduce the crew workload for such missions. NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems Program funded Autonomous Mission Operations (AMO) project conducted an autonomous command and control experiment on-board the International Space Station that demonstrated single action intelligent procedures for crew command and control. The target problem was to enable crew initialization of a facility class rack with power and thermal interfaces, and involving core and payload command and telemetry processing, without support from ground controllers. This autonomous operations capability is enabling in scenarios such as initialization of a medical facility to respond to a crew medical emergency, and representative of other spacecraft autonomy challenges. The experiment was conducted using the Expedite the Processing of Experiments for Space Station (EXPRESS) rack 7, which was located in the Port 2 location within the U.S Laboratory onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Activation and deactivation of this facility is time consuming and operationally intensive, requiring coordination of three flight control positions, 47 nominal steps, 57 commands, 276 telemetry checks, and coordination of multiple ISS systems (both core and payload). Utilization of Draper Laboratory's Timeliner software, deployed on-board the ISS within the Command and Control (C&C) computers and the Payload computers, allowed development of the automated procedures specific to ISS without having to certify and employ novel software for procedure development and execution. The procedures contained the ground procedure logic and actions as possible to include fault detection and recovery capabilities. The autonomous operations concept includes a reduction of the amount of data a crew operator is required to verify during activation or de-activation, as well as integration of procedure execution status and relevant data in a single integrated display. During execution, the auto-procedures (via Timerliner) provide a step-by-step messaging paradigm and a high-level status upon termination. This messaging and high-level status is the only data generated for operator display. To enhance situational awareness of the operator, the Web-based Procedure Display (WebPD) provides a novel approach to the issues of procedure display and execution tracking. WebPD is a web based application that serves as the user interface for electronic procedure execution. It incorporates several aspects of the HTML5 standard. Procedures are written in a dialect of XML called Procedure Representation Language (PRL). WebPD tracks execution status in the procedure or procedures being displayed. WebPD aggregates and simplifies the auto-sequence execution status information, and formatted to be easily followed and understood by an operator who is not dedicated to actively monitoring the task. WebPD also provides an integrated data and control interface to pause or halt the execution in order to provide a check point of operation and to examine progress before starting the next sequence of activities. For this demonstration, the procedure was initiated and monitored from the ground. As the Timeliner sequences executed, their high-level execution status was written to PLMDM memory. This memory is read and downlinked via Ku-Band at a 1 Hz rate. The data containing the high-level execution status is de-commutated on the ground, and rebroadcast for WebPD consumption. A future demonstration will be performed onboard, with ISS astronauts initiating the operations instead of ground controllers. The AMO EXPRESS experiment demonstrated activation and de-activation of EXPRESS rack 7, providing the capability of future single button activations and deactivations of facility class racks. The experiment achieved numerous technical and operations 'firsts' for the ISS

Stetson, Howard K.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Optical Depth Retrievals from HRSC Stereo Images

Mars Express is due to arrive in orbit around Mars during the last days of 2003. A primary task of its mission is to map Mars in stereo with the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) at a spatial resolution of up to 12 m. The Martian atmosphere contains large amounts of dust and other aerosols that scatter light and influence the images. Therefore, image analysis requires careful consideration of these atmospheric effects. An essential parameter to consider is the optical depth. It will be possible to map the optical depth of the Martian atmosphere from HRSC stereo images by analyzing contrast differences. Software to this purpose has been developed at the Max-Planck Institute for Aeronomy in Lindau Germany. We present examples of optical depth-retrievals from airborne HRSC-A images of a region in the French Alps.

N M Hoekzema↗

NASA NTRS2001

Beagle 2: The Next Exobiology Mission to Mars

Beagle 2 is a 60 kg probe (with a 30 kg lander) developed in the United Kingdom for inclusion on the European Space Agency's 2003 Mars Express. Beagle 2 will deliver to the Martian surface a payload which consists of a high percentage of science instruments to landed spacecraft mass. Beagle 2 will be launched in June, 2003 with Mars Express on a Soyuz-Fregat rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Beagle 2 will land on Mars on December 26, 2003 in the Isidis Planitia basin (approximately 10 degrees N and 275 degrees W), a large sedimentary basin that overlies the boundary between ancient highlands and northern plains. Isidis Planitia, the third largest basin on Mars, which is possibly filled with sediment deposited at the bottom of long-standing lakes or seas, offers an ideal environment for preserving traces of life. Beagle 2 was developed to search for organic material and other volatiles on and below the surface of Mars in addition to the study of the inorganic chemistry and mineralogy. Beagle 2 will utilize a mechanical mole and grinder to obtain samples from below the surface, under rocks and inside rocks. A pair of stereo cameras will image the landing site along with a microscope for examination of surface and rock samples. Analyses will include both rock and soil samples at various wavelengths, X-ray spectrometer and Mossbauer spectrometer as well as a search for organics and other light element species (e.g. carbonates and water) and measurement of their isotopic compositions. Beagle 2 has as its focus the goal of establishing whether evidence for life existed in the past on Mars at the Isidis Planitia site or at least establishing if the conditions were ever suitable. Carbonates and organic components were first recognized as existing on Mars when they were found in the Martian meteorite Nakhla. Romanek et al showed the carbonates in ALH84001 were formed at low temperatures. McKay et al noted possible evidence of early life on Mars within the ALH84001 meteorite. Thomas-Keprta et al showed the magnetite biomarkers in ALH84001's carbonates are indistinguishable from those formed by magnetotactic bacteria found on Earth. Gibson et al showed there was significant evidence for liquid water and biogenic products present on Mars across a 3.9 billion year period. A mechanical arm (PAW) operates from the lander and is used for science operations along with sample acquisition. Instruments attached to the PAW include: stereo cameras, Mossbauer instrument, X-ray fluorescence instrument, microscope, environmental sensors, rock corer/grinder, a spoon, mirror, brushes, a mole attachment for acquisition of subsurface to depths of 1 to 2 meters and an illumination device. Each camera has 14 filters which have been optimized for mineralogy composition, dust and water vapor detection. The microscope's camera is designed for viewing the size and shape of dust particles, rock surfaces, microfossils, and characteristics of the samples prior to introduction into the gas analysis package (GAP). The camera has a resolution of 4 microns/pixel, features four color capability (red, green, blue and UV (ultraviolet) fluoresence), a depth of focus of 40 micrometers and translation stage of +3 millimeters. The heart of the Beagle 2's life detection package is the gas analysis package (GAP), which consists of a mass spectrometer with collectors at fixed masses for precise isotopic ratio measurements and voltage scanning for spectral analysis. Primary aim of the GAP is to search for the presence of bulk constituents, individual species, and isotopic fractionations for both extinct and extent life along with studying the low-temperature geochemistry of the hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen components on Mars from both the surface and atmosphere. GAP is a magnetic sector mass spectrometer with the range of 1 to 140 amu which can be operated in both the static and dynamic modes. A triple Faraday collector array will be used for C, N and O ratios along with a double Faraday array for H/D. Pulse counting electron multiplier will be utilized for noble gases and selected organics. Anticipated detection limits are at the picomole level for operation in the static mode of operation and high precision isotopic measurements will be made in the dynamic mode. Sample processing and preparation system consists of reaction vessels along with references. Sample ovens capable of being heated are attached to the manifold for sample combustion. Surface, subsurface materials and interior rock specimens will be combusted in pure oxygen gas at various temperature intervals to release organic matter and volatiles. Combustion process will permit detection of all forms and all atoms of carbon present in the samples. A chemical processing system is capable of a variety of conversion reactions. Gases are manipulated either by cryogenic or chemical reactions and passed through the gas handling portion of the vacuum system. There are two modes of operation: quantitative analysis and precise isotopic measurements. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Gibson, Everett K., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2008

NASA Tech Briefs, October 2008

Topics covered include: Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing; Algorithm for Wavefront Sensing Using an Extended Scene; CO2 Sensors Based on Nanocrystalline SnO2 Doped with CuO; Improved Airborne System for Sensing Wildfires; VHF Wide-Band, Dual-Polarization Microstrip-Patch Antenna; Onboard Data Processor for Change-Detection Radar Imaging; Using LDPC Code Constraints to Aid Recovery of Symbol Timing; System for Measuring Flexing of a Large Spaceborne Structure; Integrated Formation Optical Communication and Estimation System; Making Superconducting Welds between Superconducting Wires; Method for Thermal Spraying of Coatings Using Resonant-Pulsed Combustion; Coating Reduces Ice Adhesion; Hybrid Multifoil Aerogel Thermal Insulation; SHINE Virtual Machine Model for In-flight Updates of Critical Mission Software; Mars Image Collection Mosaic Builder; Providing Internet Access to High-Resolution Mars Images; Providing Internet Access to High-Resolution Lunar Images; Expressions Module for the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program Virtual Satellite; Small-Body Extensions for the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program (SOAP); Scripting Module for the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program (SOAP); XML-Based SHINE Knowledge Base Interchange Language; Core Technical Capability Laboratory Management System; MRO SOW Daily Script; Tool for Inspecting Alignment of Twinaxial Connectors; An ATP System for Deep-Space Optical Communication; Polar Traverse Rover Instrument; Expert System Control of Plant Growth in an Enclosed Space; Detecting Phycocyanin-Pigmented Microbes in Reflected Light; DMAC and NMP as Electrolyte Additives for Li-Ion Cells; Mass Spectrometer Containing Multiple Fixed Collectors; Waveguide Harmonic Generator for the SIM; Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator with Orthogonally Reconfigurable Filter Function; Stable Calibration of Raman Lidar Water-Vapor Measurements; Bimaterial Thermal Compensators for WGM Resonators; Root Source Analysis/ValuStream[Trade Mark] - A Methodology for Identifying and Managing Risks; Ensemble: an Architecture for Mission-Operations Software; Object Recognition Using Feature-and Color-Based Methods; On-Orbit Multi-Field Wavefront Control with a Kalman Filter; and The Interplanetary Overlay Networking Protocol Accelerator.

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NASA NTRS2006

Multiuser Collaboration with Networked Mobile Devices

In this paper we describe a multiuser collaboration infrastructure that enables multiple mission scientists to remotely and collaboratively interact with visualization and planning software, using wireless networked personal digital assistants(PDAs) and other mobile devices. During ground operations of planetary rover and lander missions, scientists need to meet daily to review downlinked data and plan science activities. For example, scientists use the Science Activity Planner (SAP) in the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission to visualize downlinked data and plan rover activities during the science meetings [1]. Computer displays are projected onto large screens in the meeting room to enable the scientists to view and discuss downlinked images and data displayed by SAP and other software applications. However, only one person can interact with the software applications because input to the computer is limited to a single mouse and keyboard. As a result, the scientists have to verbally express their intentions, such as selecting a target at a particular location on the Mars terrain image, to that person in order to interact with the applications. This constrains communication and limits the returns of science planning. Furthermore, ground operations for Mars missions are fundamentally constrained by the short turnaround time for science and engineering teams to process and analyze data, plan the next uplink, generate command sequences, and transmit the uplink to the vehicle [2]. Therefore, improving ground operations is crucial to the success of Mars missions. The multiuser collaboration infrastructure enables users to control software applications remotely and collaboratively using mobile devices. The infrastructure includes (1) human-computer interaction techniques to provide natural, fast, and accurate inputs, (2) a communications protocol to ensure reliable and efficient coordination of the input devices and host computers, (3) an application-independent middleware that maintains the states, sessions, and interactions of individual users of the software applications, (4) an application programming interface to enable tight integration of applications and the middleware. The infrastructure is able to support any software applications running under the Windows or Unix platforms. The resulting technologies not only are applicable to NASA mission operations, but also useful in other situations such as design reviews, brainstorming sessions, and business meetings, as they can benefit from having the participants concurrently interact with the software applications (e.g., presentation applications and CAD design tools) to illustrate their ideas and provide inputs.

ground operations↗

NASA NTRS2013

Relay Support for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission landed the Curiosity Rover on the surface of Mars on August 6, 2012, beginning a one-Martian-year primary science mission. An international network of Mars relay orbiters, including NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey Orbiter (ODY) and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), and ESA's Mars Express Orbiter (MEX), were positioned to provide critical event coverage of MSL's Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL). The EDL communication plan took advantage of unique and complementary capabilities of each orbiter to provide robust information capture during this critical event while also providing low-latency information during the landing. Once on the surface, ODY and MRO have provided effectively all of Curiosity's data return from the Martian surface. The link from Curiosity to MRO incorporates a number of new features enabled by the Electra and Electra-Lite software-defined radios on MRO and Curiosity, respectively. Specifically, the Curiosity-MRO link has for the first time on Mars relay links utilized frequency-agile operations, data rates up to 2.048 Mb/s, suppressed carrier modulation, and a new Adaptive Data Rate algorithm in which the return link data rate is optimally varied throughout the relay pass based on the actual observed link channel characteristics. In addition to the baseline surface relay support by ODY and MRO, the MEX relay service has been verified in several successful surface relay passes, and MEX now stands ready to provide backup relay support should NASA's orbiters become unavailable for some period of time.

Telecommunications↗

NASA NTRS2005

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, Part 12

Topics discussed include: The Ancient Lakes in Hellas Basin Region as Seen Through the First Year of Mars Express HRSC-Camera; DISR Observations of Craters at Titan at the Huygens Landing Site: Insights Anticipated; The Sun s Dust Disk - Discovery Potential of the New Horizons Mission During Interplanetary Cruise; Evidence for Aqueously Precipitated Sulfates in Northeast Meridiani Using THEMIS and TES Data; Integrated Spectroscopic Studies of Anhydrous Sulfate Minerals; Venusian Channel Formation as a Subsurface Process; Reexamination of Quartz Grains from the Permian-Triassic Boundary Section at Graphite Peak, Antarctica; Observations of Calcium Sulfate Deposits at High Latitudes by OMEGA/Mex at Km/Pixel Resolutions; Observations of the North Permanent Cap of Mars in Mid-Summer by OMEGA/MEX at km per Pixel Resolutions; Classification and Distribution of Patterned Ground in the Southern Hemisphere of Mars Genesis: Removing Contamination from Sample Collectors; Thermal Characterization of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Formed from Poorly Crystalline Siderite; Hydrogen Abundances in Metal Grains from the Hammadah Al Hamra (HaH) 237 Metal-rich Chondrite: A Test of the Nebular-Formation Theory; REE and Some Other Trace Elements Distributions of Mineral Separates in Atlanta (EL6); The Composition and Origin of the Dewar Geochemical Anomaly; Asteroid Modal Mineralogy Using Hapke Mixing Models: Testing the Utility of Spectral Lookup Tables; and The Huygens Mission at Titan: Results Highlights. (sup 182)Hf-(sup 182)W Chronometry and an Early Differentiation in the Parent Body of Ureilites Ground Penetrating Radar in Sedimentary Rocks Mars, Always Cold, Sometimes Wet: New Constraints on Mars Denudation Rates and Climate Evolution from Analog Studies at Haughton Crater, Devon Island, High Arctic Europa s Porous Ice Rheology and Implications for Ice-penetrating Radar Scattering Loss Surface Generated Cracks on Europa

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NASA NTRS2005

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, Part 6

Contents include the following: A Model for Multiple Populations of Presolar Diamonds. Characterization of Martian North Polar Geologic Units Using Mars Odyssey THEMIS Data. Effect of Flow on the Internal Structure of the Martian North Polar Layered Deposits. Elemental Abundance Distributions in Basalt Clays and Meteorites: Is It a Biosignature? Early Results on the Saturn System from the Composite Infrared Spectrometer. NanoSIMS D/H Imaging of Isotopically Primitive Interplanetary Dust Particles. Presolar (Circumstellar and Interstellar) Phases in Renazzo: The Effects of Parent Body Processing. Catastrophic Disruption of Hydrated Targets: Implications for the Hydrated Asteroids and for the Production of Interplanetary Dust Particles. Chemical and Mineralogical Analyses of Particles from the Stratospheric Collections Coinciding with the 2002 Leonid Storm and the 2003 Comet Grigg-Skjellerup Trail Passage. An Analysis of the Solvus in the CaS-MnS System. ESA s SMART-1 Mission at the Moon: First Results, Status and Next Steps. Europa Analog Ice-splitting Measurements and Experiments with Ice-Hunveyor on the Frozen Balaton-Lake, Hungary. Chromium on Eros: Further Evidence of Ordinary Chondrite Composition. Dust Devil Tracks on Mars: Observation and Analysis from Orbit and the Surface. Spatial Variation of Methane and Other Trace Gases Detected on Mars: Interpretation with a General Circulation Model. Mars Water Ice and Carbon Dioxide Seasonal Polar Caps: GCM Modeling and Comparison with Mars Express Omega Observations. Component Separation of OMEGA Spectra with ICA. Clathrate Formation in the Near-Surface Environment of Titan. Space Weathering: A Proposed Laboratory Approach to Explaining the Sulfur Depletion on Eros. Sample Collection from Small Airless Bodies: Examination of Temperature Constraints for the TGIP. Sample Collector for the Hera Near-Earth Asteroid Sample Return Mission. A Rugged Miniature Mass-Spectrometer for Measuring Aqueous Geochemistry on Mars. Martian and Lunar Pyroxene Microstructures Studied by Single-Crystal X-Ray Diffraction.

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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Application of Analytical Hierarchy Process for Narrowing Down Nep Candidate Reactor Designs

Nuclear electric propulsion (NEP)-powered vehicles have been contemplated for human Mars missions. The nuclear power system contemplates using a high temperature light-weight nuclear reactor for the production of electrical power in the range of 2-5 MWe with a 3-10 year service life. A myriad of technology options exist for achieving these mission objectives. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a multi-attribute decision method, is being used to narrow down the candidate designs. The AHP is a structured decision process that fuses model-supplied quantitative data with subjective assessments to facilitate decisions that involve multiple competing criteria. Proven end-to-end nuclear design and systems analysis tools will be used to provide quantitative performance data such as end-to-end system reliability, system robustness to recover from off-normal conditions, system specific weight (α in kg/kWe), and the ability to meet the service life-time and power level requirements. Three high assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) reactor concepts, namely, gas-, heat pipe- and pumped liquid-cooled nuclear cores coupled to a He/Xe gas or supercritical CO2- Brayton power conversion system are being modeled using the AHP to understand the trade-offs associated with these design combinations. In addition to the reactor and power conversion options, there are a myriad of additional components and subsystems – e.g., radiators, heat exchangers, and recuperators – that also figure into the evaluation process. The choice of the right overall system is a multidimensional problem that has to include not only quantitative data, but also the so called “external factors”, examples of which include the component and subsystem Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), the associated Advancement Degrees of Difficulty (AD2), the cost and schedule required to achieve a technical maturity consistent with mission infusion, alignment with the priorities of NASA’s Space Nuclear Propulsion program, and alignment with other ongoing government and commercial investments in micro reactors. Focused expert elicitations form the basis for qualitative data set. As a final step, decision-makers individually express their opinions regarding the relative importance of the criteria and preferences among the alternatives through pairwise comparisons. The paper will describe the AHP approach, progress to-date applying it to the NEP human Mars mission problem, and preliminary results. Use of AHP provides sufficient flexibility for incorporating industry input at different stages as the technologies evolve through additional research and development. It is expected that the decision process will be ongoing and expanded to examine additional options and technology choices, culminating in a defensible set of candidate reactor concepts that will form the basis for developing a multi-year NEP technology maturation strategy. .

Dasari V Rao↗

NASA NTRS1991

Benefits of slush hydrogen for space missions

A study was performed to quantify the benefits of using slush hydrogen instead of normal boiling point liquid hydrogen as a fuel for several space missions. Vehicles considered in the study included the Space Shuttle/Shuttle-C, LEO to GEO transfer vehicles, Lunar and Mars transfer vehicles, and cryogenic depots in low Earth orbit. The advantages of using slush hydrogen were expressed in terms of initial mass differences at a constant payload, payload differences at a constant tank volume, and increases in fuel storage time for cryogenic depots. Both chemical oxygen/hydrogen and hydrogen nuclear thermal rocket propulsion were considered in the study. The results indicated that slush hydrogen offers the potential for significant decreases in initial mass and increases in payload for most missions studied. These advantages increase as the mission difficulty, or energy, increases.

Friedlander, Alan↗

NASA NTRS1999

Observational Tests of the Mars Ocean Hypothesis: Selected MOC and MOLA Results

We have begun a detailed analysis of the evidence for and topography of features identified as potential shorelines that have been im-aged by the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) during the Aerobraking Hiatus and Science Phasing Orbit periods of the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission. MOC images, comparable in resolution to high-altitude terrestrial aerial photographs, are particularly well suited to address the morphological expressions of these features at scales comparable to known shore morphologies on Earth. Particularly useful are examples of detailed relationships between potential shore features, such as erosional (and depositional) terraces have been cut into "familiar" pre-existing structures and topography in a fashion that points to a shoreline interpretation as the most likely mechanism for their formation. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Parker, T. J.↗

NASA NTRS2024

Long-term effects of acute irradiation and isolation on crew age-matched mice

The future of space missions beyond low-Earth orbit presents exciting opportunities but may come with formidable health challenges. Astronauts face a unique combination of space stressors capable of exerting effects on the central nervous system (CNS) with possible sex-dependent differences. The interaction of these combined spaceflight stressors may induce oxidative stress, thereby altering brain integrity and behavioral performance. Understanding these changes is critical for safeguarding astronaut health and enabling successful exploration. By understanding the physiological responses to the combined effects of ionizing radiation (IR) and social isolation in the brain through immunohistochemistry (IHC), proteomics and cytokine expression analyses, we aim to identify CNS pathways ripe for countermeasure development to mitigate adverse brain changes with future deep space exploration. Here, we study the combined effects of simulated 5-ion galactic cosmic radiation (GCRsim) at acute dosage (5, 15, and 50 cGy) and social isolation on crew age-matched male and female mice at 124 days post-irradiation. We conducted analyses of hippocampal cytokine biomarkers and proteomic profiling on hippocampal lysates. Our findings reveal sex-specific regulation of hippocampal cytokines and proteomic profiles. Ongoing immunohistochemistry findings on the hippocampus will provide qualitative information regarding key protein expression and cellular changes such as microglial activation, blood brain barrier integrity, and neuroinflammation. With future plans for long-duration space missions, such as Mars exploration, understanding CNS changes over extended periods in mice can provide insights into potential long-term health impacts on astronauts. This project will provide us with valuable insights into sex-differences in neurobiological processes and disease mechanisms impacting men and women in space.

space radiation↗

NASA NTRS2018

Next-Generation Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator Study

Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) have been used to power NASA missions of various types throughout the past five decades. The most recent RTG iteration, used for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory, is the Multi-Mission RTG (MMRTG), which is currently the only spaceflight-qualified system available. The U.S. planetary science community has expressed a desire for more power system options to be available to accommodate a range of ambitious future mission concepts across the solar system. Recent advancements in thermoelectric (TE) materials technology have raised a potential for significantly increased efficiency in future RTGs, which helped spur a recent in-depth NASA study of options for future systems. A “next-generation” RTG study was conducted to develop new RTG concepts that could meet the needs of planetary science missions through the 2030s and beyond. A Next-Generation RTG would aim to extend the types of potential NASA missions able to be supported, while fulfilling requirements related to technical risk and schedule. In this study, 21 potential thermoelectric couple configurations were analyzed by considering various high-performance, high-temperature TE materials and segmentation techniques that maximize convertor efficiency and power density. System modularity was explored, and found to be a promising means to offer improved flexibility for NASA mission concepts with varying scope and power requirements. This paper presents the results of the study, demonstrating the viability of developing an updated RTG system design, and defining conceptual system approaches for a new, potentially revolutionary RTG.

Matthes, Christopher S. R.↗

NASA NTRS2001

The System and Implementation Aspects of the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS)

MARSIS is a radar sounder operating in the HF frequency range to sound the surface of Mars, which will operate from the ESA Mars Express spacecraft. It is scheduled for launch from Baikonour, Russia in June 2003 and arrives in orbit around Mars in early 2004 for a two-year mission. This system is the result of an international collaboration between NASA, the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and European Space Agency (ESA). The MARSIS instrument is a 17 Kilogram total mass sounder consisting of a 40 meter tip-to-tip dipole antenna, a 7 meter long monopole antenna and the electronics module. This design of MARSIS is a tradeoff between the expected penetration into the Martian subsurface that is proportional to the wavelength of the system and the desire to operate at a short wavelength in order to minimize the effects of the ionosphere. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Jordan, R.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Visible to Short Wavelength Infrared Spectroscopy on Rovers: Why We Need it on Mars and What We Need to do on Earth

The next stage of Mars exploration will include the use of rovers to seek out specific mineralogies. Understanding the mineralogical diversity of the locale will be used to determining which targets should be investigated with the full suite of in situ capability on the rover. Visible to Short Wavelength Infrared (VSWIR) spectroscopy is critical in evaluating the mineralogical diversity and to validate the global remote sensing data sets to be collected by Mars Express and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. However, spectroscopy on mobile platforms present challenges in both the design of instruments and in the efficient operation of the instrument and mission. Field-testing and validation on Earth can be used to develop instrument requirements analysis tools needed for used on Mars.

Blaney, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Analyses of IR-Stealthy and Coated Surface Materials: A Comparison of LIBS and Reflectance Spectra and Their Application to Mars Surface Exploration

Identification of non-silicate samples on Mars, such as carbonates, sulfates, nitrates, or evaporites in general, is important because of their association with aqueous processes and their potential as exobiology sites. Infrared (IR) and thermal emission (TE) spectroscopy have been considered the primary tools for remote identification of these minerals. This includes current and future orbital assets such as TES on MGS, THEMIS on Mars Odyssey, OMEGA on Mars Express, CRISM on MRO, and now the Mini-TES on the MER rovers. While reflectance and emission spectroscopy have clearly been the method of choice for these missions, the technique is not always successful in mineral identifications due to dust, surface weathering chemistry, coatings, or surface texture. Here we describe and show IR spectra of several such samples, and then report on the relative success of LIBS analyses in determining the rock type.

Wiens, R. C.↗