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NASA NTRS2006

Processing of Mars Exploration Rover Imagery for Science and Operations Planning

The twin Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) delivered an unprecedented array of image sensors to the Mars surface. These cameras were essential for operations, science, and public engagement. The Multimission Image Processing Laboratory (MIPL) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was responsible for the first-order processing of all of the images returned by these cameras. This processing included reconstruction of the original images, systematic and ad hoc generation of a wide variety of products derived from those images, and delivery of the data to a variety of customers, within tight time constraints. A combination of automated and manual processes was developed to meet these requirements, with significant inheritance from prior missions. This paper describes the image products generated by MIPL for MER and the processes used to produce and deliver them.

Instruments↗

NASA NTRS2010

Gigapan Voyage for Robotic Recon

Gigapan Voyage (GV) is a self-contained remotely-operable Gigapan capturing system that is currently being developed by the Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG) at NASA Ames Research Center. Gigapan Voyage was primarily designed to be integrated onto Johnson Space Center s Lunar Electric Rovers (LER). While on LER, Gigapan Voyage was used by scientists and astronauts during the 2009 and 2010 Desert RATS field tests. The concept behind Gigapan Voyage is to merge all the sub-components of the commercial GigaPan system into an all-in-one system that can capture, stitch, and display Gigapans in an automated way via a simple web interface. The GV system enables NASA to quickly and easily add remote-controlled Gigapan capturing capability onto rovers with minimal integration effort. Key Words: Geology, NASA, Black Point Lava Flow, Robot, K10, LER, Gigapan Voyage, Desert RATS, Intelligent Robotics Group

Lee, Susan Y.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Data Management for Mars Exploration Rovers

Data Management for the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) project is a comprehensive system addressing the needs of development, test, and operations phases of the mission. During development of flight software, including the science software, the data management system can be simulated using any POSIX file system. During testing, the on-board file system can be bit compared with files on the ground to verify proper behavior and end-to-end data flows. During mission operations, end-to-end accountability of data products is supported, from science observation concept to data products within the permanent ground repository. Automated and human-in-the-loop ground tools allow decisions regarding retransmitting, re-prioritizing, and deleting data products to be made using higher level information than is available to a protocol-stack approach such as the CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP).

Mars missions↗

NASA NTRS2007

Automatic Command Sequence Generation

Automatic Sequence Generator (Autogen) Version 3.0 software automatically generates command sequences for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and several other JPL spacecraft operated by the multi-mission support team. Autogen uses standard JPL sequencing tools like APGEN, ASP, SEQGEN, and the DOM database to automate the generation of uplink command products, Spacecraft Command Message Format (SCMF) files, and the corresponding ground command products, DSN Keywords Files (DKF). Autogen supports all the major multi-mission mission phases including the cruise, aerobraking, mapping/science, and relay mission phases. Autogen is a Perl script, which functions within the mission operations UNIX environment. It consists of two parts: a set of model files and the autogen Perl script. Autogen encodes the behaviors of the system into a model and encodes algorithms for context sensitive customizations of the modeled behaviors. The model includes knowledge of different mission phases and how the resultant command products must differ for these phases. The executable software portion of Autogen, automates the setup and use of APGEN for constructing a spacecraft activity sequence file (SASF). The setup includes file retrieval through the DOM (Distributed Object Manager), an object database used to store project files. This step retrieves all the needed input files for generating the command products. Depending on the mission phase, Autogen also uses the ASP (Automated Sequence Processor) and SEQGEN to generate the command product sent to the spacecraft. Autogen also provides the means for customizing sequences through the use of configuration files. By automating the majority of the sequencing generation process, Autogen eliminates many sequence generation errors commonly introduced by manually constructing spacecraft command sequences. Through the layering of commands into the sequence by a series of scheduling algorithms, users are able to rapidly and reliably construct the desired uplink command products. With the aid of Autogen, sequences may be produced in a matter of hours instead of weeks, with a significant reduction in the number of people on the sequence team. As a result, the uplink product generation process is significantly streamlined and mission risk is significantly reduced. Autogen is used for operations of MRO, Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Mars Exploration Rover (MER), Mars Odyssey, and will be used for operations of Phoenix. Autogen Version 3.0 is the operational version of Autogen including the MRO adaptation for the cruise mission phase, and was also used for development of the aerobraking and mapping mission phases for MRO.

Fisher, Forest↗

NASA NTRS2020

Neighbors on the Red Planet: Mars Science Laboratory Relay Coordination Post InSight Arrival

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) strategic communications planning toolset selects orbiter relay opportunities that the rover will use for transmitting data back to Earth. The toolset was extensively reworked in preparation for the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport's (InSight) arrival at Mars in November 2018 and the regular use of Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) and Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) orbiters as relay assets in addition to Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and 2001 Mars Odyssey (ODY). Overflight selection criteria was automated in the new toolset to take into account overflight deconfliction and down-selection as well as tactical timeline planning impacts and total data return. This was done while remaining flexible and configurable for changing mission priorities. As the Curiosity rover ages, the MSL planning team must overcome issues such as reduced budgets, memory bank anomalies, and reduced power availability. These are some examples of factors that affect the strategic communications planning toolset. In addition to adapting to evolving internal mission needs, the toolset must also be flexible to changes in the relay planning interface with other landers. The concept of shared relay or “split passes” was introduced when InSight began operating on Mars just 600 kilometers away and at the same longitude as MSL. This proximity meant that orbiters could now communicate with two landers during the same relay session. Over time, this new operational use-case became common practice as InSight and MSL settled into relay planning negotiations. Today, many TGO relay sessions are shared between MSL and InSight. As more orbiters pursue integrating this capability into nominal relay operations, and more landers arrive on Mars, the strategic communications process and toolsets increases in complexity. Development of a single tool that schedules relay sessions for all orbiters and landers simultaneously may become necessary as the number of Martian spacecraft increases. Examples of how toolset selection criteria and capabilities have helped or hindered MSL planning will be presented. Ongoing improvements to MSL toolsets and processes, as well as to shared relay tools such as Mars Relay Operations Service (MaROS) and General Telecom Predictor (GTP) are also discussed in this paper. Examples of how toolset selection criteria and capabilities have helped or hindered MSL planning will be presented. Ongoing improvements to MSL toolsets and processes, as well as to shared relay tools such as Mars Relay Operations Service (MaROS) and General Telecom Predictor (GTP) are also discussed in this paper.

Vandermey, Nancy↗

NASA NTRS1992

The use of automation and robotic systems to establish and maintain lunar base operations

Robotic systems provide a means of performing many of the operations required to establish and maintain a lunar base. They form a synergistic system when properly used in concert with human activities. This paper discusses the various areas where robotics and automation may be used to enhance lunar base operations. Robots are particularly well suited for surface operations (exterior to the base habitat modules) because they can be designed to operate in the extreme temperatures and vacuum conditions of the Moon (or Mars). In this environment, the capabilities of semi-autonomous robots would surpass that of humans in all but the most complex tasks. Robotic surface operations include such activities as long range geological and mineralogical surveys with sample return, materials movement in and around the base, construction of radiation barriers around habitats, transfer of materials over large distances, and construction of outposts. Most of the above operations could be performed with minor modifications to a single basic robotic rover. Within the lunar base habitats there are a few areas where robotic operations would be preferable to human operations. Such areas include routine inspections for leakage in the habitat and its systems, underground transfer of materials between habitats, and replacement of consumables. In these and many other activities, robotic systems will greatly enhance lunar base operations. The robotic systems described in this paper are based on what is realistically achievable with relatively near term technology. A lunar base can be built and maintained if we are willing.

Petrosky, Lyman J.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Planetary Exploration Reinvented

During the past 50 years, we have learned to explore and work in space. Much of what we know about the Solar System we owe to observations and sampling made by robotic spacecraft, landers, planetary rovers, and astronauts. As we look to the future, however, there is ample opportunity to reinvent planetary exploration: to develop new techniques and systems that will enhance and enable discovery.In this talk, I will describe how the NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG) is working to reinvent planetary exploration. First, I will present IRG's development of robots for human exploration. These robots are designed to perform work before, in parallel, and after human activity. Next, I will show how IRG is building automated planetary mapping systems to process the enormous amount of data that NASA collects from orbit. Finally, I will discuss how IRG is changing the way ground control software is created, particularly for supporting science operations.

robotics↗

NASA NTRS2012

MER Telemetry Processor

MERTELEMPROC processes telemetered data in data product format and generates Experiment Data Records (EDRs) for many instruments (HAZCAM, NAVCAM, PANCAM, microscopic imager, Moessbauer spectrometer, APXS, RAT, and EDLCAM) on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER). If the data is compressed, then MERTELEMPROC decompresses the data with an appropriate decompression algorithm. There are two compression algorithms (ICER and LOCO) used in MER. This program fulfills a MER specific need to generate Level 1 products within a 60-second time requirement. EDRs generated by this program are used by merinverter, marscahv, marsrad, and marsjplstereo to generate higher-level products for the mission operations. MERTELEPROC was the first GDS program to process the data product. Metadata of the data product is in XML format. The software allows user-configurable input parameters, per-product processing (not streambased processing), and fail-over is allowed if the leading image header is corrupted. It is used within the MER automated pipeline. MERTELEMPROC is part of the OPGS (Operational Product Generation Subsystem) automated pipeline, which analyzes images returned by in situ spacecraft and creates level 1 products to assist in operations, science, and outreach.

Lee, Hyun H.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Mars Science Laboratory Flight Software Internal Testing

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) team is sending the rover, Curiosity, to Mars, and therefore is physically and technically complex. During my stay, I have assisted the MSL Flight Software (FSW) team in implementing functional test scripts to ensure that the FSW performs to the best of its abilities. There are a large number of FSW requirements that have been written up for implementation; however I have only been assigned a few sections of these requirements. There are many stages within testing; one of the early stages is FSW Internal Testing (FIT). The FIT team can accomplish this with simulation software and the MSL Test Automation Kit (MTAK). MTAK has the ability to integrate with the Software Simulation Equipment (SSE) and the Mission Processing and Control System (MPCS) software which makes it a powerful tool within the MSL FSW development process. The MSL team must ensure that the rover accomplishes all stages of the mission successfully. Due to the natural complexity of this project there is a strong emphasis on testing, as failure is not an option. The entire mission could be jeopardized if something is overlooked.

entry, descent, and landing (EDL)↗

NASA NTRS2003

An Approach to Autonomous Operations for Remote Mobile Robotic Exploration

This viewgraph presentation addresses the use of autonomy for remote mobile robotic exploration. The contents include; 1) Why Use Autonomy?; 2) What Are Some Options? JPL (Reasoning); 3) More Options.. . (Modeling); 4) The CLEaR Control System (Closed Loop Execution and Recovery); 5) Method of Response; 6) Overall Goal; 7) CLEaR in Action; 8) Initial Scenario; 9) Initial Scenario - Planned; 10) Unforeseen Events; and 11) Ongoing Research.

rovers↗

NASA NTRS2007

NASA Tech Briefs, September 2007

Topics covered include; Rapid Fabrication of Carbide Matrix/Carbon Fiber Composites; Coating Thermoelectric Devices To Suppress Sublimation; Ultrahigh-Temperature Ceramics; Improved C/SiC Ceramic Composites Made Using PIP; Coating Carbon Fibers With Platinum; Two-Band, Low-Loss Microwave Window; MCM Polarimetric Radiometers for Planar Arrays; Aperture-Coupled Thin-Membrane L-Band Antenna; WGM-Based Photonic Local Oscillators and Modulators; Focal-Plane Arrays of Quantum-Dot Infrared Photodetectors; Laser Range and Bearing Finder With No Moving Parts; Microrectenna: A Terahertz Antenna and Rectifier on a Chip; Miniature L-Band Radar Transceiver; Robotic Vision-Based Localization in an Urban Environment; Programs for Testing an SSME-Monitoring System; Cathodoluminescent Source of Intense White Light; Displaying and Analyzing Antenna Radiation Patterns; Payload Operations Support Team Tools; Space-Shuttle Emulator Software; Soft Real-Time PID Control on a VME Computer; Analyzing Radio-Frequency Coverage for the ISS; Nanorod-Based Fast-Response Pressure-Sensitive Paints; Capacitors Would Help Protect Against Hypervelocity Impacts; Diaphragm Pump With Resonant Piezoelectric Drive; Improved Quick-Release Pin Mechanism; Designing Rolling-Element Bearings; Reverse-Tangent Injection in a Centrifugal Compressor; Inertial Measurements for Aero-assisted Navigation (IMAN); Analysis of Complex Valve and Feed Systems; Improved Path Planning Onboard the Mars Exploration Rovers; Robust, Flexible Motion Control for the Mars Explorer Rovers; Solar Sail Spaceflight Simulation; Fluorine-Based DRIE of Fused Silica; Mechanical Alloying for Making Thermoelectric Compounds; Process for High-Rate Fabrication of Alumina Nanotemplates; Electroform/Plasma-Spray Laminates for X-Ray Optics; An Automated Flying-Insect Detection System; Calligraphic Poling of Ferroelectric Material; Blackbody Cavity for Calibrations at 200 to 273 K; KML Super Overlay to WMS Translator; High-Performance Tiled WMS and KML Web Server; Modeling of Radiative Transfer in Protostellar Disks; Composite Pulse Tube; Photometric Calibration of Consumer Video Cameras; Criterion for Identifying Vortices in High- Pressure Flows; Amplified Thermionic Cooling Using Arrays of Nanowires; Delamination-Indicating Thermal Barrier Coatings; Preventing Raman Lasing in High-Q WGM Resonators; Procedures for Tuning a Multiresonator Photonic Filter; Robust Mapping of Incoherent Fiber-Optic Bundles; Extended-Range Ultrarefractive 1D Photonic Crystal Prisms; Rapid Analysis of Mass Distribution of Radiation Shielding; Modeling Magnetic Properties in EZTB; Deep Space Network Antenna Logic Controller; Modeling Carbon and Hydrocarbon Molecular Structures in EZTB; BigView Image Viewing on Tiled Displays; and Imaging Sensor Flight and Test Equipment Software.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2004

Development of a Lunar Consumables Storage and Distribution Depot

NASA is in the preliminary planning stages for a future lunar base as a response to President George W. Bush's recent announcement of a new sustained exploration program beyond low earth orbit. Kennedy Space Center engineers are supporting this program by utilizing experience in Spaceport system design and operations to help develop a Lunar Consumables Depot. This depot will store propellants, life support fluids, and other consumables either transported from Earth or manufactured from In Situ resources. The depot will distribute these consumables in an energy efficient manner to end users including spacecraft, habitation modules, and rovers. This paper addresses some of the changes to lunar base architecture design as a result of advances in knowledge of lunar resources over the past 35 years, as well as technology advances in the area of In Situ Resource Utilization and consumable storage and distribution. A general system level description of the depot will be presented, including overall design philosophy and high level requirements. Finally, specific subsystem technologies that have been or will be developed by KSC will be addressed. Examples of these technologies are automated umbilicals, cryogenic refrigerators, novel storage vessels, advanced heat switches and heat exchangers, and self healing gaskets and wires.

Mueller, Robert P.↗

NASA NTRS1997

An Assessment of Smallsat Technology to Future Exploration Missions

This reports the results of a general study for NASA Lewis in relation to the use of small satellites for a Mars Relay Satellite (MRS) that supports communications between Mars and Earth: commands to, and telemetry from, Mars Landers and Rover. The scope of the study encompasses a survey of small satellites, those that are lower than 800 kg in mass, by NASA, DoD, and commercial companies. Additionally, surveys in advanced technologies in the area of composite materials, propulsion subsystems, battery subsystems, communications components and subsystems, and ground operations are also provided, A summary of NASA Mars Programs and their status as relevant to MRS is also included. Attempts to draw detailed cost conclusion is generally not possible due to its proprietary nature. In any event, cost is driven by market demands rather than new technologies. A preliminary comparison with the cost estimate of the S-Tel/OSC report did suggest the possibility of cost savings for the MRS by the use of production busses. On the other hand, cost savings in normalized terms from the use of automated ground systems were obtained with some degree of details.

Chan, Steve↗

NASA NTRS1998

VR for Mars Pathfinder

Virtual reality (VR) technology has played an integral role for Mars Pathfinder mission, operations Using an automated machine vision algorithm, the 3d topography of the Martian surface was rapidly recovered fro -a the stereo images captured. by the Tender camera to produce photo-realistic 3d models, An advanced, interface was developed for visualization and interaction with. the virtual environment of the Pathfinder landing site for mission scientists at the Space Flight Operations Facility of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The VR aspect of the display allowed mission scientists to navigate on Mars in Bud while remaining here on Earth, thus improving their spatial awareness of the rock field that surrounds the lenders Measurements of positions, distances and angles could be easily extracted from the topographic models, providing valuable information for science analysis and mission. planning. Moreover, the VR map of Mars has also been used to assist with the archiving and planning of activities for the Sojourner rover.

Blackmon, Theodore↗

NASA NTRS2022

Visualizing Multi-process CPU Utilization using CUSP

The CPU Utilization Statistics Plotter (CUSP) tool automates the interpretation of detailed CPU Utilization trace data and statistics. It puts you on the cusp of understanding how CPU resources are split among the many parallel components of a software system.CUSP combines time-sampled CPU utilization numbers and Event Log annotations to generate human-readable plots and tables. It automatically splits up large CPU usage log files around interesting events, determines and highlights just the tasks of primary relevance by evaluating their changing contribution to each plot's total CPU usage, automatically eliminates irrelevant tasks, provides context by labeling plots with names and durations of all active commands, and uses consistent color-coding to enable quick visual comparison across multiple plots.CUSP has been used to process CPU Utilization trace logs on the Mars Science Laboratory and the Mars 2020 Rover missions during flight software development and Flight Operations on the Martian surface since December 2013.

Maimone, Mark W↗

NASA NTRS2010

AutoGen Version 5.0

Version 5.0 of the AutoGen software has been released. Previous versions, variously denoted Autogen and autogen, were reported in two articles: Automated Sequence Generation Process and Software (NPO-30746), Software Tech Briefs (Special Supplement to NASA Tech Briefs), September 2007, page 30, and Autogen Version 2.0 (NPO- 41501), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 31, No. 10 (October 2007), page 58. To recapitulate: AutoGen (now signifying automatic sequence generation ) automates the generation of sequences of commands in a standard format for uplink to spacecraft. AutoGen requires fewer workers than are needed for older manual sequence-generation processes, and greatly reduces sequence-generation times. The sequences are embodied in spacecraft activity sequence files (SASFs). AutoGen automates generation of SASFs by use of another previously reported program called APGEN. AutoGen encodes knowledge of different mission phases and of how the resultant commands must differ among the phases. AutoGen also provides means for customizing sequences through use of configuration files. The approach followed in developing AutoGen has involved encoding the behaviors of a system into a model and encoding algorithms for context-sensitive customizations of the modeled behaviors. This version of AutoGen addressed the MRO (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) primary science phase (PSP) mission phase. On previous Mars missions this phase has more commonly been referred to as mapping phase. This version addressed the unique aspects of sequencing orbital operations and specifically the mission specific adaptation of orbital operations for MRO. This version also includes capabilities for MRO s role in Mars relay support for UHF relay communications with the MER rovers and the Phoenix lander.

Gladden, Roy E.↗

NASA NTRS1998

On-board Science Understanding: NASA Ames' Efforts

In the near future NASA intends to explore various regions of our solar system using robotic devices such as rovers, spacecraft, airplanes, and/or balloons. Such platforms will likely carry imaging devices, and a variety of analytical instruments intended to evaluate the chemical and mineralogical nature of the environment(s) that they encounter. Historically, mission operations have involved: (1) return of scientific data from the craft; (2) evaluation of the data by space scientists; (3) recommendations of the scientists regarding future mission activity; (4) commands for achieving these activities being transmitted to the craft; and (5) the activity being undertaken. This cycle is then repeated for the duration of the mission with command opportunities once or perhaps twice per day. In a rapidly changing environment, such as might be encountered by a rover traversing hundreds of meters a day or a spacecraft encountering an asteroid, this historical cycle is not amenable to rapid long range traverses, discovery of novelty, or rapid response to any unexpected situations. In addition to real-time response issues, the nature of imaging and/or spectroscopic devices are such that tremendous data volumes can be acquired, for example during a traverse. However, such data volumes can rapidly exceed on-board memory capabilities prior to the ability to transmit it to Earth. Additionally, the necessary communication band-widths are restrictive enough so that only a small portion of these data can actually be returned to Earth. Such scenarios clearly require the enabling of some crucial decisions to be made on-board by these robotic explorers. These decisions transcend the electromechanical control, health, and navigation issues associated with robotic operations. Instead they focus upon a long term goal of automating scientific discovery based upon data returned by sensors of the robot craft. Such an approach would eventually enable it to understand what is interesting because the data deviates from expectations generated by current theories/models of planetary processes that could have resulted in the observed data. Such interesting data and/or conclusions can then be selectively transmitted to Earth thus reducing memory and communications demands.

Roush, Ted L.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Evolution of the Scope and Capabilities of Uplink Support Software for Mars Surface Operations

In January of 2004 both of the Mars Exploration Rover spacecraft landed safely, initiating daily surface operations at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for what was anticipated to be approximately three months of mobile exploration. The longevity of this mission, still ongoing after ten years, has provided not only a tremendous return of scientific data but also the opportunity to refine and improve the methodology by which robotic Mars surface missions are commanded. Since the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft in August of 2012, this methodology has been successfully applied to operate a Martian rover which is both similar to, and quite different from, its predecessors. For MER and MSL, daily uplink operations can be most broadly viewed as converting the combined interests of both the science and engineering teams into a spacecraft-safe set of transmittable command files. In order to accomplish these ends a discrete set of mission-critical software tools were developed which not only allowed for conformation to established JPL standards and practices but also enabled innovative technologies specific to each mission. Although these primary programs provided the requisite capabilities for meeting the high-level goals of each distinct phase of the uplink process, there was little in the way of secondary software to support the smooth flow of data from one phase to the next. In order to address this shortcoming a suite of small software tools was developed to aid in phase transitions, as well as to automate some of the more laborious and error-prone aspects of uplink operations. This paper describes the evolution of this software suite, from its initial attempts to merely shorten the duration of the operator's shift, to its current role as an indispensable tool enforcing workflow of the uplink operations process and agilely responding to the new and unexpected challenges of missions which can, and have, lasted many years longer than originally anticipated.

CoUGAR↗