Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “MARS EXPLORATION”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,261 records · Page 70
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2003

Spring Deposits on Mars: Physical Processes from Terrestrial Analogs

An important first step in the current Mars exploration strategy is the detection of sites where there is evidence for past or present near-surface water on Mars. This study evaluates the large-scale morphology of spring deposits and the physical processes of their formation, growth, and evolution in terms that relate to (1) their identification in image data, (2) their formation, evolution, and preservation in the environment of Mars, and (3) their potential as sites of long-term or late stage shallow groundwater emergence at the surface of Mars.

Crumpler, L. S.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Interplanetary Transit Simulations Using the International Space Station

We evaluated the space life sciences utility of the International Space Station (ISS) to simulate the outbound transit portion of missions to Mars and Near Earth Asteroids (NEA) to investigate biomedical and psychological aspects of such transits, to develop and test space operation procedures compatible with communication delays and outages, and to demonstrate and validate technologies and countermeasures. Two major categories of space life sciences activities can capitalize on ISS capabilities. The first includes studies that require ISS (or a comparable facility), typically for access to prolonged weightlessness. The second includes studies that do not strictly require ISS but can exploit it to maximize their scientific return more efficiently and productively than in ground-based simulations. For these studies, ISS offers a high fidelity analog for fundamental factors on future missions, such as crew composition, mission control personnel, operational tasks and workload, real-world risk, and isolation, and can mimic the effects of distance and limited accessibility. In addition to conducting Mars- and NEA-transit simulations on 6-month ISS increments, extending the current ISS increment duration from 6 months to 9 or even 12 months will provide opportunities for enhanced and focused research relevant to long duration Mars and NEA missions. Increasing the crew duration may pose little additional risk to crewmembers beyond that currently accepted on 6-month increments, but additional medical monitoring capabilities will be required beyond those currently used for ISS operations. Finally, while presenting major logistical challenges, such a simulation followed by a post-landing simulation of Mars exploration could provide quantitative evidence of capabilities in an actual mission. Thus, the use of ISS to simulate aspects of Mars and NEA missions seems practical. If it were to be implemented without major disruption of on-going ISS activities, then planning should begin soon, in close consultation with all international partners.

Charles, John B.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Hyperbolic Rendezvous at Mars: Risk Assessments and Mitigation Strategies

Given the current interest in the use of flyby trajectories for human Mars exploration, a key requirement is the capability to execute hyperbolic rendezvous. Hyperbolic rendezvous is used to transport crew from a Mars centered orbit, to a transiting Earth bound habitat that does a flyby. Representative cases are taken from future potential missions of this type, and a thorough sensitivity analysis of the hyperbolic rendezvous phase is performed. This includes early engine cutoff, missed burn times, and burn misalignment. A finite burn engine model is applied that assumes the hyperbolic rendezvous phase is done with at least two burns.

Jedrey, Ricky↗
NASA NTRS2016

Mars 2020 Rover Mission Status in 2016

Mars 2020, NASA’s next Mars rover mission, continues NASA’s Mars Exploration Program with a focus on seeking signs of ancient life and helping to prepare for future human explorers. NASA will select a landing site likely to have once been habitable by microbial life and with the geologic record capable of preserving signs of its presence, if it ever existed. The rover will explore the landing site using a powerful set of instruments that support both in situ investigations and the selection of Mars samples to be collected, sealed, and left on the surface of Mars for possible future return.

Bernard, Douglas↗
NASA NTRS2020

MER Opportunity dust-storm recovery operations and implications for future Mars surface missions

In June 2018, NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity became engulfed in the most intense global dust storm observed in its 14-year mission and in Mars’ recorded history. Sapped of life-giving solar energy, Opportunity fell silent to ground operators on June 11, in what would be its final call home. Over the course of the next eight months, the MER team employed numerous recovery efforts and radiated over one thousand commands to wake the silent rover. Although unsuccessful, MER’s dust-storm recovery team changed the paradigm of dust-storm operations from Opportunity’s survival of a previous global dust storm in 2007. In this paper, the authors offer a glimpse into MER’s recovery efforts and lessons learned from Opportunity dust-storm operations for future solar-powered Mars surface missions. In the first section, the authors discuss the indicators of the approaching dust storm and the actions the team employed to reduce Opportunity’s power consumption and preserve available battery charge prior to loss of contact. The second section discusses the team’s recovery efforts until Opportunity’s declared End-of-Mission, the steps the team took to re-establish contact with Opportunity, the assumptions made during each step of the recovery process, and the commanding actions employed. Finally, the authors discuss the operational impacts of global dust storms on the safe and successful operation of solar-powered spacecraft on the Martian surface, and offer design recommendations for future solar-powered missions from the lessons learned during Opportunity’s 14-year mission and experience through two global dust storms.

Nelson, Robert W.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Search for Extant Life on Mars: A Human Exploration Objective

A search for evidence of extant life on Mars should be conducted prior to and as part of human exploration missions. Potentially habitable environments for modern life occur on Mars. Despite a vigorous campaign of exploration of the surface over the last 3 decades, no mission has attempted to search for signatures of extant life since the Viking landers in 1976. Finding an example of extant life beyond Earth would be one of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time. This is especially important because (once discovered) the biochemistry and metabolism of the life form can be studied. Earth and Mars exchange materials over geologic time because impacts eject rock and crustal materials into space that are eventually deposited on other planets and moons [1]. Therefore, Earth and Mars could share life with a common origin and similar biochemistry; if this is the case, life on Mars likely experienced billions of years of evolution in isolation from Earth. Alternatively, Mars may host a distinct genesis of life which could be evident from its different biochemistry. Either discovery would change our understanding of life in the solar system and beyond. The Mars 2020/Perseverance sample collection mission is not optimized for finding extant life because the site for sample collection, Jezero Crater, was chosen for its ancient habitability and likelihood to host fossil evidence of life. Furthermore, the samples collected will not be returned for at least a decade. Within that period, technology development for human exploration will likely be underway and it is possible that humans will land on Mars without an updated knowledge of extant life on Mars, which may pose a risk both to those mission crews and to Earth when they return. Thus, it is important to perform a search for extant life on Mars prior to humans landing at a site where life may persist. Salts and shallow ground ice are particularly important environments to evaluate for extant life prior to human missions because they may be encountered and interacted with by human crews.

C.R. Stoker↗
NASA NTRS2006

Settled Cryogenic Propellant Transfer

Cryogenic propellant transfer can significantly benefit NASA s space exploration initiative. LMSSC parametric studies indicate that "Topping off" the Earth Departure Stage (EDS) in LEO with approx.20 mT of additional propellant using cryogenic propellant transfer increases the lunar delivered payload by 5 mT. Filling the EDS to capacity in LEO with 78 mT of propellants increases the delivered payload by 20 mT. Cryogenic propellant transfer is directly extensible to Mars exploration in that it provides propellant for the Mars Earth Departure stage and in-situ propellant utilization at Mars. To enable the significant performance increase provided by cryogenic propellant transfer, the reliability and robustness of the transfer process must be guaranteed. By utilizing low vehicle acceleration during the cryogenic transfer the operation is significantly simplified and enables the maximum use of existing, reliable, mature upper stage cryogenic-fluid-management (CFM) techniques. Due to settling, large-scale propellant transfer becomes an engineering effort, and not the technology development endeavor required with zero-gravity propellant transfer. The following key CFM technologies are all currently implemented by settling on both the Centaur and Delta IV upper stages: propellant acquisition, hardware chilldown, pressure control, and mass gauging. The key remaining technology, autonomous rendezvous and docking, is already in use by the Russians, and must be perfected for NASA whether the use of propellant transfer is utilized or not.

Kutter, Bernard F.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Performance Analysis and Data Processing for the Mars Sample Recovery Helicopter in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory 25-ft Space Simulator

On April 19, 2021, Ingenuity became the first helicopter to fly on Mars at Jezero Crater, completing a total of 72 flights by the end of its mission. The success of Ingenuity resulted in various research efforts to further explore Mars via vertical flight, including two optimized Ingenuity-sized helicopters proposed to retrieve samples for the 2028 Mars Sample Return mission. To aid in the design process for the two proposed Sample Retrieval Helicopters, both heritage and optimized, increased diameter rotors were tested at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 25-ft Space Simulator. Three test campaigns were performed using the Ingenuity rotors and optimized Sample Retrieval Helicopter (SRH) rotors for several rotor speeds, densities, configurations, and collectives to identify performance limitations. These three test campaigns included the Ingenuity Engineering Design Model 1 (EDM-1) with and without a cruciform box, Transonic Rotor Test (TRT) rig, and SRH Dual Rotor Test (DRT). Experimental setup, test matrix, data processing, data quality, and performance results for EDM-1, TRT, and DRT campaigns are presented and discussed. Experimental results from the test campaigns will aid in future experimental methods and validation efforts for planetary rotorcraft exploration.

Data Processing↗
NASA NTRS2003

Physical Characteristics, Geologic Setting, and Possible Formation Processes of Spring Deposits on Mars Based on Terrestrial Analogs

Spring formation is a predicted consequence of the interaction of former Martian aquifers with structures common to Mars, including basin margins, Tharsis structures, and other structural deformation characteristics. The arid environment and high abundance of water soluble compounds in the crust will have likewise encouraged spring deposit formation at spring sites. Such spring deposits may be recognized from morphological criteria if the characteristics of formation and preservation are understood. An important first step in the current Mars exploration strategy [10] is the detection of sites where there is evidence for past or present near-surface water on Mars. This study evaluates the large-scale morphology of spring deposits and the physical processes of their formation, growth, and evolution in terms that relate to (1) their identification in image data, (2) their formation, evolution, and preservation in the environment of Mars, and (3) their potential as sites of long-term or late stage shallow groundwater emergence at the surface of Mars.

L S Crumpler↗
NASA NTRS2006

Advanced Technologies for Future Spacecraft Cockpits and Space-based Control Centers

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is embarking on a new era of Space Exploration, aimed at sending crewed spacecraft beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), in medium and long duration missions to the Lunar surface, Mars and beyond. The challenges of such missions are significant and will require new technologies and paradigms in vehicle design and mission operations. Current roles and responsibilities of spacecraft systems, crew and the flight control team, for example, may not be sustainable when real-time support is not assured due to distance-induced communication lags, radio blackouts, equipment failures, or other unexpected factors. Therefore, technologies and applications that enable greater Systems and Mission Management capabilities on-board the space-based system will be necessary to reduce the dependency on real-time critical Earth-based support. The focus of this paper is in such technologies that will be required to bring advance Systems and Mission Management capabilities to space-based environments where the crew will be required to manage both the systems performance and mission execution without dependence on the ground. We refer to this concept as autonomy. Environments that require high levels of autonomy include the cockpits of future spacecraft such as the Mars Exploration Vehicle, and space-based control centers such as a Lunar Base Command and Control Center. Furthermore, this paper will evaluate the requirements, available technology, and roadmap to enable full operational implementation of onboard System Health Management, Mission Planning/re-planning, Autonomous Task/Command Execution, and Human Computer Interface applications. The technology topics covered by the paper include enabling technology to perform Intelligent Caution and Warning, where the systems provides directly actionable data for human understanding and response to failures, task automation applications that automate nominal and Off-nominal task execution based on human input or integrated health state-derived conditions. Shifting from Systems to Mission Management functions, we discuss the role of automated planning applications (tactical planning) on-board, which receive data from the other cockpit automation systems and evaluate the mission plan against the dynamic systems and mission states and events, to provide the crew with capabilities that enable them to understand, change, and manage the timeline of their mission. Lastly, we discuss the role of advanced human interface technologies that organize and provide the system md mission information to the crew in ways that maximize their situational awareness and ability to provide oversight and control of aLl the automated data and functions.

Garcia-Galan, Carlos↗
NASA NTRS2010

Allophane on Mars: Evidence from IR Spectroscopy and TES Spectral Models

Allophane is an alteration product of volcanic glass and a clay mineral precursor that is commonly found in basaltic soils on Earth. It is a poorly-crystalline or amorphous, hydrous aluminosilicate with Si/Al ratios ranging from approx.0.5-1 [Wada, 1989]. Analyses of thermal infrared (TIR) spectra of the Martian surface from TES show high-silica phases at mid-to-high latitudes that have been proposed to be primary volcanic glass [Bandfield et al., 2000; Bandfield, 2002; Rogers and Christensen, 2007] or poorly-crystalline secondary silicates such as allophane or aluminous amorphous silica [Kraft et al., 2003; Michalski et al., 2006; Rogers and Christensen, 2007; Kraft, 2009]. Phase modeling of chemical data from the APXS on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit suggest the presence of allophane in chemically weathered rocks [Ming et al., 2006]. The presence of allophane on Mars has not been previously tested with IR spectroscopy because allophane spectra have not been available. We synthesized allophanes and allophanic gels with a range of Si/Al ratios to measure TIR emission and VNIR reflectance spectra and to test for the presence of allophane in Martian soils. VNIR reflectance spectra of the synthetic allophane samples have broad absorptions near 1.4 m from OH stretching overtones and 1.9 m from a combination of stretching and bending vibrations in H2O. Samples have a broad absorption centered near 2.25 microns, from AlAlOH combination bending and stretching vibrations, that shifts position with Si/Al ratio. Amorphous silica (opaline silica or primary volcanic glass) has been identified in CRISM spectra of southern highland terrains based on the presence of 1.4, 1.9, and broad 2.25 m absorptions [Mustard et al., 2008]; however, these absorptions are also consistent with the presence of allophane. TIR emission spectra of the synthetic allophanes show two spectrally distinct types: Si-rich and Al-rich. Si-rich allophanes have two broad absorptions centered near 1080 and 430 cm-1 from Si(Al)-O stretching and Si(Al)-O bending vibrations, respectively, and Al-rich allophanes have three broad absorptions centered near 950, 540, and 430 cm-1. We used a spectral library commonly used to deconvolve TES spectra and four allophane spectra to model nine spectrally distinct regions on Mars [from Rogers et al., 2007]. Regions previously modeled with high-silica phases contain significant amounts of allophane (>10 vol.%) in our models. Our models of northern Acidalia, the type locality for surface type 2 materials, contain 40 vol.% Si-rich allophane. The presence of allophane in multiple surface regions of Mars indicates a more widespread occurrence of low-temperature aqueous alteration at moderate pH than has been previously recognized. The regional variations in modeled abundances and the types of allophane (Si- vs. Al-rich) suggest regional differences in Mars weathering processes.

Ming, Douglas W.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Insect-Inspired Flight Control for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Flight-control and navigation systems inspired by the structure and function of the visual system and brain of insects have been proposed for a class of developmental miniature robotic aircraft called "biomorphic flyers" described earlier in "Development of Biomorphic Flyers" (NPO-30554), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 28, No. 11 (November 2004), page 54. These form a subset of biomorphic explorers, which, as reported in several articles in past issues of NASA Tech Briefs ["Biomorphic Explorers" (NPO-20142), Vol. 22, No. 9 (September 1998), page 71; "Bio-Inspired Engineering of Exploration Systems" (NPO-21142), Vol. 27, No. 5 (May 2003), page 54; and "Cooperative Lander-Surface/Aerial Microflyer Missions for Mars Exploration" (NPO-30286), Vol. 28, No. 5 (May 2004), page 36], are proposed small robots, equipped with microsensors and communication systems, that would incorporate crucial functions of mobility, adaptability, and even cooperative behavior. These functions are inherent to biological organisms but are challenging frontiers for technical systems. Biomorphic flyers could be used on Earth or remote planets to explore otherwise difficult or impossible to reach sites. An example of an exploratory task of search/surveillance functions currently being tested is to obtain high-resolution aerial imagery, using a variety of miniaturized electronic cameras. The control functions to be implemented by the systems in development include holding altitude, avoiding hazards, following terrain, navigation by reference to recognizable terrain features, stabilization of flight, and smooth landing. Flying insects perform these and other functions remarkably well, even though insect brains contains fewer than 10(exp -4) as many neurons as does the human brain. Although most insects have immobile, fixed-focus eyes and lack stereoscopy (and hence cannot perceive depth directly), they utilize a number of ingenious strategies for perceiving, and navigating in, three dimensions. Despite their lack of stereoscopy, insects infer distances to potential obstacles and other objects from image motion cues that result from their own motions in the environment. The concept of motion of texture in images as a source of motion cues is denoted generally as the concept of optic or optical flow. Computationally, a strategy based on optical flow is simpler than is stereoscopy for avoiding hazards and following terrain. Hence, this strategy offers the potential to design vision-based control computing subsystems that would be more compact, would weigh less, and would demand less power than would subsystems of equivalent capability based on a conventional stereoscopic approach.

Thakoor, Sarita↗
NASA NTRS2018

Exploration Medical System Technical Architecture Overview

The Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) Element Systems Engineering (SE) goals include defining the technical system needed to support medical capabilities for a Mars exploration mission. A draft medical system architecture was developed based on stakeholder needs, system goals, and system behaviors, as captured in an ExMC concept of operations document and a system model. This talk will discuss a high-level view of the medical system, as part of a larger crew health and performance system, both of which will support crew during Deep Space Transport missions. Other mission components, such as the flight system, ground system, caregiver, and patient, will be discussed as aspects of the context because the medical system will have important interactions with each. Additionally, important interactions with other aspects of the crew health and performance system are anticipated, such as health & wellness, mission task performance support, and environmental protection. This talk will highlight areas in which we are working with other disciplines to understand these interactions.

Cerro, J.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Flight Dynamics of Mars Helicopter

Helicopters have the potential to transform Mars exploration by providing a highly mobile platform for forward reconnaissance as an aid for ground-based systems. Helicopter flight on Mars is challenging due to the extremely thin atmosphere, which is only partially offset by a reduction in gravity. NASA is considering the possibility of sending a small helicopter to the Martian surface as part of a future mission. In this paper we focus on flight dynamics and controllability issues for the proposed Mars Helicopter, in particular the areas in which the dynamics departs from typical behavior on Earth. We discuss insights gained from modeling and simulation, as well as system identification performed with a test vehicle in the relevant atmospheric condition, culminating in the first demonstration of controlled helicopter flight in Martian atmospheric conditions in May 2016.

San Martin, Miguel↗
NASA NTRS2010

Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) 2009 Crew Perspectives

A crew of six "astronauts" inhabited the Mars Society s Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) for the month of July 2009, conducting a simulated Mars exploration mission. In addition to the various technical achievements during the mission, the crew learned a vast amount about themselves and about human factors relevant to a future mission to Mars. Their experiences, detailed in their own words, show the passion of those with strong commitment to space exploration and detail the human experiences for space explorers including separation from loved ones, interpersonal conflict, dietary considerations, and the exhilaration of surmounting difficult challenges.

Ferrone, Kristine↗
NASA NTRS2011

Fission Surface Power Systems (FSPS) Project Final Report for the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP): Fission Surface Power, Transition Face to Face

The Fission Surface Power Systems Project became part of the ETDP on October 1, 2008. Its goal was to demonstrate fission power system technology readiness in an operationally relevant environment, while providing data on fission system characteristics pertinent to the use of a fission power system on planetary surfaces. During fiscal years 08 to 10, the FSPS project activities were dominated by hardware demonstrations of component technologies, to verify their readiness for inclusion in the fission surface power system. These Pathfinders demonstrated multi-kWe Stirling power conversion operating with heat delivered via liquid metal NaK, composite Ti/H2O heat pipe radiator panel operations at 400 K input water temperature, no-moving-part electromagnetic liquid metal pump operation with NaK at flight-like temperatures, and subscale performance of an electric resistance reactor simulator capable of reproducing characteristics of a nuclear reactor for the purpose of system-level testing, and a longer list of component technologies included in the attached report. Based on the successful conclusion of Pathfinder testing, work began in 2010 on design and development of the Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU), a full-scale 1/4 power system-level non-nuclear assembly of a reactor simulator, power conversion, heat rejection, instrumentation and controls, and power management and distribution. The TDU will be developed and fabricated during fiscal years 11 and 12, culminating in initial testing with water cooling replacing the heat rejection system in 2012, and complete testing of the full TDU by the end of 2014. Due to its importance for Mars exploration, potential applicability to missions preceding Mars missions, and readiness for an early system-level demonstration, the Enabling Technology Development and Demonstration program is currently planning to continue the project as the Fission Power Systems project, including emphasis on the TDU completion and testing.

Palac, Donald T.↗