KSC-2012-6417

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2012-6452

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-13

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A Huey helicopter tests hazard avoidance instrumentation at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks using the instrument. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-6419

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2012-6425

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2012-6420

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2012-6374

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-04

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-6421

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2012-6376

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-04

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a technician installs hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-6412

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2012-6414

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2012-6423

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2012-6413

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2012-6373

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-04

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-6377

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-04

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a technician tests hazard avoidance instrumentation recently installed on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-6416

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2012-6372

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-04

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-6415

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2012-6418

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space agency team installed and tested hazard avoidance instrumentation on a Huey helicopter. Led by the Johnson Space Center and supported by Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Langley Research Center, the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, laser system provides a planetary lander the ability to precisely land safely on a surface while detecting any dangerous obstacles such as rocks, holes and slopes. Just north of Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway, a rock- and crater-filled planetary scape has been built so engineers can test the ability to negotiate away from risks. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

A method for coupling a parameterization of the planetary boundary layer with a hydrologic model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, J. D.; Sun, Shu Fen

1986-01-01

Deardorff's parameterization of the planetary boundary layer is adapted to drive a hydrologic model. The method converts the atmospheric conditions measured at the anemometer height at one site to the mean values in the planetary boundary layer; it then uses the planetary boundary layer parameterization and the hydrologic variables to calculate the fluxes of momentum, heat and moisture at the atmosphere-land interface for a different site. A simplified hydrologic model is used for a simulation study of soil moisture and ground temperature on three different land surface covers. The results indicate that this method can be used to drive a spatially distributed hydrologic model by using observed data available at a meteorological station located on or nearby the site.

Recent Advances in Modeling of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Land Surface in the Coupled WRF-CMAQ Model

EPA Science Inventory

Advances in the land surface model (LSM) and planetary boundary layer (PBL) components of the WRF-CMAQ coupled meteorology and air quality modeling system are described. The aim of these modifications was primarily to improve the modeling of ground level concentrations of trace c...

Mission Implementation Constraints on Planetary Muon Radiography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Cathleen E.; Kedar, Sharon; Naudet, Charles; Webb, Frank

2011-01-01

Cost: Use heritage hardware, especially use a tested landing system to reduce cost (Phoenix or MSL EDL stage). The sky crane technology delivers higher mass to the surface and enables reaching targets at higher elevation, but at a higher mission cost. Rover vs. Stationary Lander: Rover-mounted instrument enables tomography, but the increased weight of the rover reduces the allowable payload weight. Mass is the critical design constraint for an instrument for a planetary mission. Many factors that are minor factors or do not enter into design considerations for terrestrial operation are important for a planetary application. (Landing site, diurnal temperature variation, instrument portability, shock/vibration)

Real-Time Hazard Detection and Avoidance Demonstration for a Planetary Lander

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Epp, Chirold D.; Robertson, Edward A.; Carson, John M., III

2014-01-01

The Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) Project is chartered to develop and mature to a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of six an autonomous system combining guidance, navigation and control with terrain sensing and recognition functions for crewed, cargo, and robotic planetary landing vehicles. In addition to precision landing close to a pre-mission defined landing location, the ALHAT System must be capable of autonomously identifying and avoiding surface hazards in real-time to enable a safe landing under any lighting conditions. This paper provides an overview of the recent results of the ALHAT closed loop hazard detection and avoidance flight demonstrations on the Morpheus Vertical Testbed (VTB) at the Kennedy Space Center, including results and lessons learned. This effort is also described in the context of a technology path in support of future crewed and robotic planetary exploration missions based upon the core sensing functions of the ALHAT system: Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), Hazard Detection and Avoidance (HDA), and Hazard Relative Navigation (HRN).

Assessment of surface turbulent fluxes using geostationary satellite surface skin temperatures and a mixed layer planetary boundary layer scheme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diak, George R.; Stewart, Tod R.

1989-01-01

A method is presented for evaluating the fluxes of sensible and latent heating at the land surface, using satellite-measured surface temperature changes in a composite surface layer-mixed layer representation of the planetary boundary layer. The basic prognostic model is tested by comparison with synoptic station information at sites where surface evaporation climatology is well known. The remote sensing version of the model, using satellite-measured surface temperature changes, is then used to quantify the sharp spatial gradient in surface heating/evaporation across the central United States. An error analysis indicates that perhaps five levels of evaporation are recognizable by these methods and that the chief cause of error is the interaction of errors in the measurement of surface temperature change with errors in the assigment of surface roughness character. Finally, two new potential methods for remote sensing of the land-surface energy balance are suggested which will relay on space-borne instrumentation planned for the 1990s.

Free-Flight Terrestrial Rocket Lander Demonstration for NASA's Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rutishauser, David K.; Epp, Chirold; Robertson, Ed

2012-01-01

The Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) Project is chartered to develop and mature to a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of six an autonomous system combining guidance, navigation and control with terrain sensing and recognition functions for crewed, cargo, and robotic planetary landing vehicles. The ALHAT System must be capable of identifying and avoiding surface hazards to enable a safe and accurate landing to within tens of meters of designated and certified landing sites anywhere on a planetary surface under any lighting conditions. Since its inception in 2006, the ALHAT Project has executed four field test campaigns to characterize and mature sensors and algorithms that support real-time hazard detection and global/local precision navigation for planetary landings. The driving objective for Government Fiscal Year 2012 (GFY2012) is to successfully demonstrate autonomous, real-time, closed loop operation of the ALHAT system in a realistic free flight scenario on Earth using the Morpheus lander developed at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). This goal represents an aggressive target consistent with a lean engineering culture of rapid prototyping and development. This culture is characterized by prioritizing early implementation to gain practical lessons learned and then building on this knowledge with subsequent prototyping design cycles of increasing complexity culminating in the implementation of the baseline design. This paper provides an overview of the ALHAT/Morpheus flight demonstration activities in GFY2012, including accomplishments, current status, results, and lessons learned. The ALHAT/Morpheus effort is also described in the context of a technology path in support of future crewed and robotic planetary exploration missions based upon the core sensing functions of the ALHAT system: Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), Hazard Detection and Avoidance (HDA), and Hazard Relative Navigation (HRN).

Regolith-Derived Heat Shield for Planetary Body Entry and Descent System with In-Situ Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogue, Michael D.; Mueller, Robert P.; Sibille, Laurent; Hintze, Paul E.; Rasky, Daniel J.

2012-01-01

High-mass planetary surface access is one of NASA's Grand Challenges involving entry, descent, and landing (EDL). Heat shields fabricated in-situ can provide a thermal protection system for spacecraft that routinely enter a planetary atmosphere. Fabricating the heat shield from extraterrestrial regolith will avoid the costs of launching the heat shield mass from Earth. This project will investigate three methods to fabricate heat shield using extraterrestrial regolith.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

This CD-ROM presents papers presented to the Thirty-first Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, March 13-17, 2000, Houston, Texas. Eighty-one conference sessions, and over one thousand extended abstracts are included. Abstracts cover topics such as Martian surface properties and geology, meteoritic composition, Martian landing sites and roving vehicles, planned Mars Sample Return Missions, and general astrobiology.

Planetary benchmarks. [structural design criteria for radar reference devices on planetary surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uphoff, C.; Staehle, R.; Kobrick, M.; Jurgens, R.; Price, H.; Slade, M.; Sonnabend, D.

1978-01-01

Design criteria and technology requirements for a system of radar reference devices to be fixed to the surfaces of the inner planets are discussed. Offshoot applications include the use of radar corner reflectors as landing beacons on the planetary surfaces and some deep space applications that may yield a greatly enhanced knowledge of the gravitational and electromagnetic structure of the solar system. Passive retroreflectors with dimensions of about 4 meters and weighing about 10 kg are feasible for use with orbiting radar at Venus and Mars. Earth-based observation of passive reflectors, however, would require very large and complex structures to be delivered to the surfaces. For Earth-based measurements, surface transponders offer a distinct advantage in accuracy over passive reflectors. A conceptual design for a high temperature transponder is presented. The design appears feasible for the Venus surface using existing electronics and power components.

Developing a Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure for Evaluating Landing Sites and Performing Surface Operations for the Mars 2020 Lander

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fergason, R. L.; Laura, J.; Hare, T. M.; Otero, R.; Edgar, L. A.

2017-12-01

A Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is a robust framework for data and data products, metadata, data access mechanisms, standards, policy, and a user community that helps to define and standardize the data necessary to meet some specified goal. The primary objective of an SDI is to improve communication, to enhance data access, and to aid in identifying gaps in knowledge. We are developing an SDI that describes the foundational data sets and accuracy requirements to evaluate landing site safety, facilitate the successful operation of Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), and assist in the operation of the rover once it has successfully landed on Mars. Thru current development efforts, an implicit SDI exists for the Mars 2020 mission. An explicit SDI will allow us to identify any potential gaps in knowledge, facilitate communication between the different institutions involved in landing site evaluation and TRN development, and help ensure a smooth transition from landing to surface operations. This SDI is currently relevant to the Mars 2020 rover mission, but can also serve as a means to document current requirements for foundational data products and standards for future landed missions to Mars and other planetary bodies. To generate a Mars 2020-specific SDI, we must first document and rationalize data set and accuracy requirements for evaluating landing sites, performing surface operations, and inventorying Mars 2020 mission needs in terms of an SDI framework. This step will allow us to 1) evaluate and define what is needed for the acquisition of data and the generation and validation of data products, 2) articulate the accuracy and co-registration requirements, and 3) identify needs for data access (and eventual archiving). This SDI document will serve as a means to communicate the existing foundational products, standards that were followed in producing these products, and where and how these products can be accessed by the planetary community. This SDI will also facilitate discussions between the landing and surface operations groups to communicate the available data and identify unique needs to surface operations. Our goal is to continually review and update this SDI throughout the Mars 2020 landing site evaluation and operations, so that it remains relevant and effective as data availability and needs evolve.

Robots and Humans in Planetary Exploration: Working Together?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.; Lyons, Valerie (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Today's approach to human-robotic cooperation in planetary exploration focuses on using robotic probes as precursors to human exploration. A large portion of current NASA planetary surface exploration is focussed on Mars, and robotic probes are seen as precursors to human exploration in: Learning about operation and mobility on Mars; Learning about the environment of Mars; Mapping the planet and selecting landing sites for human mission; Demonstration of critical technology; Manufacture fuel before human presence, and emplace elements of human-support infrastructure

Regolith-Derived Heat Shield for Planetary Body Entry and Descent System with In-Situ Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogue, Michael D.; Mueller, Robert P.; Sibille, Laurent; Hintze, Paul E.; Rasky, Daniel J.

2012-01-01

High-mass planetary surface access is one of NASA's Grand Challenges involving entry, descent, and landing (EDL). Heat shields fabricated in-situ can provide a thermal protection system for spacecraft that routinely enter a planetary atmosphere. Fabricating the heat shield from extraterrestrial regolith will avoid the costs of launching the heat shield mass from Earth. This project investigated three methods to fabricate heat shield using extraterrestrial regolith and performed preliminary work on mission architectures.

Measurements from an Aerial Vehicle: A New Tool for Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Henry S.; Levine, Joel S.; Croom, Mark A.; Edwards, William C.; Qualls, Garry D.; Gasbarre, Joseph F.

2004-01-01

Aerial vehicles fill a unique planetary science measurement gap, that of regional-scale, near-surface observation, while providing a fresh perspective for potential discovery. Aerial vehicles used in planetary exploration bridge the scale and resolution measurement gaps between orbiters (global perspective with limited spatial resolution) and landers (local perspective with high spatial resolution) thus complementing and extending orbital and landed measurements. Planetary aerial vehicles can also survey scientifically interesting terrain that is inaccessible or hazardous to landed missions. The use of aerial assets for performing observations on Mars, Titan, or Venus will enable direct measurements and direct follow-ons to recent discoveries. Aerial vehicles can be used for remote sensing of the interior, surface and atmosphere of Mars, Venus and Titan. Types of aerial vehicles considered are airplane "heavier than air" and airships and balloons "lighter than air". Interdependencies between the science measurements, science goals and objectives, and platform implementation illustrate how the proper balance of science, engineering, and cost, can be achieved to allow for a successful mission. Classification of measurement types along with how those measurements resolve science questions and how these instruments are accommodated within the mission context are discussed.

Food supply and bioenergy production within the global cropland planetary boundary.

PubMed

Henry, R C; Engström, K; Olin, S; Alexander, P; Arneth, A; Rounsevell, M D A

2018-01-01

Supplying food for the anticipated global population of over 9 billion in 2050 under changing climate conditions is one of the major challenges of the 21st century. Agricultural expansion and intensification contributes to global environmental change and risks the long-term sustainability of the planet. It has been proposed that no more than 15% of the global ice-free land surface should be converted to cropland. Bioenergy production for land-based climate mitigation places additional pressure on limited land resources. Here we test normative targets of food supply and bioenergy production within the cropland planetary boundary using a global land-use model. The results suggest supplying the global population with adequate food is possible without cropland expansion exceeding the planetary boundary. Yet this requires an increase in food production, especially in developing countries, as well as a decrease in global crop yield gaps. However, under current assumptions of future food requirements, it was not possible to also produce significant amounts of first generation bioenergy without cropland expansion. These results suggest that meeting food and bioenergy demands within the planetary boundaries would need a shift away from current trends, for example, requiring major change in the demand-side of the food system or advancing biotechnologies.

Food supply and bioenergy production within the global cropland planetary boundary

PubMed Central

Olin, S.; Alexander, P.; Arneth, A.; Rounsevell, M. D. A.

2018-01-01

Supplying food for the anticipated global population of over 9 billion in 2050 under changing climate conditions is one of the major challenges of the 21st century. Agricultural expansion and intensification contributes to global environmental change and risks the long-term sustainability of the planet. It has been proposed that no more than 15% of the global ice-free land surface should be converted to cropland. Bioenergy production for land-based climate mitigation places additional pressure on limited land resources. Here we test normative targets of food supply and bioenergy production within the cropland planetary boundary using a global land-use model. The results suggest supplying the global population with adequate food is possible without cropland expansion exceeding the planetary boundary. Yet this requires an increase in food production, especially in developing countries, as well as a decrease in global crop yield gaps. However, under current assumptions of future food requirements, it was not possible to also produce significant amounts of first generation bioenergy without cropland expansion. These results suggest that meeting food and bioenergy demands within the planetary boundaries would need a shift away from current trends, for example, requiring major change in the demand-side of the food system or advancing biotechnologies. PMID:29566091

GIS Toolsets for Planetary Geomorphology and Landing-Site Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nass, Andrea; van Gasselt, Stephan

2015-04-01

Modern Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allow expert and lay users alike to load and position geographic data and perform simple to highly complex surface analyses. For many applications dedicated and ready-to-use GIS tools are available in standard software systems while other applications require the modular combination of available basic tools to answer more specific questions. This also applies to analyses in modern planetary geomorphology where many of such (basic) tools can be used to build complex analysis tools, e.g. in image- and terrain model analysis. Apart from the simple application of sets of different tools, many complex tasks require a more sophisticated design for storing and accessing data using databases (e.g. ArcHydro for hydrological data analysis). In planetary sciences, complex database-driven models are often required to efficiently analyse potential landings sites or store rover data, but also geologic mapping data can be efficiently stored and accessed using database models rather than stand-alone shapefiles. For landings-site analyses, relief and surface roughness estimates are two common concepts that are of particular interest and for both, a number of different definitions co-exist. We here present an advanced toolset for the analysis of image and terrain-model data with an emphasis on extraction of landing site characteristics using established criteria. We provide working examples and particularly focus on the concepts of terrain roughness as it is interpreted in geomorphology and engineering studies.

Mars Science Laboratory Entry, Descent, and Landing Trajectory and Atmosphere Reconstruction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karlgaard, Christopher D.; Kutty, Prasad; Schoenenberer, Mark; Shidner, Jeremy D.

2013-01-01

On August 5th 2012, The Mars Science Laboratory entry vehicle successfully entered Mars atmosphere and landed the Curiosity rover on its surface. A Kalman filter approach has been implemented to reconstruct the entry, descent, and landing trajectory based on all available data. The data sources considered in the Kalman filtering approach include the inertial measurement unit accelerations and angular rates, the terrain descent sensor, the measured landing site, orbit determination solutions for the initial conditions, and a new set of instrumentation for planetary entry reconstruction consisting of forebody pressure sensors, known as the Mars Entry Atmospheric Data System. These pressure measurements are unique for planetary entry, descent, and landing reconstruction as they enable a reconstruction of the freestream atmospheric conditions without any prior assumptions being made on the vehicle aerodynamics. Moreover, the processing of these pressure measurements in the Kalman filter approach enables the identification of atmospheric winds, which has not been accomplished in past planetary entry reconstructions. This separation of atmosphere and aerodynamics allows for aerodynamic model reconciliation and uncertainty quantification, which directly impacts future missions. This paper describes the mathematical formulation of the Kalman filtering approach, a summary of data sources and preprocessing activities, and results of the reconstruction.

Viking Mars encounter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Various phases of planetary operations related to the Viking mission to Mars are described. Topics discussed include: approach phase, Mars orbit insertion, prelanding orbital activities, separation, descent and landing, surface operations, surface sampling and operations starting, orbiter science and radio science, Viking 2, Deep Space Network and data handling.

Improved inflatable landing systems for low cost planetary landers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Northey, Dave; Morgan, Chris

2006-10-01

Inflatable landing systems have been traditionally perceived as a cost-effective solution to the problem of landing a spacecraft on a planetary surface. To date, the systems used have all employed the approach of surrounding the lander with non-vented airbags where the lander on impact bounces a number of times until the impact energy is dissipated. However, the reliability record of such systems is not at all good. This paper examines the problems involved in the use of non-vented airbags, and how these problems have been overcome by the use of vented airbags in terrestrial systems. Using a specific case study, it is shown that even the basic passive type of venting can give significant mass reductions. It is also shown that actively controlling the venting based on the landing scenario can further enhance the performance of vented airbags.

Improved inflatable landing systems for low cost planetary landers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Northey, Dave; Morgan, Chris

2003-11-01

Inflatable landing systems have been traditionally perceived as a cost-effective solution to the problem of landing a spacecraft on a planetary surface. To date the systems used have all employed the approach of surrounding the lander with non-vented airbags where the lander bounces on impact a number of times until the impact energy is dissipated. However the reliability record of such systems is not at all good. This paper examines the problems involved in the use of non-vented airbags, and how these problems have been overcome by the use of vented airbags in terrestrial systems. Using a specific case study, it is shown that even the basic passive type of venting can give significant mass reductions. It is also shown that actively controlling the venting based on the landing scenario can further enhance the performance of vented airbags.

Two-step Laser Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry to Elucidate Organic Diversity in Planetary Surface Materials.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Getty, Stephanie A.; Brinckerhoff, William B.; Cornish, Timothy; Li, Xiang; Floyd, Melissa; Arevalo, Ricardo Jr.; Cook, Jamie Elsila; Callahan, Michael P.

2013-01-01

Laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LD-TOF-MS) holds promise to be a low-mass, compact in situ analytical capability for future landed missions to planetary surfaces. The ability to analyze a solid sample for both mineralogical and preserved organic content with laser ionization could be compelling as part of a scientific mission pay-load that must be prepared for unanticipated discoveries. Targeted missions for this instrument capability include Mars, Europa, Enceladus, and small icy bodies, such as asteroids and comets.

The observational basis for JPL's DE 200, the planetary ephemerides of the Astronomical Almanac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Standish, E. M., Jr.

1990-07-01

This paper documents the planetary observational data used in a series of ephemerides produced at JPL over six years preceding the creation of DE118/LE62, the set which transformed directly into the JD2000-based set, DE200/LE200. Details of the data reduction procedures are presented, and techniques to overcome the uncertainties due to planetary topography are described. For the spacecraft data, the basic reductions are augmented by formulations for locating the transponder, whether in orbit or landed on the surface of a planet.

Influence of Idealized Heterogeneity on Wet and Dry Planetary Boundary Layers Coupled to the Land Surface. 1; Instantaneous Fields and Statistics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houser, Paul (Technical Monitor); Patton, Edward G.; Sullivan, Peter P.; Moeng, Chin-Hoh

2003-01-01

This is the first in a two-part series of manuscripts describing numerical experiments on the influence of 2-30 km striplike heterogeneity on wet and dry boundary layers coupled to the land surface. The strip-like heterogeneity is shown to dramatically alter the structure of the free-convective boundary layer by inducing significant organized circulations that modify turbulent statistics. The coupling with the land-surface modifies the circulations compared to previous studies using fixed surface forcing. Total boundary layer turbulence kinetic energy increases significantly for surface heterogeneity at scales between Lambda/z(sub i) = 4 and 9, however entrainment rates for all cases are largely unaffected by the strip-like heterogeneity.

Sensitivity of boundary layer variables to PBL schemes over the central Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, L.; Liu, H.; Wang, L.; Du, Q.; Liu, Y.

2017-12-01

Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) parameterization schemes play critical role in numerical weather prediction and research. They describe physical processes associated with the momentum, heat and humidity exchange between land surface and atmosphere. In this study, two non-local (YSU and ACM2) and two local (MYJ and BouLac) planetary boundary layer parameterization schemes in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model have been tested over the central Tibetan Plateau regarding of their capability to model boundary layer parameters relevant for surface energy exchange. The model performance has been evaluated against measurements from the Third Tibetan Plateau atmospheric scientific experiment (TIPEX-III). Simulated meteorological parameters and turbulence fluxes have been compared with observations through standard statistical measures. Model results show acceptable behavior, but no particular scheme produces best performance for all locations and parameters. All PBL schemes underestimate near surface air temperatures over the Tibetan Plateau. By investigating the surface energy budget components, the results suggest that downward longwave radiation and sensible heat flux are the main factors causing the lower near surface temperature. Because the downward longwave radiation and sensible heat flux are respectively affected by atmosphere moisture and land-atmosphere coupling, improvements in water vapor distribution and land-atmosphere energy exchange is meaningful for better presentation of PBL physical processes over the central Tibetan Plateau.

Helicopter Field Testing of NASA's Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) System fully Integrated with the Morpheus Vertical Test Bed Avionics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Epp, Chirold D.; Robertson, Edward A.; Ruthishauser, David K.

2013-01-01

The Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) Project was chartered to develop and mature to a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of six an autonomous system combining guidance, navigation and control with real-time terrain sensing and recognition functions for crewed, cargo, and robotic planetary landing vehicles. The ALHAT System must be capable of identifying and avoiding surface hazards to enable a safe and accurate landing to within tens of meters of designated and certified landing sites anywhere on a planetary surface under any lighting conditions. This is accomplished with the core sensing functions of the ALHAT system: Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), Hazard Detection and Avoidance (HDA), and Hazard Relative Navigation (HRN). The NASA plan for the ALHAT technology is to perform the TRL6 closed loop demonstration on the Morpheus Vertical Test Bed (VTB). The first Morpheus vehicle was lost in August of 2012 during free-flight testing at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), so the decision was made to perform a helicopter test of the integrated ALHAT System with the Morpheus avionics over the ALHAT planetary hazard field at KSC. The KSC helicopter tests included flight profiles approximating planetary approaches, with the entire ALHAT system interfaced with all appropriate Morpheus subsystems and operated in real-time. During these helicopter flights, the ALHAT system imaged the simulated lunar terrain constructed in FY2012 to support ALHAT/Morpheus testing at KSC. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the highest fidelity testing of a system of this kind to date. During this helicopter testing, two new Morpheus landers were under construction at the Johnson Space Center to support the objective of an integrated ALHAT/Morpheus free-flight demonstration. This paper provides an overview of this helicopter flight test activity, including results and lessons learned, and also provides an overview of recent integrated testing of ALHAT on the second Morpheus vehicle.

Helicopter Field Testing of NASA's Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) System fully integrated with the Morpheus Vertical Test Bed Avionics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rutishauser, David; Epp, Chirold; Robertson, Edward

2013-01-01

The Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) Project was chartered to develop and mature to a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of six an autonomous system combining guidance, navigation and control with real-time terrain sensing and recognition functions for crewed, cargo, and robotic planetary landing vehicles. The ALHAT System must be capable of identifying and avoiding surface hazards to enable a safe and accurate landing to within tens of meters of designated and certified landing sites anywhere on a planetary surface under any lighting conditions. This is accomplished with the core sensing functions of the ALHAT system: Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), Hazard Detection and Avoidance (HDA), and Hazard Relative Navigation (HRN). The NASA plan for the ALHAT technology is to perform the TRL6 closed loop demonstration on the Morpheus Vertical Test Bed (VTB). The first Morpheus vehicle was lost in August of 2012 during free-flight testing at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), so the decision was made to perform a helicopter test of the integrated ALHAT System with the Morpheus avionics over the ALHAT planetary hazard field at KSC. The KSC helicopter tests included flight profiles approximating planetary approaches, with the entire ALHAT system interfaced with all appropriate Morpheus subsystems and operated in real-time. During these helicopter flights, the ALHAT system imaged the simulated lunar terrain constructed in FY2012 to support ALHAT/Morpheus testing at KSC. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the highest fidelity testing of a system of this kind to date. During this helicopter testing, two new Morpheus landers were under construction at the Johnson Space Center to support the objective of an integrated ALHAT/Morpheus free-flight demonstration. This paper provides an overview of this helicopter flight test activity, including results and lessons learned, and also provides an overview of recent integrated testing of ALHAT on the second Morpheus vehicle.

Planetary Geochemistry Techniques: Probing In-Situ with Neutron and Gamma Rays (PING) Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, A.; Bodnarik, J.; Burger, D.; Evans, L.; Floyd, S.; Lin, L.; McClanahan, T.; Nankung, M.; Nowicki, S.; Schweitzer, J.;

The survival of large organic molecules during hypervelocity impacts with water ice: implications for sampling the icy surfaces of moons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurst, A.; Bowden, S. A.; Parnell, J.; Burchell, M. J.; Ball, A. J.

2007-12-01

There are a number of measurements relevant to planetary geology that can only be adequately performed by physically contacting a sample. This necessitates landing on the surface of a moon or planetary body or returning samples to earth. The need to physically contact a sample is particularly important in the case of measurements that could detect medium to low concentrations of large organic molecules present in surface materials. Large organic molecules, although a trace component of many meteoritic materials and rocks on the surface of earth, carry crucial information concerning the processing of meteoritic material in the surface and subsurface environments, and can be crucial indicators for the presence of life. Unfortunately landing on the surface of a small planetary body or moon is complicated, particularly if surface topography is only poorly characterised and the atmosphere thin thus requiring a propulsion system for a soft landing. One alternative to a surface landing may be to use an impactor launched from an orbiting spacecraft to launch material from the planets surface and shallow sub-surface into orbit. Ejected material could then be collected by a follow-up spacecraft and analyzed. The mission scenario considered in the Europa-Ice Clipper mission proposal included both sample return and the analysis of captured particles. Employing such a sampling procedure to analyse large organic molecules is only viable if large organic molecules present in ices survive hypervelocity impacts (HVIs). To investigate the survival of large organic molecules in HVIs with icy bodies a two stage light air gas gun was used to fire steel projectiles (1-1.5 mm diameter) at samples of water ice containing large organic molecules (amino acids, anthracene and beta-carotene a biological pigment) at velocities > 4.8 km/s.UV-VIS spectroscopy of ejected material detected beta-carotene indicating large organic molecules can survive hypervelocity impacts. These preliminary results are yet to be scaled up to a point where they can be accurately interpreted in the context of a likely mission scenario. However, they strongly indicate that in a low mass payload mission scenario where a lander has been considered unfeasible, such a sampling strategy merits further consideration.

The Variation of Planetary Surfaces' Structure and Size Distribution with Depth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charalambous, C. A.; Pike, W. T.

2014-12-01

The particle, rock and boulder size distribution of a planetary surface bring important implications not only to crucial aspects of future missions but also to the better understanding of planetary and earth sciences. By exploiting a novel statistical model, the evolution of particle fragmentation phenomena can be understood in terms of a descriptive maturity index, a measure of the number of fragmentation events that have produced the soil. This statistical model, which is mathematically constructed via fundamental physical principles, has been validated by terrestrial mineral grinding data and impact experiments. Applying the model to planetary surfaces, the number of fragmentation events is determined by production function curves that quantify the degree of impact cratering. The model quantifies the variation of the maturity index of the regolith with depth, with a high maturity index at the surface decreasing to a low index corresponding to the megaregolith of a blocky population and fractured bedrock. The measured lunar and martian particle size distributions at the surface is well matched by the model over several orders of magnitude. The continuous transition invoked by the model can be furthermore synthesised to provide temporal and spatial visualisations of the internal architecture of the Martian and Lunar regolith. Finally, the model is applied to the risk assessment and success criteria of future mission landings as well as drilling on planetary surfaces. The solutions to a variety of planetary fragmentation related problems can be found via exact mathematical foundations or through simulations using the particle population provided by the model's maturation.

Simulating land-atmosphere feedbacks and response to widespread forest disturbance: The role of lower boundary configuration and dynamic water table in meteorological modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forrester, M.; Maxwell, R. M.; Bearup, L. A.; Gochis, D.

2017-12-01

Numerical meteorological models are frequently used to diagnose land-atmosphere interactions and predict large-scale response to extreme or hazardous events, including widespread land disturbance or perturbations to near-surface moisture. However, few atmospheric modeling platforms consider the impact that dynamic groundwater storage, specifically 3D subsurface flow, has on land-atmosphere interactions. In this study, we use the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale meteorological model to identify ecohydrologic and land-atmosphere feedbacks to disturbance by the mountain pine beetle (MPB) over the Colorado Headwaters region. Disturbance simulations are applied to WRF with various lower boundary configurations: Including default Noah land surface model soil moisture representation; a version of WRF coupled to ParFlow (PF), an integrated groundwater-surface water model that resolves variably saturated flow in the subsurface; and WRF coupled to PF in a static water table version, simulating only vertical and no lateral subsurface flow. Our results agree with previous literature showing MPB-induced reductions in canopy transpiration in all lower boundary scenarios, as well as energy repartitioning, higher water tables, and higher planetary boundary layer over infested regions. Simulations show that expanding from local to watershed scale results in significant damping of MPB signal as unforested and unimpacted regions are added; and, while deforestation appears to have secondary feedbacks to planetary boundary layer and convection, these slight perturbations to cumulative summer precipitation are insignificant in the context of ensemble methodologies. Notably, the results suggest that groundwater representation in atmospheric modeling affects the response intensity of a land disturbance event. In the WRF-PF case, energy and atmospheric processes are more sensitive to disturbance in regions with higher water tables. Also, when dynamic subsurface hydrology is removed, WRF simulates a greater response to MPB at the land-atmosphere interface, including greater changes to daytime skin temperature, Bowen ratio and near-surface humidity. These findings highlight lower boundary representations in computational meteorology and numerical land-atmosphere modeling.

Effects of leaf area index on the coupling between water table, land surface energy fluxes, and planetary boundary layer at the regional scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Y.; Rihani, J.; Langensiepen, M.; Simmer, C.

2013-12-01

Vegetation plays an important role in the exchange of moisture and energy at the land surface. Previous studies indicate that vegetation increases the complexity of the feedbacks between the atmosphere and subsurface through processes such as interception, root water uptake, leaf surface evaporation, and transpiration. Vegetation cover can affect not only the interaction between water table depth and energy fluxes, but also the development of the planetary boundary layer. Leaf Area Index (LAI) is shown to be a major factor influencing these interactions. In this work, we investigate the sensitivity of water table, surface energy fluxes, and atmospheric boundary layer interactions to LAI as a model input. We particularly focus on the role LAI plays on the location and extent of transition zones of strongest coupling and how this role changes over seasonal timescales for a real catchment. The Terrestrial System Modelling Platform (TerrSysMP), developed within the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 32 (TR32), is used in this study. TerrSysMP consists of the variably saturated groundwater model ParFlow, the land surface model Community Land Model (CLM), and the regional climate and weather forecast model COSMO (COnsortium for Small-scale Modeling). The sensitivity analysis is performed over a range of LAI values for different vegetation types as extracted from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) dataset for the Rur catchment in Germany. In the first part of this work, effects of vegetation structure on land surface energy fluxes and their connection to water table dynamics are studied using the stand-alone CLM and the coupled subsurface-surface components of TerrSysMP (ParFlow-CLM), respectively. The interconnection between LAI and transition zones of strongest coupling are investigated and analyzed through a subsequent set of subsurface-surface-atmosphere coupled simulations implementing the full TerrSysMP model system.

Remote X-Ray Diffraction and X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis on Planetary Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blake, David F.; DeVincenzi, D. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

The legacy of planetary X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) began in 1960 when W. Parish proposed an XRD instrument for deployment on the moon. The instrument was built and flight qualified, but the Lunar XRD program was cancelled shortly before the first human landing in 1969. XRF chemical data have been collected in situ by surface landers on Mars (Viking 1 & 2, Pathfinder) and Venus (Venera 13 & 14). These highly successful experiments provide critical constraints on our current understanding of surface processes and planetary evolution. However, the mineralogy, which is more critical to planetary surface science than simple chemical analysis, will remain unknown or will at best be imprecisely constrained until X-ray diffraction (XRD) data are collected. Recent progress in X-ray detector technology allows the consideration of simultaneous XRD (mineralogic analysis) and high-precision XRF (elemental analysis) in systems miniaturized to the point where they can be mounted on fixed landers or small robotic rovers. There is a variety of potential targets for XRD/XRF equipped landers within the solar system, the most compelling of which are the poles of the moon, the southern highlands of Mars and Europa.

Performance modelling of miniaturized flash-imaging lidars for future mars exploration missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitev, V.; Pollini, A.; Haesler, J.; Pereira do Carmo, João.

2017-11-01

Future planetary exploration missions require the support of 3D vision in the GN&C during key spacecraft's proximity phases, namely: i) spacecraft precision and soft Landing on the planet's surface; ii) Rendezvous and Docking (RVD) between a Sample Canister (SC) and an orbiter spacecraft; iii) Rover Navigation (RN) on planetary surface. The imaging LiDARs are among the best candidate for such tasks [1-3]. The combination of measurement requirements and environmental conditions seems to find its optimum in the flash 3D LiDAR architecture. Here we present key steps is the evaluation of novelty light detectors and MOEMS (Micro-Opto- Electro-Mechanical Systems) technologies with respect to LiDAR system performance and miniaturization. The objectives of the project MILS (Miniaturized Imaging LiDAR System, Phase 1) concentrated on the evaluation of novel detection and scanning technologies for the miniaturization of 3D LiDARs intended for planetary mission. Preliminary designs for an elegant breadboard (EBB) for the three tasks stated above (Landing, RVD and RN) were proposed, based on results obtained with a numerical model developed in the project and providing the performances evaluation of imaging LiDARs.

Observations of a two-layer soil moisture influence on surface energy dynamics and planetary boundary layer characteristics in a semiarid shrubland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Mejia, Zulia Mayari; Papuga, Shirley A.

2014-01-01

We present an observational analysis examining soil moisture control on surface energy dynamics and planetary boundary layer characteristics. Understanding soil moisture control on land-atmosphere interactions will become increasingly important as climate change continues to alter water availability. In this study, we analyzed 4 years of data from the Santa Rita Creosote Ameriflux site. We categorized our data independently in two ways: (1) wet or dry seasons and (2) one of the four cases within a two-layer soil moisture framework for the root zone based on the presence or absence of moisture in shallow (0-20 cm) and deep (20-60 cm) soil layers. Using these categorizations, we quantified the soil moisture control on surface energy dynamics and planetary boundary layer characteristics using both average responses and linear regression. Our results highlight the importance of deep soil moisture in land-atmosphere interactions. The presence of deep soil moisture decreased albedo by about 10%, and significant differences were observed in evaporative fraction even in the absence of shallow moisture. The planetary boundary layer height (PBLh) was largest when the whole soil profile was dry, decreasing by about 1 km when the whole profile was wet. Even when shallow moisture was absent but deep moisture was present the PBLh was significantly lower than when the entire profile was dry. The importance of deep moisture is likely site-specific and modulated through vegetation. Therefore, understanding these relationships also provides important insights into feedbacks between vegetation and the hydrologic cycle and their consequent influence on the climate system.

Biogeophysical consequences of a tropical deforestation scenario: A GCM simulation study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sud, Y.C.; Lau, W.K.M.; Walker, G.K.

1996-12-01

Two 3-year (1979-1982) integrations were carried out with a version of the GLA GCM that contains the Simple Biosphere Model (SiB) for simulating land-atmosphere interactions. The control case used the usual SiB vegetation cover (comprising 12 vegetation types), while its twin, the deforestation case, imposed a scenario in which all tropical rainforests were entirely replaced by grassland. Except for this difference, all other initial and prescribed boundary conditions were kept identical in both integrations. An intercomparison of the integrations shows that tropical: deforestation decreases evapotranspiration and increases land surface outgoing longwave radiation and sensible heat flux, thereby warming and dryingmore » the planetary boundary layer. This happens despite the reduced absorption of solar radiation due to higher surface albedo of the deforested land. Produces significant and robust local as well as global climate changes. The local effect includes significant changes (mostly reductions) in precipitation and diabatic heating, while the large-scale effect is to weaken the Hadley circulation but invigorate the southern Ferrel cell, drawing larger air mass from the indirect polar cells. Decreases the surface stress (drag force) owing to reduced surface roughness of deforested land, which in turn intensifies winds in the planetary boundary layer, thereby affecting the dynamic structure of moisture convergence. The simulated surface winds are about 70% stronger and are accompanied by significant changes in the power spectrum of the annual cycle of surface and PBL winds and precipitation. Our results broadly confirm several findings of recent tropical deforestation simulation experiments. In addition, some global-scale climatic influences of deforestation not identified in earlier studies are delineated. 57 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Impact of Land Model Calibration on Coupled Land-Atmosphere Prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santanello, Joseph A., Jr.; Kumar, Sujay V.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Harrison, Ken; Zhou, Shujia

2012-01-01

Land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of both planetary boundary layer (PBL) and land surface heat and moisture budgets, as well as controlling feedbacks with clouds and precipitation that lead to the persistence of dry and wet regimes. Recent efforts to quantify the strength of L-A coupling in prediction models have produced diagnostics that integrate across both the land and PBL components of the system. In this study, we examine the impact of improved specification of land surface states, anomalies, and fluxes on coupled WRF forecasts during the summers of extreme dry and wet land surface conditions in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. The improved land initialization and surface flux parameterizations are obtained through calibration of the Noah land surface model using the new optimization and uncertainty estimation subsystem in NASA's Land Information System (LIS-OPT/UE). The impact of the calibration on the a) spinup of the land surface used as initial conditions, and b) the simulated heat and moisture states and fluxes of the coupled WRF simulations is then assessed. Changes in ambient weather and land-atmosphere coupling are evaluated along with measures of uncertainty propagation into the forecasts. In addition, the sensitivity of this approach to the period of calibration (dry, wet, average) is investigated. Results indicate that the offline calibration leads to systematic improvements in land-PBL fluxes and near-surface temperature and humidity, and in the process provide guidance on the questions of what, how, and when to calibrate land surface models for coupled model prediction.

Implementing planetary protection measures on the Mars Science Laboratory.

PubMed

Benardini, James N; La Duc, Myron T; Beaudet, Robert A; Koukol, Robert

2014-01-01

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), comprising a cruise stage; an aeroshell; an entry, descent, and landing system; and the radioisotope thermoelectric generator-powered Curiosity rover, made history with its unprecedented sky crane landing on Mars on August 6, 2012. The mission's primary science objective has been to explore the area surrounding Gale Crater and assess its habitability for past life. Because microbial contamination could profoundly impact the integrity of the mission and compliance with international treaty was required, planetary protection measures were implemented on MSL hardware to verify that bioburden levels complied with NASA regulations. By applying the proper antimicrobial countermeasures throughout all phases of assembly, the total bacterial endospore burden of MSL at the time of launch was kept to 2.78×10⁵ spores, well within the required specification of less than 5.0×10⁵ spores. The total spore burden of the exposed surfaces of the landed MSL hardware was 5.64×10⁴, well below the allowed limit of 3.0×10⁵ spores. At the time of launch, the MSL spacecraft was burdened with an average of 22 spores/m², which included both planned landed and planned impacted hardware. Here, we report the results of a campaign to implement and verify planetary protection measures on the MSL flight system.

The impact of land-surface wetness heterogeneity on mesoscale heat fluxes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Fei; Avissar, Roni

1994-01-01

Vertical heat fluxes associated with mesoscale circulations generated by land-surface wetness discontinuities are often stronger than turbulent fluxes, especially in the upper part of the atmospheric planetary boundary layer. As a result, they contribute significantly to the subgrid-scale fluxes in large-scale atmospheric models. Yet they are not considered in these models. To provide some insights into the possible parameterization of these fluxes in large-scale models, a state-of-the-art mesoscale numerical model was used to investigate the relationships between mesoscale heat fluxes and atmospheric and land-surface characteristics that play a key role in the generation of mesoscale circulations. The distribution of land-surface wetness, the wavenumber and the wavelength of the land-surface discontinuities, and the large-scale wind speed have a significant impact on the mesoscale heat fluxes. Empirical functions were derived to characterize the relationships between mesoscale heat fluxes and the spatial distribution of land-surface wetness. The strongest mesoscale heat fluxes were obtained for a wavelength of forcing corresponding approximately to the local Rossby deformation radius. The mesoscale heat fluxes are weakened by large-scale background winds but remain significant even with moderate winds.

Video guidance, landing, and imaging systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schappell, R. T.; Knickerbocker, R. L.; Tietz, J. C.; Grant, C.; Rice, R. B.; Moog, R. D.

1975-01-01

The adaptive potential of video guidance technology for earth orbital and interplanetary missions was explored. The application of video acquisition, pointing, tracking, and navigation technology was considered to three primary missions: planetary landing, earth resources satellite, and spacecraft rendezvous and docking. It was found that an imaging system can be mechanized to provide a spacecraft or satellite with a considerable amount of adaptability with respect to its environment. It also provides a level of autonomy essential to many future missions and enhances their data gathering ability. The feasibility of an autonomous video guidance system capable of observing a planetary surface during terminal descent and selecting the most acceptable landing site was successfully demonstrated in the laboratory. The techniques developed for acquisition, pointing, and tracking show promise for recognizing and tracking coastlines, rivers, and other constituents of interest. Routines were written and checked for rendezvous, docking, and station-keeping functions.

The Use of CASES-97 Observations to Assess and Parameterize the Impact of Land-Surface Heterogeneity on Area-Average Surface Heat Fluxes for Large-Scale Coupled Atmosphere-Hydrology Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Fei; Yates, David; LeMone, Margaret

2001-01-01

To understand the effects of land-surface heterogeneity and the interactions between the land-surface and the planetary boundary layer at different scales, we develop a multiscale data set. This data set, based on the Cooperative Atmosphere-Surface Exchange Study (CASES97) observations, includes atmospheric, surface, and sub-surface observations obtained from a dense observation network covering a large region on the order of 100 km. We use this data set to drive three land-surface models (LSMs) to generate multi-scale (with three resolutions of 1, 5, and 10 kilometers) gridded surface heat flux maps for the CASES area. Upon validating these flux maps with measurements from surface station and aircraft, we utilize them to investigate several approaches for estimating the area-integrated surface heat flux for the CASES97 domain of 71x74 square kilometers, which is crucial for land surface model development/validation and area water and energy budget studies. This research is aimed at understanding the relative contribution of random turbulence versus organized mesoscale circulations to the area-integrated surface flux at the scale of 100 kilometers, and identifying the most important effective parameters for characterizing the subgrid-scale variability for large-scale atmosphere-hydrology models.

A comprehensive sensitivity analysis of the WRF model for air quality applications over the Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borge, Rafael; Alexandrov, Vassil; José del Vas, Juan; Lumbreras, Julio; Rodríguez, Encarnacion

Meteorological inputs play a vital role on regional air quality modelling. An extensive sensitivity analysis of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was performed, in the framework of the Integrated Assessment Modelling System for the Iberian Peninsula (SIMCA) project. Up to 23 alternative model configurations, including Planetary Boundary Layer schemes, Microphysics, Land-surface models, Radiation schemes, Sea Surface Temperature and Four-Dimensional Data Assimilation were tested in a 3 km spatial resolution domain. Model results for the most significant meteorological variables, were assessed through a series of common statistics. The physics options identified to produce better results (Yonsei University Planetary Boundary Layer, WRF Single-Moment 6-class microphysics, Noah Land-surface model, Eta Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory longwave radiation and MM5 shortwave radiation schemes) along with other relevant user settings (time-varying Sea Surface Temperature and combined grid-observational nudging) where included in a "best case" configuration. This setup was tested and found to produce more accurate estimation of temperature, wind and humidity fields at surface level than any other configuration for the two episodes simulated. Planetary Boundary Layer height predictions showed a reasonable agreement with estimations derived from routine atmospheric soundings. Although some seasonal and geographical differences were observed, the model showed an acceptable behaviour overall. Despite being useful to define the most appropriate setup of the WRF model for air quality modelling over the Iberian Peninsula, this study provides a general overview of WRF sensitivity and can constitute a reference for future mesoscale meteorological modelling exercises.

Open-Loop Flight Testing of COBALT Navigation and Sensor Technologies for Precise Soft Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carson, John M., III; Restrepo, Caroline I.; Seubert, Carl R.; Amzajerdian, Farzin; Pierrottet, Diego F.; Collins, Steven M.; O'Neal, Travis V.; Stelling, Richard

2017-01-01

An open-loop flight test campaign of the NASA COBALT (CoOperative Blending of Autonomous Landing Technologies) payload was conducted onboard the Masten Xodiac suborbital rocket testbed. The payload integrates two complementary sensor technologies that together provide a spacecraft with knowledge during planetary descent and landing to precisely navigate and softly touchdown in close proximity to targeted surface locations. The two technologies are the Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL), for high-precision velocity and range measurements, and the Lander Vision System (LVS) for map-relative state esti- mates. A specialized navigation filter running onboard COBALT fuses the NDL and LVS data in real time to produce a very precise Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) solution that is suitable for future, autonomous planetary landing systems that require precise and soft landing capabilities. During the open-loop flight campaign, the COBALT payload acquired measurements and generated a precise navigation solution, but the Xodiac vehicle planned and executed its maneuvers based on an independent, GPS-based navigation solution. This minimized the risk to the vehicle during the integration and testing of the new navigation sensing technologies within the COBALT payload.

Guidance, Navigation, and Control Technology Assessment for Future Planetary Science Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beauchamp, Pat; Cutts, James; Quadrelli, Marco B.; Wood, Lincoln J.; Riedel, Joseph E.; McHenry, Mike; Aung, MiMi; Cangahuala, Laureano A.; Volpe, Rich

2013-01-01

Future planetary explorations envisioned by the National Research Council's (NRC's) report titled Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022, developed for NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Planetary Science Division (PSD), seek to reach targets of broad scientific interest across the solar system. This goal requires new capabilities such as innovative interplanetary trajectories, precision landing, operation in close proximity to targets, precision pointing, multiple collaborating spacecraft, multiple target tours, and advanced robotic surface exploration. Advancements in Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) and Mission Design in the areas of software, algorithm development and sensors will be necessary to accomplish these future missions. This paper summarizes the key GN&C and mission design capabilities and technologies needed for future missions pursuing SMD PSD's scientific goals.

Translation of Land Surface Model Accuracy and Uncertainty into Coupled Land-Atmosphere Prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santanello, Joseph A.; Kumar, Sujay; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Harrison, Kenneth W.; Zhou, Shuija

2012-01-01

Land-atmosphere (L-A) Interactions playa critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of both planetary boundary layer (PBL) and land surface heat and moisture budgets, as well as controlling feedbacks with clouds and precipitation that lead to the persistence of dry and wet regimes. Recent efforts to quantify the strength of L-A coupling in prediction models have produced diagnostics that integrate across both the land and PBL components of the system. In this study, we examine the impact of improved specification of land surface states, anomalies, and fluxes on coupled WRF forecasts during the summers of extreme dry (2006) and wet (2007) land surface conditions in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. The improved land initialization and surface flux parameterizations are obtained through the use of a new optimization and uncertainty estimation module in NASA's Land Information System (US-OPT/UE), whereby parameter sets are calibrated in the Noah land surface model and classified according to a land cover and soil type mapping of the observation sites to the full model domain. The impact of calibrated parameters on the a) spinup of the land surface used as initial conditions, and b) heat and moisture states and fluxes of the coupled WRF Simulations are then assessed in terms of ambient weather and land-atmosphere coupling along with measures of uncertainty propagation into the forecasts. In addition, the sensitivity of this approach to the period of calibration (dry, wet, average) is investigated. Finally, tradeoffs of computational tractability and scientific validity, and the potential for combining this approach with satellite remote sensing data are also discussed.

ExoMars 2018 Landing Site Selection Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vago, Jorge L.; Kminek, Gerhard; Rodionov, Daniel

The ExoMars 2018 mission will include two science elements: a Rover and a Surface Platform. The ExoMars Rover will carry a comprehensive suite of instruments dedicated to geology and exobiology research named after Louis Pasteur. The Rover will be able to travel several kilometres searching for traces of past and present signs of life. It will do this by collecting and analysing samples from outcrops, and from the subsurface—down to 2-m depth. The very powerful combination of mobility with the ability to access locations where organic molecules can be well preserved is unique to this mission. After the Rover will have egressed, the ExoMars Surface Platform will begin its science mission to study the surface environment at the landing location. This talk will describe the landing site selection process and introduce the scientific, planetary protection, and engineering requirements that candidate landing sites must comply with in order to be considered for the mission.

Protection of surface assets on Mars from wind blown jettisoned spacecraft components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paton, Mark

2017-07-01

Jettisoned Entry, Descent and Landing System (EDLS) hardware from landing spacecraft have been observed by orbiting spacecraft, strewn over the Martian surface. Future Mars missions that land spacecraft close to prelanded assets will have to use a landing architecture that somehow minimises the possibility of impacts from these jettisoned EDLS components. Computer modelling is used here to investigate the influence of wind speed and direction on the distribution of EDLS components on the surface. Typical wind speeds encountered in the Martian Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) were found to be of sufficient strength to blow items having a low ballistic coefficient, i.e. Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators (HIADs) or parachutes, onto prelanded assets even when the lander itself touches down several kilometres away. Employing meteorological measurements and careful characterisation of the Martian PBL, e.g. appropriate wind speed probability density functions, may then benefit future spacecraft landings, increase safety and possibly help reduce the delta v budget for Mars landers that rely on aerodynamic decelerators.

Video Guidance, Landing, and Imaging system (VGLIS) for space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schappell, R. T.; Knickerbocker, R. L.; Tietz, J. C.; Grant, C.; Flemming, J. C.

1975-01-01

The feasibility of an autonomous video guidance system that is capable of observing a planetary surface during terminal descent and selecting the most acceptable landing site was demonstrated. The system was breadboarded and "flown" on a physical simulator consisting of a control panel and monitor, a dynamic simulator, and a PDP-9 computer. The breadboard VGLIS consisted of an image dissector camera and the appropriate processing logic. Results are reported.

An Inertial Dual-State State Estimator for Precision Planetary Landing with Hazard Detection and Avoidance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, Robert H.; DeMars, Kyle; Trawny, Nikolas; Crain, Tim; Hanak, Chad; Carson, John M.; Christian, John

2016-01-01

The navigation filter architecture successfully deployed on the Morpheus flight vehicle is presented. The filter was developed as a key element of the NASA Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project and over the course of 15 free fights was integrated into the Morpheus vehicle, operations, and flight control loop. Flight testing completed by demonstrating autonomous hazard detection and avoidance, integration of an altimeter, surface relative velocity (velocimeter) and hazard relative navigation (HRN) measurements into the onboard dual-state inertial estimator Kalman flter software, and landing within 2 meters of the vertical testbed GPS-based navigation solution at the safe landing site target. Morpheus followed a trajectory that included an ascent phase followed by a partial descent-to-landing, although the proposed filter architecture is applicable to more general planetary precision entry, descent, and landings. The main new contribution is the incorporation of a sophisticated hazard relative navigation sensor-originally intended to locate safe landing sites-into the navigation system and employed as a navigation sensor. The formulation of a dual-state inertial extended Kalman filter was designed to address the precision planetary landing problem when viewed as a rendezvous problem with an intended landing site. For the required precision navigation system that is capable of navigating along a descent-to-landing trajectory to a precise landing, the impact of attitude errors on the translational state estimation are included in a fully integrated navigation structure in which translation state estimation is combined with attitude state estimation. The map tie errors are estimated as part of the process, thereby creating a dual-state filter implementation. Also, the filter is implemented using inertial states rather than states relative to the target. External measurements include altimeter, velocimeter, star camera, terrain relative navigation sensor, and a hazard relative navigation sensor providing information regarding hazards on a map generated on-the-fly.

Mapped Landmark Algorithm for Precision Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Andrew; Ansar, Adnan; Matthies, Larry

2007-01-01

A report discusses a computer vision algorithm for position estimation to enable precision landing during planetary descent. The Descent Image Motion Estimation System for the Mars Exploration Rovers has been used as a starting point for creating code for precision, terrain-relative navigation during planetary landing. The algorithm is designed to be general because it handles images taken at different scales and resolutions relative to the map, and can produce mapped landmark matches for any planetary terrain of sufficient texture. These matches provide a measurement of horizontal position relative to a known landing site specified on the surface map. Multiple mapped landmarks generated per image allow for automatic detection and elimination of bad matches. Attitude and position can be generated from each image; this image-based attitude measurement can be used by the onboard navigation filter to improve the attitude estimate, which will improve the position estimates. The algorithm uses normalized correlation of grayscale images, producing precise, sub-pixel images. The algorithm has been broken into two sub-algorithms: (1) FFT Map Matching (see figure), which matches a single large template by correlation in the frequency domain, and (2) Mapped Landmark Refinement, which matches many small templates by correlation in the spatial domain. Each relies on feature selection, the homography transform, and 3D image correlation. The algorithm is implemented in C++ and is rated at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4.

Impact of Calibrated Land Surface Model Parameters on the Accuracy and Uncertainty of Land-Atmosphere Coupling in WRF Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santanello, Joseph A., Jr.; Kumar, Sujay V.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Harrison, Ken; Zhou, Shujia

2012-01-01

Land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of both planetary boundary layer (PBL) and land surface temperature and moisture budgets, as well as controlling feedbacks with clouds and precipitation that lead to the persistence of dry and wet regimes. Recent efforts to quantify the strength of L-A coupling in prediction models have produced diagnostics that integrate across both the land and PBL components of the system. In this study, we examine the impact of improved specification of land surface states, anomalies, and fluxes on coupled WRF forecasts during the summers of extreme dry (2006) and wet (2007) land surface conditions in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. The improved land initialization and surface flux parameterizations are obtained through the use of a new optimization and uncertainty estimation module in NASA's Land Information System (LIS-OPT/UE), whereby parameter sets are calibrated in the Noah land surface model and classified according to a land cover and soil type mapping of the observation sites to the full model domain. The impact of calibrated parameters on the a) spinup of the land surface used as initial conditions, and b) heat and moisture states and fluxes of the coupled WRF simulations are then assessed in terms of ambient weather and land-atmosphere coupling along with measures of uncertainty propagation into the forecasts. In addition, the sensitivity of this approach to the period of calibration (dry, wet, average) is investigated. Finally, tradeoffs of computational tractability and scientific validity, and the potential for combining this approach with satellite remote sensing data are also discussed.

Monsoon dependent ecosystems: Implications of the vertical distribution of soil moisture on land surface-atmosphere interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Mejia, Zulia M.

Uncertainty of predicted change in precipitation frequency and intensity motivates the scientific community to better understand, quantify, and model the possible outcome of dryland ecosystems. In pulse dependent ecosystems (i.e. monsoon driven) soil moisture is tightly linked to atmospheric processes. Here, I analyze three overarching questions; Q1) How does soil moisture presence or absence in a shallow or deep layer influence the surface energy budget and planetary boundary layer characteristics?, Q2) What is the role of vegetation on ecosystem albedo in the presence or absence of deep soil moisture?, Q3) Can we develop empirical relationships between soil moisture and the planetary boundary layer height to help evaluate the role of future precipitation changes in land surface atmosphere interactions? . To address these questions I use a conceptual framework based on the presence or absence of soil moisture in a shallow or deep layer. I define these layers by using root profiles and establish soil moisture thresholds for each layer using four years of observations from the Santa Rita Creosote Ameriflux site. Soil moisture drydown curves were used to establish the shallow layer threshold in the shallow layer, while NEE (Net Ecosystem Exchange of carbon dioxide) was used to define the deep soil moisture threshold. Four cases were generated using these thresholds: Case 1, dry shallow layer and dry deep layer; Case 2, wet shallow layer and dry deep layer; Case 3, wet shallow layer and wet deep layer, and Case 4 dry shallow and wet deep layer. Using this framework, I related data from the Ameriflux site SRC (Santa Rita Creosote) from 2008 to 2012 and from atmospheric soundings from the nearby Tucson Airport; conducted field campaigns during 2011 and 2012 to measure albedo from individual bare and canopy patches that were then evaluated in a grid to estimate the influence of deep moisture on albedo via vegetation cover change; and evaluated the potential of using a two-layer bucket model and empirical relationships to evaluate the link between deep soil moisture and the planetary boundary layer height under changing precipitation regime. My results indicate that (1) the presence or absence of water in two layers plays a role in surface energy dynamics, (2) soil moisture presence in the deep layer is linked with decreased ecosystem albedo and planetary boundary layer height, (3) deep moisture sustains vegetation greenness and decreases albedo, and (4) empirical relationships are useful in modeling planetary boundary layer height from dryland ecosystems. Based on these results we argue that deep soil moisture plays an important role in land surface-atmosphere interactions.

Planetary and asteroid missions. Getting there: Anchoring spacecraft to asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Rudolf X.; Melko, Joseph P.

1993-01-01

In this hardware project, the students developed ideas for attaching objects to the surface of small moons or asteroids. A device was designed, and built in the university machine shop, that uses a projectile shot into concrete, thereby attaching a model spacecraft to the landing site.

Investigating the source, transport, and isotope composition of water vapor in the planetary boundary layer

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasing atmospheric humidity and convective precipitation over land provide evidence of intensification of the hydrologic cycle – an expected response to surface warming. The extent to which terrestrial ecosystems modulate these hydrologic factors is important to understanding feedbacks in the cl...

Global Surface Temperature Anomalies and Attribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pietrafesa, L. J.

2017-12-01

We study Non-Stationary, Non-Linear time series of global surface temperatures from 1850 to 2016, and via an empirical, mathematical methodology, we reveal the buried, internal modes of variability of planetary temperatures over the past 167 years, and find periods of cooling and warming, both in the ocean and the atmosphere over land, with multiple modes of variability; seasonal, annual, inter-annual, multi-year, decadal, multi-decadal, centennial and overall warming trends in the ocean, atmosphere and the combination therein. The oceanic rate of warming is less than two thirds of that of the atmosphere. While our findings on overall trends of fossil fuel burning and planetary temperatures are only visually correlative, by employing a mathematical methodology well known in ergonomics, this study causally links the upward rise in planetary surface temperature from the latter part of the 19th Century and into the 21st Century, to the contemporaneous upward rise in fossil fuel burning and suggests that if present fossil fuel burning is not curtailed there will be continued warming of the planet in the future.

MSL Lessons Learned and Knowledge Capture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buxbaum, Karen L.

2012-01-01

The Mars Program has recently been informed of the Planetary Protection Subcommittee (PPS) recommendation, which was endorsed by the NAC, concerning Mars Science Lab (MSL) lessons learned and knowledge capture. The Mars Program has not had an opportunity to consider any decisions specific to the PPS recommendation. Some of the activities recommended by the PPS would involve members of the MSL flight team who are focused on cruise, entry descent & landing, and early surface operations; those activities would have to wait. Members of the MSL planetary protection team at JPL are still available to support MSL lessons learned and knowledge capture; some of the specifically recommended activities have already begun. The Mars Program shares the PPS/NAC concerns about loss of potential information & expertise in planetary protection practice.

Entry, Descent, and Landing With Propulsive Deceleration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palaszewski, Bryan

2012-01-01

The future exploration of the Solar System will require innovations in transportation and the use of entry, descent, and landing (EDL) systems at many planetary landing sites. The cost of space missions has always been prohibitive, and using the natural planetary and planet s moons atmospheres for entry, descent, and landing can reduce the cost, mass, and complexity of these missions. This paper will describe some of the EDL ideas for planetary entry and survey the overall technologies for EDL that may be attractive for future Solar System missions.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Mars: Surface Coatings, Mineralogy, and Surface Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session "Mars: Surface Coatings, Mineralogy, and Surface Properties" contained the following reports:High-Silica Rock Coatings: TES Surface-Type 2 and Chemical Weathering on Mars; Old Desert Varnish-like Coatings and Young Breccias at the Mars Pathfinder Landing Site; Analyses of IR-Stealthy and Coated Surface Materials: A Comparison of LIBS and Reflectance Spectra and Their Application to Mars Surface Exploration; Contrasting Interpretations of TES Spectra of the 2003 Rover:Opportunity-Landing Site: Hematite Coatings and Gray Hematite; A New Hematite Formation Mechanism for Mars; Geomorphic and Diagenetic Analogs to Hematite Regions on Mars: Examples from Jurassic Sandstones of Southern Utah, USA; The Geologic Record of Early Mars: A Layered, Cratered, and "Valley-"ed: Volume; A Simple Approach to Estimating Surface Emissivity with THEMIS; A Large Scale Topographic Correction for THEMIS Data; Thermophysical Properties of Meridiani Planum, Mars; Thermophysical and Spectral Properties of Gusev, the MER-Spirit Landing Site on Mars; Determining Water Content of Geologic Materials Using Reflectance Spectroscopy; and Global Mapping of Martian Bound Water at 6.1 Microns Based on TES Data: Seasonal Hydration.

Planetary surface roughness derived from ice penetrating radar data: Method and concept validation in Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grima, C.; Schroeder, D. M.; Blankenship, D. D.; Young, D. A.

2013-12-01

Geological and climatic processes shaping the landscape of planetary bodies imprint the surface with particular textures, i.e. continuous topographic entities at meters to decameters scales where the surface elevation is dominated by a stochastic behavior. The so-called roughness is a proxy to get insights into the type of surface terrain and its ongoing evolution. It is also an important descriptor involved in landing site selection processes to ensure the safe delivery of a lander/rover over a stable work zone. Planetary surface roughnesses are usually derived from point-to-point elevation models acquired by laser altimetry or stereo-imagery. However, in the last decade, nadir-looking penetrating radars have become another remote-sensing technology commonly used for planetary surface and sub-surface characterization (e.g. MARSIS/SHARAD on Mars, LRS on the Moon, and Ice Penetrating Radars for future missions to Europa). Here, we present a statistical method to extract the reflected and scattered components embedded in the surface echoes of HF (3-30 MHz) and VHF (30-300 MHz) penetrating radars in order to derive significant roughness information. We demonstrate the reliability of the method with an application to a radar dataset acquired during the 2004-05 austral summer campaign of the Airborne Geophysical Survey of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, Antarctica, (AGASEA) project with the High-Capability Radar Sounder (HiCARS, 60 MHz) system operated by the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG). Results are thoroughly compared with simultaneously acquired laser altimetry and nadir imagery of the surface. We emphasize the possibilities and advantages of the method in light of the future exploration of the Europa and Ganymede icy moons by multi-frequency ice penetrating radars.

Considerations in the Design of Future Planetary Laser Altimeters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, D. E.; Neumann, G. A.; Mazarico, E.; Zuber, M. T.; Sun, X.

2017-12-01

Planetary laser altimeters have generally been designed to provide high accuracy measurements of the nadir range to an uncooperative surface for deriving the shape of the target body, and sometimes specifically for identifying and characterizing potential landing sites. However, experience has shown that in addition to the range measurement, other valuable observations can be acquired, including surface reflectance and surface roughness, despite not being given high priority in the original altimeter design or even anticipated. After nearly 2 decades of planetary laser altimeter design, the requirements are evolving and additional capabilities are becoming equally important. The target bodies, once the terrestrial planets, are now equally asteroids and moons that in many cases do not permit simple orbital operations due to their small mass, radiation issues, or spacecraft fuel limitations. In addition, for a number of reasons, it has become necessary to perform shape determination from a much greater range, even thousands of kilometers, and thus ranging is becoming as important as nadir altimetry. Reflectance measurements have also proved important for assessing the presence of ice, water or CO2, and laser pulse spreading informed knowledge of surface roughness; all indicating a need for improved instrument capability. Recently, the need to obtain accurate range measurement to laser reflectors on landers or on a planetary surface is presenting new science opportunities but for which current designs are far from optimal. These changes to classic laser altimetry have consequences for many instrument functions and capabilities, including beam divergence, laser power, number of beams and detectors, pixelation, energy measurements, pointing stability, polarization, laser wavelengths, and laser pulse rate dependent range. We will discuss how a new consideration of these trades will help make lidars key instruments to execute innovative science in future planetary missions.

Metacatalog of Planetary Surface Features for Multicriteria Evaluation of Surface Evolution: the Integrated Planetary Feature Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hargitai, Henrik

2016-10-01

We have created a metacatalog, or catalog or catalogs, of surface features of Mars that also includes the actual data in the catalogs listed. The goal is to make mesoscale surface feature databases available in one place, in a GIS-ready format. The databases can be directly imported to ArcGIS or other GIS platforms, like Google Mars. Some of the catalogs in our database are also ingested into the JMARS platform.All catalogs have been previously published in a peer-reviewed journal, but they may contain updates of the published catalogs. Many of the catalogs are "integrated", i.e. they merge databases or information from various papers on the same topic, including references to each individual features listed.Where available, we have included shapefiles with polygon or linear features, however, most of the catalogs only contain point data of their center points and morphological data.One of the unexpected results of the planetary feature metacatalog is that some features have been described by several papers, using different, i.e., conflicting designations. This shows the need for the development of an identification system suitable for mesoscale (100s m to km sized) features that tracks papers and thus prevents multiple naming of the same feature.The feature database can be used for multicriteria analysis of a terrain, thus enables easy distribution pattern analysis and the correlation of the distribution of different landforms and features on Mars. Such catalog makes a scientific evaluation of potential landing sites easier and more effective during the selection process and also supports automated landing site selections.The catalog is accessible at https://planetarydatabase.wordpress.com/.

Mars Science Laboratory Heatshield Flight Data Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahzari, Milad; White, Todd

2017-01-01

NASA Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), which landed the Curiosity rover on the surface of Mars on August 5th, 2012, was the largest and heaviest Mars entry vehicle representing a significant advancement in planetary entry, descent and landing capability. Hypersonic flight performance data was collected using MSLs on-board sensors called Mars Entry, Descent and Landing Instrumentation (MEDLI). This talk will give an overview of MSL entry and a description of MEDLI sensors. Observations from flight data will be examined followed by a discussion of analysis efforts to reconstruct surface heating from heatshields in-depth temperature measurements. Finally, a brief overview of MEDLI2 instrumentation, which will fly on NASAs Mars2020 mission, will be presented with a discussion on how lessons learned from MEDLI data affected the design of MEDLI2 instrumentation.

Impact of Optimized land Surface Parameters on the Land-Atmosphere Coupling in WRF Simulations of Dry and Wet Extremes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kumar, Sujay; Santanello, Joseph; Peters-Lidard, Christa; Harrison, Ken

2011-01-01

Land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of both planetary boundary layer (PBL) and land surface temperature and moisture budgets, as well as controlling feedbacks with clouds and precipitation that lead to the persistence of dry and wet regimes. Recent efforts to quantify the strength of L-A coupling in prediction models have produced diagnostics that integrate across both the land and PBL components of the system. In this study, we examine the impact of improved specification of land surface states, anomalies, and fluxes on coupled WRF forecasts during the summers of extreme dry (2006) and wet (2007) conditions in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. The improved land initialization and surface flux parameterizations are obtained through the use of a new optimization and uncertainty module in NASA's Land Information System (LIS-OPT), whereby parameter sets are calibrated in the Noah land surface model and classified according to the land cover and soil type mapping of the observations and the full domain. The impact of the calibrated parameters on the a) spin up of land surface states used as initial conditions, and b) heat and moisture fluxes of the coupled (LIS-WRF) simulations are then assessed in terms of ambient weather, PBL budgets, and precipitation along with L-A coupling diagnostics. In addition, the sensitivity of this approach to the period of calibration (dry, wet, normal) is investigated. Finally, tradeoffs of computational tractability and scientific validity (e.g.,. relating to the representation of the spatial dependence of parameters) and the feasibility of calibrating to multiple observational datasets are also discussed.

Options for Affordable Planetary Fission Surface Power Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houts, Mike; Gaddis, Steve; Porter, Ron; VanDyke, Melissa; Martin, Jim; Godfroy, Tom; Bragg-Sitton, Shannon; Garber, Anne; Pearson, Boise

2006-01-01

Nuclear fission systems could serve as "workhorse" power plants for the Vision for Space Exploration. In this context, the "workhorse" power plant is defined as a system that could provide power anywhere on the surface of the moon or Mars, land on the moon using a Robotic Lunar Exploration Program (RLEP)-developed lander, and would be a viable, affordable option once power requirements exceed that which can be provided by existing energy systems.

Preparing Graduate Students for Solar System Science and Exploration Careers: Internships and Field Training Courses led by the Lunar and Planetary Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaner, A. J.; Kring, D. A.

2015-12-01

To be competitive in 21st century science and exploration careers, graduate students in planetary science and related disciplines need mentorship and need to develop skills not always available at their home university, including fieldwork, mission planning, and communicating with others in the scientific and engineering communities in the U.S. and internationally. Programs offered by the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) address these needs through summer internships and field training programs. From 2008-2012, LPI hosted the Lunar Exploration Summer Intern Program. This special summer intern program evaluated possible landing sites for robotic and human exploration missions to the lunar surface. By the end of the 2012 program, a series of scientifically-rich landing sites emerged, some of which had never been considered before. Beginning in 2015 and building on the success of the lunar exploration program, a new Exploration Science Summer Intern Program is being implemented with a broader scope that includes both the Moon and near-Earth asteroids. Like its predecessor, the Exploration Science Summer Intern Program offers graduate students a unique opportunity to integrate scientific input with exploration activities in a way that mission architects and spacecraft engineers can use. The program's activities may involve assessments and traverse plans for a particular destination or a more general assessment of a class of possible exploration targets. Details of the results of these programs will be discussed. Since 2010 graduate students have participated in field training and research programs at Barringer (Meteor) Crater and the Sudbury Impact Structure. Skills developed during these programs prepare students for their own thesis studies in impact-cratered terrains, whether they are on the Earth, the Moon, Mars, or other solar system planetary surface. Future field excursions will take place at these sites as well as the Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field. Skills developed during the Zuni-Bandera training will prepare students for their own thesis studies of volcanic provinces on any solar system planetary surface where basaltic volcanism has occurred. Further details of these field trainings will also be discussed.

Enhanced Fuel-Optimal Trajectory-Generation Algorithm for Planetary Pinpoint Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acikmese, Behcet; Blackmore, James C.; Scharf, Daniel P.

2011-01-01

An enhanced algorithm is developed that builds on a previous innovation of fuel-optimal powered-descent guidance (PDG) for planetary pinpoint landing. The PDG problem is to compute constrained, fuel-optimal trajectories to land a craft at a prescribed target on a planetary surface, starting from a parachute cut-off point and using a throttleable descent engine. The previous innovation showed the minimal-fuel PDG problem can be posed as a convex optimization problem, in particular, as a Second-Order Cone Program, which can be solved to global optimality with deterministic convergence properties, and hence is a candidate for onboard implementation. To increase the speed and robustness of this convex PDG algorithm for possible onboard implementation, the following enhancements are incorporated: 1) Fast detection of infeasibility (i.e., control authority is not sufficient for soft-landing) for subsequent fault response. 2) The use of a piecewise-linear control parameterization, providing smooth solution trajectories and increasing computational efficiency. 3) An enhanced line-search algorithm for optimal time-of-flight, providing quicker convergence and bounding the number of path-planning iterations needed. 4) An additional constraint that analytically guarantees inter-sample satisfaction of glide-slope and non-sub-surface flight constraints, allowing larger discretizations and, hence, faster optimization. 5) Explicit incorporation of Mars rotation rate into the trajectory computation for improved targeting accuracy. These enhancements allow faster convergence to the fuel-optimal solution and, more importantly, remove the need for a "human-in-the-loop," as constraints will be satisfied over the entire path-planning interval independent of step-size (as opposed to just at the discrete time points) and infeasible initial conditions are immediately detected. Finally, while the PDG stage is typically only a few minutes, ignoring the rotation rate of Mars can introduce 10s of meters of error. By incorporating it, the enhanced PDG algorithm becomes capable of pinpoint targeting.

Large-eddy simulations of a Salt Lake Valley cold-air pool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crosman, Erik T.; Horel, John D.

2017-09-01

Persistent cold-air pools are often poorly forecast by mesoscale numerical weather prediction models, in part due to inadequate parameterization of planetary boundary-layer physics in stable atmospheric conditions, and also because of errors in the initialization and treatment of the model surface state. In this study, an improved numerical simulation of the 27-30 January 2011 cold-air pool in Utah's Great Salt Lake Basin is obtained using a large-eddy simulation with more realistic surface state characterization. Compared to a Weather Research and Forecasting model configuration run as a mesoscale model with a planetary boundary-layer scheme where turbulence is highly parameterized, the large-eddy simulation more accurately captured turbulent interactions between the stable boundary-layer and flow aloft. The simulations were also found to be sensitive to variations in the Great Salt Lake temperature and Salt Lake Valley snow cover, illustrating the importance of land surface state in modelling cold-air pools.

GeoComplexity and scale: surface processes and remote sensing of geosystems. GeoComplexity and scale: surface processes and remote sensing of geosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Jan-Peter

2015-04-01

Understanding the role of scaling in different planetary surface processes within our Solar System is one of the fundamental goals of planetary and solid earth scientific research. There has been a revolution in planetary surface observations over the past decade for the Earth, Mars and the Moon, especially in 3D imaging of surface shape (from the planetary scale down to resolutions of 75cm). I will examine three areas that I have been active in over the last 25 years giving examples of newly processed global datasets ripe for scaling analysis: topography, BRDF/albedo and imaging. For understanding scaling in terrestrial land surface topography we now have global 30m digital elevation models (DEMs) from different types of sensors (InSAR and stereo-optical) along with laser altimeter data to provide global reference models (to better than 1m in cross-over areas) and airborne laser altimeter data over small areas at resolutions better than 1m and height accuracies better than 10-15cm. We also have an increasing number of sub-surface observations from long wavelength SAR in arid regions, which will allow us to look at the true surface rather than the one buried by sand. We also still have a major limitation of these DEMs in that they represent an unknown observable surface with C-band InSAR DEMs representing being somewhere near the top of the canopy and X-band InSAR and stereo near the top of the canopy but only P-band representing the true understorey surface. I will present some of the recent highlights of topography on Mars including 3D modelling of surface shape from the ESA Mars Express HRSC (High Resolution Stereo Camera), see [1], [2] at 30-100m grid-spacing; and then co-registered to HRSC using a resolution cascade of 20m DTMs from NASA MRO stereo-CTX and 0.75m digital terrain models (as there is no land cover on Mars) DTMs from MRO stereo-HiRISE [3]. Comparable DTMs now exist for the Moon from 100m up to 1m. I will show examples of these DEM/DTM datasets along with some simple analyses of their scaling properties. Global 1km, 8-daily terrestrial land surface BRDF/albedo maps exist for US sensors from MODIS and by orbit from MISR. More recently, the ESA GlobAlbedo project [4] has produced land surface datasets on the same spatio-temporal sampling using optimal estimation with full uncertainty matrices associated with each and every 1km pixel. By exploiting these uncertainty estimates I show how upscaling can be performed as well as analysing their scaling properties. Recently, a very novel technique for the super-resolution restoration (SRR) of stacks of images has been developed at UCL [5]. First examples shown will be of the entire MER-A Spirit rover traverse taking a stack of 25cm HiRISE to generate a corridor of SRR images along the rover traverse of 5cm imagery of unresolved features such as rocks, created as a consequence of meteoritic bombardment, ridge and valley features. This SRR technique will allow us for ≈400 areas on Mars (where 5 or more HiRISE images have been captured) and similar numbers on the Moon to resolve sub-pixel features. Examples will be shown of how these SRR images can be employed to assist with the better understanding of surface geomorphology. Acknowledgements: The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under PRoViDE grant agreement n˚312377 and the ESA GlobAlbedo project. Partial support is also provided from the STFC "MSSL Consolidated Grant" ST/K000977/1. References: [1] Gwinner, K., F. et al. (2010) Topography of Mars from global mapping by HRSC high-resolution digital terrain models and orthoimages: characteristics and performance. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 294, 506-519, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.11.007, 2010; [2] Gwinner, K., Muller, J-P., et al. (2015) MarsExpress High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) Multi-orbit Data Products: Methodology, Mapping Concepts and Performance for the first Quadrangle (MC-11E). Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 17, EGU2015-13832; [3] Kim, J., & Muller, J. (2009). Multi-resolution topographic data extraction from Martian stereo imagery. Planetary and Space Science, 57, 2095-2112. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2009.09.024; [4] Muller, J.-P., et al. (2011), The ESA GlobAlbedo Project for mapping the Earth's land surface albedo for 15 Years from European Sensors., Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 13, EGU2011-10969; [5] Tao, Y., Muller, J.-P. (2015) Supporting lander and rover operation: a novel super-resolution restoration technique. Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 17, EGU2015-6925

The Synergistic Use of NASA's A-Train Observations to Characterize the Planetary Boundary Layer and Enable Improved Understanding and Prediction of Land-Atmosphere Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavodsky, B.; Santanello, J. A.; Friedl, M. A.; Susskind, J.; Palm, S. P.

2010-12-01

The planetary boundary layer (PBL) serves as a short-term memory of land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions through the diurnal integration of surface fluxes and subsequent evolution of PBL fluxes and states. Recent advances in satellite remote sensing offer the ability to monitor PBL and land surface properties at increasingly high spatial and temporal resolutions and, consequently, have the potential to provide valuable information on the terrestrial energy and water cycle across a range of scales. In this study, we evaluate the retrieval of PBL structure and temperature and moisture properties from measurements made by NASA's Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) , and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instruments aboard the 'A-Train' constellation. The global coverage of these sensors greatly improves upon the coarse network of synoptic radiosonde and intermittent satellite and ground remote sensing currently available, and combining the high vertical and spectral resolution of these sensors allows for PBL retrievals to be evaluated in the context of their relationship with the land surface. Results include an evaluation of CALIPSO, MODIS, and AIRS temperature and humidity retrievals using radiosonde data, focusing on how well PBL properties (e.g. PBL height, temperature, humidity, and stability) can be discerned from each sensor under a range of conditions. Overall, this research is timely in assessing the potential for merging complimentary information from independent sensors, and provides a unique opportunity to evaluate and apply NASA data to answer fundamental questions regarding observation, understanding, and prediction of L-A interactions and coupling.

Innovative hazard detection and avoidance strategy for autonomous safe planetary landing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Xiuqiang; Li, Shuang; Tao, Ting

2016-09-01

Autonomous hazard detection and avoidance (AHDA) is one of the key technologies for future safe planetary landing missions. In this paper, we address the latest progress on planetary autonomous hazard detection and avoidance technologies. First, the innovative autonomous relay hazard detection and avoidance strategy adopted in Chang'e-3 lunar soft landing mission and its flight results are reported in detail. Second, two new conceptual candidate schemes of hazard detection and avoidance are presented based on the Chang'e-3 AHDA system and the latest developing technologies for the future planetary missions, and some preliminary testing results are also given. Finally, the related supporting technologies for the two candidate schemes above are analyzed.

Simulation of boundary layer trajectory dispersion sensitivity to soil moisture conditions: MM5 and noah-based investigation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The sensitivity of trajectories from experiments in which volumetric values of soil moisture were changed with respect to control values were analyzed during three different synoptic episodes in June 2006. The MM5 and Noah land surface models were used to simulate the response of the planetary boun...

Diagnosing the Nature of Land-Atmosphere Coupling During the 2006-7 Dry/Wet Extremes in the U. S. Southern Great Plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santanello, Joseph A.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Kennedy, Aaron D.; Kumar, Sujay; Dong, Xiquan

2011-01-01

Land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of land surface and planetary boundary layer (PBL) temperature and moisture states and fluxes. In turn, these interactions regulate the strength of the connection between surface moisture and precipitation in a coupled system. To address deficiencies in numerical weather prediction and climate models due to improper treatment of L-A interactions, recent studies have focused on development of diagnostics to quantify the strength and accuracy of the land-PBL coupling at the process-level. In this study, a diagnosis of the nature and impacts of local land-atmosphere coupling (LoCo) during dry and wet extreme conditions is presented using a combination of models and observations during the summers of2006-7 in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. Specifically, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model has been coupled to NASA's Land Information System (LIS), which provides a flexible and high resolution representation and initialization of land surface physics and states. A range of diagnostics exploring the links and feedbacks between soil moisture and precipitation are examined for the dry/wet regimes of this region, along with the behavior and accuracy of different land-PBL scheme couplings under these conditions. Results demonstrate how LoCo diagnostics can be applied to coupled model components in the context of their integrated impacts on the process-chain connecting the land surface to the PBL and support of hydrological anomalies.

Comet Pond II: Synergistic Intersection of Concentrated Extraterrestrial Materials and Planetary Environments to Form Procreative Darwinian Ponds.

PubMed

Clark, Benton C; Kolb, Vera M

2018-05-11

In the “comet pond” model, a rare combination of circumstances enables the entry and landing of pristine organic material onto a planetary surface with the creation of a pond by a soft impact and melting of entrained ices. Formation of the constituents of the comet in the cold interstellar medium and our circumstellar disk results in multiple constituents at disequilibrium which undergo rapid chemical reactions in the warmer, liquid environment. The planetary surface also provides minerals and atmospheric gases which chemically interact with the pond’s organic- and trace-element-rich constituents. Pond physical morphology and the heterogeneities imposed by gravitational forces (bottom sludge; surface scum) and weather result in a highly heterogeneous variety of macro- and microenvironments. Wet/dry, freeze/thaw, and natural chromatography processes further promote certain reaction sequences. Evaporation concentrates organics less volatile than water. Freezing concentrates all soluble organics into a residual liquid phase, including CH₃OH, HCN, etc. The pond’s evolutionary processes culminate in the creation of a Macrobiont with the metabolically equivalent capabilities of energy transduction and replication of RNA (or its progenitor informational macromolecule), from which smaller organisms can emerge. Planet-wide dispersal of microorganisms is achieved through wind transport, groundwater, and/or spillover from the pond into surface hydrologic networks.

Validation of the Land-Surface Energy Budget and Planetary Boundary Layer for Several Intensive field Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Schubert, Siegfried; Molod, Andrea; Houser, Paul R.

1999-01-01

Land-surface processes in a data assimilation system influence the lower troposphere and must be properly represented. With the recent incorporation of the Mosaic Land-surface Model (LSM) into the GEOS Data Assimilation System (DAS), the detailed land-surface processes require strict validation. While global data sources can identify large-scale systematic biases at the monthly timescale, the diurnal cycle is difficult to validate. Moreover, global data sets rarely include variables such as evaporation, sensible heat and soil water. Intensive field experiments, on the other hand, can provide high temporal resolution energy budget and vertical profile data for sufficiently long periods, without global coverage. Here, we evaluate the GEOS DAS against several intensive field experiments. The field experiments are First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE, Kansas, summer 1987), Cabauw (as used in PILPS, Netherlands, summer 1987), Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM, Southern Great Plains, winter and summer 1998) and the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA, Arctic ice sheet, winter and summer 1998). The sites provide complete surface energy budget data for periods of at least one year, and some periods of vertical profiles. This comparison provides a detailed validation of the Mosaic LSM within the GEOS DAS for a variety of climatologic and geographic conditions.

Software requirements: Guidance and control software development specification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Withers, B. Edward; Rich, Don C.; Lowman, Douglas S.; Buckland, R. C.

1990-01-01

The software requirements for an implementation of Guidance and Control Software (GCS) are specified. The purpose of the GCS is to provide guidance and engine control to a planetary landing vehicle during its terminal descent onto a planetary surface and to communicate sensory information about that vehicle and its descent to some receiving device. The specification was developed using the structured analysis for real time system specification methodology by Hatley and Pirbhai and was based on a simulation program used to study the probability of success of the 1976 Viking Lander missions to Mars. Three versions of GCS are being generated for use in software error studies.

Mars Rover Navigation Results Using Sun Sensor Heading Determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Volpe, Richard

1998-01-01

Upcoming missions to the surface of Mars will use mobile robots to traverse long distances from the landing site. To prepare for these missions, the prototype rover, Rocky 7, has been tested in desert field trials conducted with a team of planetary scientists. While several new capabilities have been demonstrated, foremost among these was sun-sensor based traversal of natural terrain totaling a distance of one kilometer. This paper describes navigation results obtained in the field tests, where cross-track error was only 6% of distance traveled. Comparison with previous results of other planetary rover systems shows this to be a significant improvement.

Opportunities and trade-offs of biomass based negative emissions within planetary boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heck, Vera; Gerten, Dieter; Lucht, Wolfgang

2017-04-01

The Paris Agreement requires "a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of the century" (UNFCCC, 2015). Without a full decarbonization of the energy and land use sector until the second half of this century, negative emission technologies (NETs) are required to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Integrated assessment studies indicate that bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), a land based NET, has the potential to contribute substantially to balancing anthropogenic fossil fuel emissions. However, significant negative emission potentials from BECCS require substantial biomass potentials, which can only be achieved by intensively managed (fertilized and irrigated) large-scale biomass plantations. Additional to direct trade-offs of land and water availability, the implementation of large-scale biomass plantations implies major restructuring of the land surface on top of existing land use and would be accompanied by indirect trade-offs such as changes in moisture and energy fluxes. In the context of the planetary boundaries framework as proposed by Rockström et al. (2009), BECCS might contribute to reduce the transgression of the planetary boundary (PB) for climate change, but would most likely steer the Earth system closer to the PB for freshwater use and lead to further transgression of the PBs for land system change, biosphere integrity and biogeochemical flows. This presentation will investigate the opportunities of second generation biomass potentials within the safe operating space for humanity and highlight the multidimensional trade-offs between biomass potentials for BECCS in relation to the PBs. Scenarios of land availability for biomass plantations and land based carbon sequestration were developed with a spatially explicit multi-criterial optimization framework, considering the precautionary need to stay within the safe operating space vis-à-vis the need to sustain food supply. References: UNFCCC. Adoption of the Paris Agreement, FCCC/CP/2015/L.9/Rev1, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (2015). J. Rockström et al., A safe operating space for humanity. Nature 461 (7263), 472-475 (2009) Without a full ecarbonization of the energy and land use sector, nes are required to balance sinks and sources according

Remote microscopy and volumetric imaging on the surface of icy satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soto, Alejandro; Nowicki, Keith; Howett, Carly; Feldkhun, Daniel; Retherford, Kurt D.

2017-10-01

With NASA PIDDP support we have applied recent advancements in Fourier-domain microscopy to develop an instrument capable of microscopic imaging from meter-scale distances for use on a planetary lander on the surface of an icy satellite or other planetary bodies. Without moving parts, our instrument projects dynamic patterns of laser light onto a distant target using a lightweight large-aperture reflector, which then collects the light scattered or fluoresced by the target on a fast photon-bucket detector. Using Fourier Transform based techniques, we reconstruct an image from the detected light. The remote microscope has been demonstrated to produce 2D images with better than 15 micron lateral resolution for targets at a distance of 5 meters and is capable of linearly proportionally higher resolution at shorter distances. The remote microscope is also capable of providing three-dimensional (3D) microscopic imaging capabilities, allowing future surface scientists to explore the morphology of microscopic features in surface ices, for example. The instrument enables microscopic in-situ imaging during day or night without the use of a robotic arm, greatly facilitating the surface operations for a lander or rover while expanding the area of investigation near a landing site for improved science targeting. We are developing this remote microscope for in-situ planetary exploration as a collaboration between the Southwest Research Institute, LambdaMetrics, and the University of Colorado.

Diagnosing the Nature of Land-Atmosphere Coupling: A Case Study of Dry/Wet Extremes in the U. S. Southern Great Plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santanello, Joseph A. Jr.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Kennedy, Aaron; Kumar, Sujay V.

2012-01-01

Land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of land surface and planetary boundary layer (PBL) temperature and moisture states and fluxes. In turn, these interactions regulate the strength of the connection between surface moisture and precipitation in a coupled system. To address model deficiencies, recent studies have focused on development of diagnostics to quantify the strength and accuracy of the land- PBL coupling at the process-level. In this paper, a diagnosis of the nature and impacts of local land-atmosphere coupling (LoCo) during dry and wet extreme conditions is presented using a combination of models and observations during the summers of 2006 and 2007 in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. A range of diagnostics exploring the links and feedbacks between soil moisture and precipitation are applied to the dry/wet regimes exhibited in this region, and in the process a thorough evaluation of nine different land-PBL scheme couplings is conducted under the umbrella of a high-resolution regional modeling testbed. Results show that the sign and magnitude of errors in land surface energy balance components are sensitive to the choice of land surface model, regime type, and running mode. In addition, LoCo diagnostics show that the sensitivity of L-A coupling is stronger towards the land during dry conditions, while the PBL scheme coupling becomes more important during the wet regime. Results also demonstrate how LoCo diagnostics can be applied to any modeling system (e.g. reanalysis products) in the context of their integrated impacts on the process-chain connecting the land surface to the PBL and in support of hydrological anomalies.

Diagnosing the Nature of Land-Atmosphere Coupling: A Case Study of Dry/Wet Extremes in the U.S. Southern Great Plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santanello, Joseph A., Jr.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Kennedy, Aaron; Kumar, Sujay V.

2012-01-01

Land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of land surface and planetary boundary layer (PBL) temperature and moisture states and fluxes. In turn, these interactions regulate the strength of the connection between surface moisture and precipitation in a coupled system. To address model deficiencies, recent studies have focused on development of diagnostics to quantify the strength and accuracy of the land-PBL coupling at the process level. In this paper, a diagnosis of the nature and impacts of local land-atmosphere coupling (LoCo) during dry and wet extreme conditions is presented using a combination of models and observations during the summers of 2006 and 2007 in the U.S. southern Great Plains. A range of diagnostics exploring the links and feedbacks between soil moisture and precipitation is applied to the dry/wet regimes exhibited in this region, and in the process, a thorough evaluation of nine different land-PBL scheme couplings is conducted under the umbrella of a high-resolution regional modeling test bed. Results show that the sign and magnitude of errors in land surface energy balance components are sensitive to the choice of land surface model, regime type, and running mode. In addition, LoCo diagnostics show that the sensitivity of L-A coupling is stronger toward the land during dry conditions, while the PBL scheme coupling becomes more important during the wet regime. Results also demonstrate how LoCo diagnostics can be applied to any modeling system (e.g., reanalysis products) in the context of their integrated impacts on the process chain connecting the land surface to the PBL and in support of hydrological anomalies.

Diagnosing the Nature of Land-Atmosphere Coupling During the 2006-7 Dry/Wet Extremes in the U.S. Southern Great Plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santanello, Joseph A., Jr.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Kumar, Sujay V.; Dong, Xiquan; Kennedy, Aaron D.

2011-01-01

Land-atmosphere interactions play a critical role in determining the. diurnal evolution of both planetary boundary layer (PBL) and land surface temperature and moisture states. The degree of coupling between the land surface and PBL in numerical weather prediction and climate models remains largely unexplored and undiagnosed due to the complex interactions and feedbacks present across a range of scales. Further, uncoupled systems or experiments (e.g., the Project for Intercomparison of Land Parameterization Schemes, PILPS) may lead to inaccurate water and energy cycle process understanding by neglecting feedback processes such as PBL-top entrainment. In this study, a framework for diagnosing local land-atmosphere coupling (LoCo) is presented using a coupled mesoscale model with a suite of PBL and land surface model (LSM) options along with observations during the summers of 200617 in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. Specifically, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model has been coupled to NASA's Land Information System (LIS), which provides a flexible and high-resolution representation and initialization of land surface physics and states. A range of diagnostics exploring the links and feedbacks between soil moisture and precipitation are examined for the dry/wet extremes of this region, along with the sensitivity of PBL-LSM coupling to perturbations in soil moisture. As such, this methodology provides a potential pathway to study factors controlling local land-atmosphere coupling (LoCo) using the LIS-WRF system, which is serving as a testbed for LoCo experiments to evaluate coupling diagnostics within the community.

Mars Science Laboratory Planetary Protection Status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benardini, James; La Duc, Myron; Naviaux, Keith; Samuels, Jessica

With over 500 sols of surface operations, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover has trekked over 5km. A key finding along this journey thus far, is that water molecules are bound to fine-grained soil particles, accounting for about 2 percent of the particles' weight at Gale Crater where Curiosity landed. There is no concern to planetary protection as the finding resulted directly from SAM baking (100-835°C) out the soil for analysis. Over that temperature range, OH and/or H2O was released, which was bound in amorphous phases. MSL has completed an approved Post-Launch Report. The Project continues to be in compliance with planetary protection requirements as Curiosity continues its exploration and scientific discoveries there is no evidence suggesting the presence of a special region. There is no spacecraft induced special region and no currently flowing liquid. All systems of interest to planetary protection are functioning nominally. The project has submitted an extended mission request to the NASA PPO. The status of the PP activities will be reported.

Overview of the Mars Sample Return Earth Entry Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dillman, Robert; Corliss, James

2008-01-01

NASA's Mars Sample Return (MSR) project will bring Mars surface and atmosphere samples back to Earth for detailed examination. Langley Research Center's MSR Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV) is a core part of the mission, protecting the sample container during atmospheric entry, descent, and landing. Planetary protection requirements demand a higher reliability from the EEV than for any previous planetary entry vehicle. An overview of the EEV design and preliminary analysis is presented, with a follow-on discussion of recommended future design trade studies to be performed over the next several years in support of an MSR launch in 2018 or 2020. Planned topics include vehicle size for impact protection of a range of sample container sizes, outer mold line changes to achieve surface sterilization during re-entry, micrometeoroid protection, aerodynamic stability, thermal protection, and structural materials selection.

Mass Wasting on the Moon: Implications for Seismicity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weber, Renee; Nahm, Amanda; Schmerr, Nick; Yanites, Brian

2016-01-01

Seismicity estimates play an important role in creating regional geological characterizations, which are useful for understanding a planet's formation and evolution, and are of key importance to site selection for landed missions. Here we investigate the regional effects of seismicity in planetary environments with the goal of determining whether such surface features on the Moon, could be triggered by fault motion.

Analysis and design of a capsule landing system and surface vehicle control system for Mars exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

A number of problems related to the design, construction and evaluation of an autonomous roving planetary vehicle and its control and operating systems intended for an unmanned exploration of Mars are studied. Vehicle configuration, dynamics, control, systems and propulsion; systems analysis; terrain sensing and modeling and path selection; and chemical analysis of samples are included.

Empirical relationships between soil moisture, albedo, and the planetary boundary layer height: a two-layer bucket model approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Mejia, Z. M.; Papuga, S. A.

2013-12-01

In semiarid regions, where water resources are limited and precipitation dynamics are changing, understanding land surface-atmosphere interactions that regulate the coupled soil moisture-precipitation system is key for resource management and planning. We present a modeling approach to study soil moisture and albedo controls on planetary boundary layer height (PBLh). We used data from the Santa Rita Creosote Ameriflux site and Tucson Airport atmospheric sounding to generate empirical relationships between soil moisture, albedo and PBLh. We developed empirical relationships and show that at least 50% of the variation in PBLh can be explained by soil moisture and albedo. Then, we used a stochastically driven two-layer bucket model of soil moisture dynamics and our empirical relationships to model PBLh. We explored soil moisture dynamics under three different mean annual precipitation regimes: current, increase, and decrease, to evaluate at the influence on soil moisture on land surface-atmospheric processes. While our precipitation regimes are simple, they represent future precipitation regimes that can influence the two soil layers in our conceptual framework. For instance, an increase in annual precipitation, could impact on deep soil moisture and atmospheric processes if precipitation events remain intense. We observed that the response of soil moisture, albedo, and the PBLh will depend not only on changes in annual precipitation, but also on the frequency and intensity of this change. We argue that because albedo and soil moisture data are readily available at multiple temporal and spatial scales, developing empirical relationships that can be used in land surface - atmosphere applications are of great value.

An Investigation on the role of Planetary Boundary Layer Parameterization scheme on the performance of a hydrostatic atmospheric model over a Coastal Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anurose, J. T.; Subrahamanyam, Bala D.

2012-07-01

As part of the ocean/land-atmosphere interaction, more than half of the total kinetic energy is lost within the lowest part of atmosphere, often referred to as the planetary boundary layer (PBL). A comprehensive understanding of the energetics of this layer and turbulent processes responsible for dissipation of kinetic energy within the PBL require accurate estimation of sensible and latent heat flux and momentum flux. In numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, these quantities are estimated through different surface-layer and PBL parameterization schemes. This research article investigates different factors influencing the accuracy of a surface-layer parameterization scheme used in a hydrostatic high-resolution regional model (HRM) in the estimation of surface-layer turbulent fluxes of heat, moisture and momentum over the coastal regions of the Indian sub-continent. Results obtained from this sensitivity study of a parameterization scheme in HRM revealed the role of surface roughness length (z_{0}) in conjunction with the temperature difference between the underlying ground surface and atmosphere above (ΔT = T_{G} - T_{A}) in the estimated values of fluxes. For grid points over the land surface where z_{0} is treated as a constant throughout the model integration time, ΔT showed relative dominance in the estimation of sensible heat flux. In contrast to this, estimation of sensible and latent heat flux over ocean were found to be equally sensitive on the method adopted for assigning the values of z_{0} and also on the magnitudes of ΔT.

Environmental Test Program for the Mars Exploration Rover Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, Terry C.; VanVelzer, Paul L.

2004-01-01

On June 10 and July 7, 2003 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched two spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, Florida for a six (6) months flight to the Red Planet, Mars. The two Mars Exploration Rover spacecraft landed safely on the planet in January 2004. Prior to the successful launch, both of the spacecraft were involved in a comprehensive test campaign that included development, qualification, and protoflight test programs. Testing was performed to simulate the environments associated with launch, inter-planetary cruise, landing on the planet and Mars surface operations. Unique test requirements included operating the spacecraft while the chamber pressure was controlled to simulate the decent to the planet from deep space, high impact landing loads and rover operations on the surface of the planet at 8 Torr and -130 C. This paper will present an overview of the test program that included vibration, pyro-shock, landing loads, acoustic noise, thermal vacuum and solar simulation testing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Environmental Test Laboratory facilities in Pasadena, California.

Twenty-Fourth Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Part 2: G-M

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The topics covered include the following: meteorites, meteoritic composition, geochemistry, planetary geology, planetary composition, planetary craters, the Moon, Mars, Venus, asteroids, planetary atmospheres, meteorite craters, space exploration, lunar geology, planetary surfaces, lunar surface, lunar rocks, lunar soil, planetary atmospheres, lunar atmosphere, lunar exploration, space missions, geomorphology, lithology, petrology, petrography, planetary evolution, Earth surface, planetary surfaces, volcanology, volcanos, lava, magma, mineralogy, minerals, ejecta, impact damage, meteoritic damage, tectonics, etc.

Release of Bacterial Spores from the Inner Walls of a Stainless Steel Cup Subjected to Thermal Stresses and Mechanical Shock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolochow, H.; Chatigny, M.; Hebert, J.

1973-01-01

The release and fallout of particulates from surfaces afforded thermal or impact stress is of concern for control of contamination of Mars from planetary landing vehicles. A metal vessel contaminated by aerosols of spores was used as a model system and the fallout of spores as affected by various mechanisms was examined. Thermal stresses simulating those expected on the Mars lander dislodged approximately .01% of the aerosol deposited surface burden as did a landing shock of 8 to 10G deceleration. Spores imprinted by finger or swab contact yielded similar results. In all cases where repeated cycling of temperature, motion, or shock were employed the majority of fallout occurred in the first cycle. Particles released from the surface were predominantly in the size range 1 to 5 microns.

Super Ball Bot - Structures for Planetary Landing and Exploration, NIAC Phase 2 Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

SunSpiral, Vytas; Agogino, Adrian; Atkinson, David

2015-01-01

Small, light-weight and low-cost missions will become increasingly important to NASA's exploration goals. Ideally teams of small, collapsible, light weight robots, will be conveniently packed during launch and would reliably separate and unpack at their destination. Such robots will allow rapid, reliable in-situ exploration of hazardous destination such as Titan, where imprecise terrain knowledge and unstable precipitation cycles make single-robot exploration problematic. Unfortunately landing lightweight conventional robots is difficult with current technology. Current robot designs are delicate, requiring a complex combination of devices such as parachutes, retrorockets and impact balloons to minimize impact forces and to place a robot in a proper orientation. Instead we are developing a radically different robot based on a "tensegrity" structure and built purely with tensile and compression elements. Such robots can be both a landing and a mobility platform allowing for dramatically simpler mission profile and reduced costs. These multi-purpose robots can be light-weight, compactly stored and deployed, absorb strong impacts, are redundant against single-point failures, can recover from different landing orientations and can provide surface mobility. These properties allow for unique mission profiles that can be carried out with low cost and high reliability and which minimizes the inefficient dependance on "use once and discard" mass associated with traditional landing systems. We believe tensegrity robot technology can play a critical role in future planetary exploration.

Simulations of GCR interactions within planetary bodies using GEANT4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mesick, K.; Feldman, W. C.; Stonehill, L. C.; Coupland, D. D. S.

2017-12-01

On planetary bodies with little to no atmosphere, Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) can hit the body and produce neutrons primarily through nuclear spallation within the top few meters of the surfaces. These neutrons undergo further nuclear interactions with elements near the planetary surface and some will escape the surface and can be detected by landed or orbiting neutron radiation detector instruments. The neutron leakage signal at fast neutron energies provides a measure of average atomic mass of the near-surface material and in the epithermal and thermal energy ranges is highly sensitive to the presence of hydrogen. Gamma-rays can also escape the surface, produced at characteristic energies depending on surface composition, and can be detected by gamma-ray instruments. The intra-nuclear cascade (INC) that occurs when high-energy GCRs interact with elements within a planetary surface to produce the leakage neutron and gamma-ray signals is highly complex, and therefore Monte Carlo based radiation transport simulations are commonly used for predicting and interpreting measurements from planetary neutron and gamma-ray spectroscopy instruments. In the past, the simulation code that has been widely used for this type of analysis is MCNPX [1], which was benchmarked against data from the Lunar Neutron Probe Experiment (LPNE) on Apollo 17 [2]. In this work, we consider the validity of the radiation transport code GEANT4 [3], another widely used but open-source code, by benchmarking simulated predictions of the LPNE experiment to the Apollo 17 data. We consider the impact of different physics model options on the results, and show which models best describe the INC based on agreement with the Apollo 17 data. The success of this validation then gives us confidence in using GEANT4 to simulate GCR-induced neutron leakage signals on Mars in relevance to a re-analysis of Mars Odyssey Neutron Spectrometer data. References [1] D.B. Pelowitz, Los Alamos National Laboratory, LA-CP-05-0369, 2005. [2] G.W. McKinney et al, Journal of Geophysics Research, 111, E06004, 2006. [3] S. Agostinelli et al, Nuclear Instrumentation and Methods A, 506, 2003.

Automatic rocks detection and classification on high resolution images of planetary surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aboudan, A.; Pacifici, A.; Murana, A.; Cannarsa, F.; Ori, G. G.; Dell'Arciprete, I.; Allemand, P.; Grandjean, P.; Portigliotti, S.; Marcer, A.; Lorenzoni, L.

2013-12-01

High-resolution images can be used to obtain rocks location and size on planetary surfaces. In particular rock size-frequency distribution is a key parameter to evaluate the surface roughness, to investigate the geologic processes that formed the surface and to assess the hazards related with spacecraft landing. The manual search for rocks on high-resolution images (even for small areas) can be a very intensive work. An automatic or semi-automatic algorithm to identify rocks is mandatory to enable further processing as determining the rocks presence, size, height (by means of shadows) and spatial distribution over an area of interest. Accurate rocks and shadows contours localization are the key steps for rock detection. An approach to contour detection based on morphological operators and statistical thresholding is presented in this work. The identified contours are then fitted using a proper geometric model of the rocks or shadows and used to estimate salient rocks parameters (position, size, area, height). The performances of this approach have been evaluated both on images of Martian analogue area of Morocco desert and on HiRISE images. Results have been compared with ground truth obtained by means of manual rock mapping and proved the effectiveness of the algorithm. The rock abundance and rocks size-frequency distribution derived on selected HiRISE images have been compared with the results of similar analyses performed for the landing site certification of Mars landers (Viking, Pathfinder, MER, MSL) and with the available thermal data from IRTM and TES.

Self-position estimation using terrain shadows for precise planetary landing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuga, Tomoki; Kojima, Hirohisa

2018-07-01

In recent years, the investigation of moons and planets has attracted increasing attention in several countries. Furthermore, recently developed landing systems are now expected to reach more scientifically interesting areas close to hazardous terrain, requiring precise landing capabilities within a 100 m range of the target point. To achieve this, terrain-relative navigation (capable of estimating the position of a lander relative to the target point on the ground surface is actively being studied as an effective method for achieving highly accurate landings. This paper proposes a self-position estimation method using shadows on the terrain based on edge extraction from image processing algorithms. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated through numerical simulations using images generated from a digital elevation model of simulated terrains.

Planetary protection program for Mars 94/96 mission.

PubMed

Rogovski, G; Bogomolov, V; Ivanov, M; Runavot, J; Debus, A; Victorov, A; Darbord, J C

1996-01-01

Mars surface in-situ exploration started in 1975 with the American VIKING mission. Two probes landed on the northern hemisphere and provided, for the first time, detailed information on the martian terrain, atmosphere and meteorology. The current goal is to undertake larger surface investigations and many projects are being planned by the major Space Agencies with this objective. Among these projects, the Mars 94/96 mission will make a major contributor toward generating significant information about the martian surface on a large scale. Since the beginning of the Solar System exploration, planets where life could exist have been subject to planetary protection requirements. Those requirements accord with the COSPAR Policy and have two main goals: the protection of the planetary environment from influence or contamination by terrestrial microorganisms, the protection of life science, and particularly of life detection experiments searching extra-terrestrial life, and not life carried by probes and spacecrafts. As the conditions for life and survival for terrestrial microorganisms in the Mars environment became known, COSPAR recommendations were updated. This paper will describe the decontamination requirements which will be applied for the MARS 94/96 mission, the techniques and the procedures which are and will be used to realize and control the decontamination of probes and spacecrafts.

Diagnosing the Nature of Land-Atmosphere Coupling: A Case Study of Dry/Wet Extremes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santanello, Joseph A., Jr.; Peters-Lidard, Christa; Kennedy, Aaron D.

2012-01-01

Land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of land surface and planetary boundary layer (PBL) temperature and moisture states and fluxes. In turn, these interactions regulate the strength of the connection between surface moisture and precipitation in a coupled system. To address deficiencies in numerical weather prediction and climate models due to improper treatment of L-A interactions, recent studies have focused on development of diagnostics to quantify the strength and accuracy of the land-PBL coupling at the process-level. In this study, a diagnosis of the nature and impacts oflocalland-atmosphere coupling (LoCo) during dry and wet extreme conditions is presented using a combination of models and observations during the summers of2006-7 in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. Specifically, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model has been coupled to NASA's Land Information System (LIS), which provides a flexible and high-resolution representation and initialization of land surface physics and states. A range of diagnostics exploring the links and feedbacks between soil moisture and precipitation are examined for the dry/wet regimes of this region, along with the behavior and accuracy of different land-PBL scheme couplings under these conditions. In addition, we examine the impact of improved specification ofland surface states, anomalies, and fluxes that are obtained through the use of a hew optimization and uncertainty module in LIS, on the L-A coupling in WRF forecasts. Results demonstrate how LoCo diagnostics can be applied to coupled model components in the context of their integrated impacts on the process-chain connecting the land surface to the PBL and support of hydrological anomalies.

Twenty-Fourth Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Part 2: G-M

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-01-01

The topics covered include the following: meteorites, meteoritic composition, geochemistry, planetary geology, planetary composition, planetary craters, the Moon, Mars, Venus, asteroids, planetary atmospheres, meteorite craters, space exploration, lunar geology, planetary surfaces, lunar surface, lunar rocks, lunar soil, planetary atmospheres, lunar atmosphere, lunar exploration, space missions, geomorphology, lithology, petrology, petrography, planetary evolution, Earth surface, planetary surfaces, volcanology, volcanos, lava, magma, mineralogy, minerals, ejecta, impact damage, meteoritic damage, tectonics, etc. Separate abstracts have been prepared for articles from this report.

Building on the Cornerstone: Destinations for Nearside Sample Return

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, S. J.; Jolliff, B. L.; Draper, D.; Stopar, J. D.; Petro, N. E.; Cohen, B. A.; Speyerer, E. J.; Gruener, J. E.

2016-01-01

Discoveries from LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) have transformed our knowledge of the Moon, but LRO's instruments were originally designed to collect the measurements required to enable future lunar surface exploration. Compelling science questions and critical resources make the Moon a key destination for future human and robotic exploration. Lunar surface exploration, including rovers and other landed missions, must be part of a balanced planetary science and exploration portfolio. Among the highest planetary exploration priorities is the collection of new samples and their return to Earth for more comprehensive analysis than can be done in-situ. The Moon is the closest and most accessible location to address key science questions through targeted sample return. The Moon is the only other planet from which we have contextualized samples, yet critical issues need to be addressed: we lack important details of the Moon's early and recent geologic history, the full compositional and age ranges of its crust, and its bulk composition.

Permafrost and Subsurface Ice in the Solar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, D. M.

1985-01-01

The properties and behavior of planetary permafrost are discussed with reference to the ability of such surfaces to sustain loads characteristics of spacecraft landing and planetary bases. In most occurrences, water ice is in close proximity to, or in contact with, finely divided silicate mineral matter. When ice contacts silicate mineral surfaces, a liquid-like, transition zone is created. Its thickness ranges from several hundred Angstron units at temperatures near 0 degrees C to about three Angstrom units at -150 degrees C. When soluble substances are present, the resulting brine enlarges the interfacial zone. When clays are involved, although the interfacial zone may be small, its extent is large. The unfrozen, interfacial water may amount to 100% or more weight at a temperature of -5 degrees C. The presence of this interfacial unfrozen water acts to confer plasticity to permafrost, enabling it to exhibit creep at all imposed levels of stress. Nucleation processes and load-bearing capacity are examined.

Morpheus Vertical Test Bed Flight Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hart, Jeremy; Devolites, Jennifer

2014-01-01

NASA's Morpheus Project has developed and tested a prototype planetary lander capable of vertical takeoff and landing, that is designed to serve as a testbed for advanced spacecraft technologies. The lander vehicle, propelled by a LOX/Methane engine and sized to carry a 500kg payload to the lunar surface, provides a platform for bringing technologies from the laboratory into an integrated flight system at relatively low cost. Morpheus onboard software is autonomous from ignition all the way through landing, and is designed to be capable of executing a variety of flight trajectories, with onboard fault checks and automatic contingency responses. The Morpheus 1.5A vehicle performed 26 integrated vehicle test flights including hot-fire tests, tethered tests, and two attempted freeflights between April 2011 and August 2012. The final flight of Morpheus 1.5A resulted in a loss of the vehicle. In September 2012, development began on the Morpheus 1.5B vehicle, which subsequently followed a similar test campaign culminating in free-flights at a simulated planetary landscape built at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. This paper describes the integrated test campaign, including successes and setbacks, and how the system design for handling faults and failures evolved over the course of the project.

Hazard detection and avoidance sensor for NASA's planetary landers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lau, Brian; Chao, Tien-Hsin

1992-01-01

An optical terrain analysis based sensor system specifically designed for landing hazard detection as required for NASA's autonomous planetary landers is introduced. This optical hazard detection and avoidance (HDA) sensor utilizes an optoelectronic wedge-and-ting (WRD) filter for Fourier transformed feature extraction and an electronic neural network processor for pattern classification. A fully implemented optical HDA sensor would assure safe landing of the planetary landers. Computer simulation results of a successful feasibility study is reported. Future research for hardware system implementation is also provided.

Modeling and Observational Framework for Diagnosing Local Land-Atmosphere Coupling on Diurnal Time Scales

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santanello, Joseph A., Jr.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Kumar, Sujay V.; Alonge, Charles; Tao, Wei-Kuo

2009-01-01

Land-atmosphere interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of both planetary boundary layer (PBL) and land surface temperature and moisture states. The degree of coupling between the land surface and PBL in numerical weather prediction and climate models remains largely unexplored and undiagnosed due to the complex interactions and feedbacks present across a range of scales. Further, uncoupled systems or experiments (e.g., the Project for Intercomparison of Land Parameterization Schemes, PILPS) may lead to inaccurate water and energy cycle process understanding by neglecting feedback processes such as PBL-top entrainment. In this study, a framework for diagnosing local land-atmosphere coupling is presented using a coupled mesoscale model with a suite of PBL and land surface model (LSM) options along with observations during field experiments in the U. S. Southern Great Plains. Specifically, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model has been coupled to the Land Information System (LIS), which provides a flexible and high-resolution representation and initialization of land surface physics and states. Within this framework, the coupling established by each pairing of the available PBL schemes in WRF with the LSMs in LIS is evaluated in terms of the diurnal temperature and humidity evolution in the mixed layer. The co-evolution of these variables and the convective PBL is sensitive to and, in fact, integrative of the dominant processes that govern the PBL budget, which are synthesized through the use of mixing diagrams. Results show how the sensitivity of land-atmosphere interactions to the specific choice of PBL scheme and LSM varies across surface moisture regimes and can be quantified and evaluated against observations. As such, this methodology provides a potential pathway to study factors controlling local land-atmosphere coupling (LoCo) using the LIS-WRF system, which will serve as a testbed for future experiments to evaluate coupling diagnostics within the community.

Multi-Annual Data Products on Turbulent Heat Fluxes at the Local and Continental Scale Using AATSR and FY-2 Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menenti, M.; Ghafarian, H.; Tang, B.; Faivre, R.; Colin, J.; Jia, L.; Roupios, L.

2013-01-01

This paper summarizes the results of studies carried in the framework of the Dragon 2 Program - Project 5322 Key Eco-Hydrological Parameters Retrieval and Land Data Assimilation System Development in a Typical Inland River Basin of Chinas Arid Region. The investigations were focused on monitoring the fluxes of energy and water at the land-atmosphere interface across a range of spatial scales, using multi-spectral radiometric data collected by space-borne imaging radiometers. At the local scale a new approach to parameterize heat and vapour fluxes was developed and applied using Computational Fluid Dynamics to describe state and dynamics of the boundary layer over the heterogeneous and 3D structured land surface. An airborne scanning LIDAR was used to capture in detail surface geometry. Over the large area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau a land-atmospheric model was used to characterize the atmospheric Planetary Boundary Layer. The effect of land surface heterogeneity and structure on the exchange of heat and water was captured using the bi-angular observations of brightness temperature provided by the AATSR imaging radiometer. The heat and water flux densities were calculated hourly with Feng-Yun C, D and E VISSR data over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the headwaters of main rivers around it.

Advanced Russian Mission Laplace-P to Study the Planetary System of Jupiter: Scientific Goals, Objectives, Special Features and Mission Profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martynov, M. B.; Merkulov, P. V.; Lomakin, I. V.; Vyatlev, P. A.; Simonov, A. V.; Leun, E. V.; Barabanov, A. A.; Nasyrov, A. F.

2017-12-01

The advanced Russian project Laplace-P is aimed at developing and launching two scientific spacecraft (SC)— Laplace-P1 ( LP1 SC) and Laplace-P2 ( LP2 SC)—designed for remote and in-situ studies of the system of Jupiter and its moon Ganymede. The LP1 and LP2 spacecraft carry an orbiter and a lander onboard, respectively. One of the orbiter's objectives is to map the surface of Ganymede from the artificial satellite's orbit and to acquire the data for the landing site selection. The main objective of the lander is to carry out in-situ investigations of Ganymede's surface. The paper describes the scientific goals and objectives of the mission, its special features, and the LP1 and LP2 mission profiles during all of the phases—from the launch to the landing on the surface of Ganymede.

Lidar Systems for Precision Navigation and Safe Landing on Planetary Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin; Pierrottet, Diego F.; Petway, Larry B.; Hines, Glenn D.; Roback, Vincent E.

2011-01-01

The ability of lidar technology to provide three-dimensional elevation maps of the terrain, high precision distance to the ground, and approach velocity can enable safe landing of robotic and manned vehicles with a high degree of precision. Currently, NASA is developing novel lidar sensors aimed at needs of future planetary landing missions. These lidar sensors are a 3-Dimensional Imaging Flash Lidar, a Doppler Lidar, and a Laser Altimeter. The Flash Lidar is capable of generating elevation maps of the terrain that indicate hazardous features such as rocks, craters, and steep slopes. The elevation maps collected during the approach phase of a landing vehicle, at about 1 km above the ground, can be used to determine the most suitable safe landing site. The Doppler Lidar provides highly accurate ground relative velocity and distance data allowing for precision navigation to the landing site. Our Doppler lidar utilizes three laser beams pointed to different directions to measure line of sight velocities and ranges to the ground from altitudes of over 2 km. Throughout the landing trajectory starting at altitudes of about 20 km, the Laser Altimeter can provide very accurate ground relative altitude measurements that are used to improve the vehicle position knowledge obtained from the vehicle navigation system. At altitudes from approximately 15 km to 10 km, either the Laser Altimeter or the Flash Lidar can be used to generate contour maps of the terrain, identifying known surface features such as craters, to perform Terrain relative Navigation thus further reducing the vehicle s relative position error. This paper describes the operational capabilities of each lidar sensor and provides a status of their development. Keywords: Laser Remote Sensing, Laser Radar, Doppler Lidar, Flash Lidar, 3-D Imaging, Laser Altimeter, Precession Landing, Hazard Detection

Project Morpheus: Morpheus 1.5A Lander Failure Investigation Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devolites, Jennifer L.; Olansen, Jon B.; Munday, Stephen R.

2013-01-01

On August 9, 2012 the Morpheus 1.5A vehicle crashed shortly after lift off from the Kennedy Space Center. The loss was limited to the vehicle itself which was pre-declared to be a test failure and not a mishap. The Morpheus project is demonstrating advanced technologies for in space and planetary surface vehicles including: autonomous flight control, landing site hazard identification and safe site selection, relative surface and hazard navigation, precision landing, modular reusable flight software, and high performance, non-toxic, cryogenic liquid Oxygen and liquid Methane integrated main engine and attitude control propulsion system. A comprehensive failure investigation isolated the fault to the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data path to the flight computer. Several improvements have been identified and implemented for the 1.5B and 1.5C vehicles.

LIDAR-Aided Inertial Navigation with Extended Kalman Filtering for Pinpoint Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Busnardo, David M.; Aitken, Matthew L.; Tolson, Robert H.; Pierrottet, Diego; Amzajerdian, Farzin

2011-01-01

In support of NASA s Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project, an extended Kalman filter routine has been developed for estimating the position, velocity, and attitude of a spacecraft during the landing phase of a planetary mission. The proposed filter combines measurements of acceleration and angular velocity from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) with range and Doppler velocity observations from an onboard light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system. These high-precision LIDAR measurements of distance to the ground and approach velocity will enable both robotic and manned vehicles to land safely and precisely at scientifically interesting sites. The filter has been extensively tested using a lunar landing simulation and shown to improve navigation over flat surfaces or rough terrain. Experimental results from a helicopter flight test performed at NASA Dryden in August 2008 demonstrate that LIDAR can be employed to significantly improve navigation based exclusively on IMU integration.

Multi-Satellite Estimates of Land-Surface Properties for Determination of Energy and Water Budgets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menzel, W. Paul; Rabin, Robert M.; Neale, Christopher M. U.; Gallo, Kevin; Diak, George R.

1998-01-01

Using the WETNET database, existing methods for the estimation of surface wetness from SSM/I data have been assessed and further developed. A physical-statistical method for optimal estimation of daily surface heat flux and Bowen ratio on the mesoscale has been developed and tested. This method is based on observations of daytime planetary boundary layer (PBL) growth from operational ravansonde and daytime land-surface temperature amplitude from Geostationary Operational Environmental (GOES) satellites. The mesoscale patterns of these heat fluxes have been compared with an AVHRR-based vegetation index and surface wetness (separately estimated from SSM/I and in situ observations). Cases of the 1988 Midwest drought and a surface/atmosphere moisture gradient (dry-line) in the southern Plains were studied. The analyses revealed significant variations in sensible heat flux (S(sub 0), and Bowen ratio, B(sub 0)) associated with vegetation cover and antecedent precipitation. Relationships for surface heat flux (and Bowen ratio) from antecedent precipitation and vegetation index have been developed and compared to other findings. Results from this project are reported in the following reviewed literature.

Towards a rapid and comprehensive microbial detection and identification system for life support and planetary protection applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lasseur, Christophe

Long term manned missions of our Russian colleagues have demonstrated the risks associated with microbial contamination. These risks concern both crew health via the metabolic consumables contamination (water, air,.) but and also the hardware degradation. In parallel to these life support issues, planetary protection experts have agreed to place clear specifications of the microbial quality of future hardware landing on extraterrestrial planets as well as elaborate the requirements of contamination for manned missions on surface. For these activities, it is necessary to have a better understanding of microbial activity, to create culture collections and to develop on-line detection tools. . In this respect, over the last 6 years , ESA has supported active scientific research on the choice of critical genes and functions, including those linked to horizontal gene pool of bacteria and its dissemination. In parallel, ESA and European industries have been developing an automated instrument for rapid microbial detection on air and surface samples. Within this paper, we first present the life support and planetary protection requirements, and the state of the art of the instrument development. Preliminary results at breadboard level, including a mock-up view of the final instrument are also presented. Finally, the remaining steps required to reach a functional instrument for planetary hardware integration and life support flight hardware are also presented.

Visualizing Moon Data and Imagery with Google Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss-Malik, M.; Scharff, T.; Nefian, A.; Moratto, Z.; Kolb, E.; Lundy, M.; Hancher, M.; Gorelick, N.; Broxton, M.; Beyer, R. A.

2009-12-01

There is a vast store of planetary geospatial data that has been collected by NASA but is difficult to access and visualize. Virtual globes have revolutionized the way we visualize and understand the Earth, but other planetary bodies including Mars and the Moon can be visualized in similar ways. Extraterrestrial virtual globes are poised to revolutionize planetary science, bring an exciting new dimension to science education, and allow ordinary users to explore imagery being sent back to Earth by planetary science satellites. The original Google Moon Web site was a limited series of maps and Apollo content. The new Moon in Google Earth feature provides a similar virtual planet experience for the Moon as we have for the Earth and Mars. We incorporated existing Clementine and Lunar Orbiter imagery for the basemaps and a combination of Kaguya LALT topography and some terrain created from Apollo Metric and Panoramic images. We also have information about the Apollo landings and other robotic landers on the surface, as well as historic maps and charts, and guided tours. Some of the first-released LROC imagery of the Apollo landing sites has been put in place, and we look forward to incorporating more data as it is released from LRO, Chandraayan-1, and Kaguya. These capabilities have obvious public outreach and education benefits, but the potential benefits of allowing planetary scientists to rapidly explore these large and varied data collections — in geological context and within a single user interface — are also becoming evident. Because anyone can produce additional KML content for use in Google Earth, scientists can customize the environment to their needs as well as publish their own processed data and results for others to use. Many scientists and organizations have begun to do this already, resulting in a useful and growing collection of planetary-science-oriented Google Earth layers. Screen shot of Moon in Google Earth, a freely downloadable application for visualizing Moon imagery and data.

Mars Sample Return without Landing on the Surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jurewicz, A. J. G.; Jones, Steven M.; Yen, A. S.

2000-01-01

Many in the science community want a Mars sample return in the near future, with the expectation that it will provide in-depth information, significantly beyond what we know from remote sensing, limited in-situ measurements, and work with Martian meteorites. Certainly, return of samples from the Moon resulted in major advances in our understanding of both the geologic history of our planetary satellite, and its relationship to Earth. Similar scientific insights would be expected from analyses of samples returned from Mars. Unfortunately, Mars-lander sample-return missions have been delayed, for the reason that NASA needs more time to review the complexities and risks associated with that type of mission. A traditional sample return entails a complex transfer-chain, including landing, collection, launch, rendezvous, and the return to Earth, as well as an evaluation of potential biological hazards involved with bringing pristine Martian organics to Earth. There are, however, means of returning scientifically-rich samples from Mars without landing on the surface. This paper discusses an approach for returning intact samples of surface dust, based on known instrument technology, without using an actual Martian lander.

Mesoscale Simulations of a Florida Sea Breeze Using the PLACE Land Surface Model Coupled to a 1.5-Order Turbulence Parameterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynn, Barry H.; Stauffer, David R.; Wetzel, Peter J.; Tao, Wei-Kuo; Perlin, Natal; Baker, R. David; Munoz, Ricardo; Boone, Aaron; Jia, Yiqin

1999-01-01

A sophisticated land-surface model, PLACE, the Parameterization for Land Atmospheric Convective Exchange, has been coupled to a 1.5-order turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) turbulence sub-model. Both have been incorporated into the Penn State/National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU/NCAR) mesoscale model MM5. Such model improvements should have their greatest effect in conditions where surface contrasts dominate over dynamic processes, such as the simulation of warm-season, convective events. A validation study used the newly coupled model, MM5 TKE-PLACE, to simulate the evolution of Florida sea-breeze moist convection during the Convection and Precipitation Electrification Experiment (CaPE). Overall, eight simulations tested the sensitivity of the MM5 model to combinations of the new and default model physics, and initialization of soil moisture and temperature. The TKE-PLACE model produced more realistic surface sensible heat flux, lower biases for surface variables, more realistic rainfall, and cloud cover than the default model. Of the 8 simulations with different factors (i.e., model physics or initialization), TKE-PLACE compared very well when each simulation was ranked in terms of biases of the surface variables and rainfall, and percent and root mean square of cloud cover. A factor separation analysis showed that a successful simulation required the inclusion of a multi-layered, land surface soil vegetation model, realistic initial soil moisture, and higher order closure of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). These were needed to realistically model the effect of individual, joint, and synergistic contributions from the land surface and PBL on the CAPE sea-breeze, Lake Okeechobee lake breeze, and moist convection.

Conformal Ablative Thermal Protection System for Planetary and Human Exploration Missions: Overview of the Technology Maturation Efforts Funded by NASA's Game Changing Development Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, Robin A.; Arnold, James O.; Gasch, Matthew J.; Stackpoole, Margaret M.; Fan, Wendy; Szalai, Christine E.; Wercinski, Paul F.; Venkatapathy, Ethiraj

2012-01-01

The Office of Chief Technologist (OCT), NASA has identified the need for research and technology development in part from NASA's Strategic Goal 3.3 of the NASA Strategic Plan to develop and demonstrate the critical technologies that will make NASA's exploration, science, and discovery missions more affordable and more capable. Furthermore, the Game Changing Development Program (GCDP) is a primary avenue to achieve the Agency's 2011 strategic goal to "Create the innovative new space technologies for our exploration, science, and economic future." In addition, recently released "NASA space Technology Roadmaps and Priorities," by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences stresses the need for NASA to invest in the very near term in specific EDL technologies. The report points out the following challenges (Page 2-38 of the pre-publication copy released on February 1, 2012): Mass to Surface: Develop the ability to deliver more payload to the destination. NASA's future missions will require ever-greater mass delivery capability in order to place scientifically significant instrument packages on distant bodies of interest, to facilitate sample returns from bodies of interest, and to enable human exploration of planets such as Mars. As the maximum mass that can be delivered to an entry interface is fixed for a given launch system and trajectory design, the mass delivered to the surface will require reduction in spacecraft structural mass; more efficient, lighter thermal protection systems; more efficient lighter propulsion systems; and lighter, more efficient deceleration systems. Surface Access: Increase the ability to land at a variety of planetary locales and at a variety of times. Access to specific sites can be achieved via landing at a specific location (s) or transit from a single designated landing location, but it is currently infeasible to transit long distances and through extremely rugged terrain, requiring landing close to the site of interest. The entry environment is not always guaranteed with a direct entry, and improving the entry system's robustness to a variety of environmental conditions could aid in reaching more varied landing sites."

Proceedings of the 38th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

The sessions in the conference include: Titan, Mars Volcanism, Mars Polar Layered Deposits, Early Solar System Isotopes, SPECIAL SESSION: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: New Ways of Studying the Red Planet, Achondrites: Exploring Oxygen Isotopes and Parent-Body Processes, Solar System Formation and Evolution, SPECIAL SESSION: SMART-1, . Impact Cratering: Observations and Experiments, SPECIAL SESSION: Volcanism and Tectonism on Saturnian Satellites, Solar Nebula Composition, Mars Fluvial Geomorphology, Asteroid Observations: Spectra, Mostly, Mars Sediments and Geochemistry: View from the Surface, Mars Tectonics and Crustal Dichotomy, Stardust: Wild-2 Revealed, Impact Cratering from Observations and Interpretations, Mars Sediments and Geochemistry: The Map View, Chondrules and Their Formation, Enceladus, Asteroids and Deep Impact: Structure, Dynamics, and Experiments, Mars Surface Process and Evolution, Martian Meteorites: Nakhlites, Experiments, and the Great Shergottite Age Debate, Stardust: Mainly Mineralogy, Astrobiology, Wind-Surface Interactions on Mars and Earth, Icy Satellite Surfaces, Venus, Lunar Remote Sensing, Space Weathering, and Impact Effects, Interplanetary Dust/Genesis, Mars Cratering: Counts and Catastrophes?, Chondrites: Secondary Processes, Mars Sediments and Geochemistry: Atmosphere, Soils, Brines, and Minerals, Lunar Interior and Differentiation, Mars Magnetics and Atmosphere: Core to Ionosphere, Metal-rich Chondrites, Organics in Chondrites, Lunar Impacts and Meteorites, Presolar/Solar Grains, Topics for Print Only papers are: Outer Planets/Satellites, Early Solar System, Interplanetary Dust, Comets and Kuiper Belt Objects, Asteroids and Meteoroids, Chondrites, Achondrites, Meteorite Related, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars, Astrobiology, Planetary Differentiation, Impacts, Mercury, Lunar Samples and Modeling, Venus, Missions and Instruments, Global Warming, Education and Public Outreach, Poster sessions are: Asteroids/Kuiper Belt Objects, Galilean Satellites: Geology and Mapping, Titan, Volcanism and Tectonism on Saturnian Satellites, Early Solar System, Achondrite Hodgepodge, Ordinary Chondrites, Carbonaceous Chondrites, Impact Cratering from Observations and Interpretations, Impact Cratering from Experiments and Modeling, SMART-1, Planetary Differentiation, Mars Geology, Mars Volcanism, Mars Tectonics, Mars: Polar, Glacial, and Near-Surface Ice, Mars Valley Networks, Mars Gullies, Mars Outflow Channels, Mars Sediments and Geochemistry: Spirit and Opportunity, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: New Ways of Studying the Red Planet, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: Geology, Layers, and Landforms, Oh, My!, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: Viewing Mars Through Multicolored Glasses; Mars Science Laboratory, Phoenix, and ExoMars: Science, Instruments, and Landing Sites; Planetary Analogs: Chemical and Mineral, Planetary Analogs: Physical, Planetary Analogs: Operations, Future Mission Concepts, Planetary Data, Imaging, and Cartography, Outer Solar System, Presolar/Solar Grains, Stardust Mission; Interplanetary Dust, Genesis, Asteroids and Comets: Models, Dynamics, and Experiments, Venus, Mercury, Laboratory Instruments, Methods, and Techniques to Support Planetary Exploration; Instruments, Techniques, and Enabling Techologies for Planetary Exploration; Lunar Missions and Instruments, Living and Working on the Moon, Meteoroid Impacts on the Moon, Lunar Remote Sensing, Lunar Samples and Experiments, Lunar Atmosphere, Moon: Soils, Poles, and Volatiles, Lunar Topography and Geophysics, Lunar Meteorites, Chondrites: Secondary Processes, Chondrites, Martian Meteorites, Mars Cratering, Mars Surface Processes and Evolution, Mars Sediments and Geochemistry: Regolith, Spectroscopy, and Imaging, Mars Sediments and Geochemistry: Analogs and Mineralogy, Mars: Magnetics and Atmosphere, Mars Aeolian Geomorphology, Mars Data Processing and Analyses, Astrobiology, Engaging Student Educators and the Public in Planetary Science,

Electrostatic Charging of Polymers by Particle Impact at Low Pressures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calle, Carlos I.; Mantovani, J. G.; Buhler, C. R.; Hogue, M. D.; Nowicki, A. W.; Groop, E. E.; Thompson, Karen (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Studies of the electrostatic interaction between micrometer-sized particles and polymer surfaces are of great interest to NASA's planetary exploration program. The unmanned landing missions to Mars planned for this decade as well as the possible manned missions that might take place during the second decade of this century require a better understanding of the electrostatic response of the materials used in landing crafts and equipment when exposed to wind-blown dust or to surface dust and sand particles. We report on preliminary experiments designed to measure the electrostatic charge developed on five polymer surfaces as they are impacted simultaneously by Mars simulant particles less than 5 micrometers in diameter moving at 20 m/s. Experiments were performed in a CO2 atmosphere at 10 mbars of pressure using a particle delivery method that propels the particles with contact. Experiments were also performed in dry air at atmospheric pressures using a pressurized particle delivery system. The five polymer surfaces, commonly used in space applications, were chosen so that they span the triboelectric series.

Bayesian evidence for the prevalence of waterworlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpson, Fergus

2017-07-01

Should we expect most habitable planets to share the Earth's marbled appearance? For a planetary surface to boast extensive areas of both land and water, a delicate balance must be struck between the volume of water it retains and the capacity of its perturbations. These two quantities may show substantial variability across the full spectrum of water-bearing worlds. This would suggest that, barring strong feedback effects, most surfaces are heavily dominated by either water or land. Why is the Earth so finely poised? To address this question, we construct a simple model for the selection bias that would arise within an ensemble of surface conditions. Based on the Earth's ocean coverage of 71 per cent, we find substantial evidence (Bayes factor K ≃ 6) supporting the hypothesis that anthropic selection effects are at work. Furthermore, due to the Earth's proximity to the waterworld limit, this model predicts that most habitable planets are dominated by oceans spanning over 90 per cent of their surface area (95 per cent credible interval). This scenario, in which the Earth has a much greater land area than most habitable planets, is consistent with results from numerical simulations and could help explain the apparently low-mass transition in the mass-radius relation.

The Influence of a Substellar Continent on the Climate of a Tidally Locked Exoplanet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Neil T.; Lambert, F. Hugo; Boutle, Ian A.; Mayne, Nathan J.; Manners, James; Acreman, David M.

2018-02-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that continental carbon-silicate weathering is important to the continued habitability of a terrestrial planet. Despite this, few studies have considered the influence of land on the climate of a tidally locked planet. In this work we use the Met Office Unified Model, coupled to a land-surface model, to investigate the climate effects of a continent located at the substellar point. We choose to use the orbital and planetary parameters of Proxima Centauri B as a template, to allow comparison with the work of others. A region of the surface where T s > 273.15 K is always retained, and previous conclusions on the habitability of Proxima Centauri B remain intact. We find that substellar land causes global cooling and increases day–night temperature contrasts by limiting heat redistribution. Furthermore, we find that substellar land is able to introduce a regime change in the atmospheric circulation. Specifically, when a continent offset to the east of the substellar point is introduced, we observe the formation of two mid-latitude counterrotating jets, and a substantially weakened equatorial superrotating jet.

Mapping the Upper Subsurface of MARS Using Radar Polarimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, L. M.; Rincon, R.; Berkoski, L.

2012-01-01

Future human exploration of Mars will require detailed knowledge of the surface and upper several meters of the subsurface in potential landing sites. Likewise, many of the Planetary Science Decadal Survey science goals, such as understanding the history of Mars climate change, determining how the surface was altered through processes like volcanism and fluvial activity, and locating regions that may have been hospitable to life in the past, would be significantly advanced through mapping of the upper meters of the surface. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is the only remote sensing technique capable of penetrating through meters of material and imaging buried surfaces at high (meters to tens-of-meters) spatial resolution. SAR is capable of mapping the boundaries of buried units and radar polarimetry can provide quantitative information about the roughness of surface and subsurface units, depth of burial of stratigraphic units, and density of materials. Orbital SAR systems can obtain broad coverage at a spatial scale relevant to human and robotic surface operations. A polarimetric SAR system would greatly increase the safety and utility of future landed systems including sample caching.

Planetary quarantine: Principles, methods, and problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, L. B.

1975-01-01

Requirements for planetary quarantine programs focus on microbial life forms as the primary contamination threat carried by spacecraft to a planet, or back to earth from another planet or outer space. Constraints on planetary flight missions and forthcoming Martian landings are depicted.

Camera Image Transformation and Registration for Safe Spacecraft Landing and Hazard Avoidance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Brandon M.

2005-01-01

Inherent geographical hazards of Martian terrain may impede a safe landing for science exploration spacecraft. Surface visualization software for hazard detection and avoidance may accordingly be applied in vehicles such as the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) to induce an autonomous and intelligent descent upon entering the planetary atmosphere. The focus of this project is to develop an image transformation algorithm for coordinate system matching between consecutive frames of terrain imagery taken throughout descent. The methodology involves integrating computer vision and graphics techniques, including affine transformation and projective geometry of an object, with the intrinsic parameters governing spacecraft dynamic motion and camera calibration.

Evaluation of Robotic Systems to Carry Out Traverse Execution, Opportunistic Science, and Landing Site Evaluation Tasks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, Stephen J.; Leonard, Matther J.; Pacal, Lee

2011-01-01

This report covers the execution of and results from the activities proposed and approved in Exploration Analogs and Mission Development (EAMD) Field Test Protocol HMP2010: Evaluation of Robotic Systems to carry out Traverse Execution, Opportunistic Science, and Landing Site Evaluation Tasks. The field tests documented in this report examine one facet of a larger program of planetary surface exploration. This program has been evolving and maturing for several years, growing from a broad policy statement with a few specified milestones for NASA to an international effort with much higher fidelity descriptions of systems and operations necessary to accomplish this type of exploration.

Space Shuttle to deploy Magellan planetary science mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The objectives of Space Shuttle Mission STS-30 are described along with major flight activities, prelaunch and launch operations, trajectory sequence of events, and landing and post-landing operations. The primary objective of STS-30 is to successfully deploy the Magellan spacecraft into low earth orbit. Following deployment, Magellan will be propelled to its Venus trajectory by an Inertial Upper Stage booster. The objectives of the Magellan mission are to obtain radar images of more than 70 percent of Venus' surface, a near-global topographic map, and near-global gravity field data. Secondary STS-30 payloads include the Fluids Experiment Apparatus (FEA) and the Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE).

Development of LIDAR sensor systems for autonomous safe landing on planetary bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amzajerdian, F.; Pierrottet, D.; Petway, L.; Vanek, M.

2017-11-01

Future NASA exploratory missions to the Moon and Mars will require safe soft-landings at the designated sites with a high degree of precision. These sites may include areas of high scientific value with relatively rough terrain with little or no solar illumination and possibly areas near pre-deployed assets. The ability of lidar technology to provide three-dimensional elevation maps of the terrain, high precision distance to the ground, and approach velocity can enable safe landing of large robotic and manned vehicles with a high degree of precision. Currently, NASA-LaRC is developing novel lidar sensors aimed at meeting NASA's objectives for future planetary landing missions under the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance (ALHAT) project. These lidar sensors are 3-Dimensional Imaging Flash Lidar, Doppler Lidar, and Laser Altimeter. The Flash Lidar is capable of generating elevation maps of the terrain identifying hazardous features such as rocks, craters, and steep slopes. The elevation maps collected during the approach phase between 1000 m to 500 m above the ground can be used to determine the most suitable safe landing site. The Doppler Lidar provides highly accurate ground velocity and distance data allowing for precision navigation to the selected landing site. Prior to the approach phase at altitudes of over 15 km, the Laser Altimeter can provide sufficient data for updating the vehicle position and attitude data from the Inertial Measurement Unit. At these higher altitudes, either the Laser Altimeter or the Flash Lidar can be used for generating a contour map of the terrain below for identifying known surface features such as craters for further reducing the vehicle relative position error.

Development of lidar sensor systems for autonomous safe landing on planetary bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amzajerdian, F.; Pierrottet, D.; Petway, L.; Vanek, M.

2017-11-01

Future NASA exploratory missions to the Moon and Mars will require safe soft-landings at the designated sites with a high degree of precision. These sites may include areas of high scientific value with relatively rough terrain with little or no solar illumination and possibly areas near pre-deployed assets. The ability of lidar technology to provide three-dimensional elevation maps of the terrain, high precision distance to the ground, and approach velocity can enable safe landing of large robotic and manned vehicles with a high degree of precision. Currently, NASA-LaRC is developing novel lidar sensors aimed at meeting NASA's objectives for future planetary landing missions under the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance (ALHAT) project [1]. These lidar sensors are 3-Dimensional Imaging Flash Lidar, Doppler Lidar, and Laser Altimeter. The Flash Lidar is capable of generating elevation maps of the terrain identifying hazardous features such as rocks, craters, and steep slopes. The elevation maps collected during the approach phase between 1000 m to 500 m above the ground can be used to determine the most suitable safe landing site. The Doppler Lidar provides highly accurate ground velocity and distance data allowing for precision navigation to the selected landing site. Prior to the approach phase at altitudes of over 15 km, the Laser Altimeter can provide sufficient data for updating the vehicle position and attitude data from the Inertial Measurement Unit. At these higher altitudes, either the Laser Altimeter or the Flash Lidar can be used for generating a contour map of the terrain below for identifying known surface features such as craters for further reducing the vehicle relative position error.

Design and test of a simulation system for autonomous optic-navigated planetary landing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Sheng; Yin, Yanhe; Liu, Yanjun; He, Fengyun

2018-02-01

In this paper, a simulation system based on commercial projector is proposed to test the optical navigation algorithms for autonomous planetary landing in laboratorial scenarios. The design work of optics, mechanics and synchronization control are carried out. Furthermore, the whole simulation system is set up and tested. Through the calibration of the system, two main problems, synchronization between the projector and CCD and pixel-level shifting caused by the low repeatability of DMD used in the projector, are settled. The experimental result shows that the RMS errors of pitch, yaw and roll angles are 0.78', 0.48', and 2.95' compared with the theoretical calculation, which can fulfill the requirement of experimental simulation for planetary landing in laboratory.

An overview of the descent and landing of the Huygens probe on Titan.

PubMed

Lebreton, Jean-Pierre; Witasse, Olivier; Sollazzo, Claudio; Blancquaert, Thierry; Couzin, Patrice; Schipper, Anne-Marie; Jones, Jeremy B; Matson, Dennis L; Gurvits, Leonid I; Atkinson, David H; Kazeminejad, Bobby; Pérez-Ayúcar, Miguel

2005-12-08

Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is the only Solar System planetary body other than Earth with a thick nitrogen atmosphere. The Voyager spacecraft confirmed that methane was the second-most abundant atmospheric constituent in Titan's atmosphere, and revealed a rich organic chemistry, but its cameras could not see through the thick organic haze. After a seven-year interplanetary journey on board the Cassini orbiter, the Huygens probe was released on 25 December 2004. It reached the upper layer of Titan's atmosphere on 14 January and landed softly after a parachute descent of almost 2.5 hours. Here we report an overview of the Huygens mission, which enabled studies of the atmosphere and surface, including in situ sampling of the organic chemistry, and revealed an Earth-like landscape. The probe descended over the boundary between a bright icy terrain eroded by fluvial activity--probably due to methane-and a darker area that looked like a river- or lake-bed. Post-landing images showed centimetre-sized surface details.

Introduction of JAXA Lunar and Planetary Exploration Data Analysis Group: Landing Site Analysis for Future Lunar Polar Exploration Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otake, H.; Ohtake, M.; Ishihara, Y.; Masuda, K.; Sato, H.; Inoue, H.; Yamamoto, M.; Hoshino, T.; Wakabayashi, S.; Hashimoto, T.

2018-04-01

JAXA established JAXA Lunar and Planetary Exploration Data Analysis Group (JLPEDA) at 2016. Our group has been analyzing lunar and planetary data for various missions. Here, we introduce one of our activities.

The Application of Computer-Aided Discovery to Spacecraft Site Selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pankratius, V.; Blair, D. M.; Gowanlock, M.; Herring, T.

2015-12-01

The selection of landing and exploration sites for interplanetary robotic or human missions is a complex task. Historically it has been labor-intensive, with large groups of scientists manually interpreting a planetary surface across a variety of datasets to identify potential sites based on science and engineering constraints. This search process can be lengthy, and excellent sites may get overlooked when the aggregate value of site selection criteria is non-obvious or non-intuitive. As planetary data collection leads to Big Data repositories and a growing set of selection criteria, scientists will face a combinatorial search space explosion that requires scalable, automated assistance. We are currently exploring more general computer-aided discovery techniques in the context of planetary surface deformation phenomena that can lend themselves to application in the landing site search problem. In particular, we are developing a general software framework that addresses key difficulties: characterizing a given phenomenon or site based on data gathered from multiple instruments (e.g. radar interferometry, gravity, thermal maps, or GPS time series), and examining a variety of possible workflows whose individual configurations are optimized to isolate different features. The framework allows algorithmic pipelines and hypothesized models to be perturbed or permuted automatically within well-defined bounds established by the scientist. For example, even simple choices for outlier and noise handling or data interpolation can drastically affect the detectability of certain features. These techniques aim to automate repetitive tasks that scientists routinely perform in exploratory analysis, and make them more efficient and scalable by executing them in parallel in the cloud. We also explore ways in which machine learning can be combined with human feedback to prune the search space and converge to desirable results. Acknowledgements: We acknowledge support from NASA AIST NNX15AG84G (PI V. Pankratius)

An age-colour relationship for main-belt S-complex asteroids.

PubMed

Jedicke, Robert; Nesvorný, David; Whiteley, Robert; Ivezić Z, Zeljko; Jurić, Mario

2004-05-20

Asteroid collisions in the main belt eject fragments that may eventually land on Earth as meteorites. It has therefore been a long-standing puzzle in planetary science that laboratory spectra of the most populous class of meteorite (ordinary chondrites, OC) do not match the remotely observed surface spectra of their presumed (S-complex) asteroidal parent bodies. One of the proposed solutions to this perplexing observation is that 'space weathering' modifies the exposed planetary surfaces over time through a variety of processes (such as solar and cosmic ray bombardment, micro-meteorite bombardment, and so on). Space weathering has been observed on lunar samples, in Earth-based laboratory experiments, and there is good evidence from spacecraft data that the process is active on asteroid surfaces. Here, we present a measurement of the rate of space weathering on S-complex main-belt asteroids using a relationship between the ages of asteroid families and their colours. Extrapolating this age-colour relationship to very young ages yields a good match to the colour of freshly cut OC meteorite samples, lending strong support to a genetic relationship between them and the S-complex asteroids.

Ordovician ash geochemistry and the establishment of land plants

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The colonization of the terrestrial environment by land plants transformed the planetary surface and its biota, and shifted the balance of Earth’s biomass from the subsurface towards the surface. However there was a long delay between the formation of palaeosols (soils) on the land surface and the key stage of plant colonization. The record of palaeosols, and their colonization by fungi and lichens extends well back into the Precambrian. While these early soils provided a potential substrate, they were generally leached of nutrients as part of the weathering process. In contrast, volcanic ash falls provide a geochemically favourable substrate that is both nutrient-rich and has high water retention, making them good hosts to land plants. An anomalously extensive system of volcanic arcs generated unprecedented volumes of lava and volcanic ash (tuff) during the Ordovician. The earliest, mid-Ordovician, records of plant spores coincide with these widespread volcanic deposits, suggesting the possibility of a genetic relationship. The ash constituted a global environment of nutrient-laden, water-saturated soil that could be exploited to maximum advantage by the evolving anchoring systems of land plants. The rapid and pervasive inoculation of modern volcanic ash by plant spores, and symbiotic nitrogen-fixing fungi, suggests that the Ordovician ash must have received a substantial load of the earliest spores and their chemistry favoured plant development. In particular, high phosphorus levels in ash were favourable to plant growth. This may have allowed photosynthesizers to diversify and enlarge, and transform the surface of the planet. PMID:22925460

Experimental and simulation study results of an Adaptive Video Guidance System /AVGS/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schappell, R. T.; Knickerbocker, R. L.

1975-01-01

Studies relating to stellar-body exploration programs have pointed out the need for an adaptive guidance scheme capable of providing automatic real-time guidance and site selection capability. For the case of a planetary lander, without such guidance, targeting is limited to what are believed to be generally benign areas in order to ensure a reasonable landing-success probability. Typically, the Mars Viking Lander will be jeopardized by obstacles exceeding 22 centimers in diameter. The benefits of on-board navigation and real-time selection of a landing site and obstacle avoidance have been demonstrated by the Apollo lunar landings, in which man performed the surface sensing and steering functions. Therefore, an Adaptive Video Guidance System (AVGS) has been developed, bread-boarded, and flown on a six-degree-of-freedom simulator.

Introduction to Japanese exploration study to the moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, T.; Hoshino, T.; Tanaka, S.; Otake, H.; Otsuki, M.; Wakabayashi, S.; Morimoto, H.; Masuda, K.

2014-11-01

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) views the lunar lander SELENE-2 as the successor to the SELENE mission. In this presentation, the mission objectives of SELENE-2 are shown together with the present design status of the spacecraft. JAXA launched the Kaguya (SELENE) lunar orbiter in September 2007, and the spacecraft observed the Moon and a couple of small satellites using 15 instruments. As the next step in lunar exploration, the lunar lander SELENE-2 is being considered. SELENE-2 will land on the lunar surface and perform in-situ scientific observations, environmental investigations, and research for future lunar utilization including human activity. At the same time, it will demonstrate key technologies for lunar and planetary exploration such as precise and safe landing, surface mobility, and overnight survival. The lander will carry laser altimeters, image sensors, and landing radars for precise and safe landing. Landing legs and a precisely controlled propulsion system will also be developed. A rover is being designed to be able to travel over a wide area and observe featured terrain using scientific instruments. Since some of the instruments require long-term observation on the lunar surface, technology for night survival over more than 2 weeks needs to be considered. The SELENE-2 technologies are expected to be one of the stepping stones towards future Japanese human activities on the moon and to expand the possibilities for deep space science.

The statistical treatment implemented to obtain the planetary protection bioburdens for the Mars Science Laboratory mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaudet, Robert A.

2013-06-01

NASA Planetary Protection Policy requires that Category IV missions such as those going to the surface of Mars include detailed assessment and documentation of the bioburden on the spacecraft at launch. In the prior missions to Mars, the approaches used to estimate the bioburden could easily be conservative without penalizing the project because spacecraft elements such as the descent and landing stages had relatively small surface areas and volumes. With the advent of a large spacecraft such as Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), it became necessary for a modified—still conservative but more pragmatic—statistical treatment be used to obtain the standard deviations and the bioburden densities at about the 99.9% confidence limits. This article describes both the Gaussian and Poisson statistics that were implemented to analyze the bioburden data from the MSL spacecraft prior to launch. The standard deviations were weighted by the areas sampled with each swab or wipe. Some typical cases are given and discussed.

Effective Utilization of Resources and Infrastructure for a Spaceport Network Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Tracy; Larson, Wiley; Mueller, Robert; Roberson, Luke

2012-01-01

Providing routine, affordable access to a variety of orbital and deep space destinations requires an intricate network of ground, planetary surface, and space-based spaceports like those on Earth (land and sea), in various Earth orbits, and on other extraterrestrial surfaces. Advancements in technology and international collaboration are critical to establish a spaceport network that satisfies the requirements for private and government research, exploration, and commercial objectives. Technologies, interfaces, assembly techniques, and protocols must be adapted to enable mission critical capabilities and interoperability throughout the spaceport network. The conceptual space mission architecture must address the full range of required spaceport services, from managing propellants for a variety of spacecraft to governance structure. In order to accomplish affordability and sustainability goals, the network architecture must consider deriving propellants from in situ planetary resources to the maximum extent possible. Water on the Moon and Mars, Mars' atmospheric CO2, and O2 extracted from lunar regolith are examples of in situ resources that could be used to generate propellants for various spacecraft, orbital stages and trajectories, and the commodities to support habitation and human operations at these destinations. The ability to use in-space fuel depots containing in situ derived propellants would drastically reduce the mass required to launch long-duration or deep space missions from Earth's gravity well. Advances in transformative technologies and common capabilities, interfaces, umbilicals, commodities, protocols, and agreements will facilitate a cost-effective, safe, reliable infrastructure for a versatile network of Earth- and extraterrestrial spaceports. Defining a common infrastructure on Earth, planetary surfaces, and in space, as well as deriving propellants from in situ planetary resources to construct in-space propellant depots to serve the spaceport network, will reduce exploration costs due to standardization of infrastructure commonality and reduction in number and types of interfaces and commodities.

Synthetic and Enhanced Vision System for Altair Lunar Lander

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinzell, Lawrence J., III; Kramer, Lynda J.; Norman, Robert M.; Arthur, Jarvis J., III; Williams, Steven P.; Shelton, Kevin J.; Bailey, Randall E.

2009-01-01

Past research has demonstrated the substantial potential of synthetic and enhanced vision (SV, EV) for aviation (e.g., Prinzel & Wickens, 2009). These augmented visual-based technologies have been shown to significantly enhance situation awareness, reduce workload, enhance aviation safety (e.g., reduced propensity for controlled flight -into-terrain accidents/incidents), and promote flight path control precision. The issues that drove the design and development of synthetic and enhanced vision have commonalities to other application domains; most notably, during entry, descent, and landing on the moon and other planetary surfaces. NASA has extended SV/EV technology for use in planetary exploration vehicles, such as the Altair Lunar Lander. This paper describes an Altair Lunar Lander SV/EV concept and associated research demonstrating the safety benefits of these technologies.

Earthbound Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles (UAVS) As Planetary Science Testbeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pieri, D. C.; Bland, G.; Diaz, J. A.; Fladeland, M. M.

2014-12-01

Recent advances in the technology of unmanned vehicles have greatly expanded the range of contemplated terrestrial operational environments for their use, including aerial, surface, and submarine. The advances have been most pronounced in the areas of autonomy, miniaturization, durability, standardization, and ease of operation, most notably (especially in the popular press) for airborne vehicles. Of course, for a wide range of planetary venues, autonomy at high cost of both money and risk, has always been a requirement. Most recently, missions to Mars have also featured an unprecedented degree of mobility. Combining the traditional planetary surface deployment operational and science imperatives with emerging, very accessible, and relatively economical small UAV platforms on Earth can provide flexible, rugged, self-directed, test-bed platforms for landed instruments and strategies that will ultimately be directed elsewhere, and, in the process, provide valuable earth science data. While the most direct transfer of technology from terrestrial to planetary venues is perhaps for bodies with atmospheres (and oceans), with appropriate technology and strategy accommodations, single and networked UAVs can be designed to operate on even airless bodies, under a variety of gravities. In this presentation, we present and use results and lessons learned from our recent earth-bound UAV volcano deployments, as well as our future plans for such, to conceptualize a range of planetary and small-body missions. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of students and colleagues at our home institutions, and the government of Costa Rica, without which our UAV deployments would not have been possible. This work was carried out, in part, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology under contract to NASA.

Frequency band enlargement of the penetrator seismometer and its application to moonquake observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Ryuhei; Nébut, Tanguy; Shiraishi, Hiroaki; Lognonné, Philippe; Kobayashi, Naoki; Tanaka, Satoshi

2015-07-01

Seismic data obtained over a broad frequency range are very useful in investigation of the internal structures of the Earth and other planetary bodies. However, planetary seismic data acquired through the NASA Apollo and Viking programs were obtained only over a very limited frequency range. To obtain effective seismic data over a broader frequency range on planetary surfaces, broadband seismometers suitable for planetary seismology must be developed. In this study, we have designed a new broadband seismometer based on a short-period seismometer whose resonant frequency is 1 Hz for future geophysical missions. The seismometer is of an electromagnetic type, light weight, small size and has good shock-durability, making it suitable for being loaded onto a penetrator, which is a small, hard-landing probe developed in the LUNAR-A Project, a previous canceled mission. We modified the short-period seismometer so as to have a flat frequency response above about 0.1 Hz and the detection limit could be lowered to cover frequencies below the frequency. This enlargement of the frequency band will allow us to investigate moonquakes for lower frequency components in which waveforms are less distorted because strong scattering due to fractured structures near the lunar surface is likely to be suppressed. The modification was achieved simply by connecting a feedback circuit to the seismometer, without making any mechanical changes to the short-period sensor. We have confirmed that the broadband seismometer exhibits the frequency response as designed and allows us to observe long-period components of small ground motions. Methods to improve the performance of the broadband seismometer from the current design are also discussed. These developments should promise to increase the opportunity for application of this small and tough seismometer in various planetary seismological missions.

Zephyr: A Landsailing Rover for Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.; Oleson, Steven R.; Grantier, David

2014-01-01

With an average temperature of 450C and a corrosive atmosphere at a pressure of 90 bars, the surface of Venus is the most hostile environment of any planetary surface in the solar system. Exploring the surface of Venus would be an exciting goal, since Venus is a planet with significant scientific mysteries, and interesting geology and geophysics. Technology to operate at the environmental conditions of Venus is under development. A rover on the surface of Venus with capability comparable to the rovers that have been sent to Mars would push the limits of technology in high-temperature electronics, robotics, and robust systems. Such a rover would require the ability to traverse the landscape on extremely low power levels. We have analyzed an innovative concept for a planetary rover: a sail-propelled rover to explore the surface of Venus. Such a rover can be implemented with only two moving parts; the sail, and the steering. Although the surface wind speeds are low (under 1 m/s), at Venus atmospheric density even low wind speeds develop significant force. Under funding by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts office, a conceptual design for such a rover has been done. Total landed mass of the system is 265 kg, somewhat less than that of the MER rovers, with a 12 square meter rigid sail. The rover folds into a 3.6 meter aeroshell for entry into the Venus atmosphere and subsequent parachute landing on the surface. Conceptual designs for a set of hightemperature scientific instruments and a UHF communication system were done. The mission design lifetime is 50 days, allowing operation during the sunlit portion of one Venus day. Although some technology development is needed to bring the high-temperature electronics to operational readiness, the study showed that such a mobility approach is feasible, and no major difficulties are seen.

Measurements and Modeling of Turbulent Fluxes during Persistent Cold Air Pool Events in Salt Lake Valley, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivey, C. E.; Sun, X.; Holmes, H.

2017-12-01

Land surface processes are important in meteorology and climate research since they control the partitioning of surface energy and water exchange at the earth's surface. The surface layer is coupled to the planetary boundary layer (PBL) by surface fluxes, which serve as sinks or sources of energy, moisture, momentum, and atmospheric pollutants. Quantifying the surface heat and momentum fluxes at the land-atmosphere interface, especially for different surface land cover types, is important because they can further influence the atmospheric dynamics, vertical mixing, and transport processes that impact local, regional, and global climate. A cold air pool (CAP) forms when a topographic depression (i.e., valley) fills with cold air, where the air in the stagnant layer is colder than the air aloft. Insufficient surface heating, which is not able to sufficiently erode the temperature inversion that forms during the nighttime stable boundary layer, can lead to the formation of persistent CAPs during wintertime. These persistent CAPs can last for days, or even weeks, and are associated with increased air pollution concentrations. Thus, realistic simulations of the land-atmosphere exchange are meaningful to achieve improved predictions of the accumulation, transport, and dispersion of air pollution concentrations. The focus of this presentation is on observations and modeling results using turbulence data collected in Salt Lake Valley, Utah during the 2010-2011 wintertime Persistent Cold Air Pool Study (PCAPS). Turbulent fluxes and the surface energy balance over seven land use types are quantified. The urban site has an energy balance ratio (EBR) larger than one (1.276). Negative Bowen ratio (-0.070) is found at the cropland site. In addition to turbulence observations, half-hourly WRF simulated net radiation, latent heat, sensible heat, ground heat fluxes during one persistent CAP event are evaluated using the PCAPS observations. The results show that sensible and latent heat fluxes during the CAP event are overestimated. The sensitivity of WRF results to large-scale forcing datasets, PBL schemes and land surface models (LSMs) are also investigated. The optimal WRF configuration for simulating surface turbulent fluxes and atmospheric mixing during CAP events is determined.

Human Exploration using Real-Time Robotic Operations (HERRO): A space exploration strategy for the 21st century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, George R.; Landis, Geoffrey A.; Oleson, Steven R.

2012-11-01

This paper presents an exploration strategy for human missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the Moon that combines the best features of human and robotic spaceflight. This "Human Exploration using Real-time Robotic Operations" (HERRO) strategy refrains from placing humans on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars in the near-term. Rather, it focuses on sending piloted spacecraft and crews into orbit around Mars and other exploration targets of interest, and conducting astronaut exploration of the surfaces using telerobots and remotely-controlled systems. By eliminating the significant communications delay or "latency" with Earth due to the speed of light limit, teleoperation provides scientists real-time control of rovers and other sophisticated instruments. This in effect gives them a "virtual presence" on planetary surfaces, and thus expands the scientific return at these destinations. HERRO mitigates several of the major issues that have hindered the progress of human spaceflight beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by: (1) broadening the range of destinations for near-term human missions; (2) reducing cost and risk through less complexity and fewer man-rated elements; (3) offering benefits of human-equivalent in-situ cognition, decision-making and field-work on planetary bodies; (4) providing a simpler approach to returning samples from Mars and planetary surfaces; and (5) facilitating opportunities for international collaboration through contribution of diverse robotic systems. HERRO provides a firm justification for human spaceflight—one that expands the near-term capabilities of scientific exploration while providing the space transportation infrastructure needed for eventual human landings in the future.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Outer Solar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session 'Outer Solar System" inlcuded:Monte Carlo Modeling of [O I] 630 nm Auroral Emission on Io; The Detection of Iron Sulfide on Io; Io and Loki in 2003 as Seen from the Infrared Telescope Facility Using Mutual Satellite and Jupiter Occultations; Mapping of the Zamama-Thor Region of Io; First Solar System Results of the Spitzer Space Telescope; Mapping the Surface of Pluto with the Hubble Space Telescope; Experimental Study on Fischer-Tropsch Catalysis in the Circum-Saturnian Subnebula; New High-Pressure Phases of Ammonia Dihydrate; Gas Hydrate Stability at Low Temperatures and High Pressures with Applications to Mars and Europa; Laboratory UV Photolysis of Planetary Ice Analogs Containing H2O + CO2 (1:1); The OH Stretch Infrared Band of Water Ice and Its Temperature and Radiation Dependence; Band Position Variations in Reflectance Spectra of the Jovian Satellite Ganymede; Comparison of Porosity and Radar Models for Europa s Near Surface; Combined Effects of Diurnal and Nonsynchronous Surface Stresses on Europa; Europa s Northern Trailing Hemisphere: Lineament Stratigraphic Framework; Europa at the Highest Resolution: Implications for Surface Processes and Landing Sites; Comparison of Methods to Determine Furrow System Centers on Ganymede and Callisto; Resurfacing of Ganymede by Liquid-Water Volcanism; Layered Ejecta Craters on Ganymede: Comparisons with Martian Analogs; Evaluation of the Possible Presence of CO2-Clathrates in Europa s Icy Shell or Seafloor; Geosciences at Jupiter s Icy Moons: The Midas Touch; Planetary Remote Sensing Science Enabled by MIDAS (Multiple Instrument Distributed Aperture Sensor); and In Situ Surveying of Saturn s Rings.

Planetary mapping—The datamodel's perspective and GIS framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Gasselt, S.; Nass, A.

2011-09-01

Demands for a broad range of integrated geospatial data-analysis tools and methods for planetary data organization have been growing considerably since the late 1990s when a plethora of missions equipped with new instruments entered planetary orbits or landed on the surface. They sent back terabytes of new data which soon became accessible for the scientific community and public and which needed to be organized. On the terrestrial side, issues of data access, organization and utilization for scientific and economic analyses are handled by using a range of well-established geographic information systems (GIS) that also found their way into the field of planetary sciences in the late 1990s. We here address key issues concerning the field of planetary mapping by making use of established GIS environments and discuss methods of addressing data organization and mapping requirements by using an easily integrable datamodel that is - for the time being - designed as file-geodatabase (FileGDB) environment in ESRI's ArcGIS. A major design-driving requirement for this datamodel is its extensibility and scalability for growing scientific as well as technical needs, e.g., the utilization of such a datamodel for surface mapping of different planetary objects as defined by their respective reference system and by using different instrument data. Furthermore, it is a major goal to construct a generic model which allows to perform combined geologic as well as geomorphologic mapping tasks making use of international standards without loss of information and by maintaining topologic integrity. An integration of such a datamodel within a geospatial DBMS context can practically be performed by individuals as well as groups without having to deal with the details of administrative tasks and data ingestion issues. Besides the actual mapping, key components of such a mapping datamodel deal with the organization and search for image-sensor data and previous mapping efforts, as well as the proper organization of cartographic representations and assignments of geologic/geomorphologic units within their stratigraphic context.

Planetary Surface Instruments Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Charles (Editor); Treiman, Allan H. (Editor); Kostiuk, Theodor (Editor)

1996-01-01

This report on planetary surface investigations and planetary landers covers: (1) the precise chemical analysis of solids; (2) isotopes and evolved gas analyses; (3) planetary interiors; planetary atmospheres from within as measured by landers; (4) mineralogical examination of extraterrestrial bodies; (5) regoliths; and (6) field geology/processes.

Assessment of Irrigation Physics in a Land Surface Modeling Framework Using Non-Traditional and Human-Practice Datasets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawston, Patricia M.; Santanello, Joseph A.; Rodell, Matthew; Franz, Trenton E.

2017-01-01

Irrigation increases soil moisture, which in turn controls water and energy fluxes from the land surface to the10 planetary boundary layer and determines plant stress and productivity. Therefore, developing a realistic representation of irrigation is critical to understanding land-atmosphere interactions in agricultural areas. Irrigation parameterizations are becoming more common in land surface models and are growing in sophistication, but there is difficulty in assessing the realism of these schemes, due to limited observations (e.g., soil moisture, evapotranspiration) and scant reporting of irrigation timing and quantity. This study uses the Noah land surface model run at high resolution within NASAs Land15 Information System to assess the physics of a sprinkler irrigation simulation scheme and model sensitivity to choice of irrigation intensity and greenness fraction datasets over a small, high resolution domain in Nebraska. Differences between experiments are small at the interannual scale but become more apparent at seasonal and daily time scales. In addition, this study uses point and gridded soil moisture observations from fixed and roving Cosmic Ray Neutron Probes and co-located human practice data to evaluate the realism of irrigation amounts and soil moisture impacts simulated by the model. Results20 show that field-scale heterogeneity resulting from the individual actions of farmers is not captured by the model and the amount of irrigation applied by the model exceeds that applied at the two irrigated fields. However, the seasonal timing of irrigation and soil moisture contrasts between irrigated and non-irrigated areas are simulated well by the model. Overall, the results underscore the necessity of both high-quality meteorological forcing data and proper representation of irrigation foraccurate simulation of water and energy states and fluxes over cropland.

KSC-2014-4805

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Project Morpheus prototype lander is being lifted by crane during preparations for free flight test number 15 at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander will take off from the ground over a flame trench and use its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, to survey the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2014-4799

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander is being transported to the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility for free flight test number 15 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander will take off from the ground over a flame trench and use its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, to survey the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2014-4802

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and technicians prepare NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander for free flight test number 15 on a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander will take off from the ground over a flame trench and use its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, to survey the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2014-4809

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and technicians prepare NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander for free flight test number 15 at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander will take off from the ground over a flame trench and use its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, to survey the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2014-4804

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander is prepared for transport to the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility for free flight test number 15 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander will take off from the ground over a flame trench and use its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, to survey the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2014-4808

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and technicians prepare NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander for free flight test number 15 at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander will take off from the ground over a flame trench and use its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, to survey the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2014-4800

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Project Morpheus prototype lander and support equipment are being transported to the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility for free flight test number 15 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander will take off from the ground over a flame trench and use its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, to survey the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

TEAM - Titan Exploration Atmospheric Microprobes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nixon, Conor; Esper, Jaime; Aslam, Shahid; Quilligan, Gerald

2016-10-01

The astrobiological potential of Titan's surface hydrocarbon liquids and probable interior water ocean has led to its inclusion as a destination in NASA's "Ocean Worlds" initiative, and near-term investigation of these regions is a high-level scientific goal. TEAM is a novel initiative to investigate the lake and sea environs using multiple dropsondes -scientific probes derived from an existing cubesat bus architecture (CAPE - the Cubesat Application for Planetary Exploration) developed at NASA GSFC. Each 3U probe will parachute to the surface, making atmospheric structure and composition measurements during the descent, and photographing the surface - land, shoreline and seas - in detail. TEAM probes offer a low-cost, high-return means to explore multiple areas on Titan, yielding crucial data about the condensing chemicals, haze and cloud layers, winds, and surface features of the lakes and seas. These microprobes may be included on a near-term New Frontiers class mission to the Saturn system as additional payload, bringing increased scientific return and conducting reconnaissance for future landing zones. In this presentation we describe the probe architecture, baseline payload, flight profile and the unique engineering and science data that can be returned.

Wake Cycle Robustness of the Mars Science Laboratory Flight Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitehill, Robert

2011-01-01

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a spacecraft being developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the purpose of in-situ exploration on the surface of Mars. The objective of MSL is to explore and quantitatively assess a local region on the Martian surface as a habitat for microbial life, past or present. This objective will be accomplished through the assessment of the biological potential of at least one target environment, the characterization of the geology and geochemistry of the landing region, an investigation of the planetary process relevant to past habitability, and a characterization of surface radiation. For this purpose, MSL incorporates a total of ten scientific instruments for which functions are to include, among others, atmospheric and descent imaging, chemical composition analysis, and radiation measurement. The Flight Software (FSW) system is responsible for all mission phases, including launch, cruise, entry-descent-landing, and surface operation of the rover. Because of the essential nature of flight software to project success, each of the software modules is undergoing extensive testing to identify and correct errors.

ORCHIDEE-MICT (v8.4.1), a land surface model for the high latitudes: model description and validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guimberteau, Matthieu; Zhu, Dan; Maignan, Fabienne; Huang, Ye; Yue, Chao; Dantec-Nédélec, Sarah; Ottlé, Catherine; Jornet-Puig, Albert; Bastos, Ana; Laurent, Pierre; Goll, Daniel; Bowring, Simon; Chang, Jinfeng; Guenet, Bertrand; Tifafi, Marwa; Peng, Shushi; Krinner, Gerhard; Ducharne, Agnès; Wang, Fuxing; Wang, Tao; Wang, Xuhui; Wang, Yilong; Yin, Zun; Lauerwald, Ronny; Joetzjer, Emilie; Qiu, Chunjing; Kim, Hyungjun; Ciais, Philippe

2018-01-01

The high-latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere are a nexus for the interaction between land surface physical properties and their exchange of carbon and energy with the atmosphere. At these latitudes, two carbon pools of planetary significance - those of the permanently frozen soils (permafrost), and of the great expanse of boreal forest - are vulnerable to destabilization in the face of currently observed climatic warming, the speed and intensity of which are expected to increase with time. Improved projections of future Arctic and boreal ecosystem transformation require improved land surface models that integrate processes specific to these cold biomes. To this end, this study lays out relevant new parameterizations in the ORCHIDEE-MICT land surface model. These describe the interactions between soil carbon, soil temperature and hydrology, and their resulting feedbacks on water and CO2 fluxes, in addition to a recently developed fire module. Outputs from ORCHIDEE-MICT, when forced by two climate input datasets, are extensively evaluated against (i) temperature gradients between the atmosphere and deep soils, (ii) the hydrological components comprising the water balance of the largest high-latitude basins, and (iii) CO2 flux and carbon stock observations. The model performance is good with respect to empirical data, despite a simulated excessive plant water stress and a positive land surface temperature bias. In addition, acute model sensitivity to the choice of input forcing data suggests that the calibration of model parameters is strongly forcing-dependent. Overall, we suggest that this new model design is at the forefront of current efforts to reliably estimate future perturbations to the high-latitude terrestrial environment.

Planetary Geologic Mapping Handbook - 2010. Appendix

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tanaka, K. L.; Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Hare, T. M.

2010-01-01

Geologic maps present, in an historical context, fundamental syntheses of interpretations of the materials, landforms, structures, and processes that characterize planetary surfaces and shallow subsurfaces. Such maps also provide a contextual framework for summarizing and evaluating thematic research for a given region or body. In planetary exploration, for example, geologic maps are used for specialized investigations such as targeting regions of interest for data collection and for characterizing sites for landed missions. Whereas most modern terrestrial geologic maps are constructed from regional views provided by remote sensing data and supplemented in detail by field-based observations and measurements, planetary maps have been largely based on analyses of orbital photography. For planetary bodies in particular, geologic maps commonly represent a snapshot of a surface, because they are based on available information at a time when new data are still being acquired. Thus the field of planetary geologic mapping has been evolving rapidly to embrace the use of new data and modern technology and to accommodate the growing needs of planetary exploration. Planetary geologic maps have been published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since 1962. Over this time, numerous maps of several planetary bodies have been prepared at a variety of scales and projections using the best available image and topographic bases. Early geologic map bases commonly consisted of hand-mosaicked photographs or airbrushed shaded-relief views and geologic linework was manually drafted using mylar bases and ink drafting pens. Map publishing required a tedious process of scribing, color peel-coat preparation, typesetting, and photo-laboratory work. Beginning in the 1990s, inexpensive computing, display capability and user-friendly illustration software allowed maps to be drawn using digital tools rather than pen and ink, and mylar bases became obsolete. Terrestrial geologic maps published by the USGS now are primarily digital products using geographic information system (GIS) software and file formats. GIS mapping tools permit easy spatial comparison, generation, importation, manipulation, and analysis of multiple raster image, gridded, and vector data sets. GIS software has also permitted the development of projectspecific tools and the sharing of geospatial products among researchers. GIS approaches are now being used in planetary geologic mapping as well. Guidelines or handbooks on techniques in planetary geologic mapping have been developed periodically. As records of the heritage of mapping methods and data, these remain extremely useful guides. However, many of the fundamental aspects of earlier mapping handbooks have evolved significantly, and a comprehensive review of currently accepted mapping methodologies is now warranted. As documented in this handbook, such a review incorporates additional guidelines developed in recent years for planetary geologic mapping by the NASA Planetary Geology and Geophysics (PGG) Program's Planetary Cartography and Geologic Mapping Working Group's (PCGMWG) Geologic Mapping Subcommittee (GEMS) on the selection and use of map bases as well as map preparation, review, publication, and distribution. In light of the current boom in planetary exploration and the ongoing rapid evolution of available data for planetary mapping, this handbook is especially timely.

Mars sample collection and preservation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanchard, Douglas P.

1988-01-01

The intensive exploration of Mars is a major step in the systematic exploration of the solar system. Mars, earth, and Venus provide valuable contrasts in planetary evolution. Mars exploration has progressed through the stages of exploration and is now ready for a sample-return mission. About 5 kg of intelligently selected samples will be returned from Mars. A variety of samples are wanted. This requires accurate landing in areas of high interest, surface mobility and analytical capability, a variety of sampling tools, and stringent preservation and isolation measures.

KSC-04PD-1238

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. The first human journey to the surface of the Moon began at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Fla., with the liftoff of Apollo 11 on a Saturn V booster at 9:32 a.m. EDT (13:32 UT) on a clear sunny Wednesday, 16 July 1969. This year NASA celebrates the 35th anniversary of that historic launch and landing. For more information and photos, go to http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo_11_30th.html .

Rough spacecraft surfaces -a threat to Planetary Protection issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Probst, Alexander; Facius, Rainer; Wirth, Reinhard; Moissl-Eichinger, Christine

Inadvertent introduction of terrestrial microorganisms to foreign solar bodies could compromise the integrity of present and future life detection missions. For Planetary Protection purposes space agencies measure the aerobic, mesophilic spore load of a spacecraft as a proxy indicator in order to determine its bioload. Emerging novel hardware in space science implicates novel surface structures and materials that need to be controlled with regard to contaminations. For instance (roughened) carbon fiber reinforced plastic and Vectran fabric for construction of landing platforms and airbags, respectively, have been used in some Mars exploration missions. These materials have different levels of roughness and their potential risk to retain spores for insufficient sampling success has never been in scope of investigation. In this comprehensive study we evaluated ESA's novel nylon flocked swab protocol on stainless steel and other tech-nical surfaces with regard to Bacillus spore recovery. Low recovery efficiencies of the ESA standard wipe assay for large surface sampling were demonstrated with regard to Bacillus at-rophaeus spore detection. Therefore another protocol designed for rough surface sampling was evaluated on Vectran fabric and (roughened) carbon fiber reinforced plastic. Moreover, scan-ning electron micrographs of the technical surfaces studied allowed a more detailed view on their properties. The evaluated sampling protocols and the corresponding results are of high interest for future life detection missions in order to preserve their scientific integrity throughout spacecraft assembly.

Erosion Dynamics during Phoenix Landing on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehta, M.; Renno, N. O.; Grover, R. M.; Sengupta, A.

2008-12-01

Unique from past planetary surface missions, the Phoenix spacecraft used pulsed retro-rockets to land on the northern polar region of Mars. Mainly viscous shear erosion caused by descent jets had minimally altered previous landing sites. Here we report novel simulations of surface modification by pulsed thruster plumes, and assess the erosion processes leading to the first exposure of ice below the Martian regolith. At Mars atmospheric pressure, we find that the repetitive injection of high pressure gas into porous soil by the pulsed engines leads to the propagation of cyclic radial shock waves within the soil. We show that these shock waves cause 'explosive erosion' and excavate the regolith down to the ice table in a radius of ~75 cm under the lander. Moreover, coarse and fine particles are ejected outward to a radius of 3 m and ~20 m from the thrusters, respectively. The results of our simulations are confirmed by images of the Phoenix landing site and provide important insights into the geology, glaciology and geomorphology of the landing site. These erosion dynamics may lead to ammonia hydrates and ammonium salts, but may demonstrate limited soil contamination. By comparing results from the landing site and our simulations, we come to the initial conclusions that the Martian arctic regolith has high porosity and permeability, mixture of fines with coarse particles, and exhibit cohesive stresses greater than 0.9 kPa.

Launch Pad in a Box

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mantovani, J. G.; Tamasy, G. J.; Mueller, R. P.; Townsend, I. I.; Sampson, J. W.; Lane, M. A.

2016-01-01

NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is developing a new deployable launch system capability to support a small class of launch vehicles for NASA and commercial space companies to test and launch their vehicles. The deployable launch pad concept was first demonstrated on a smaller scale at KSC in 2012 in support of NASA Johnson Space Center's Morpheus Lander Project. The main objective of the Morpheus Project was to test a prototype planetary lander as a vertical takeoff and landing test-bed for advanced spacecraft technologies using a hazard field that KSC had constructed at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). A steel pad for launch or landing was constructed using a modular design that allowed it to be reconfigurable and expandable. A steel flame trench was designed as an optional module that could be easily inserted in place of any modular steel plate component. The concept of a transportable modular launch and landing pad may also be applicable to planetary surfaces where the effects of rocket exhaust plume on surface regolith is problematic for hardware on the surface that may either be damaged by direct impact of high speed dust particles, or impaired by the accumulation of dust (e.g., solar array panels and thermal radiators). During the Morpheus free flight campaign in 2013-14, KSC performed two studies related to rocket plume effects. One study compared four different thermal ablatives that were applied to the interior of a steel flame trench that KSC had designed and built. The second study monitored the erosion of a concrete landing pad following each landing of the Morpheus vehicle on the same pad located in the hazard field. All surfaces of a portable flame trench that could be directly exposed to hot gas during launch of the Morpheus vehicle were coated with four types of ablatives. All ablative products had been tested by NASA KSC and/or the manufacturer. The ablative thicknesses were measured periodically following the twelve Morpheus free flight tests. The thermal energy from the Morpheus rocket exhaust plume was only found to be sufficient to cause appreciable ablation of one of the four ablatives that were tested. The rocket exhaust plume did cause spalling of concrete during each descent and landing on a landing pad in the hazard field. The Extended Abstract ASE Earth and Space Conference April, 2016 - Orlando, FL concrete surface was laser scanned following each Morpheus landing, and the total volume of spalled concrete that eroded between the first and final landings of the Morpheus Project's test campaign was estimated. This paper will also describe a new deployable launch system (DLS) capability that is being developed at KSC and was publicly announced in May 2015 (KSC Partnerships, 2015). The DLS is a set of multi-user Ground Support Equipment that will be used to test and launch small class launch vehicles. The system is comprised of four main elements: the Launch Stand, the Flame Deflector, the Pad Apron and the KAMAG transporter. The system elements are designed to be deployed at launch or test sites within the KSC/CCAFS boundaries. The DLS is intended to be used together with the Fluid and Electrical System of the Universal Propellant Servicing Systems and Mobile Power Data and Communications Unit.

Launch Pad in a Box

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mantovani, James; Tamasy, Gabor; Mueller, Rob; Townsend, Van; Sampson, Jeff; Lane, Mike

2016-01-01

NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is developing a new deployable launch system capability to support a small class of launch vehicles for NASA and commercial space companies to test and launch their vehicles. The deployable launch pad concept was first demonstrated on a smaller scale at KSC in 2012 in support of NASA Johnson Space Center's Morpheus Lander Project. The main objective of the Morpheus Project was to test a prototype planetary lander as a vertical takeoff and landing test-bed for advanced spacecraft technologies using a hazard field that KSC had constructed at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). A steel pad for launch or landing was constructed using a modular design that allowed it to be reconfigurable and expandable. A steel flame trench was designed as an optional module that could be easily inserted in place of any modular steel plate component. The concept of a transportable modular launch and landing pad may also be applicable to planetary surfaces where the effects of rocket exhaust plume on surface regolith is problematic for hardware on the surface that may either be damaged by direct impact of high speed dust particles, or impaired by the accumulation of dust (e.g., solar array panels and thermal radiators). During the Morpheus free flight campaign in 2013-14, KSC performed two studies related to rocket plume effects. One study compared four different thermal ablatives that were applied to the interior of a steel flame trench that KSC had designed and built. The second study monitored the erosion of a concrete landing pad following each landing of the Morpheus vehicle on the same pad located in the hazard field. All surfaces of a portable flame trench that could be directly exposed to hot gas during launch of the Morpheus vehicle were coated with four types of ablatives. All ablative products had been tested by NASA KSC and/or the manufacturer. The ablative thicknesses were measured periodically following the twelve Morpheus free flight tests. The thermal energy from the Morpheus rocket exhaust plume was only found to be sufficient to cause appreciable ablation of one of the four ablatives that were tested. The rocket exhaust plume did cause spalling of concrete during each descent and landing on a landing pad in the hazard field. The Extended Abstract ASE Earth and Space Conference April, 2016 - Orlando, FL concrete surface was laser scanned following each Morpheus landing, and the total volume of spalled concrete that eroded between the first and final landings of the Morpheus Project's test campaign was estimated. This paper will also describe a new deployable launch system (DLS) capability that is being developed at KSC and was publicly announced in May 2015 (KSC Partnerships, 2015). The DLS is a set of multi-user Ground Support Equipment that will be used to test and launch small class launch vehicles. The system is comprised of four main elements: the Launch Stand, the Flame Deflector, the Pad Apron and the KAMAG transporter. The system elements are designed to be deployed at launch or test sites within the KSC/CCAFS boundaries. The DLS is intended to be used together with the Fluid and Electrical System of the Universal Propellant Servicing Systems and Mobile Power Data and Communications Unit

Effects of explicit convection on global land-atmosphere coupling in the superparameterized CAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jian; Pritchard, Michael S.

2016-09-01

Conventional global climate models are prone to producing unrealistic land-atmosphere coupling signals. Cumulus and convection parameterizations are natural culprits but the effect of bypassing them with explicitly resolved convection on global land-atmosphere coupling dynamics has not been explored systematically. We apply a suite of modern land-atmosphere coupling diagnostics to isolate the effect of cloud Superparameterization in the Community Atmosphere Model (SPCAM) v3.5, focusing on both the terrestrial segment (i.e., soil moisture and surface turbulent fluxes interaction) and atmospheric segment (i.e., surface turbulent fluxes and precipitation interaction) in the water pathway of the land-atmosphere feedback loop. At daily timescales, SPCAM produces stronger uncoupled terrestrial signals (negative sign) over tropical rainforests in wet seasons, reduces the terrestrial coupling strength in the Central Great Plain in American, and reverses the coupling sign (from negative to positive) over India in the boreal summer season—all favorable improvements relative to reanalysis-forced land modeling. Analysis of the triggering feedback strength (TFS) and amplification feedback strength (AFS) shows that SPCAM favorably reproduces the observed geographic patterns of these indices over North America, with the probability of afternoon precipitation enhanced by high evaporative fraction along the eastern United States and Mexico, while conventional CAM does not capture this signal. We introduce a new diagnostic called the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) Feedback Strength (PFS), which reveals that SPCAM exhibits a tight connection between the responses of the lifting condensation level, the PBL height, and the rainfall triggering to surface turbulent fluxes; a triggering disconnect is found in CAM.

3D Additive Construction with Regolith for Surface Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, Robert P.

2014-01-01

Planetary surface exploration on Asteroids, the Moon, Mars and Martian Moons will require the stabilization of loose, fine, dusty regolith to avoid the effects of vertical lander rocket plume impingement, to keep abrasive and harmful dust from getting lofted and for dust free operations. In addition, the same regolith stabilization process can be used for 3 Dimensional ( 3D) printing, additive construction techniques by repeating the 2D stabilization in many vertical layers. This will allow in-situ construction with regolith so that materials will not have to be transported from Earth. Recent work in the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Surface Systems Office (NE-S) Swamp Works and at the University of Southern California (USC) under two NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) awards have shown promising results with regolith (crushed basalt rock) materials for in-situ heat shields, bricks, landing/launch pads, berms, roads, and other structures that could be fabricated using regolith that is sintered or mixed with a polymer binder. The technical goals and objectives of this project are to prove the feasibility of 3D printing additive construction using planetary regolith simulants and to show that they have structural integrity and practical applications in space exploration.

Probability-based hazard avoidance guidance for planetary landing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Xu; Yu, Zhengshi; Cui, Pingyuan; Xu, Rui; Zhu, Shengying; Cao, Menglong; Luan, Enjie

2018-03-01

Future landing and sample return missions on planets and small bodies will seek landing sites with high scientific value, which may be located in hazardous terrains. Autonomous landing in such hazardous terrains and highly uncertain planetary environments is particularly challenging. Onboard hazard avoidance ability is indispensable, and the algorithms must be robust to uncertainties. In this paper, a novel probability-based hazard avoidance guidance method is developed for landing in hazardous terrains on planets or small bodies. By regarding the lander state as probabilistic, the proposed guidance algorithm exploits information on the uncertainty of lander position and calculates the probability of collision with each hazard. The collision probability serves as an accurate safety index, which quantifies the impact of uncertainties on the lander safety. Based on the collision probability evaluation, the state uncertainty of the lander is explicitly taken into account in the derivation of the hazard avoidance guidance law, which contributes to enhancing the robustness to the uncertain dynamics of planetary landing. The proposed probability-based method derives fully analytic expressions and does not require off-line trajectory generation. Therefore, it is appropriate for real-time implementation. The performance of the probability-based guidance law is investigated via a set of simulations, and the effectiveness and robustness under uncertainties are demonstrated.

Contextualising and Analysing Planetary Rover Image Products through the Web-Based PRoGIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morley, Jeremy; Sprinks, James; Muller, Jan-Peter; Tao, Yu; Paar, Gerhard; Huber, Ben; Bauer, Arnold; Willner, Konrad; Traxler, Christoph; Garov, Andrey; Karachevtseva, Irina

2014-05-01

The international planetary science community has launched, landed and operated dozens of human and robotic missions to the planets and the Moon. They have collected various surface imagery that has only been partially utilized for further scientific purposes. The FP7 project PRoViDE (Planetary Robotics Vision Data Exploitation) is assembling a major portion of the imaging data gathered so far from planetary surface missions into a unique database, bringing them into a spatial context and providing access to a complete set of 3D vision products. Processing is complemented by a multi-resolution visualization engine that combines various levels of detail for a seamless and immersive real-time access to dynamically rendered 3D scenes. PRoViDE aims to (1) complete relevant 3D vision processing of planetary surface missions, such as Surveyor, Viking, Pathfinder, MER, MSL, Phoenix, Huygens, and Lunar ground-level imagery from Apollo, Russian Lunokhod and selected Luna missions, (2) provide highest resolution & accuracy remote sensing (orbital) vision data processing results for these sites to embed the robotic imagery and its products into spatial planetary context, (3) collect 3D Vision processing and remote sensing products within a single coherent spatial data base, (4) realise seamless fusion between orbital and ground vision data, (5) demonstrate the potential of planetary surface vision data by maximising image quality visualisation in 3D publishing platform, (6) collect and formulate use cases for novel scientific application scenarios exploiting the newly introduced spatial relationships and presentation, (7) demonstrate the concepts for MSL, (9) realize on-line dissemination of key data & its presentation by a web-based GIS and rendering tool named PRoGIS (Planetary Robotics GIS). PRoGIS is designed to give access to rover image archives in geographical context, using projected image view cones, obtained from existing meta-data and updated according to processing results, as a means to interact with and explore the archive. However PRoGIS is more than a source data explorer. It is linked to the PRoVIP (Planetary Robotics Vision Image Processing) system which includes photogrammetric processing tools to extract terrain models, compose panoramas, and explore and exploit multi-view stereo (where features on the surface have been imaged from different rover stops). We have started with the Opportunity MER rover as our test mission but the system is being designed to be multi-mission, taking advantage in particular of UCL MSSL's PDS mirror, and we intend to at least deal with both MER rovers and MSL. For the period of ProViDE until end of 2015 the further intent is to handle lunar and other Martian rover & descent camera data. The presentation discusses the challenges of integrating rover and orbital derived data into a single geographical framework, especially reconstructing view cones; our human-computer interaction intentions in creating an interface to the rover data that is accessible to planetary scientists; how we handle multi-mission data in the database; and a demonstration of the resulting system & its processing capabilities. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 312377 PRoViDE.

Models of Mars' atmosphere (1974)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

Atmospheric models for support of design and mission planning of space vehicles that are to orbit the planet Mars, enter its atmosphere, or land on the surface are presented. Quantitative data for the Martian atmosphere were obtained from Earth-base observations and from spacecraft that have orbited Mars or passed within several planetary radii. These data were used in conjunction with existing theories of planetary atmospheres to predict other characteristics of the Martian atmosphere. Earth-based observations provided information on the composition, temperature, and optical properties of Mars with rather coarse spatial resolution, whereas spacecraft measurements yielded data on composition, temperature, pressure, density, and atmospheric structure with moderately good spatial resolution. The models provide the temperature, pressure, and density profiles required to perform basic aerodynamic analyses. The profiles are supplemented by computed values of viscosity, specific heat, and speed of sound.

Expanding the Planetary Analog Test Sites in Hawaii - Planetary Basalt Manipulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelso, R.

2013-12-01

The Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES) is one of the very few planetary surface research test sites in the country that is totally funded by the state legislature. In recent expansions, PISCES is broadening its work in planetary test sites to include much more R&D work in the planetary surface systems, and the manipulation of basalt materials. This is to include laser 3D printing of basalt, 'lunar-concrete' construction in state projects for Hawaii, renewable energy, and adding lava tubes/skylights to their mix of high-quality planetary analog test sites. PISCES Executive Director, Rob Kelso, will be providing program updates on the interest of the Hawaii State Legislature in planetary surface systems, new applied research initiatives in planetary basalts and interests in planetary construction.

Technical Report Series on Global Modeling and Data Assimilation. Volume 14; A Comparison of GEOS Assimilated Data with FIFE Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Suarez, Max J. (Editor); Schubert, Siegfried D.

1998-01-01

First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE) observations have been used to validate the near-surface proper- ties of various versions of the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Data Assimilation System. The site- averaged FIFE data set extends from May 1987 through November 1989, allowing the investigation of several time scales, including the annual cycle, daily means and diurnal cycles. Furthermore, the development of the daytime convective planetary boundary layer is presented for several days. Monthly variations of the surface energy budget during the summer of 1988 demonstrate the affect of the prescribed surface soil wetness boundary conditions. GEOS data comes from the first frozen version of the assimilation system (GEOS-1 DAS) and two experimental versions of GEOS (v. 2.0 and 2.1) with substantially greater vertical resolution and other changes that influence the boundary layer. This report provides a baseline for future versions of the GEOS data assimilation system that will incorporate a state-of-the-art land surface parameterization. Several suggestions are proposed to improve the generality of future comparisons. These include the use of more diverse field experiment observations and an estimate of gridpoint heterogeneity from the new land surface parameterization.

High-Fidelity Flash Lidar Model Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, Glenn D.; Pierrottet, Diego F.; Amzajerdian, Farzin

2014-01-01

NASA's Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technologies (ALHAT) project is currently developing the critical technologies to safely and precisely navigate and land crew, cargo and robotic spacecraft vehicles on and around planetary bodies. One key element of this project is a high-fidelity Flash Lidar sensor that can generate three-dimensional (3-D) images of the planetary surface. These images are processed with hazard detection and avoidance and hazard relative navigation algorithms, and then are subsequently used by the Guidance, Navigation and Control subsystem to generate an optimal navigation solution. A complex, high-fidelity model of the Flash Lidar was developed in order to evaluate the performance of the sensor and its interaction with the interfacing ALHAT components on vehicles with different configurations and under different flight trajectories. The model contains a parameterized, general approach to Flash Lidar detection and reflects physical attributes such as range and electronic noise sources, and laser pulse temporal and spatial profiles. It also provides the realistic interaction of the laser pulse with terrain features that include varying albedo, boulders, craters slopes and shadows. This paper gives a description of the Flash Lidar model and presents results from the Lidar operating under different scenarios.

Advances in Land Data Assimilation at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reichle, Rolf

2009-01-01

Research in land surface data assimilation has grown rapidly over the last decade. In this presentation we provide a brief overview of key research contributions by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The GSFC contributions to land assimilation primarily include the continued development and application of the Land Information System (US) and the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF). In particular, we have developed a method to generate perturbation fields that are correlated in space, time, and across variables and that permit the flexible modeling of errors in land surface models and observations, along with an adaptive filtering approach that estimates observation and model error input parameters. A percentile-based scaling method that addresses soil moisture biases in model and observational estimates opened the path to the successful application of land data assimilation to satellite retrievals of surface soil moisture. Assimilation of AMSR-E surface soil moisture retrievals into the NASA Catchment model provided superior surface and root zone assimilation products (when validated against in situ measurements and compared to the model estimates or satellite observations alone). The multi-model capabilities of US were used to investigate the role of subsurface physics in the assimilation of surface soil moisture observations. Results indicate that the potential of surface soil moisture assimilation to improve root zone information is higher when the surface to root zone coupling is stronger. Building on this experience, GSFC leads the development of the Level 4 Surface and Root-Zone Soil Moisture (L4_SM) product for the planned NASA Soil-Moisture-Active-Passive (SMAP) mission. A key milestone was the design and execution of an Observing System Simulation Experiment that quantified the contribution of soil moisture retrievals to land data assimilation products as a function of retrieval and land model skill and yielded an estimate of the error budget for the SMAP L4_SM product. Terrestrial water storage observations from GRACE satellite system were also successfully assimilated into the NASA Catchment model and provided improved estimates of groundwater variability when compared to the model estimates alone. Moreover, satellite-based land surface temperature (LST) observations from the ISCCP archive were assimilated using a bias estimation module that was specifically designed for LST assimilation. As with soil moisture, LST assimilation provides modest yet statistically significant improvements when compared to the model or satellite observations alone. To achieve the improvement, however, the LST assimilation algorithm must be adapted to the specific formulation of LST in the land model. An improved method for the assimilation of snow cover observations was also developed. Finally, the coupling of LIS to the mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model enabled investigations into how the sensitivity of land-atmosphere interactions to the specific choice of planetary boundary layer scheme and land surface model varies across surface moisture regimes, and how it can be quantified and evaluated against observations. The on-going development and integration of land assimilation modules into the Land Information System will enable the use of GSFC software with a variety of land models and make it accessible to the research community.

Mars Science with Small Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calvin, W. M.; Miralles, C.; Clark, B. C.; Wilson, G. R.

2000-01-01

The Mars program has articulated a strategy to answer the question "Could Life have arisen on Mars?" by pursuing an in depth understanding of the location, persistence and expression of water in the surface and sub-surface environments. In addition to the need to understand the role of water in climate and climate history, detailed understanding of the surface and interior of the planet is required as well. Return of samples from the Martian surface is expected to provide key answers and site selection to maximize the science gleaned from samples becomes critical. Current and past orbital platforms have revealed a surface and planetary history of surprising complexity. While these remote views significantly advance our understanding of the planet it is clear that detailed regional surveys can both answer specific open questions as well as provide initial reconnaissance for subsequent landed operations.

How Do You Answer the Life on Mars Question? Use Multiple Small Landers Like Beagle 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibson, Everett K.; Pillinger, C. T.; Wright, I. P.; Hurst, S. J.; Richter, L.; Sims, M. R.

2012-01-01

To address one of the most important questions in planetary science Is there life on Mars? The scientific community must turn to less costly means of exploring the surface of the Red Planet. The United Kingdom's Beagle 2 Mars lander concept was a small meter-size lander with a scientific payload constituting a large proportion of the flown mass designed to supply answers to the question about life on Mars. A possible reason why Beagle 2 did not send any data was that it was a one-off attempt to land. As Steve Squyres said at the time: "It's difficult to land on Mars - if you want to succeed you have to send two of everything".

The topology of non-linear global carbon dynamics: from tipping points to planetary boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderies, J. M.; Carpenter, S. R.; Steffen, Will; Rockström, Johan

2013-12-01

We present a minimal model of land use and carbon cycle dynamics and use it to explore the relationship between non-linear dynamics and planetary boundaries. Only the most basic interactions between land cover and terrestrial, atmospheric, and marine carbon stocks are considered in the model. Our goal is not to predict global carbon dynamics as it occurs in the actual Earth System. Rather, we construct a conceptually reasonable heuristic model of a feedback system between different carbon stocks that captures the qualitative features of the actual Earth System and use it to explore the topology of the boundaries of what can be called a ‘safe operating space’ for humans. The model analysis illustrates the existence of dynamic, non-linear tipping points in carbon cycle dynamics and the potential complexity of planetary boundaries. Finally, we use the model to illustrate some challenges associated with navigating planetary boundaries.

Cratering Soil by Impinging Jets of Gas, with Application to Landing Rockets on Planetary Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Metzger, Philip T.; Vu, B. T.; Taylor, D. E.; Kromann, M. J.; Fuchs, M.; Yutko, B.; Dokos, A.; Immer, Christopher D.; Lane, J. E.; Dunkel, Michael B.;

Utilization of 3D imaging flash lidar technology for autonomous safe landing on planetary bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin; Vanek, Michael; Petway, Larry; Pierrottet, Diego; Busch, George; Bulyshev, Alexander

2010-01-01

NASA considers Flash Lidar a critical technology for enabling autonomous safe landing of future large robotic and crewed vehicles on the surface of the Moon and Mars. Flash Lidar can generate 3-Dimensional images of the terrain to identify hazardous features such as craters, rocks, and steep slopes during the final stages of descent and landing. The onboard flight comptuer can use the 3-D map of terain to guide the vehicle to a safe site. The capabilities of Flash Lidar technology were evaluated through a series of static tests using a calibrated target and through dynamic tests aboard a helicopter and a fixed wing airctarft. The aircraft flight tests were perfomed over Moonlike terrain in the California and Nevada deserts. This paper briefly describes the Flash Lidar static and aircraft flight test results. These test results are analyzed against the landing application requirements to identify the areas of technology improvement. The ongoing technology advancement activities are then explained and their goals are described.

Utilization of 3-D Imaging Flash Lidar Technology for Autonomous Safe Landing on Planetary Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin; Vanek, Michael; Petway, Larry; Pierrotter, Diego; Busch, George; Bulyshev, Alexander

2010-01-01

NASA considers Flash Lidar a critical technology for enabling autonomous safe landing of future large robotic and crewed vehicles on the surface of the Moon and Mars. Flash Lidar can generate 3-Dimensional images of the terrain to identify hazardous features such as craters, rocks, and steep slopes during the final stages of descent and landing. The onboard flight computer can use the 3-D map of terrain to guide the vehicle to a safe site. The capabilities of Flash Lidar technology were evaluated through a series of static tests using a calibrated target and through dynamic tests aboard a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft. The aircraft flight tests were performed over Moon-like terrain in the California and Nevada deserts. This paper briefly describes the Flash Lidar static and aircraft flight test results. These test results are analyzed against the landing application requirements to identify the areas of technology improvement. The ongoing technology advancement activities are then explained and their goals are described.

Project Morpheus: Lessons Learned in Lander Technology Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olansen, Jon B.; Munday, Stephen R.; Mitchell, Jennifer D.

2013-01-01

NASA's Morpheus Project has developed and tested a prototype planetary lander capable of vertical takeoff and landing, that is designed to serve as a testbed for advanced spacecraft technologies. The lander vehicle, propelled by a LOX/Methane engine and sized to carry a 500kg payload to the lunar surface, provides a platform for bringing technologies from the laboratory into an integrated flight system at relatively low cost. Designed, developed, manufactured and operated in-house by engineers at Johnson Space Center, the initial flight test campaign began on-site at JSC less than one year after project start. After two years of testing, including two major upgrade periods, and recovery from a test crash that caused the loss of a vehicle, flight testing will evolve to executing autonomous flights simulating a 500m lunar approach trajectory, hazard avoidance maneuvers, and precision landing, incorporating the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance (ALHAT) sensor suite. These free-flights are conducted at a simulated planetary landscape built at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. The Morpheus Project represents a departure from recent NASA programs and projects that traditionally require longer development lifecycles and testing at remote, dedicated testing facilities. This paper expands on the project perspective that technologies offer promise, but capabilities offer solutions. It documents the integrated testing campaign, the infrastructure and testing facilities, and the technologies being evaluated in this testbed. The paper also describes the fast pace of the project, rapid prototyping, frequent testing, and lessons learned during this departure from the traditional engineering development process at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

KSC-2014-4803

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and controllers in a mobile control room prepare for flight number 15 of NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander will take off from the ground over a flame trench and use its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, to survey the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2014-4806

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and technicians prepare the launch pad for NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Morpheus is being prepared for free flight test number 15 at the SLF. The lander will take off from the ground over a flame trench and use its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, to survey the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2014-4798

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander is being transported from a hangar at the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, for free flight test number 15 at the north end of the SLF at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander will take off from the ground over a flame trench and use its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, to survey the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2014-4801

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander is being lowered by crane onto a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility in preparation for free flight test number 15 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander will take off from the ground over a flame trench and use its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, to survey the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2014-4807

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and technicians prepare NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander for free flight test number 15 on a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Morpheus is being lowered by crane onto the launch pad. The lander will take off from the ground over a flame trench and use its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT sensors, to survey the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Activities in planetary geology for the physical and earth sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dalli, R.; Greeley, R.

1982-01-01

A users guide for teaching activities in planetary geology, and for physical and earth sciences is presented. The following topics are discussed: cratering; aeolian processes; planetary atmospheres, in particular the Coriolis Effect and storm systems; photogeologic mapping of other planets, Moon provinces and stratigraphy, planets in stereo, land form mapping of Moon, Mercury and Mars, and geologic features of Mars.

Making direct use of canopy profiles in vegetation - atmosphere coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryder, James; Polcher, Jan; Peylin, Philippe; Ottlé, Catherine; Chen, Yiying; van Gorsel, Eva; Haverd, Vanessa; McGrath, Matthew; Naudts, Kim; Otto, Juliane; Valade, Aude; Luyssaert, Sebastiaan

2015-04-01

Most coupled land-surface regional models use the 'big-leaf' approach for simulating the sensible and latent heat fluxes of different vegetation types. However, there has been a progression in the types of questions being asked of these models, such as the consequences of land-use change or the behaviour of BVOCs and aerosol. In addition, recent years has seen growth in the availability of in-canopy datasets across a broaded range of species, with which to calibrate these simulations. Hence, there is now an argument for transferring some of the techniques and processes previously used in local, site-based land surface models to the land surface components of models which operate on a regional or even global scale. We describe here the development and evaluation of a vertical canopy energy budget model (Ryder, J et al., 2014) that can be coupled to an atmospheric model such as LMDz. Significantly, the model preserves the implicit coupling of the land-surface to atmosphere interface, which means that run-time efficiences are preserved. This is acheived by means of an interface based on the approach of Polcher et al. (1998) and Best et al. (2004), but newly developed for a canopy column. The model makes use of techniques from site-based models, such as the calculation of vertical turbulence statistics using a second-order closure model (Massman & Weil, 1999), and the distribution of long-wave and short-wave radiation over the profile, the latter using an innovate multilayer albedo scheme (McGrath et al., in prep.). Complete profiles of atmospheric temperature and specific humidity are now calculated, in order to simulate sensible and latent heat fluxes, as well as the leaf temperature at each level in the model. The model is shown to perform stably, and reproduces well flux measurements at an initial test site, across a time period of several days, or over the course of a year. Further applications of the model might be to simulate mixed canopies, the light-stimulated emission of chemical species, or the ecological consequences of changes to temperature profile as a results of changes to stand structure. References: Best, M. J., Beljaars, A. C. M., Polcher, J., & Viterbo, P. (2004). A proposed structure for coupling tiled surfaces with the planetary boundary layer. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 5, 1271-1278. Massman, W. J., & Weil, J. C., 1999. 'An analytical one-dimensional second-order closure model of turbulence statistics and the lagrangian time scale within and above plant canopies of arbitrary structure', Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 91, 81-107. Mcgrath, M. J., Pinty, B., Ryder, J., Otto, J., & Luyssaert, S., in prep. A multilevel canopy radiative transfer scheme based on a domain-averaged structure factor Polcher, J., McAvaney, B., Viterbo, P., Gaertner, M., Hahmann, A., Mahfouf, J.-F., Noilhan, J., Phillips, T.J., Pitman, A. J., Schlosser, C. A., Schulz, J-P, Timbal, B., Verseghy, D. L., Xue, Y. (1998). A proposal for a general interface between land surface schemes and general circulation models. Global and Planetary Change, 19, 261-276. Ryder, J., J. Polcher, P. Peylin, C. Ottlé, Y. Chen, E. Van Gorsel, V. Haverd, M. J. McGrath, K.Naudts, J. Otto, A. Valade, and S. Luyssaert, 2014. 'A multi-layer land surface energy budget model for implicit coupling with global atmospheric simulations', Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss. 7, 8649-8701

Beagle 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, D. S.; Pillinger, C. T.; Sims, M. R.; Pullan, D.; Whitehead, S.; Thatcher, J.; Clemmet, J.; Linguard, S.; Underwood, J.; Richter, L.

2000-07-01

Beagle 2 is the British-led lander of the ESA Mars Express mission. The prime objectives of Beagle 2 are to (1) search for criteria relating to past life on Mars, (2) seek trace atmospheric species indicative of extant life, (3) measure the detailed atmospheric composition to establish the geological history of the planet and to document the processes involved in seasonal climatic changes or diurnal cycling, (4) investigate the oxidative state of the Martian surface, rock interiors and beneath boulders, (5) examine the geological nature of the rocks, their chemistry, mineralogy, petrology and age, (6) characterise the geomorphology of the landing site, and (7) appraise the environmental conditions including temperature, pressure, wind speed, UV flux, etc. The entry system comprises a front shield/aeroshell, a back cover/bioshield and release mechanisms. The descent system depends on a mortar, pilot chute, main parachute and main parachute release mechanism. The Lander itself has a clam-like structure and lands cocooned within gas-filled airbags. The outer shell provides energy absorption and thermal insulation within a casing that must spread the impact loads and resists tearing. Many of the Beagle 2 science instruments are integrated with a robotic arm that transports them to deploy them in positions where they can study or obtain samples of the rocks and soil. Sub-surface samples are obtained using a Pluto (PLanetary Undersurface TOol) which has the ability to crawl across, and burrow below the planetary surface. The constraints placed on Beagle 2 by mass restrictions of the Mars Express mission has meant that many innovations are necessary to ensure delivery of a sufficient science payload mass capable of the full range of measurements necessary to achieve the mission objectives. In particular a highly integrated approach to lander sytems and science instruments has been essential. This approach and the necessary technology developments have important implications for future in-situ analyses of the Martian surface and sub-surface.

Southern Meridiani Planum - A candidate landing site for the first crewed mission to Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, J. D. A.; Willson, D.; Smith, H.; Hobbs, S. W.; Jones, E.

2017-04-01

Astronauts working on the surface of Mars have the capability to explore efficiently, rapidly, and flexibly, allowing them to perform a wide range of field investigations. NASA has begun an open international process to identify and evaluate candidate locations where crews could land, live and work on the martian surface, beginning with the First Landing Site/Exploration Zone Workshop for Human Missions to the Surface of Mars in October 2015. Forty seven sites were proposed, including several at or near the Meridiani area, the subject of this paper. We consider the Meridiani area an excellent candidate for the first missions to Mars. It is accessible, safe, contains potential water resources in the form of poly-hydrated magnesium sulphates, has diverse science features with high likelihood of meeting all science goals, has other potential resources and potential for further longer-ranged exploration. The presence of hardware from previous missions will be of benefit to studies of materials to martian conditions, assessing the effectiveness of historic planetary protection strategies, and engaging public interest. Lastly, parts of the Meridiani region have been well studied from the surface by the Opportunity mission, providing ground truth for orbital data. As one of the best documented regions of Mars this will allow a "Go where you know" approach for the first crewed missions, especially with regard to safety, trafficability, and water resource potential.

PRISM 8 degrees X 10 degrees North Hemisphere paleoclimate reconstruction; digital data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barron, John A.; Cronin, Thomas M.; Dowsett, Harry J.; Fleming, Farley R.; Holtz, Thomas R.; Ishman, Scott E.; Poore, Richard Z.; Thompson, Robert S.; Willard, Debra A.

1994-01-01

The PRISM 8?x10? data set represents several years of investigation by PRISM (Pliocene Research, Interpretation, and Synoptic Mapping) Project members. One of the goals of PRISM is to produce time-slice reconstructions of intervals of warmer than modern climate within the Pliocene Epoch. The first of these was chosen to be at 3.0 Ma (time scale of Berggren et al., 1985) and is published in Global and Planetary Change (Dowsett et al., 1994). This document contains the actual data sets and a brief explanation of how they were constructed. For paleoenvironmental interpretations and discussion of each data set, see Dowsett et al., in press. The data sets includes sea level, land ice distribution, vegetation or land cover, sea surface temperature and sea-ice cover matrices. This reconstruction of Middle Pliocene climate is organized as a series of datasets representing different environmental attributes. The data sets are designed for use with the GISS Model II atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) using an 8?x10? resolution (Hansen et al., 1983). The first step in documenting the Pliocene climate involves assigning an appropriate fraction of land versus ocean to each grid box. Following grid cell by grid cell, land versus ocean allocations, winter and summer sea ice coverage of ocean areas are assigned and then winter and summer sea surface temperatures are assigned to open ocean areas. Average land ice cover is recorded for land areas and then land areas not covered by ice are assigned proportions of six vegetation or land cover categories modified from Hansen et al. (1983).

Morpheus: Advancing Technologies for Human Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olansen, Jon B.; Munday, Stephen R.; Mitchell, Jennifer D.; Baine, Michael

2012-01-01

NASA's Morpheus Project has developed and tested a prototype planetary lander capable of vertical takeoff and landing. Designed to serve as a vertical testbed (VTB) for advanced spacecraft technologies, the vehicle provides a platform for bringing technologies from the laboratory into an integrated flight system at relatively low cost. This allows individual technologies to mature into capabilities that can be incorporated into human exploration missions. The Morpheus vehicle is propelled by a LOX/Methane engine and sized to carry a payload of 1100 lb to the lunar surface. In addition to VTB vehicles, the Project s major elements include ground support systems and an operations facility. Initial testing will demonstrate technologies used to perform autonomous hazard avoidance and precision landing on a lunar or other planetary surface. The Morpheus vehicle successfully performed a set of integrated vehicle test flights including hot-fire and tethered hover tests, leading up to un-tethered free-flights. The initial phase of this development and testing campaign is being conducted on-site at the Johnson Space Center (JSC), with the first fully integrated vehicle firing its engine less than one year after project initiation. Designed, developed, manufactured and operated in-house by engineers at JSC, the Morpheus Project represents an unprecedented departure from recent NASA programs that traditionally require longer, more expensive development lifecycles and testing at remote, dedicated testing facilities. Morpheus testing includes three major types of integrated tests. A hot-fire (HF) is a static vehicle test of the LOX/Methane propulsion system. Tether tests (TT) have the vehicle suspended above the ground using a crane, which allows testing of the propulsion and integrated Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) in hovering flight without the risk of a vehicle departure or crash. Morpheus free-flights (FF) test the complete Morpheus system without the additional safeguards provided during tether. A variety of free-flight trajectories are planned to incrementally build up to a fully functional Morpheus lander capable of flying planetary landing trajectories. In FY12, these tests will culminate with autonomous flights simulating a 1 km lunar approach trajectory, hazard avoidance maneuvers and precision landing in a prepared hazard field at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This paper describes Morpheus integrated testing campaign, infrastructure, and facilities, and the payloads being incorporated on the vehicle. The Project s fast pace, rapid prototyping, frequent testing, and lessons learned depart from traditional engineering development at JSC. The Morpheus team employs lean, agile development with a guiding belief that technologies offer promise, but capabilities offer solutions, achievable without astronomical costs and timelines.

MITEE-B: A Compact Ultra Lightweight Bi-Modal Nuclear Propulsion Engine for Robotic Planetary Science Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, James; Maise, George; Paniagua, John; Borowski, Stanley

2003-01-01

Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) enables unique new robotic planetary science missions that are impossible with chemical or nuclear electric propulsion systems. A compact and ultra lightweight bi-modal nuclear engine, termed MITEE-B (MInature ReacTor EnginE - Bi-Modal) can deliver 1000's of kilograms of propulsive thrust when it operates in the NTP mode, and many kilowatts of continuous electric power when it operates in the electric generation mode. The high propulsive thrust NTP mode enables spacecraft to land and takeoff from the surface of a planet or moon, to hop to multiple widely separated sites on the surface, and virtually unlimited flight in planetary atmospheres. The continuous electric generation mode enables a spacecraft to replenish its propellant by processing in-situ resources, provide power for controls, instruments, and communications while in space and on the surface, and operate electric propulsion units. Six examples of unique and important missions enabled by the MITEE-B engine are described, including: (1) Pluto lander and sample return; (2) Europa lander and ocean explorer; (3) Mars Hopper; (4) Jupiter atmospheric flyer; (5) SunBurn hypervelocity spacecraft; and (6) He3 mining from Uranus. Many additional important missions are enabled by MITEE-B. A strong technology base for MITEE-B already exists. With a vigorous development program, it could be ready for initial robotic science and exploration missions by 2010 AD. Potential mission benefits include much shorter in-space times, reduced IMLEO requirements, and replenishment of supplies from in-situ resources.

Planetary Surface Instruments Workshop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Charles; Treiman, Allanh; Kostiuk, Theodor,

1996-01-01

This report on planetary surface investigations an d planetary landers covers: (1) the precise chemic al analysis of solids; (2) isotopes and evolved ga s analyses; (3) planetary interiors; planetary atm ospheres from within as measured by landers; (4) m ineralogical examination of extraterrestrial bodie s; (5) regoliths; and (6) field geology/processes . For individual titles, see N96-34812 through N96-34819. (Derived from text.)

Experimental Testing and Modeling of a Pneumatic Regolith Delivery System for ISRU

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santiago-Maldonado, Edgardo; Dominquez, Jesus A.; Mantovani, James G.

2011-01-01

Excavating and transporting planetary regolith are examples of surface activities that may occur during a future space exploration mission to a planetary body. Regolith, whether it is collected on the Moon, Mars or even an asteroid, consists of granular minerals, some of which have been identified to be viable resources that can be mined and processed chemically to extract useful by-products, such as oxygen, water, and various metals and metal alloys. Even the depleted "waste" material from such chemical processes may be utilized later in the construction of landing pads and protective structures at the site of a planetary base. One reason for excavating and conveying planetary regolith is to deliver raw regolith material to in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) systems. The goal of ISRU is to provide expendable supplies and materials at the planetary destination, if possible. An in-situ capability of producing mission-critical substances such as oxygen will help to extend the mission and its success, and will greatly lower the overall cost of a mission by either eliminating, or significantly reducing, the need to transport the same expendable materials from the Earth. In order to support the goals and objectives of present and future ISRU projects, NASA seeks technology advancements in the areas of regolith conveying. Such systems must be effective, efficient and provide reliable performance over long durations while being exposed to the harsh environments found on planetary surfaces. These conditions include contact with very abrasive regolith particulates, exposure to high vacuum or dry (partial) atmospheres, wide variations in temperature, reduced gravity, and exposure to space radiation. Regolith conveying techniques that combine reduced failure modes and low energy consumption with high material transfer rates will provide significant value for future space exploration missions to the surfaces of the moon, Mars and asteroids. Pneumatic regolith conveying has demonstrated itself to be a viable delivery system through testing under terrestrial and reduced gravity conditions in recent years. Modeling and experimental testing have been conducted at NASA Kennedy Space Center to study and advance pneumatic planetary regolith delivery systems in support of NASA's ISRU project. The goal of this work is to use the model to predict solid-gas flow patterns in reduced gravity environments for ISRU inlet gas line allowing the eductor inlet gas flow to vary and depend on the flow pattern developed at the eductor as inferred by the experimental observations.

Planetary Geologic Mapping Handbook - 2009

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tanaka, K. L.; Skinner, J. A.; Hare, T. M.

2009-01-01

Geologic maps present, in an historical context, fundamental syntheses of interpretations of the materials, landforms, structures, and processes that characterize planetary surfaces and shallow subsurfaces (e.g., Varnes, 1974). Such maps also provide a contextual framework for summarizing and evaluating thematic research for a given region or body. In planetary exploration, for example, geologic maps are used for specialized investigations such as targeting regions of interest for data collection and for characterizing sites for landed missions. Whereas most modern terrestrial geologic maps are constructed from regional views provided by remote sensing data and supplemented in detail by field-based observations and measurements, planetary maps have been largely based on analyses of orbital photography. For planetary bodies in particular, geologic maps commonly represent a snapshot of a surface, because they are based on available information at a time when new data are still being acquired. Thus the field of planetary geologic mapping has been evolving rapidly to embrace the use of new data and modern technology and to accommodate the growing needs of planetary exploration. Planetary geologic maps have been published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since 1962 (Hackman, 1962). Over this time, numerous maps of several planetary bodies have been prepared at a variety of scales and projections using the best available image and topographic bases. Early geologic map bases commonly consisted of hand-mosaicked photographs or airbrushed shaded-relief views and geologic linework was manually drafted using mylar bases and ink drafting pens. Map publishing required a tedious process of scribing, color peel-coat preparation, typesetting, and photo-laboratory work. Beginning in the 1990s, inexpensive computing, display capability and user-friendly illustration software allowed maps to be drawn using digital tools rather than pen and ink, and mylar bases became obsolete. Terrestrial geologic maps published by the USGS now are primarily digital products using geographic information system (GIS) software and file formats. GIS mapping tools permit easy spatial comparison, generation, importation, manipulation, and analysis of multiple raster image, gridded, and vector data sets. GIS software has also permitted the development of project-specific tools and the sharing of geospatial products among researchers. GIS approaches are now being used in planetary geologic mapping as well (e.g., Hare and others, 2009). Guidelines or handbooks on techniques in planetary geologic mapping have been developed periodically (e.g., Wilhelms, 1972, 1990; Tanaka and others, 1994). As records of the heritage of mapping methods and data, these remain extremely useful guides. However, many of the fundamental aspects of earlier mapping handbooks have evolved significantly, and a comprehensive review of currently accepted mapping methodologies is now warranted. As documented in this handbook, such a review incorporates additional guidelines developed in recent years for planetary geologic mapping by the NASA Planetary Geology and Geophysics (PGG) Program s Planetary Cartography and Geologic Mapping Working Group s (PCGMWG) Geologic Mapping Subcommittee (GEMS) on the selection and use of map bases as well as map preparation, review, publication, and distribution. In light of the current boom in planetary exploration and the ongoing rapid evolution of available data for planetary mapping, this handbook is especially timely.

Developing a Prototype ALHAT Human System Interface for Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirsh, Robert L.; Chua, Zarrin K.; Heino, Todd A.; Strahan, Al; Major, Laura; Duda, Kevin

2011-01-01

The goal of the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project is to safely execute a precision landing anytime/anywhere on the moon. This means the system must operate in any lighting conditions, operate in the presence of any thruster generated regolith clouds, and operate without the help of redeployed navigational aids or prepared landing site at the landing site. In order to reach this ambitious goal, computer aided technologies such as ALHAT will be needed in order to permit these landings to be done safely. Although there will be advanced autonomous capabilities onboard future landers, humans will still be involved (either onboard as astronauts or remotely from mission control) in any mission to the moon or other planetary body. Because many time critical decisions must be made quickly and effectively during the landing sequence, the Descent and Landing displays need to be designed to be as effective as possible at presenting the pertinent information to the operator, and allow the operators decisions to be implemented as quickly as possible. The ALHAT project has established the Human System Interface (HSI) team to lead in the development of these displays and to study the best way to provide operators enhanced situational awareness during landing activities. These displays are prototypes that were developed based on multiple design and feedback sessions with the astronaut office at NASA/ Johnson Space Center. By working with the astronauts in a series of plan/build/evaluate cycles, the HSI team has obtained astronaut feedback from the very beginning of the design process. In addition to developing prototype displays, the HSI team has also worked to provide realistic lunar terrain (and shading) to simulate a "out the window" view that can be adjusted to various lighting conditions (based on a desired date/time) to allow the same terrain to be viewed under varying lighting terrain. This capability will be critical to determining the effect of terrain/lighting on the human pilot, and how they use windows and displays during landing activities. The Apollo missions were limited to about 28 possible launch days a year due to lighting and orbital constraints. In order to take advantage of more landing opportunities and venture to more challenging landing locations, future landers will need to utilize sensors besides human eyes for scanning the surface. The ALHAT HSI system must effectively convey ALHAT produced information to the operator, so that landings can occur during less "optimal" conditions (lighting, surface terrain, slopes, etc) than was possible during Apollo missions. By proving this capability, ALHAT will simultaneously provide more flexible access to the moon, and greater safety margins for future landers. This paper will specifically focus on the development of prototype displays (the Trajectory Profile Display (TPD), Landing Point Designation (LPD), and Crew Camera View (CCV) ), implementation of realistic planetary terrain, human modeling, and future HSI plans.

Mars Pathfinder mission operations concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sturms, Francis M., Jr.; Dias, William C.; Nakata, Albert Y.; Tai, Wallace S.

1994-01-01

The Mars Pathfinder Project plans a December 1996 launch of a single spacecraft. After jettisoning a cruise stage, an entry body containing a lander and microrover will directly enter the Mars atmosphere and parachute to a hard landing near the sub-solar latitude of 15 degrees North in July 1997. Primary surface operations last for 30 days. Cost estimates for Pathfinder ground systems development and operations are not only lower in absolute dollars, but also are a lower percentage of total project costs than in past planetary missions. Operations teams will be smaller and fewer than typical flight projects. Operations scenarios have been developed early in the project and are being used to guide operations implementation and flight system design. Recovery of key engineering data from entry, descent, and landing is a top mission priority. These data will be recorded for playback after landing. Real-time tracking of a modified carrier signal through this phase can provide important insight into the spacecraft performance during entry, descent, and landing in the event recorded data is never recovered. Surface scenarios are dominated by microrover activity and lander imaging during 7 hours of the Mars day from 0700 to 1400 local solar time. Efficient uplink and downlink processes have been designed to command the lander and microrover each Mars day.

A Hybrid FPGA/Tilera Compute Element for Autonomous Hazard Detection and Navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Villalpando, Carlos Y.; Werner, Robert A.; Carson, John M., III; Khanoyan, Garen; Stern, Ryan A.; Trawny, Nikolas

2013-01-01

To increase safety for future missions landing on other planetary or lunar bodies, the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) program is developing an integrated sensor for autonomous surface analysis and hazard determination. The ALHAT Hazard Detection System (HDS) consists of a Flash LIDAR for measuring the topography of the landing site, a gimbal to scan across the terrain, and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), along with terrain analysis algorithms to identify the landing site and the local hazards. An FPGA and Manycore processor system was developed to interface all the devices in the HDS, to provide high-resolution timing to accurately measure system state, and to run the surface analysis algorithms quickly and efficiently. In this paper, we will describe how we integrated COTS components such as an FPGA evaluation board, a TILExpress64, and multi-threaded/multi-core aware software to build the HDS Compute Element (HDSCE). The ALHAT program is also working with the NASA Morpheus Project and has integrated the HDS as a sensor on the Morpheus Lander. This paper will also describe how the HDS is integrated with the Morpheus lander and the results of the initial test flights with the HDS installed. We will also describe future improvements to the HDSCE.

A hybrid FPGA/Tilera compute element for autonomous hazard detection and navigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villalpando, C. Y.; Werner, R. A.; Carson, J. M.; Khanoyan, G.; Stern, R. A.; Trawny, N.

To increase safety for future missions landing on other planetary or lunar bodies, the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) program is developing an integrated sensor for autonomous surface analysis and hazard determination. The ALHAT Hazard Detection System (HDS) consists of a Flash LIDAR for measuring the topography of the landing site, a gimbal to scan across the terrain, and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), along with terrain analysis algorithms to identify the landing site and the local hazards. An FPGA and Manycore processor system was developed to interface all the devices in the HDS, to provide high-resolution timing to accurately measure system state, and to run the surface analysis algorithms quickly and efficiently. In this paper, we will describe how we integrated COTS components such as an FPGA evaluation board, a TILExpress64, and multi-threaded/multi-core aware software to build the HDS Compute Element (HDSCE). The ALHAT program is also working with the NASA Morpheus Project and has integrated the HDS as a sensor on the Morpheus Lander. This paper will also describe how the HDS is integrated with the Morpheus lander and the results of the initial test flights with the HDS installed. We will also describe future improvements to the HDSCE.

Laser Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry for Future In Situ Planetary Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Getty, S. A.; Brinckerhoff, W. B.; Cornish, T.; Ecelberger, S. A.; Li, X.; Floyd, M. A. Merrill; Chanover, N.; Uckert, K.; Voelz, D.; Xiao, X.;

Planetary geomorphology field studies: Iceland and Antarctica

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malin, M. C.

1984-01-01

Field studies of terrestrial landforms and the processes that shape them provide new directions to the study of planetary features. These studies, conducted in Iceland and in Antarctica, investigated physical and chemical weathering mechanisms and rates, eolitan processes, mudflow phenomena, drainage development, and catastrophic fluvial and volcanic phenomena. Continuing investigations in Iceland fall in three main catagories: (1) catastrophic floods of the Jokulsa a Fjollum, (2) lahars associated with explosive volcanic eruptions of Askja caldera, and (3) rates of eolian abrasion in cold, volcanic deserts. The ice-free valleys of Antarctica, in particular those in South Victoria Land, have much is common with the surface of Mars. In addition to providing independent support for the application of the Iceland findings to consideration of the martian erosional system, the Antarctic observations also provide analogies to other martian phenomena. For example, a family of sand dunes in Victoria Valley are stabilized by the incorporation of snow as beds.

Effects of explicit convection on global land-atmosphere coupling in the superparameterized CAM

DOE PAGES

Sun, Jian; Pritchard, Michael S.

2016-07-25

Here, conventional global climate models are prone to producing unrealistic land-atmosphere coupling signals. Cumulus and convection parameterizations are natural culprits but the effect of bypassing them with explicitly resolved convection on global land-atmosphere coupling dynamics has not been explored systematically. We apply a suite of modern land-atmosphere coupling diagnostics to isolate the effect of cloud Superparameterization in the Community Atmosphere Model (SPCAM) v3.5, focusing on both the terrestrial segment (i.e., soil moisture and surface turbulent fluxes interaction) and atmospheric segment (i.e., surface turbulent fluxes and precipitation interaction) in the water pathway of the landatmosphere feedback loop. At daily timescales, SPCAMmore » produces stronger uncoupled terrestrial signals (negative sign) over tropical rainforests in wet seasons, reduces the terrestrial coupling strength in the Central Great Plain in American, and reverses the coupling sign (from negative to positive) over India in the boreal summer season—all favorable improvements relative to reanalysis-forced land modeling. Analysis of the triggering feedback strength (TFS) and amplification feedback strength (AFS) shows that SPCAM favorably reproduces the observed geographic patterns of these indices over North America, with the probability of afternoon precipitation enhanced by high evaporative fraction along the eastern United States and Mexico, while conventional CAM does not capture this signal. We introduce a new diagnostic called the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) Feedback Strength (PFS), which reveals that SPCAM exhibits a tight connection between the responses of the lifting condensation level, the PBL height, and the rainfall triggering to surface turbulent fluxes; a triggering disconnect is found in CAM.« less

On the Effects of the Evolution of Microbial Mats and Land Plants on the Earth as a Planet. Photometric and Spectroscopic Light Curves of Paleo-Earths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanromá, E.; Pallé, E.; García Munõz, A.

2013-04-01

Understanding the spectral and photometric variability of the Earth and the rest of the solar system planets has become of utmost importance for the future characterization of rocky exoplanets. As this is not only interesting at present times but also along the planetary evolution, we studied the effect that the evolution of microbial mats and plants over land has had on the way our planet looks from afar. As life evolved, continental surfaces changed gradually and non-uniformly from deserts through microbial mats to land plants, modifying the reflective properties of the ground and most likely the distribution of moisture and cloudiness. Here, we used a radiative transfer model of the Earth, together with geological paleo-records of the continental distribution and a reconstructed cloud distribution, to simulate the visible and near-IR radiation reflected by our planet as a function of Earth's rotation. We found that the evolution from deserts to microbial mats and to land plants produces detectable changes in the globally averaged Earth's reflectance. The variability of each surface type is located in different bands and can induce reflectance changes of up to 40% in period of hours. We conclude that by using photometric observations of an Earth-like planet at different photometric bands it would be possible to discriminate between different surface types. While recent literature proposes the red-edge feature of vegetation near 0.7 μm as a signature for land plants, observations in near-IR bands can be equally or even better suited for this purpose.

Effects of explicit convection on global land-atmosphere coupling in the superparameterized CAM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, Jian; Pritchard, Michael S.

Here, conventional global climate models are prone to producing unrealistic land-atmosphere coupling signals. Cumulus and convection parameterizations are natural culprits but the effect of bypassing them with explicitly resolved convection on global land-atmosphere coupling dynamics has not been explored systematically. We apply a suite of modern land-atmosphere coupling diagnostics to isolate the effect of cloud Superparameterization in the Community Atmosphere Model (SPCAM) v3.5, focusing on both the terrestrial segment (i.e., soil moisture and surface turbulent fluxes interaction) and atmospheric segment (i.e., surface turbulent fluxes and precipitation interaction) in the water pathway of the landatmosphere feedback loop. At daily timescales, SPCAMmore » produces stronger uncoupled terrestrial signals (negative sign) over tropical rainforests in wet seasons, reduces the terrestrial coupling strength in the Central Great Plain in American, and reverses the coupling sign (from negative to positive) over India in the boreal summer season—all favorable improvements relative to reanalysis-forced land modeling. Analysis of the triggering feedback strength (TFS) and amplification feedback strength (AFS) shows that SPCAM favorably reproduces the observed geographic patterns of these indices over North America, with the probability of afternoon precipitation enhanced by high evaporative fraction along the eastern United States and Mexico, while conventional CAM does not capture this signal. We introduce a new diagnostic called the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) Feedback Strength (PFS), which reveals that SPCAM exhibits a tight connection between the responses of the lifting condensation level, the PBL height, and the rainfall triggering to surface turbulent fluxes; a triggering disconnect is found in CAM.« less

Proceedings of the 8th Annual Summer Conference: NASA/USRA Advanced Design Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Papers presented at the 8th Annual Summer Conference are categorized as Space Projects and Aeronautics projects. Topics covered include: Systematic Propulsion Optimization Tools (SPOT), Assured Crew Return Vehicle Post Landing Configuration Design and Test, Autonomous Support for Microorganism Research in Space, Bioregenerative System Components for Microgravity, The Extended Mission Rover (EMR), Planetary Surface Exploration MESUR/Autonomous Lunar Rover, Automation of Closed Environments in Space for Human Comfort and Safety, Walking Robot Design, Extraterrestrial Surface Propulsion Systems, The Design of Four Hypersonic Reconnaissance Aircraft, Design of a Refueling Tanker Delivering Liquid Hydrogen, The Design of a Long-Range Megatransport Aircraft, and Solar Powered Multipurpose Remotely Powered Aircraft.

GIS-based Landing-Site Analysis and Passive Decision Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Gasselt, Stephan; Nass, Andrea

2016-04-01

The increase of surface coverage and the availability and accessibility of planetary data allow researchers and engineers to remotely perform detailed studies on surface processes and properties, in particular on objects such as Mars and the Moon for which Terabytes of multi-temporal data at multiple spatial resolution levels have become available during the last 15 years. Orbiters, rovers and landers have been returning information and insights into the surface evolution of the terrestrial planets in unprecedented detail. While rover- and lander-based analyses are one major research aim to obtain ground truth, resource exploration or even potential establishment of bases using autonomous platforms are others and they require detailed investigation of settings in order to identify spots on the surface that are suitable for spacecraft to land and operate safely and over a long period of time. What has been done using hardcopy material in the past is today being carried by using either in-house developments or off-the-shelf spatial information system technology which allows to manage, integrate and analyse data as well as visualize and create user-defined reports for performing assessments. Usually, such analyses can be broken down (manually) by considering scientific wishes, engineering boundary conditions, potential hazards and various tertiary constraints. We here (1) review standard tasks of landing site analyses, (2) discuss issues inherently related to the analysis using integrated spatial analysis systems and (3) demonstrate a modular analysis framework for integration of data and for the evaluation of results from individual tasks in order to support decisions for landing-site selection.

Multi-Purpose Avionic Architecture for Vision Based Navigation Systems for EDL and Surface Mobility Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tramutola, A.; Paltro, D.; Cabalo Perucha, M. P.; Paar, G.; Steiner, J.; Barrio, A. M.

2015-09-01

Vision Based Navigation (VBNAV) has been identified as a valid technology to support space exploration because it can improve autonomy and safety of space missions. Several mission scenarios can benefit from the VBNAV: Rendezvous & Docking, Fly-Bys, Interplanetary cruise, Entry Descent and Landing (EDL) and Planetary Surface exploration. For some of them VBNAV can improve the accuracy in state estimation as additional relative navigation sensor or as absolute navigation sensor. For some others, like surface mobility and terrain exploration for path identification and planning, VBNAV is mandatory. This paper presents the general avionic architecture of a Vision Based System as defined in the frame of the ESA R&T study “Multi-purpose Vision-based Navigation System Engineering Model - part 1 (VisNav-EM-1)” with special focus on the surface mobility application.

Investigation of a long time series of CO2 from a tall tower using WRF-SPA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smallman, Luke; Williams, Mathew; Moncrieff, John B.

2013-04-01

Atmospheric observations from tall towers are an important source of information about CO2 exchange at the regional scale. Here, we have used a forward running model, WRF-SPA, to generate a time series of CO2 at a tall tower for comparison with observations from Scotland over multiple years (2006-2008). We use this comparison to infer strength and distribution of sources and sinks of carbon and ecosystem process information at the seasonal scale. The specific aim of this research is to combine a high resolution (6 km) forward running meteorological model (WRF) with a modified version of a mechanistic ecosystem model (SPA). SPA provides surface fluxes calculated from coupled energy, hydrological and carbon cycles. This closely coupled representation of the biosphere provides realistic surface exchanges to drive mixing within the planetary boundary layer. The combined model is used to investigate the sources and sinks of CO2 and to explore which land surfaces contribute to a time series of hourly observations of atmospheric CO2 at a tall tower, Angus, Scotland. In addition to comparing the modelled CO2 time series to observations, modelled ecosystem specific (i.e. forest, cropland, grassland) CO2 tracers (e.g., assimilation and respiration) have been compared to the modelled land surface assimilation to investigate how representative tall tower observations are of land surface processes. WRF-SPA modelled CO2 time series compares well to observations (R2 = 0.67, rmse = 3.4 ppm, bias = 0.58 ppm). Through comparison of model-observation residuals, we have found evidence that non-cropped components of agricultural land (e.g., hedgerows and forest patches) likely contribute a significant and observable impact on regional carbon balance.

A New Vehicle for Planetary Surface Exploration: The Mars Tumbleweed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antol, Jeffrey

2005-01-01

The surface of Mars is currently being explored with a combination of orbiting spacecraft, stationary landers and wheeled rovers. However, only a small portion of the Martian surface has undergone in-situ examination. Landing sites must be chosen to insure the safety of the vehicles (and human explorers) and provide the greatest opportunity for mission success. While wheeled rovers provide the ability to move beyond the landing sites, they are also limited in their ability to traverse rough terrain; therefore, many scientifically interesting sites are inaccessible by current vehicles. In order to access these sites, a capability is needed that can transport scientific instruments across varied Martian terrain. A new "rover" concept for exploring the Martian surface, known as the Mars Tumbleweed, will derive mobility through use of the surface winds on Mars, much like the Tumbleweed plant does here on Earth. Using the winds on Mars, a Tumbleweed rover could conceivably travel great distances and cover broad areas of the planetary surface. Tumbleweed vehicles would be designed to withstand repeated bouncing and rolling on the rock covered Martian surface and may be durable enough to explore areas on Mars such as gullies and canyons that are currently inaccessible by conventional rovers. Achieving Mars wind-driven mobility; however, is not a minor task. The density of the atmosphere on Mars is approximately 60-80 times less than that on Earth and wind speeds are typically around 2-5 m/s during the day, with periodic winds of 10 m/s to 20 m/s (in excess of 25 m/s during seasonal dust storms). However, because of the Martian atmosphere#s low density, even the strongest winds on Mars equate to only a gentle breeze on Earth. Tumbleweed rovers therefore need to be relatively large (4-6 m in diameter), very lightweight (10-20 kg), and equipped with lightweight, low-power instruments. This paper provides an overview of the Tumbleweed concept, presents several notional design concepts, mission scenarios, and highlights recent tests and analyses of Tumbleweed prototypes.

Microscopic Mapping of Minerals and Organics: A Modular Pulsed Raman Spectrometer Adaptable to Both Small and Large Landed Planetary Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blacksberg, J.; Alerstam, E.; Maruyama, Y.; Cochrane, C.; Rossman, G. R.

2016-12-01

Raman spectroscopy combined with microscopic imaging is a powerful technique used to interrogate geological materials. In the laboratory, Raman spectroscopy is commonly used in the geosciences for mapping both major and minor mineral and organic constituents on a fine scale. This technique has proven valuable in analyzing planetary materials, including meteorites and lunar samples. By simultaneously analyzing microtexture and mineralogy, micro-Raman spectroscopy can provide essential information for inferring geologic processes by which planetary surfaces have evolved. Because Raman can perform these capabilities in a way that is non-destructive, requiring no sample preparation, it is extremely well suited for deployment on a planetary lander or rover arm. The pulsed Raman spectrometer presented here has been designed for maximum flexibility using miniaturized modular components in order to remain easily adaptable and relevant to numerous planetary surface missions (e.g. asteroids, comets, Mars, Mars' moons, Europa, Titan). Building on the widely used 532 nm laser Raman technique, the pulsed Raman spectrometer takes advantage of recent developments in miniaturized pulsed lasers and detectors; the instrument uses sub-ns time gating to remove pervasive background interference caused by fluorescence inherent in many minerals and organics. This technique ensures acquisition of diagnostic Raman spectra, even in environments that have been known to severely challenge conventional methods (e.g. aqueously-formed minerals from similar environments on Earth). We present the architecture and performance of the pulsed Raman spectrometer, which relies on our single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detector synchronized with our high-speed microchip laser, both custom-built for this application. It is these key technological developments that now make time-gated Raman spectroscopy possible for applications where miniaturization is crucial. We then discuss recent progress in laser performance that enhances Raman return, provides improved fluorescence rejection, and minimizes damage to sensitive samples.

Remote Sensing Mars Landing Sites: An Out-of-School Time Planetary Science Education Activity for Middle School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, R. B.; Gaither, T. A.; Edgar, L. A.; Milazzo, M. P.; Vaughan, R. G.; Rubino-Hare, L.; Clark, J.; Ryan, S.

2017-12-01

As part of the Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of Engineering, Technology, and Science (PLANETS) project, we have developed an out-of-school time unit for middle school students focused on planetary remote sensing. The activity is divided into two exercises, with the goal of choosing a scientifically interesting and safe landing site for a future Mars mission. Students are introduced to NASA data from several actual and proposed landing sites and must use what they learn about remote sensing to choose a site that satisfies scientific and engineering criteria. The activity also includes background information for educators, including a summary of how landing on Mars helps answer major scientific questions, brief overviews of the data sets that the students will use, summaries of the site geology, and a list of relevant vocabulary. The first exercise introduces students to the concept of reflectance spectroscopy and how it can be used to identify the "fingerprints" of different minerals on the surface of Mars. Students are provided with simplified maps of mineral spectra at the four sites, based on Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer (CRISM) observations, as well as a reference sheet with the spectra of common minerals on Mars. They can use this information to determine which sites have hydrated minerals, mafic minerals, or both. The second exercise adds data from the Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter (MOLA), and high resolution visible data from the Context Camera (CTX) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Students learn about laser altimetry and how to interpret topographic contours to assess whether a landing site is too rough. The CTX data allow students to study the sites at higher resolution, with annotations that indicate key landforms of interest. These data, along with the spectroscopy data, allow students to rank the sites based on science and engineering criteria. This activity was developed as a collaboration between subject matter experts at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and education experts from the Northern Arizona University Center for Science Teaching and Learning. It works as either a stand-alone activity or as an extension of the "Worlds Apart" Engineering is Everywhere unit, also developed as part of the PLANETS project in collaboration with the Boston Museum of Science.

Characterizing the Mineralogy of Potential Lunar Landing Sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pieters, Carle; Head, James W., III; Mustard, Jack; Boardman, Joe; Buratti, Bonnie; Clark, Roger; Green, Rob; Head, James W, III; McCord, Thomas B.; Mustard, Jack;

Using soils and land potential as a basis for land use decisions and conservation planning: A resilience-based strategy

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Land use decisions are becoming increasingly complex and contentious as demands for food, fiber, energy and infrastructure expand. Recent definitions of “planetary boundaries” and arbitrary land use limits circumscribing the “Safe Operating Space” for humans are helpful in drawing attention to globa...

Flight Testing ALHAT Precision Landing Technologies Integrated Onboard the Morpheus Rocket Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carson, John M. III; Robertson, Edward A.; Trawny, Nikolas; Amzajerdian, Farzin

2015-01-01

A suite of prototype sensors, software, and avionics developed within the NASA Autonomous precision Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project were terrestrially demonstrated onboard the NASA Morpheus rocket-propelled Vertical Testbed (VTB) in 2014. The sensors included a LIDAR-based Hazard Detection System (HDS), a Navigation Doppler LIDAR (NDL) velocimeter, and a long-range Laser Altimeter (LAlt) that enable autonomous and safe precision landing of robotic or human vehicles on solid solar system bodies under varying terrain lighting conditions. The flight test campaign with the Morpheus vehicle involved a detailed integration and functional verification process, followed by tether testing and six successful free flights, including one night flight. The ALHAT sensor measurements were integrated into a common navigation solution through a specialized ALHAT Navigation filter that was employed in closed-loop flight testing within the Morpheus Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) subsystem. Flight testing on Morpheus utilized ALHAT for safe landing site identification and ranking, followed by precise surface-relative navigation to the selected landing site. The successful autonomous, closed-loop flight demonstrations of the prototype ALHAT system have laid the foundation for the infusion of safe, precision landing capabilities into future planetary exploration missions.

Intensification of North American Megadroughts through Surface and Dust Aerosol Forcing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, Benjamin I.; Seager, Richard; Miller, Ron L.; Mason, Joseph A

2013-01-01

Tree-ring-based reconstructions of the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) indicate that, during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA), the central plains of North America experienced recurrent periods of drought spanning decades or longer. These megadroughts had exceptional persistence compared to more recent events, but the causes remain uncertain. The authors conducted a suite of general circulation model experiments to test the impact of sea surface temperature (SST) and land surface forcing on the MCA megadroughts over the central plains. The land surface forcing is represented as a set of dune mobilization boundary conditions, derived from available geomorphological evidence and modeled as increased bare soil area and a dust aerosol source (32deg-44degN, 105deg-95degW). In the experiments, cold tropical Pacific SST forcing suppresses precipitation over the central plains but cannot reproduce the overall drying or persistence seen in the PDSI reconstruction. Droughts in the scenario with dust aerosols, however, are amplified and have significantly longer persistence than in other model experiments, more closely matching the reconstructed PDSI. This additional drying occurs because the dust increases the shortwave planetary albedo, reducing energy inputs to the surface and boundary layer. The energy deficit increases atmospheric stability, inhibiting convection and reducing cloud cover and precipitation over the central plains. Results from this study provide the first model-based evidence that dust aerosol forcing and land surface changes could have contributed to the intensity and persistence of the central plains megadroughts, although uncertainties remain in the formulation of the boundary conditions and the future importance of these feedbacks.

Aircraft Observations of Soil Hydrological Influence on the Atmosphere in Northern India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Christopher M.; Barton, Emma J.; Belusic, Danijel; Böing, Steven J.; Hunt, Kieran M. R.; Mitra, Ashis K.; Parker, Douglas J.; Turner, Andrew G.

2017-04-01

India is considered to be a region of the world where the influence of land surface fluxes of sensible and latent heat play an important role in regional weather and climate. Indian rainfall simulations in GCMs are known to be particularly sensitive to soil moisture. However, in a monsoon region where seasonal convective rainfall dominates, it is a big challenge for GCMs to capture, on the one hand, a realistic depiction of surface fluxes during wetting up and drying down at seasonal and sub-seasonal scales, and on the other, the sensitivity of convective rainfall and regional circulations to space-time fluctuations in land surface fluxes. On top of this, most GCMs and operational atmospheric forecast models don't explicitly consider irrigation. In the Indo-Gangetic plains of the Indian sub-continent, irrigated agriculture has become the dominant land use. Irrigation suppresses temporal flux variability for much of the year, and at the same time enhances spatial heterogeneity. One of the key objectives of the Anglo-Indian Interaction of Convective Organization and Monsoon Precipitation, Atmosphere, Surface and Sea (INCOMPASS) collaborative project is to better understand the coupling between the land surface and the Indian summer monsoon, and build this understanding into improved prediction of rainfall on multiple time and space scales. During June and July 2016, a series of research flights was performed across the sub-continent using the NERC/Met Office BAe146 aircraft. Here we will present results for a case study from a flight on 30th June which sampled the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) on a 700 km low level transect, from the semi-arid region of Rajasthan eastwards into the extensively irrigated state of Uttar Pradesh. As well as crossing different land uses, the flight also sampled mesoscale regions with contrasting recent rainfall conditions. Here we will show how variations in surface hydrology, driven by both irrigation and rainfall, influence the temperature, humidity and winds in the PBL. These unique observations will provide a powerful tool for understanding the dominant land-atmosphere coupling mechanisms operating on a range of multiple length scales, and which help to shape the Indian monsoon.

Arecibo radar observations of Mars surface characteristics in the Northern Hemisphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, R. A.; Tyler, G. L.; Campbell, D. B.

1978-01-01

Mars surface characteristics at and near the Viking Chryse and Tritonis Lacus landing areas were determined by radio scatter using the 12.6-cm radar at the Arecibo Observatory during 1975-76. Interpretation of each power spectrum suggests rms surface tilts of 4 deg at the final A1WNW (47.9 deg W, 22.5 deg N) site, 5 deg near the original A1 site, and 6 deg between the two. At the back-up site (A2) surface-roughness estimates were about 4 deg. Striking changes in surface texture have been found near the eastern bases of Tharsis Montes and Albor Tholus, each volcanic feature marking the western boundary of very smooth surface units. The roughness sensed at 1- to 100-m scales by radar appears to be relatively independent of the surface units defined at large scale lengths by photogeologists. Radar properties thus provide an additional means by which planetary surfaces may be characterized.

Infrared and Raman spectroscopy on synthetic glasses as analogues of planetary surfaces.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Iris; Morlok, Andreas; Klemme, Stephan; Dittmer, Isabelle; Stojic, Aleksandra N.; Hiesinger, Harald; Sohn, Martin; Helbert, Jörn

2015-04-01

One of the fundamental aims of space mission is to understand the physical, chemical, and geologic processes and conditions of planetary formation and evolution. For this purpose, it is important to investigate analog material to correctly interpret the returned spacecraft data, including the spectral information from remote planetary surfaces. For example, mid-infrared spectroscopy provides detailed information on the mineralogical compositions of planetary surfaces via remote sensing. Data is affected by numerous factors such as grain size, illumination geometry, space weathering, and temperature. These features need to be systematically investigated on analog material in terrestrial laboratories in order to understand the mineralogy/composition of a planetary surface. In addition, Raman spectroscopy allows non-destructive analyses of planetary surfaces in the case of a landing mission. Our work at the IRIS (Infrared spectroscopy for Interplanetary Studies) laboratory at the Institut für Planetologie produces spectra for a database of the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury. Onboard is a mid-infrared spectrometer (MERTIS-Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer). This unique instrument allows us to map spectral features in the 7-14 µm range, with a spatial resolution of ~500 m [1-5]. Comparably, using our Raman spectrometer, we are continuously contributing to the Raman database for upcoming mission, e.g., the Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) onboard of ExoMars [6]. Material on the surface of Mercury and the other terrestrial bodies was exposed to heavy impact cratering [4]. Depending on the P/T conditions during the impact, minerals on planetary surfaces can react with the formation of glassy material. Thus, understanding the effects of impact shock and heat on the mineral structure and the resulting corresponding change in the spectral properties is of high interest for the MERTIS project. Here, we present spectral information on the first glass produced, based on the composition of the Ca- and Mg-rich and Al-poor G1 region identified on Mercury with the X-ray spectrometer on MESSENGER [7]. For in situ mid-IR specular reflectance analyses, a Bruker Hyperion 2000 System with a (1000×1000) µm2 sized aperture was used. A Bruker Vertex 70 IR system with a MCT detector was applied for analyses of areas >>1 mm under near vacuum conditions. Raman spectra will be collected with an OceanOptics IDR-Micro-532 spectrometer. Our results show that the micro-FTIR reflectance data of two glassy regions provide a smooth feature that is typical for amorphous materials. Only very weak sharper crystalline bands occur on top of the feature at 10.1-10.2 µm and 10.5-10.6 µm. These bands are probably resulting from crystalline forsterite within a glassy matrix, because the crystalline bands at 10.1 and 10.5 µm are characteristic for nearly pure forsterite [8]. The Christiansen feature is at 8.2 µm. The spectrum of a larger region is basically a 'bulk' spectrum. Achieved under near-vacuum conditions this spectrum displays essentially similar characteristics. References: [1] Maturilli A. (2006) Planet. Space Sci. 54, 1057-1064. [2] Helbert J. and Maturilli A. (2009) Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 285, 347-354. [3] Benkhoff, J. et al. (2010) Planet. Space Sci. 58, 2-20. [4] Hiesinger H. et al. (2010) Planet. Space Sci. 58, 144-165. [5] Maturilli J. (2008) Planet. Space Sci. 56, 420-425. [6] Vago et al. (2012) Mars Concepts, Houston. [3] Hamilton V.E. (2010) Chem. Erde, 70, 7-33. [7] Charlier B. et al. (2013) Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 363, 50-60.

Preliminary results of the search for possible Martian landing sites to be considered for future European exploration missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, P.

2007-08-01

The recently adopted European Space Policy aims at expanding and coordinating the role and activities of Europe's space actors with the purpose of increasing both scientific knowledge in selected space domains and the European presence in the Solar System, as well as optimising the relevant societal benefits. With our Moon and in particular Mars as primary targets of exploration goals for the Solar System, and following a number of very successful orbital missions performing detailed remote sensing and mapping of these planetary bodies, probe landings on the surface of the Moon and Mars represent the next stepping stone of the exploration of our close planetary environment. Along with developing the hardware capabilities required for Europe to reach such ambitious goals, it therefore becomes increasingly important to pinpoint with precision a number of landing sites well suited for the safety and scientific success of future robotic missions. Focusing on Mars, and although a number of candidate landing sites and associated catalogs with available scientific justification already exist, the results being obtained by orbiters such as Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are fundamentally transforming our knowledge of the planet's surface, which in turns highlights the need to review, update and revise the candidate sites for future landing missions on Mars. Detailed investigations of possible future Martian landing sites for European missions are ongoing, based on the wealth of scientific data and high-resolution mapping products available. In order to support the identification of suitable sites, various mapping products (geological, hyperspectral and compositional) can be consolidated, and various areas of Mars identified in the recent scientific literature as primary targets for landing can be taken into account for further, refined assessment of their suitability for landing. Seasonal and climatic effects potentially influencing landing shall also be considered, as well as lessons learned from past landing experiences. Finally, nolanding zones shall be identified based on a number of available criteria. A preliminary investigation and classification of potential landing sites for future European Mars exploration missions is summarised here, with the assumed following general requirements: • Moderate latitudes (e.g., 15ºS to 45ºN). Such a latitude range would be suitable for Exomars. • Low-to-moderate elevation (e.g., below 2000 m) • Relatively flat surface in the landing ellipse (e.g., slopes < 15º) • Low-to-moderate rock abundance (e.g., < 20%) • Moderate thermal inertia (rock/dust abundance) • Suitability to overriding scientific goals and targets of interest (e.g., niches of extant life, olivine sites, or sites where phyllosilicates or hydrated sulfates were identified) • Other constraints that shall be taken into account in a more detailed study: - Atmospheric and aeolian activity - Power and communications systems requirements - Illumination and temperature requirements - Biological potential and planetary protection Possible landing regions on Mars resulting from this preliminary investigation can be categorised into two classes, depending on the level of risk assessed for the landing in terms of, e.g., roughness and rock abundance: • Low-risk regions: Amazonis Planitia, Utopia Planitia, and Elysium Planitia. One of their potential drawbacks is that most areas of these regions exhibit a relatively high dust index which could be detrimental to the scientific interest of the in-situ mission. • Moderate-risk regions: - Syrtis Major / Nili Fossae, where phyllosilicates and hydrated minerals can be found based on recent evidence from orbit (Mars Express/OMEGA). - Isidis Planitia, in particular because this region presents a low vertical roughness. - Chryse/Acidalia Planitia, where phyllosilicates, hydrated minerals and sulfates can be found. - The region that spans the terrains from Sinus Meridiani to Syrtis Major, between 15ºS and 45ºN. This region exhibits a high dust index, and is represented by rougher, heavily cratered terrains in many areas. Within these regions, a more detailed identification of landing sites can be performed by refining the study (top-down approach) using higher-resolution geological and compositional maps (e.g., Mars Express/HRSC-OMEGA and/or MRO/HiRISECRISM) coupled with other parameters and constraints. Such detail work will be reported and the resulting suitable landing sites will be made available to the sciencedriven and success-oriented selection process for future Mars missions such as Exomars. This shall then be confronted with bottom-up approaches consisting in the pre-selection of sites purely based on scientific goals prior to the assessment of their suitability for landing.

Decadal Variations in Surface Solar Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wild, M.

2007-05-01

Satellite estimates provide some information on the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the planet back to the 1980s. The amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth surface can be traced further back in time, untill the 1960s at widespread locations and into the first half of the 20th Century at selected sites. These surface sites suggest significant decadal variations in solar radiation incident at the surface, with indication for a widespread dimming from the 1960s up to the mid 1980s, and a recovery thereafter. Indications for changes in surface solar radiation may also be seen in observatinal records of diurnal temperature range, which provide a better global coverage than the radiation measurrements. Trends in diurnal temperature ranges over global land surfaces show, after decades of decline, a distinct tendency to level off since the mid 1980s. This provides further support for a significant shift in surface solar radiation during the 1980s. There is evidence that the changes in surface solar radiation are linked to associated changes in atmospheric aerosol. Variations in scattering sulfur and absorbing black carbon aerosols are in line with the variations in surface solar radiation. This suggests that at least a part of the variations in surface solar radiation should also be seen in the clear sky planetary albedo. Model simulations with a GCM which includes a sophisticated interactive treatment of aerosols and their emission histories (ECHAM5 HAM), can be used to address this issue. The model is shown to be capable of reproducing the reversal from dimming to brightening under cloud-free conditions in many parts of the world, in line with observational evidence. Associated changes can also be seen in the clear sky planetary albedo, albeit of smaller magnitude.

Extraterrestrial Regolith Derived Atmospheric Entry Heat Shields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogue, Michael D.; Mueller, Robert P.; Sibille, Laurent; Hintze, Paul E.; Rasky, Daniel J.

2016-01-01

High-mass planetary surface access is one of NASAs technical challenges involving entry, descent and landing (EDL). During the entry and descent phase, frictional interaction with the planetary atmosphere causes a heat build-up to occur on the spacecraft, which will rapidly destroy it if a heat shield is not used. However, the heat shield incurs a mass penalty because it must be launched from Earth with the spacecraft, thus consuming a lot of precious propellant. This NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) project investigated an approach to provide heat shield protection to spacecraft after launch and prior to each EDL thus potentially realizing significant launch mass savings. Heat shields fabricated in situ can provide a thermal-protection system for spacecraft that routinely enter a planetary atmosphere. By fabricating the heat shield with space resources from materials available on moons and asteroids, it is possible to avoid launching the heat-shield mass from Earth. Regolith has extremely good insulating properties and the silicates it contains can be used in the fabrication and molding of thermal-protection materials. In this paper, we will describe three types of in situ fabrication methods for heat shields and the testing performed to determine feasibility of this approach.

Refinement of planetary protection policy for Mars missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeVincenzi, D. L.; Stabekis, P.; Barengoltz, J.

1996-01-01

Under existing COSPAR policy adopted in 1984, missions to Mars (landers, probes, and some orbiters) are designated as Category IV missions. As such, the procedures for implementing planetary protection requirements could include trajectory biasing, cleanrooms, bioload reduction, sterilization of hardware, and bioshields. In 1992, a U.S. National Research Council study recommended that controls on forward contamination of Mars be tied to specific mission objectives. The report recommended that Mars landers with life detection instruments be subject to at least Viking-level sterilization procedures for bioload reduction, while spacecraft (including orbiters) without life detection instruments be subject to at least Viking-level pre-sterilization procedures for bioload reduction but need not be sterilized. In light of this, it is proposed that the current policy's Category IV and its planetary protection requirements be divided into two sub-categories as follows: Category IVa, for missions comprising landers and probes without life detection experiments, which will meet a specified bioburden limit for exposed surfaces, and Category IVb, for landers and probes with life detection experiments, which will require sterilization of landed systems. In addition, Category III orbiter mission specifications are expanded to be consistent with these recommendations.

NASA's International Space Station: A Testbed for Planetary Protection Protocol Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, M. S.; Rucker, M.; Love, S.; Johnson, J.; Chambliss, J.; Pierson, D.; Ott, M.; Mary, N.; Glass, B.; Lupisella, M.;

Nasa's International Space Station: A Testbed for Planetary Protection Protocol Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, M. S.; Rucker, M.; Love, S.; Johnson, J.; Chambliss, J.; Pierson, D.; Ott, M.; Mary, N.; Glass, B.; Lupisella, M.;

Empirical Modeling of Planetary Boundary Layer Dynamics Under Multiple Precipitation Scenarios Using a Two-Layer Soil Moisture Approach: An Example From a Semiarid Shrubland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Mejia, Zulia Mayari; Papuga, Shirley A.

2017-11-01

In semiarid regions, where water resources are limited and precipitation dynamics are changing, understanding land surface-atmosphere interactions that regulate the coupled soil moisture-precipitation system is key for resource management and planning. We present a modeling approach to study soil moisture and albedo controls on planetary boundary layer height (PBLh). We used Santa Rita Creosote Ameriflux and Tucson Airport atmospheric sounding data to generate empirical relationships between soil moisture, albedo, and PBLh. Empirical relationships showed that ˜50% of the variation in PBLh can be explained by soil moisture and albedo with additional knowledge gained by dividing the soil profile into two layers. Therefore, we coupled these empirical relationships with soil moisture estimated using a two-layer bucket approach to model PBLh under six precipitation scenarios. Overall we observed that decreases in precipitation tend to limit the recovery of the PBL at the end of the wet season. However, increases in winter precipitation despite decreases in summer precipitation may provide opportunities for positive feedbacks that may further generate more winter precipitation. Our results highlight that the response of soil moisture, albedo, and the PBLh will depend not only on changes in annual precipitation, but also on the frequency and intensity of this change. We argue that because albedo and soil moisture data are readily available at multiple temporal and spatial scales, developing empirical relationships that can be used in land surface-atmosphere applications have great potential for exploring the consequences of climate change.

Uncertainty Optimization Applied to the Monte Carlo Analysis of Planetary Entry Trajectories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olds, John; Way, David

2001-01-01

Recently, strong evidence of liquid water under the surface of Mars and a meteorite that might contain ancient microbes have renewed interest in Mars exploration. With this renewed interest, NASA plans to send spacecraft to Mars approx. every 26 months. These future spacecraft will return higher-resolution images, make precision landings, engage in longer-ranging surface maneuvers, and even return Martian soil and rock samples to Earth. Future robotic missions and any human missions to Mars will require precise entries to ensure safe landings near science objective and pre-employed assets. Potential sources of water and other interesting geographic features are often located near hazards, such as within craters or along canyon walls. In order for more accurate landings to be made, spacecraft entering the Martian atmosphere need to use lift to actively control the entry. This active guidance results in much smaller landing footprints. Planning for these missions will depend heavily on Monte Carlo analysis. Monte Carlo trajectory simulations have been used with a high degree of success in recent planetary exploration missions. These analyses ascertain the impact of off-nominal conditions during a flight and account for uncertainty. Uncertainties generally stem from limitations in manufacturing tolerances, measurement capabilities, analysis accuracies, and environmental unknowns. Thousands of off-nominal trajectories are simulated by randomly dispersing uncertainty variables and collecting statistics on forecast variables. The dependability of Monte Carlo forecasts, however, is limited by the accuracy and completeness of the assumed uncertainties. This is because Monte Carlo analysis is a forward driven problem; beginning with the input uncertainties and proceeding to the forecasts outputs. It lacks a mechanism to affect or alter the uncertainties based on the forecast results. If the results are unacceptable, the current practice is to use an iterative, trial-and-error approach to reconcile discrepancies. Therefore, an improvement to the Monte Carlo analysis is needed that will allow the problem to be worked in reverse. In this way, the largest allowable dispersions that achieve the required mission objectives can be determined quantitatively.

Planetary-scale surface water detection from space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donchyts, G.; Baart, F.; Winsemius, H.; Gorelick, N.

2017-12-01

Accurate, efficient and high-resolution methods of surface water detection are needed for a better water management. Datasets on surface water extent and dynamics are crucial for a better understanding of natural and human-made processes, and as an input data for hydrological and hydraulic models. In spite of considerable progress in the harmonization of freely available satellite data, producing accurate and efficient higher-level surface water data products remains very challenging. This presentation will provide an overview of existing methods for surface water extent and change detection from multitemporal and multi-sensor satellite imagery. An algorithm to detect surface water changes from multi-temporal satellite imagery will be demonstrated as well as its open-source implementation (http://aqua-monitor.deltares.nl). This algorithm was used to estimate global surface water changes at high spatial resolution. These changes include climate change, land reclamation, reservoir construction/decommissioning, erosion/accretion, and many other. This presentation will demonstrate how open satellite data and open platforms such as Google Earth Engine have helped with this research.

Land surface-precipitation feedback and ramifications on storm dynamics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baisya, H.; PV, R.; Pattnaik, S.

2017-12-01

A series of numerical experiments are carried out to investigate the sensitivity of a landfalling monsoon depression to land surface conditions using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Results suggest that precipitation is largely modulated by moisture influx and precipitation efficiency. Three cloud microphysical schemes (WSM6, WDM6, and Morrison) are examined, and Morrison is chosen for assessing the land surface-precipitation feedback analysis, owing to better precipitation forecast skills. It is found that increased soil moisture facilitates Moisture Flux Convergence (MFC) with reduced moisture influx, whereas a reduced soil moisture condition facilitates moisture influx but not MFC. A higher Moist Static Energy (MSE) is noted due to increased evapotranspiration in an elevated moisture scenario which enhances moist convection. As opposed to moist surface, sensible heat dominates in a reduced moisture scenario, ensued by an overall reduction in MSE throughout the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL). Stability analysis shows that Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) is comparable in magnitude for both increased and decreased moisture scenarios, whereas Convective Inhibition (CIN) shows increased values for the reduced moisture scenario as a consequence of drier atmosphere leading to suppression of convection. Simulations carried out with various fixed soil moisture levels indicate that the overall precipitation features of the storm are characterized by initial soil moisture condition, but precipitation intensity at any instant is modulated by soil moisture availability. Overall results based on this case study suggest that antecedent soil moisture plays a crucial role in modulating precipitation distribution and intensity of a monsoon depression.

Nested high-resolution modeling of the impact of urbanization on regional climate in three vast urban agglomerations in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jun; Feng, Jinming; Yan, Zhongwei; Hu, Yonghong; Jia, Gensuo

2012-11-01

In this paper, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model, coupled to the Urban Canopy Model, is employed to simulate the impact of urbanization on the regional climate over three vast city agglomerations in China. Based on high-resolution land use and land cover data, two scenarios are designed to represent the nonurban and current urban land use distributions. By comparing the results of two nested, high-resolution numerical experiments, the spatial and temporal changes on surface air temperature, heat stress index, surface energy budget, and precipitation due to urbanization are analyzed and quantified. Urban expansion increases the surface air temperature in urban areas by about 1°C, and this climatic forcing of urbanization on temperature is more pronounced in summer and nighttime than other seasons and daytime. The heat stress intensity, which reflects the combined effects of temperature and humidity, is enhanced by about 0.5 units in urban areas. The regional incoming solar radiation increases after urban expansion, which may be caused by the reduction of cloud fraction. The increased temperature and roughness of the urban surface lead to enhanced convergence. Meanwhile, the planetary boundary layer is deepened, and water vapor is mixed more evenly in the lower atmosphere. The deficit of water vapor leads to less convective available potential energy and more convective inhibition energy. Finally, these combined effects may reduce the rainfall amount over urban areas, mainly in summer, and change the regional precipitation pattern to a certain extent.

Nested High Resolution Modeling of the Impact of Urbanization on Regional Climate in Three Vast Urban Agglomerations in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jun; Feng, Jinming; Yan, Zhongwei; Hu, Yonghong; Jia, Gensuo

2013-04-01

In this paper, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled to the Urban Canopy Model (UCM) is employed to simulate the impact of urbanization on the regional climate over three vast city agglomerations in China. Based on high resolution land use and land cover data, two scenarios are designed to represent the non-urban and current urban land use distributions. By comparing the results of two nested, high resolution numerical experiments, the spatial and temporal changes on surface air temperature, heat stress index, surface energy budget and precipitation due to urbanization are analyzed and quantified. Urban expansion increases the surface air temperature in urban areas by about 1? and this climatic forcing of urbanization on temperature is more pronounced in summer and nighttime than other seasons and daytime. The heat stress intensity, which reflects the combined effects of temperature and humidity, is enhanced by about 0.5 units in urban areas. The regional incoming solar radiation increases after urban expansion, which may be caused by the reduction of cloud fraction. The increased temperature and roughness of the urban surface lead to enhanced convergence. Meanwhile, the planetary boundary layer is deepened and water vapor is mixed more evenly in the lower atmosphere. The deficit of water vapor leads to less convective available potential energy and more convective inhibition energy. Finally, these combined effects may reduce the rainfall amount over urban area mainly in summer and change the regional precipitation pattern to a certain extent.

Timeline of Events for Planetary Landing Test

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-06

The saucer-shaped test vehicle for NASA Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator LDSD will undergo a series of events in the skies above Hawaii, with the ultimate goal of testing future landing technologies for Mars missions.

Global opportunities in land and water use while staying within the safe (and just) operating space: quantifications of interactions and tradeoffs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerten, Dieter; Jägermeyr, Jonas; Heck, Vera

2016-04-01

Staying within the safe and just operating space as defined by multiple planetary boundaries will be a major challenge especially in view of anticipated future increases in food demand, the potential need for balancing climate change (e.g. through terrestrial carbon dioxide removal) and its impacts, and the water and land demand associated with these goals and measures. This presentation will show simulation results from a comprehensive model-based study on the global potentials of diverse crop management options considered as opportunities to stay within the planetary boundaries for human freshwater use and land-system change. The quantified on-farm options include rainwater harvesting, soil conservation and more efficient irrigation, all of which are designed to use neither more water nor more land for agriculture than is presently the case. Results show that irrigation efficiency improvements could save substantial amounts of water in many river basins (globally 48% of non-productive water consumption in an ambitious scenario), and if rerouted to irrigate neighbouring rainfed systems, could at the same time boost kilocalorie production by 26% globally. Low-tech solutions for small-scale farmers on water-limited croplands show the potential to increase rainfed yields to a similar extent. In combination, such ambitious yet achievable integrated water management strategies could increase global kcal production by 41% and close the water-related yield gap by 62%. Global climate change would have adverse effects on crop yields in many regions, but the improvements in water management quantified here could buffer such effects to a significant degree. Thus, a substantial amount of anticipated future needs for food production could be fulfilled without further approaching / transgressing planetary boundaries. In addition, it will be shown how large-scale biomass plantations for the purpose of terrestrial CO2 removal (climate engineering, potentially implemented should the planetary boundary for climate change be further transgressed) would impact on land and water resources and, thus, how such measures would compromise attempts to stay within the safe operating space. In conclusion, this presentation provides new quantitative evidence for significant interactions and tradeoffs among different planetary boundaries.

Comparison of WRF local and nonlocal boundary layer Physics in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ooi, M. C. G.; Chan, A.; Kumarenthiran, S.; Morris, K. I.; Oozeer, M. Y.; Islam, M. A.; Salleh, S. A.

2018-02-01

The urban boundary layer (UBL) is the internal advection layer of atmosphere above urban region which determines the exchanges of momentum, water and other atmospheric constituents between the urban land surface and the free troposphere. This paper tested the performance of three planetary boundary layer (PBL) physics schemes of Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) software to ensure the appropriate representation of vertical structure of UBL in Greater Kuala Lumpur (GKL). Comparison was conducted on the performance of respective PBL schemes to generate vertical and near-surface weather profile and rainfall. Mellor-Yamada- Janjíc (MYJ) local PBL scheme coupled with Eta MM5 surface layer scheme was found to predict the near-surface temperature and wind profile and mixing height better than the nonlocal schemes during the intermonsoonal period with least influences of the synoptic background weather.

KSC-2014-2642

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Jon Olansen, Morpheus project manager, speaks to members of the media inside a facility near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Behind Olansen is the Project Morpheus prototype lander. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, sensors and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2014-2641

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Jon Olansen, Morpheus project manager, speaks to members of the media inside a facility near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Behind Olansen is the Project Morpheus prototype lander. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, sensors and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2014-2643

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Chirold Epp, the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, project manager, speaks to members of the media inside a facility near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Behind Epp is the Project Morpheus prototype lander. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT sensors and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Active Neutron and Gamma Ray Instrumentation for In Situ Planetary Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, A.; Bodnarik, J.; Evans, L.; Floyd, S.; Lim, L.; McClanahan, T.; Namkung, M.; Schweitzer, J.; Starr, R.; Trombka, J.

2010-01-01

The Pulsed Neutron Generator-Gamma Ray And Neutron Detectors (PNG-GRAND) experiment is an innovative application of the active neutron-gamma ray technology so successfully used in oil field well logging and mineral exploration on Earth. The objective of our active neutron-gamma ray technology program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA-GSFC) is to bring the PNG-GRAND instrument to the point where it can be flown on a variety of surface lander or rover missions to the Moon, Mars, Menus, asteroids, comets and the satellites of the outer planets. Gamma-Ray Spectrometers (GRS) have been incorporated into numerous orbital planetary science missions and, especially its the case of the Mars Odyssey GRS, have contributed detailed maps of the elemental composition over the entire surface of Mars. However, orbital gamma ray measurements have low spatial sensitivity (100's of km) due to their low surface emission rates from cosmic rays and subsequent need to be averaged over large surface areas. PNG-GRAND overcomes this impediment by incorporating a powerful neutron excitation source that permits high sensitivity surface and subsurface measurements of bulk elemental compositions. PNG-GRAND combines a pulsed neutron generator (PNG) with gamma ray and neutron detectors to produce a landed instrument to determine subsurface elemental composition without needing to drill into a planet's surface a great advantage in mission design. We are currently testing PNG-GRAND prototypes at a unique outdoor neutron instrumentation test facility recently constructed at NASA/GSFC that consists of a 2 m x 2 in x 1 m granite structure placed outdoors in an empty field. Because an independent trace elemental analysis has been performed on the material, this granite sample is a known standard with which to compare both Monte Carlo simulations and our experimentally measured elemental composition data. We will present data from operating PNG-GRAND in various experimental configurations on a known sample in a geometry that is identical to that on a planetary surface. We will also illustrate the use of gamma ray timing techniques to improve sensitivity and will compare the material composition results from our experiments to both an independent laboratory elemental composition analysis and MCNPX computer modeling results.

Developing a Data Record of Lower Troposphere Temperature Profiles for Diurnal Land-Atmosphere Coupling Investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Z.; Li, D.

2017-12-01

The lower troposphere, including the planetary boundary layer, is strongly influenced by the land surface at diurnal scales. However, investigations of diurnal land-atmosphere coupling are significantly hindered by the lack of profile measurements that resolve the diurnal cycle. This study aims to bridge this gap by developing a decade-long (from 2007 to 2016) data record of diurnal temperature profiles in the lower troposphere (from the surface to about 4 km above the surface), which is based on the Aircrafts Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) meteorological observations. We first identify the number of profiles within an hour for each airport over the CONUS. At each airport, only data that passed at least level-1 quality check are retained. 40 airports out of 275 are then selected, which have data for more than 12 hours per day. These selected airports are mainly located along the east and west coasts, as expected. Because the data are recorded at irregular heights, we resample each profile in the lowest 4 km or so to pre-defined vertical coordinates. These temperature profiles are further bias-corrected by comparing to collocated radiosonde observations. This consistent data record of diurnal temperature profiles in the lower troposphere can be also used for regional climatology research, short-term weather forecasts, and numerical model evaluation.

A WRF sensitivity study for summer ozone and winter PM events in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Z.; Chen, J.; Mahmud, A.; Di, P.; Avise, J.; DaMassa, J.; Kaduwela, A. P.

2014-12-01

Elevated summer ozone and winter PM frequently occur in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) and the South Coast Air Basin (SCAB) in California. Meteorological conditions, such as wind, temperature and planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) play crucial roles in these air pollution events. Therefore, accurate representation of these fields from a meteorological model is necessary to successfully reproduce these air pollution events in subsequent air quality model simulations. California's complex terrain and land-sea interface can make it challenging for meteorological models to replicate the atmospheric conditions over the SJV and SCAB during extreme pollution events. In this study, the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) over these two regions for a summer month (July 2012) and a winter month (January 2013) is evaluated with different model configurations and forcing. Different land surface schemes (Pleim-Xiu vs. hybrid scheme), the application of observational and soil nudging, two SST datasets (the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) SST vs. the default SST from North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) reanalysis), and two land use datasets (the National Land Cover Data (NLCD) 2006 40-category vs. USGS 24-category land use data) have been tested. Model evaluation will focus on both surface and vertical profiles for wind, temperature, relative humidity, as well as PBLH. Sensitivity of the Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model (CMAQ) results to different WRF configurations will also be presented and discussed.

Extra-terrestrial construction processes - Advancements, opportunities and challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Sungwoo; Prabhu, Vibha Levin; Anand, Mahesh; Taylor, Lawrence A.

2017-10-01

Government space agencies, including NASA and ESA, are conducting preliminary studies on building alternative space-habitat systems for deep-space exploration. Such studies include development of advanced technologies for planetary surface exploration, including an in-depth understanding of the use of local resources. Currently, NASA plans to land humans on Mars in the 2030s. Similarly, other space agencies from Europe (ESA), Canada (CSA), Russia (Roscosmos), India (ISRO), Japan (JAXA) and China (CNSA) have already initiated or announced their plans for launching a series of lunar missions over the next decade, ranging from orbiters, landers and rovers for extended stays on the lunar surface. As the Space Odyssey is one of humanity's oldest dreams, there has been a series of research works for establishing temporary or permanent settlement on other planetary bodies, including the Moon and Mars. This paper reviews current projects developing extra-terrestrial construction, broadly categorised as: (i) ISRU-based construction materials; (ii) fabrication methods; and (iii) construction processes. It also discusses four categories of challenges to developing an appropriate construction process: (i) lunar simulants; (ii) material fabrication and curing; (iii) microwave-sintering based fabrication; and (iv) fully autonomous and scaled-up construction processes.

An increase of early rains in southern Israel following land-use change?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otterman, J.; Starr, D. O'C.; Manes, A.; Rubin, S.; Alpert, P.

1990-01-01

Rains at the onset of the October-April rainy season in southern Israel have steeply increased in the last 25 years relative to the previous 20 years, and are accompanied by an appreciable general increase of rainy-season rainfall. This increase in precipitation is specifically attributable to an intensification of the convection and advection processes due to afforestation and increased cultivation-induced enhancement of the daytime sensible heat flux from the generally dry surface; the enhancement proceeds from both the reduced surface albedo and the reduced soil heat flux in October, when insolation is strong. Greater daytime convection can lead to penetration of inversions capping the planetary boundary layer, while strengthened advection can furnish moist air from the Mediterranean.

Outpost Assembly Using the ATHLETE Mobility System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howe, A. Scott; Wilcox, Brian

2016-01-01

A planetary surface outpost will likely consist of elements delivered on multiple manifests, that will need to be assembled from a scattering of landings. Using the All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE) limbed robotic mobility system, the outpost site can be prepared in advance through leveling, paving, and in-situ structures. ATHLETE will be able to carry pressurized and non-pressurized payloads overland from the lander descent stage to the outpost location, and perform precision docking and assembly of components. In addition, spent descent stages can be carried to assembly locations to form elevated decks for external work platforms above the planet surface. This paper discusses several concepts that have been studied for possible inclusion in the NASA Evolvable Mars Campaign human exploration mission scenarios.

Low-Latency Science Exploration of Planetary Bodies: How ISS Might Be Used as Part of a Low-Latency Analog Campaign for Human Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thronson, Harley; Valinia, Azita; Bleacher, Jacob; Eigenbrode, Jennifer; Garvin, Jim; Petro, Noah

2014-01-01

We suggest that the International Space Station be used to examine the application and validation of low-latency telepresence for surface exploration from space as an alternative, precursor, or potentially as an adjunct to astronaut "boots on the ground." To this end, controlled experiments that build upon and complement ground-based analog field studies will be critical for assessing the effects of different latencies (0 to 500 milliseconds), task complexity, and alternate forms of feedback to the operator. These experiments serve as an example of a pathfinder for NASA's roadmap of missions to Mars with low-latency telerobotic exploration as a precursor to astronaut's landing on the surface to conduct geological tasks.

Low-latency Science Exploration of Planetary Bodies: a Demonstration Using ISS in Support of Mars Human Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thronson, Harley A.; Valinia, Azita; Bleacher, Jacob; Eigenbrode, Jennifer; Garvin, Jim; Petro, Noah

2014-01-01

We summarize a proposed experiment to use the International Space Station to formally examine the application and validation of low-latency telepresence for surface exploration from space as an alternative, precursor, or potentially as an adjunct to astronaut "boots on the ground." The approach is to develop and propose controlled experiments, which build upon previous field studies and which will assess the effects of different latencies (0 to 500 msec), task complexity, and alternate forms of feedback to the operator. These experiments serve as an example of a pathfinder for NASA's roadmap of missions to Mars with low-latency telerobotic exploration as a precursor to astronaut's landing on the surface to conduct geological tasks.

Modeling the Warming Impact of Urban Land Expansion on Hot Weather Using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model: A Case Study of Beijing, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaojuan; Tian, Guangjin; Feng, Jinming; Ma, Bingran; Wang, Jun; Kong, Lingqiang

2018-06-01

The impacts of three periods of urban land expansion during 1990-2010 on near-surface air temperature in summer in Beijing were simulated in this study, and then the interrelation between heat waves and urban warming was assessed. We ran the sensitivity tests using the mesoscaleWeather Research and Forecasting model coupled with a single urban canopy model, as well as high-resolution land cover data. The warming area expanded approximately at the same scale as the urban land expansion. The average regional warming induced by urban expansion increased but the warming speed declined slightly during 2000-2010. The smallest warming occurred at noon and then increased gradually in the afternoon before peaking at around 2000 LST—the time of sunset. In the daytime, urban warming was primarily caused by the decrease in latent heat flux at the urban surface. Urbanization led to more ground heat flux during the day and then more release at night, which resulted in nocturnal warming. Urban warming at night was higher than that in the day, although the nighttime increment in sensible heat flux was smaller. This was because the shallower planetary boundary layer at night reduced the release efficiency of near-surface heat. The simulated results also suggested that heat waves or high temperature weather enhanced urban warming intensity at night. Heat waves caused more heat to be stored in the surface during the day, greater heat released at night, and thus higher nighttime warming. Our results demonstrate a positive feedback effect between urban warming and heat waves in urban areas.

A Rover Operations Protocol for Maintaining Compliance with Planetary Protection Requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Melissa; Vasavada, Ashwin

2016-07-01

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, with its Curiosity rover, arrived at Gale Crater in August 2012 with the scientific objective of assessing the past and present habitability of the landing site area. It is not a life detection mission, but one that uses geological, geochemical, and environmental measurements to understand whether past and present conditions could have supported life. The MSL mission is designated Planetary Protection Category IVa, with specific restrictions on the landing site and surface operations. In particular, the mission is prohibited from introducing any hardware into a Mars Special Region, as defined by COSPAR policy and in NASA document NPR 8020.12D. Fluid-formed features such as recurring slope lineae are included in this prohibition. Finally, any evidence suggesting the presence of Special Regions or flowing liquid at the actual MSL landing site shall be communicated to the NASA Planetary Protection Officer immediately, and physical contact by the rover with such features shall be entirely avoided. The MSL Project has recently developed and instituted a protocol in daily rover operations to ensure ongoing compliance with its planetary protection categorization. A particular challenge comes from the fact that the characteristics of potential Special Regions may not be obvious in the rover downlink data (e.g., landscape images, chemical measurements, or meteorology), or easily distinguishable from characteristics of other processes that do not imply Special Regions. For this reason, the first step in the process would be for the lead scientist for that day of operations (a role that rotates through senior scientists on the mission) to scrutinize all the targets that may receive interaction by rover hardware, such as targets for arm contact, or paths for wheel contact. Based on the expertise of the lead scientist, and definitions of Mars Special Regions, if any features of concern are identified, the other scientists on duty that day would be brought into a discussion. Typically the tactical team has a mix of experts in geology, astrobiology, geological materials, geochemistry, and meteorology. If this team cannot rule out the concern of introducing rover hardware into a potential Special Region, arm and wheel usage would be prohibited in that day's planning. This halt in tactical operations would allow a separate Special Regions Team to re-consider the data more deliberately, but still on timeline that would allow rover operations to resume as quickly as possible. This team is chosen in advance to have a broad range of expertise that can weigh the evidence for a potential Special Region, including representatives from the institutional planetary protection organization and involvement of the MSL Project Manager. If this team cannot rule out the concern, rover operations continue to hold while the NASA Planetary Protection Office is engaged to determine the best course of action for the mission. It is worth noting that evidence of modern, fluid-formed features at Gale Crater is not expected and would represent a major scientific discovery for the mission and Mars Exploration Program. However, this low-likelihood outcome still requires vigilance to ensure compliance with planetary protection requirements.

Developing Science Operations Concepts for the Future of Planetary Surface Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, K. E.; Bleacher, J. E.; Rogers, A. D.; McAdam, A.; Evans, C. A.; Graff, T. G.; Garry, W. B.; Whelley, P. L.; Scheidt, S.; Carter, L.; Coan, D.; Reagan, M.; Glotch, T.; Lewis, R.

2017-02-01

Human exploration of other planetary bodies is crucial in answering critical science questions about our solar system. As we seek to put humans on other surfaces by 2050, we must understand the science operations concepts needed for planetary EVA.

Dirty snowball - now is too primitive for a scientific description of comets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochemasov, G.

Success of the "Deep Space 1" scientists which acquired excellent pictures of comet Borrelli, brings comets into the family of small celestial bodies with common regularities of shaping. Often attracted accidental impact process never can explain constantly repeated shapes of small bodies. Understanding their shaping is important in view of coming missions to small bodies. "Orbits make structures". This fundamental notion is unfolded into 4 theorems of planetary tectonics [1]: 1. Celestial bodies are dichotomic; 2. -" - are sectoral; 3. -"- are granular; 4. Angular momenta of different level blocks tend to be equal. All these general rules of shaping and structurization are a consequence of interferences of warping any body standing planetary waves due to inertia forces acting in any moving in non-circular orbit body. Dichotomy is the most global tectonic feature due to the fundamental waves (wave 1). It is typical to all planetary spheres. In Earth it is in the core, mantle, crust, atmosphere. At Venus it is very pronounced in the crust and in atmosphere: lying Y-feature and inverse C-feature in the cloud layer. Coherent martian lithosphere- atmosphere dichotomies are well known. In small bodies the dichotomy is specifically pronounced as ubiquitous convexo -concave shape. Most detailed studied at Eros this shape was also observed at comet Halley and recently at Borrelli. Borrelli's convex extended half is strongly jagged (not easy to find a place for landing!), the contracted concave half spits out tremendous tail. Surface areas around the tail outlets are whitish and lighter than surroundings. It seems that the gas-dust material squeezed out of interiors not only disappears in space but leaves traces on the concave surface. The concave hemisphere has shorter radius than the convex one and tends to compensate loosing angular momentum by denser material extracted from interiors (Theorem 4 [1];compare with the basaltic Pacific hemisphere opposed by the granitic continental one). The arctic-antarctic symptom - an opposition of sharp and blunt ends (Theorem 2) - is perfectly presented at Borrelli. It seems that the blunt end is rather smooth and whiter than the sharp end: again denser material from interiors tends to be on surface (compare basic Arctic and granitic Antarctic). This kind of cometary surfaces probably is m ore suitable for landing and sampling because of relative smoothness and the deeper material exposed on surface. A granular structurization (Theorem 3) is distinguished almost on the whole surface. Crossing lineaments marking rows of equidimensional dark and light spots ("craters") are distinct mainly on the darker areas. Ref.: [1] Kochemasov G. (1999) Geophys. Res. Abstr.,v.1, #3, 700.

Morpheus Alhat Tether Test Preparations

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and technicians prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for a tether test near a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch pad was moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Morpheus Alhat Tether Test Preparations

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander is positioned near a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a tether test. The launch pad was moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Morpheus Alhat Tether Test Preparations

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A technician prepares the Project Morpheus prototype lander for a tether test near a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch pad was moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2014-2644

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – From left, Chirold Epp, the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, project manager, and Jon Olansen, Morpheus project manager, speak to members of the media near the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Media also viewed Morpheus inside a facility near the landing facility. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Real-time Terrain Relative Navigation Test Results from a Relevant Environment for Mars Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Andrew E.; Cheng, Yang; Montgomery, James; Trawny, Nikolas; Tweddle, Brent; Zheng, Jason

2015-01-01

Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) is an on-board GN&C function that generates a position estimate of a spacecraft relative to a map of a planetary surface. When coupled with a divert, the position estimate enables access to more challenging landing sites through pin-point landing or large hazard avoidance. The Lander Vision System (LVS) is a smart sensor system that performs terrain relative navigation by matching descent camera imagery to a map of the landing site and then fusing this with inertial measurements to obtain high rate map relative position, velocity and attitude estimates. A prototype of the LVS was recently tested in a helicopter field test over Mars analog terrain at altitudes representative of Mars Entry Descent and Landing conditions. TRN ran in real-time on the LVS during the flights without human intervention or tuning. The system was able to compute estimates accurate to 40m (3 sigma) in 10 seconds on a flight like processing system. This paper describes the Mars operational test space definition, how the field test was designed to cover that operational envelope, the resulting TRN performance across the envelope and an assessment of test space coverage.

A Long Distance Laser Altimeter for Terrain Relative Navigation and Spacecraft Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pierrottet, Diego F.; Amzajerdian, Farzin; Barnes, Bruce W.

2014-01-01

A high precision laser altimeter was developed under the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance (ALHAT) project at NASA Langley Research Center. The laser altimeter provides slant-path range measurements from operational ranges exceeding 30 km that will be used to support surface-relative state estimation and navigation during planetary descent and precision landing. The altimeter uses an advanced time-of-arrival receiver, which produces multiple signal-return range measurements from tens of kilometers with 5 cm precision. The transmitter is eye-safe, simplifying operations and testing on earth. The prototype is fully autonomous, and able to withstand the thermal and mechanical stresses experienced during test flights conducted aboard helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and Morpheus, a terrestrial rocket-powered vehicle developed by NASA Johnson Space Center. This paper provides an overview of the sensor and presents results obtained during recent field experiments including a helicopter flight test conducted in December 2012 and Morpheus flight tests conducted during March of 2014.

Estimation of Land Surface Energy Balance Using Satellite Data of Spatial Reduced Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vintila, Ruxandra; Radnea, Cristina; Savin, Elena; Poenaru, Violeta

2010-12-01

The paper presents preliminary results concerning the monitoring at national level of several geo-biophysical variables retrieved by remote sensing, in particular those related to drought or aridisation. The study, which is in progress, represents also an exercise for to the implementation of a Land Monitoring Core Service for Romania, according to the Kopernikus Program and in compliance with the INSPIRE Directive. The SEBS model has been used to retrieve land surface energy balance variables, such as turbulent heat fluxes, evaporative fraction and daily evaporation, based on three information types: (1) surface albedo, emissivity, temperature, fraction of vegetation cover (fCover), leaf area index (LAI) and vegetation height; (2) air pressure, temperature, humidity and wind speed at the planetary boundary layer (PBL) height; (3) downward solar radiation and downward longwave radiation. AATSR and MERIS archived reprocessed images have provided several types of information. Thus, surface albedo, emissivity, and land surface temperature have been retrieved from AATSR, while LAI and fCover have been estimated from MERIS. The vegetation height has been derived from CORINE Land Cover and PELCOM Land Use databases, while the meteorological information at the height of PBL have been estimated from the measurements provided by the national weather station network. Other sources of data used during this study have been the GETASSE30 digital elevation model with 30" spatial resolution, used for satellite image orthorectification, and the SIGSTAR-200 geographical information system of soil resources of Romania, used for water deficit characterisation. The study will continue by processing other AATSR and MERIS archived images, complemented by the validation of SEBS results with ground data collected on the most important biomes for Romania at various phenological stages, and the transformation of evaporation / evapotranspiration into a drought index using the soil texture data. It is also foreseen to develop procedures for processing near-real time AATSR and MERIS images from the rolling archives, as well as procedures for dealing with SENTINEL 3 images in the future, for timely delivery of reliable information to authorities and planning for drought to reduce its effects on citizens.

A Wide-Angle Camera for the Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout (MASCOT) on Hayabusa-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitz, N.; Koncz, A.; Jaumann, R.; Hoffmann, H.; Jobs, D.; Kachlicki, J.; Michaelis, H.; Mottola, S.; Pforte, B.; Schroeder, S.; Terzer, R.; Trauthan, F.; Tschentscher, M.; Weisse, S.; Ho, T.-M.; Biele, J.; Ulamec, S.; Broll, B.; Kruselburger, A.; Perez-Prieto, L.

2014-04-01

JAXA's Hayabusa-2 mission, an asteroid sample return mission, is scheduled for launch in December 2014, for a rendezvous with the C-type asteroid 1999 JU3 in 2018. MASCOT, the Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout [1], is a small lander, designed to deliver ground truth for the orbiter remote measurements, support the selection of sampling sites, and provide context for the returned samples.MASCOT's main objective is to investigate the landing site's geomorphology, the internal structure, texture and composition of the regolith (dust, soil and rocks), and the thermal, mechanical, and magnetic properties of the surface. MASCOT comprises a payload of four scientific instruments: camera, radiometer, magnetometer and hyper-spectral microscope. The camera (MASCOT CAM) was designed and built by DLR's Institute of Planetary Research, together with Airbus DS Germany.

Planetary Landscape Geography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hargitai, H.

INTRODUCTION Landscape is one of the most often used category in physical ge- ography. The term "landshap" was introduced by Dutch painters in the 15-16th cen- tury. [1] The elements that build up a landscape (or environment) on Earth consists of natural (biogenic and abiogenic - lithologic, atmospheric, hydrologic) and artificial (antropogenic) factors. Landscape is a complex system of these different elements. The same lithology makes different landscapes under different climatic conditions. If the same conditions are present, the same landscape type will appear. Landscapes build up a hierarchic system and cover the whole surface. On Earth, landscapes can be classified and qualified according to their characteristics: relief forms (morphology), and its potential economic value. Aesthetic and subjective parameters can also be considered. Using the data from landers and data from orbiters we can now classify planetary landscapes (these can be used as geologic mapping units as well). By looking at a unknown landscape, we can determine the processes that created it and its development history. This was the case in the Pathfinder/Sojourner panoramas. [2]. DISCUSSION Planetary landscape evolution. We can draw a raw landscape develop- ment history by adding the different landscape building elements to each other. This has a strong connection with the planet's thermal evolution (age of the planet or the present surface materials) and with orbital parameters (distance from the central star, orbit excentricity etc). This way we can build a complex system in which we use differ- ent evolutional stages of lithologic, atmospheric, hydrologic and biogenic conditions which determine the given - Solar System or exoplanetary - landscape. Landscape elements. "Simple" landscapes can be found on asteroids: no linear horizon is present (not differentiated body, only impact structures), no atmosphere (therefore no atmospheric scattering - black sky as part of the landscape) and no hydrosphere (no erosion). Adding new elements (differentiated body: horizon, atmosphere: blue/purple etc sky as visually important elements; complex lithology (mountains of tectonic ori- gin); atmosphere (which can alter temperature) and hydrosphere (erosion, rivers, de- position) a more complex landscape will appear. As a first step, by making a "landscape model", we can input general parameters of atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, the distance from the Sun, orbital parameters, last resurfacing date, age of the planet and the model will output the pos- 1 sible landscape elements in the planet. This can be refined by inputing the actual pa- rameters (place on planet, climate region etc.) from which the actual landscape can be the result. The landscape altering processes are: exogenic (impact), mass movement, endogenic (volcanism, thermal conditions), weathering, aeolic, fluvial, glacial, biogenic, antro- pogenic processes. Comparing planets and moons, all of these processes work on Earth, only half of them works on Mars and Venus, and even fewer on Mercury and Moon [3], where most of the surface is an "post-impact" landscape. A Planetary view. Science-fiction writers often describe planets with one characteris- tic: "desert planet", "ocean planet", "forest planet". Generally, planetary flyby missions verify these images (Europa - ice plain planet or Io - volcano world), but a orbiter mis- sion makes clear than in any planet, several significantly different landcape units are present, but from planet to planet, the average climatic and lithologic conditions do change and characterize the given planet. LANDSCAPE RESOURCES, LANDSCAPE "HOT SPOTS" Landscape hot spots has "high values" in the factors listed below. Physical landscape values. Small object not detectable from orbiters: individual rocks or the local physical characteristics of the upper layer of the regolith, the sediment or bedrock characteristics along with relief forms will be the important factors of the landscape. Unique or common landscape forms: Depending on the given planet, one feature can have special value (or can be of different scientific importance): on Io, a impact crater would be more important, than on the Moon, etc. Current processes: Naturally, "living" landscapes (with active volcanoes, geysers, dust devils or active weather processes) are more valuable than "dead" ones. Cultural landscape values. Human presence on a extraterrestrial body is of high impor- tance. Human landing sites with footprints or landing sites with spacecraft "debris" or scientific devices makes any - otherwise unimportant - landscape valuable for us. Even the proper names of surface features will change their physical value: for a Hungarian, for example, a crater named after a Hungarian scientist will have a special value and will attract more interest than other craters. These factors are comparable with our tourist value categories. Economical landscape values. As on Earth, it makes an area more valuable if it has economically usable and profitable raw materials: minerals, rocks (impactites and other materials formed in special conditions or a long time ago). Aesthetic landscape values. We, humans, consider this as an other important factor since the German painter A. Altdorfer in the 16th century has first chosen certain land- 2 scapes that he considered to be of artistic value even without human figures present in the landscape. Parts of aesthetic landscape values are not part of the surface or local environment but of the planet or planetary system: the color of lack of the atmosphere, clouds, the characteristics of the visible moons. The abiogenic surface elements of this category are for example sand dunes, relief forms with order in their shape or distri- bution, or extreme landforms: extensive smooth plains or deep canyons. "Human presence (or life) - friendliness" values. Conditions for longer human pres- ence will be one of the most important factors when we start building Lunar or Martian bases. Factors of this category are the presence of water, 24 h communication oppor- tunity with Earth, radio noise free sky, radiation, temperature etc conditions. Since the emergence of the discipline of astrobiology, potentially habitable niches - and espe- cially the so far undiscovered de facto inhabited niches - make very high value of a given landscape. CONCLUSION As we have closer touch with planetary surfaces other than our, and as human (and manned) exploration of the Solar System will again be in the agenda, in addition to physical geographic or geologic factors, new ones: economical, cultural, aesthetic and geofactors together will determine the value of a certain landscape in a given area. Its study will be more geographic than geologic. The above listed ele- ments can be important when chosing a base or landing site on any planetary body. The landscape values can be merged in a GIS system and this way we can more ea- sity determine not only landcape types but also the optimal landing sites for future missions. References [1] Mezõsi , G.: A földrajzi táj (geographic landscape), in: Általános ter- mészerföldrajz, Budapest, 1993. pp 807-818. [2] Baker, V. R.: Extraterrestrial Geo- morphology: An Introduction. Geomorphology 37 (2001) pp 175-178. [3] Jakucs, L.: A földrajzi burok kozmogén és endogén dinamikája (Endogenic and Cosmogenic Dy- namics of the Geospheres). JATEPress, 1997. 3

Sample Transport for a European Sample Curation Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berthoud, L.; Vrublevskis, J. B.; Bennett, A.; Pottage, T.; Bridges, J. C.; Holt, J. M. C.; Dirri, F.; Longobardo, A.; Palomba, E.; Russell, S.; Smith, C.

2018-04-01

This work has looked at the recovery of Mars Sample Return capsule once it arrives on Earth. It covers possible landing sites, planetary protection requirements, and transportation from the landing site to a European Sample Curation Facility.

MER-DIMES : a planetary landing application of computer vision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Yang; Johnson, Andrew; Matthies, Larry

2005-01-01

During the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) landings, the Descent Image Motion Estimation System (DIMES) was used for horizontal velocity estimation. The DIMES algorithm combines measurements from a descent camera, a radar altimeter and an inertial measurement unit. To deal with large changes in scale and orientation between descent images, the algorithm uses altitude and attitude measurements to rectify image data to level ground plane. Feature selection and tracking is employed in the rectified data to compute the horizontal motion between images. Differences of motion estimates are then compared to inertial measurements to verify correct feature tracking. DIMES combines sensor data from multiple sources in a novel way to create a low-cost, robust and computationally efficient velocity estimation solution, and DIMES is the first use of computer vision to control a spacecraft during planetary landing. In this paper, the detailed implementation of the DIMES algorithm and the results from the two landings on Mars are presented.

Atmospheric Environments for Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justus, Carl G.; Braun, Robert D.

2007-01-01

Scientific measurements of atmospheric properties have been made by a wide variety of planetary flyby missions, orbiters, and landers. Although landers can make in-situ observations of near-surface atmospheric conditions (and can collect atmospheric data during their entry phase), the vast majority of data on planetary atmospheres has been collected by remote sensing techniques from flyby and orbiter spacecraft (and to some extent by Earth-based remote sensing). Many of these remote sensing observations (made over a variety of spectral ranges), consist of vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature as a function of atmospheric pressure level. While these measurements are of great interest to atmospheric scientists and modelers of planetary atmospheres, the primary interest for engineers designing entry descent and landing (EDL) systems is information about atmospheric density as a function of geometric altitude. Fortunately, as described in in this paper, it is possible to use a combination of the gas-law relation and the hydrostatic balance relation to convert temperature-versus-pressure, scientific observations into density-versus-altitude data for use in engineering applications. The following section provides a brief introduction to atmospheric thermodynamics, as well as constituents, and winds for EDL. It also gives methodology for using atmospheric information to do "back-of-the-envelope" calculations of various EDL aeroheating parameters, including peak deceleration rate ("g-load"), peak convective heat rate. and total heat load on EDL spacecraft thermal protection systems. Brief information is also provided about atmospheric variations and perturbations for EDL guidance and control issues, and atmospheric issues for EDL parachute systems. Subsequent sections give details of the atmospheric environments for five destinations for possible EDL missions: Venus. Earth. Mars, Saturn, and Titan. Specific atmospheric information is provided for these destinations, and example results are presented for the "back-of-the-envelope" calculations mentioned above.

Conformal Ablative Thermal Protection System for Planetary and Human Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, R.; Arnold, J.; Gasch, M.; Stackpole, M.; Wercinski, R.; Venkatapathy, E.; Fan, W.; Thornton, J; Szalai, C.

2012-01-01

The Office of Chief Technologist (OCT), NASA has identified the need for research and technology development in part from NASAs Strategic Goal 3.3 of the NASA Strategic Plan to develop and demonstrate the critical technologies that will make NASAs exploration, science, and discovery missions more affordable and more capable. Furthermore, the Game Changing Development Program (GCDP) is a primary avenue to achieve the Agencys 2011 strategic goal to Create the innovative new space technologies for our exploration, science, and economic future. In addition, recently released NASA Space Technology Roadmaps and Priorities, by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences stresses the need for NASA to invest in the very near term in specific EDL technologies. The report points out the following challenges (Page 2-38 of the pre-publication copy released on February 1, 2012): Mass to Surface: Develop the ability to deliver more payload to the destination. NASA's future missions will require ever-greater mass delivery capability in order to place scientifically significant instrument packages on distant bodies of interest, to facilitate sample returns from bodies of interest, and to enable human exploration of planets such as Mars. As the maximum mass that can be delivered to an entry interface is fixed for a given launch system and trajectory design, the mass delivered to the surface will require reductions in spacecraft structural mass more efficient, lighter thermal protection systems more efficient lighter propulsion systems and lighter, more efficient deceleration systems. Surface Access: Increase the ability to land at a variety of planetary locales and at a variety of times. Access to specific sites can be achieved via landing at a specific location(s) or transit from a single designated landing location, but it is currently infeasible to transit long distances and through extremely rugged terrain, requiring landing close to the site of interest. The entry environment is not always guaranteed with a direct entry, and improving the entry systems robustness to a variety of environmental conditions could aid in reaching more varied landing sites. The National Research Council (NRC) Space Technology Roadmaps and Priorities report highlights six challenges and they are: 1) Mass to Surface, 2) Surface Access, 3) Precision Landing, 4) Surface Hazard Detection and Avoidance, 5) Safety and Mission Assurance, and 6) Affordability. In order for NASA to meet these challenges, the report recommends immediate focus on Rigid and Flexible Thermal Protection Systems. Rigid TPS systems such as Avcoat or SLA are honeycomb based and PICA is in the form of tiles. The honeycomb systems is manufactured using techniques that require filling of each (3/8 cell) by hand and within a limited amount of time once the ablative compound is mixed, all of the cells have to be filled and the entire heat-shield has to be cured. The tile systems such as PICA pose a different challenge as the mechanical strength characteristic and the manufacturing limitations require large number of small tiles with gap-fillers between the tiles. Recent investments in flexible ablative systems have given rise to the potential for conformal ablative TPS> A conformal TPS over a rigid aeroshell has the potential to solve a number of challenges faced by traditional rigid TPS materials.

Functional Task Test: 1. Sensorimotor changes Associated with Postflight Alterations in Astronaut Functional Task Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloomberg, J. J.; Arzeno, N. H.; Buxton, R. E.; Feiveson, A. H.; Kofman, I. S.; Lee, S. M. C.; Miller, C. A.; Mulavara, A. P.; Platts, S. H.; Peters, B. T.;

Curiosity Rover's First Anniversary

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-08-06

Jim Green, director, Planetary Division, NASA's Science Mission Directorate, speaks at a public event at NASA Headquarters observing the first anniversary of the Curiosity rover's landing on Mars, Tuesday, August 6th, 2013 in Washington. The Mars Science Laboratory mission successfully placed the one-ton Curiosity rover on the surface of Mars on Aug. 6, 2012, about 1 mile from the center of its 12-mile-long target area. Within the first eight months of a planned 23-months primary mission, Curiosity met its major science objective of finding evidence of a past environment well-suited to support microbial life. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Curiosity Rover's First Anniversary

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-08-06

Jim Green, director, Planetary Division, NASA's Science Mission Directorate, answers a question at a public event at NASA Headquarters observing the first anniversary of the Curiosity rover's landing on Mars, Tuesday, August 6th, 2013 in Washington. The Mars Science Laboratory mission successfully placed the one-ton Curiosity rover on the surface of Mars on Aug. 6, 2012, about 1 mile from the center of its 12-mile-long target area. Within the first eight months of a planned 23-months primary mission, Curiosity met its major science objective of finding evidence of a past environment well-suited to support microbial life. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Exploration of Mars with the ChemCam LIBS Instrument and the Curiosity Rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newsom, Horton E.

2016-01-01

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover landed on Mars in August 2012, and has been exploring the planet ever since. Dr. Horton E. Newsom will discuss the MSL's design and main goal, which is to characterize past environments that may have been conducive to the evolution and sustainability of life. He will also discuss Curiosity's science payload, and remote sensing, analytical capabilities, and direct discoveries of the Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam) instrument, which is the first Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS) to operate on another planetary surface and determine the chemistry of the rocks and soils.

Energy scaling of passively Q-switched lasers In the Mj-range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, J.; Huss, R.; Kolleck, C.; Kracht, Dietmar

2017-11-01

Q-switched lasers systems with ns pulse duration and energies ranging from 1 to more than 100mJ are utilized for many spaceborne applications such as altimetry of planets and moons. Furthermore, Q-switched lasers can be used for distance measurements during docking and landing manoeuvres. To keep the diameter of the beam small over a large distance and to consequently achieve a good lateral resolution, a good beam propagation factor M² is required. Moreover, Q-switched lasers can be used directly on the planetary surface for exploration by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy or laser desorption mass spectrometry.

Analysis and design of a capsule landing system and surface vehicle control system for Mars exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gisser, D. G.; Frederick, D. K.; Lashmet, P. K.; Sandor, G. N.; Shen, C. N.; Yerazunis, S. Y.

1975-01-01

Problems related to an unmanned exploration of the planet Mars by means of an autonomous roving planetary vehicle are investigated. These problems include: design, construction and evaluation of the vehicle itself and its control and operating systems. More specifically, vehicle configuration, dynamics, control, propulsion, hazard detection systems, terrain sensing and modelling, obstacle detection concepts, path selection, decision-making systems, and chemical analyses of samples are studied. Emphasis is placed on development of a vehicle capable of gathering specimens and data for an Augmented Viking Mission or to provide the basis for a Sample Return Mission.

Asteroid Deflection: How, Where and When?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fargion, D.

2008-10-01

To deflect impact-trajectory of massive and spinning km^3 asteroid by a few terrestrial radiuses one need a large momentum exchange. The dragging of huge spinning bodies in space by external engine seems difficult or impossible. Our solution is based on the landing of multi screw-rockets, powered by mini-nuclear engines, on the body, that dig a small fraction of the soil surface to use as an exhaust propeller, ejecting it vertically in phase among themselves. Such a mass ejection increases the momentum exchange, their number redundancy guarantees the stability of the system. The slow landing (below ≃ 40 cm s^{-1}) of each engine-unity at those very low gravity field, may be achieved by safe rolling and bouncing along the surface. The engine array tuned activity, overcomes the asteroid angular velocity. Coherent turning of the jet heads increases the deflection efficiency. A procession along its surface may compensate at best the asteroid spin. A small skin-mass (about 2×10^4 tons) may be ejected by mini-nuclear engines. Such prototypes may also build first safe galleries for humans on the Moon. Conclusive deflecting tests might be performed on remote asteroids. The incoming asteroid 99942 Apophis (just 2% of km^3) may be deflected safely a few Earth radiuses. Its encounter maybe not just a hazard but an opportunity, learning how to land, to dig, to build and also to nest safe human station inside. Asteroids amplified deflections by gravity swing may be driven into longest planetary journeys, beginning i.e. with the preliminary landing of future missions on Mars' moon-asteroid Phobos or Deimos.

A Theoretical and Experimental Study of Emission Spectroscopy of Planetary Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henderson, Bradley Gray

1995-01-01

This thesis explores the spectral emissivity of particulate materials on planetary surfaces through theoretical modeling and supporting laboratory and field investigations. In the first part of the thesis, I develop a Monte Carlo ray tracing model to calculate the directional and spectral emissivity and the polarization state of the radiation emitted from a particulate, isothermal surface for emission angles 0^circ-90^ circ and wavelengths 7-16 mu m. The results show that roughness and scattering significantly affect the character of the emitted radiation field and should be taken into account when interpreting the physical properties of a planetary surface from IR spectrophotometry or spectropolarimetry. The remainder of the thesis focuses on understanding near-surface thermal gradients and their effects on emission spectra for different planetary environments. These gradients are formed by radiative cooling in the top few hundred microns of low conductivity particulate materials on planetary surfaces with little or no atmosphere. I model the heat transfer by conduction and radiation in the top few millimeters of a planetary regolith for scattering and non-scattering media. In conjunction with the modeling, I measure emission spectra of fine-grained quartz in an environment chamber designed to simulate the conditions on other planetary surfaces. The results show that significant thermal gradients will form in the near surface of materials on the surface of the Moon and Mercury. Their presence increases spectral contrast and creates emission maxima in the transparent regions of the spectrum. Thermal gradients are shown to be responsible for the observed wavelength shifts of the Christiansen emission peak with variations in thermal conductivity and grain size. The results are also used to analyze recent telescopic spectra of the Moon and Mercury and can explain certain features seen in those data. Thermal gradients are shown to be minor for the surface of Mars and negligible on Earth. I conclude that the spectral effects created by near-surface thermal gradients are predictable and might even provide an extra source of information about the physical nature of a planetary surface, and mid-IR emission spectroscopy should therefore prove to be useful for remote sensing of airless bodies.

The Twenty-Fifth Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Part 2: H-O

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Various papers on lunar and planetary science are presented, covering such topics as: planetary geology, lunar geology, meteorites, shock loads, cometary collisions, planetary mapping, planetary atmospheres, chondrites, chondrules, planetary surfaces, impact craters, lava flow, achondrites, geochemistry, stratigraphy, micrometeorites, tectonics, mineralogy, petrology, geomorphology, and volcanology.

Twenty-Second Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The papers in this collection were written for general presentation, avoiding jargon and unnecessarily complex terms. Some of the topics covered include: planetary evolution, planetary satellites, planetary composition, planetary surfaces, planetary geology, volcanology, meteorite impacts and composition, and cosmic dust. Particular emphasis is placed on Mars and the Moon.

Planetary protection issues and future Mars missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devincenzi, D. L.; Klein, H. P.; Bagby, J. R.

1991-01-01

A primary scientific theme for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) is the search for life, extant or extinct, on Mars. Because of this, concerns have arisen about Planetary Protection (PP), the prevention of biological cross-contamination between Earth and other planets during solar system exploration missions. A recent workshop assessed the necessity for, and impact of, PP requirements on the unmanned and human missions to Mars comprising the SEI. The following ground-rules were adopted: (1) Information needed for assessing PP issues must be obtained during the unmanned precursor mission phase prior to human landings. (2) Returned Mars samples will be considered biologically hazardous until proven otherwise. (3) Deposition of microbes on Mars and exposure of the crew to martian materials are inevitable when humans land. And (4) Human landings are unlikely until it is demonstrated that there is no harmful effect of martian materials on terrestrial life forms. These ground-rules dictated the development of a conservative PP strategy for precursor missions. Key features of the proposed strategy include: to prevent forward-contamination, all orbiters will follow Mars Observer PP procedures for assembly, trajectory, and lifetime. All landers will follow Viking PP procedures for assembly, microbial load reduction, and bio-shield. And, to prevent back-contamination, all sample return missions will have PP requirements which include fail-safe sample sealing, breaking contact chain with the martian surface, and containment and quarantine analysis in Earth-based laboratory. In addition to deliberating on scientific and technical issues, the workshop made several recommendations for dealing with forward and back-contamination concerns from non-scicntific perspectives.

Dynamical Coupling Between the Stratosphere and the Troposphere: The Influence of External Forcings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Felicitas; Matthes, Katja

2013-04-01

The dynamical coupling between the stratosphere and the troposphere is dominated by planetary waves that are generated in the troposphere by orography and land-sea contrasts. These waves travel upward into the stratosphere where they either dissipate or are reflected downward to impact the troposphere again. Through the interaction with the zonal mean flow planetary waves can induce stratospheric sudden warmings (SSWs), i.e., conditions during NH winter where the stratospheric polar vortex is disturbed so that the zonal mean zonal wind in the NH stratospheric jet becomes easterly and the polar cap meridional temperature gradient reverses. Since strong major SSWs can propagate down into the troposphere and even affect surface weather, SSWs present a strong and clear manifestation of the dynamical coupling in the stratosphere-troposphere system. We will investigate the influence of some external forcings, namely sea surface temperatures (SSTs), anthropogenic greenhouse gases and the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), on these coupling processes. Thereby we are interested in how the distribution of SSWs in the winter months changes due to the different forcings, whether the events evolve differently, and whether they show differences in their preconditioning, e.g. a different wave geometry. We will also investigate whether and how vertical reflective surfaces in the stratosphere, which can reflect upward propagating planetary waves, influence the evolution of SSWs. To address these questions, we performed a set of model simulations with NCAR's Community Earth System Model (CESM), a coupled model system including an interactive ocean (POP2), land (CLM4), sea ice (CICE) and atmosphere (NCAR's Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM)) component. Our control experiment is a 140-year simulation with the fully coupled atmosphere-ocean version of CESM. A second experiment is a 55-year simulation with only CESM's atmospheric component WACCM, a fully interactive chemistry-climate model extending from the Earth's surface through the thermosphere (about 140 km), with underlying climatological SSTs obtained from the coupled CESM control run. A third 55-year simulation is performed without the nudging of the equatorial QBO. All three simulations develop under conditions where greenhouse gases are held constant at the 1960 level. In a fourth simulations, the greenhouse gases follow the RCP8.5 scenario. From the differences of the individual simulations to the control experiment we can estimate the respective roles of SSTs, the QBO and anthropogenic greenhouse gases for the stratosphere-troposphere coupling. The model results will be compared to the Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) dataset.

Planetary Geochemistry Using Active Neutron and Gamma Ray Instrumentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, A.; Bodnarik, J.; Evans, L.; Floyd, S.; Lim, L.; McClanahan, T.; Namkung, M.; Schweitzer, J.; Starr, R.; Trombka, J.

2010-01-01

The Pulsed Neutron Generator-Gamma Ray And Neutron Detector (PNG-GRAND) experiment is an innovative application of the active neutron-gamma ray technology so successfully used in oil field well logging and mineral exploration on Earth, The objective of our active neutron-gamma ray technology program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC) is to bring the PNG-GRAND instrument to the point where it can be flown on a variety of surface lander or rover missions to the Moon, Mars, Venus, asterOIds, comets and the satellites of the outer planets, Gamma-Ray Spectrometers have been incorporated into numerous orbital planetary science missions and, especially in the case of Mars Odyssey, have contributed detailed maps of the elemental composition over the entire surface of Mars, Neutron detectors have also been placed onboard orbital missions such as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Prospector to measure the hydrogen content of the surface of the moon, The DAN in situ experiment on the Mars Science Laboratory not only includes neutron detectors, but also has its own neutron generator, However, no one has ever combined the three into one instrument PNG-GRAND combines a pulsed neutron generator (PNG) with gamma ray and neutron detectors to produce a landed instrument that can determine subsurface elemental composition without drilling. We are testing PNG-GRAND at a unique outdoor neutron instrumentation test facility recently constructed at NASA/GSFC that consists of a 2 m x 2 m x 1 m granite structure in an empty field, We will present data from the operation of PNG-GRAND in various experimental configurations on a known sample in a geometry that is identical to that which can be achieved on a planetary surface. We will also compare the material composition results inferred from our experiments to both an independent laboratory elemental composition analysis and MCNPX computer modeling results,

Development of the Probing In-Situ with Neutron and Gamma Rays (PING) Instrument for Planetary Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, A.; Bodnarik, J.; Burger, D.; Evans, L.; Floyd, S; Lim, L.; McClanahan, T.; Namkung, M.; Nowicki, S.; Schweitzer, J.;

Frost grain size metamorphism - Implications for remote sensing of planetary surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, R. N.; Fanale, F. P.; Zent, A. P.

1983-01-01

The effective grain size of a material on a planetary surface affects the strength of absorption features observed in the reflectance of a particulate surface. In the case of a planetary surface containing volatile ices, the absorption characteristics can change in connection with processes leading to a change in the grain size of the material. The present investigation is concerned with an evaluation regarding the occurrence of such processes and the implications for remote sensing applications. It is found that quantitative modeling of the kinetics of grain growth and destruction by thermal and nonthermal processes can provide a means to reconcile apparent optical paths in the volatile portions of planetary surfaces with the physical history of those surfaces. Attention is also given to conditions in the case of the Pluto/Triton system, Uranus and Saturnian satellites, and the Galilean system.

Planetary Rover Robotics Experiments in Education: HUSAR-5, the NXT-Based Rover Model for Measuring the Planetary Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Á.; Bérczi, Sz.; Szalay, K.; Prajczer, P.; Kocsis, Á.

2014-11-01

We report about the work of the HUSAR-5 groups from the Széchenyi István Gimnázium High School Sopron, Hungary. We build and program robot-rovers, that can autonomous move and measure on a planetary surface.

A Planetary System Exploration Project for Introductory Astronomy and Astrobiology Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rees, Richard F.

2015-01-01

I have created three-part projects for the introductory astronomy and astrobiology courses at Westfield State University which simulate the exploration of a fictional planetary system. The introductory astronomy project is an initial reconnaissance of the system by a robotic spacecraft, culminating in close flybys of two or three planets. The astrobiology project is a follow-up mission concluding with the landing of a roving lander on a planet or moon. Student responses in earlier parts of each project can be used to determine which planets are targeted for closer study in later parts. Highly realistic views of the planets from space and from their surfaces can be created using programs such as Celestia and Terragen; images and video returned by the spacecraft are thus a highlight of the project. Although designed around the particular needs and mechanics of the introductory astronomy and astrobiology courses for non-majors at WSU, these projects could be adapted for use in courses at many different levels.

Planetary health: protecting human health on a rapidly changing planet.

PubMed

Myers, Samuel S

2018-12-23

The impact of human activities on our planet's natural systems has been intensifying rapidly in the past several decades, leading to disruption and transformation of most natural systems. These disruptions in the atmosphere, oceans, and across the terrestrial land surface are not only driving species to extinction, they pose serious threats to human health and wellbeing. Characterising and addressing these threats requires a paradigm shift. In a lecture delivered to the Academy of Medical Sciences on Nov 13, 2017, I describe the scale of human impacts on natural systems and the extensive associated health effects across nearly every dimension of human health. I highlight several overarching themes that emerge from planetary health and suggest advances in the way we train, reward, promote, and fund the generation of health scientists who will be tasked with breaking out of their disciplinary silos to address this urgent constellation of health threats. I propose that protecting the health of future generations requires taking better care of Earth's natural systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Mars: Wind, Dust Sand, and Debris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session "Mars: Wind, Dust Sand, and Debris" included: Mars Exploration Rovers: Laboratory Simulations of Aeolian Interactions; Thermal and Spectral Analysis of an Intracrater Dune Field in Amazonis Planitia; How High is that Dune? A Comparison of Methods Used to Constrain the Morphometry of Aeolian Bedforms on Mars; Dust Devils on Mars: Scaling of Dust Flux Based on Laboratory Simulations; A Close Encounter with a Terrestrial Dust Devil; Interpretation of Wind Direction from Eolian Features: Herschel Crater, Mars Erosion Rates at the Viking 2 Landing Site; Mars Dust: Characterization of Particle Size and Electrostatic Charge Distributions; Simple Non-fluvial Models of Planetary Surface Modification, with Application to Mars; Comparison of Geomorphically Determined Winds with a General Circulation Model: Herschel Crater, Mars; Analysis of Martian Debris Aprons in Eastern Hellas Using THEMIS; Origin of Martian Northern Hemisphere Mid-Latitude Lobate Debris Aprons; Debris Aprons in the Tempe/Mareotis Region of Mars;and Constraining Flow Dynamics of Mass Movements on Earth and Mars.

Measuring planetary field parameters by scattered "SSSS" from the Husar-5 Rover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, A.; Kocsis, A.; Balaskó, D.; Csóka, B.; Molnar, B.; Sztojka, A.; Bejó, M.; Joób, Z.

2017-09-01

HUSAR-5 Rover reloaded: 2 years ago the Hunveyor-Husar Team in our school made yet a similar project. The ground idea was, we try to keep step with the main trends in the space research, in our recent case with the so called MSSM (Micro Sized Space- Mothership) and NPSDR (Nano, Pico Space Devices and Robots). [1]Of course, we do not want to scatter the smaller probe-cubes from a mothership, but from the Husar rover, and to do it on the planetary surface after landing. We have fabricated the rover with the ejecting tower and we have shown it on the EPSC 2015.The word "reloaded" means not only a new shape of the bullets, but a new mission with a new team. There are more pupils working in this project. The new bullets "SSSS" will be printed by a 3D printer.The microcontroller in bullets can be programmed with Arduino, so the "new generation" is able to do it.

Low-Latency Teleoperations for Human Exploration and Evolvable Mars Campaign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lupisella, Mark; Wright, Michael; Arney, Dale; Gershman, Bob; Stillwagen, Fred; Bobskill, Marianne; Johnson, James; Shyface, Hilary; Larman, Kevin; Lewis, Ruthan;

Proximity Operations for the Robotic Boulder Capture Option for the Asteroid Redirect Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reeves, David M.; Naasz, Bo J.; Wright, Cinnamon A.; Pini, Alex J.

2014-01-01

In September of 2013, the Asteroid Robotic Redirect Mission (ARRM) Option B team was formed to expand on NASA's previous work on the robotic boulder capture option. While the original Option A concept focuses on capturing an entire smaller Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) using an inflatable bag capture mechanism, this design seeks to land on a larger NEA and retrieve a boulder off of its surface. The Option B team has developed a detailed and feasible mission concept that preserves many aspects of Option A's vehicle design while employing a fundamentally different technique for returning a significant quantity of asteroidal material to the Earth-Moon system. As part of this effort, a point of departure proximity operations concept was developed complete with a detailed timeline, as well as DeltaV and propellant allocations. Special attention was paid to the development of the approach strategy, terminal descent to the surface, controlled ascent with the captured boulder, and control during the Enhanced Gravity Tractor planetary defense demonstration. The concept of retrieving a boulder from the surface of an asteroid and demonstrating the Enhanced Gravity Tractor planetary defense technique is found to be feasible and within the proposed capabilities of the Asteroid Redirect Vehicle (ARV). While this point of departure concept initially focuses on a mission to Itokawa, the proximity operations design is also shown to be extensible to wide range of asteroids.

Implementing the Simple Biosphere Model (SiB) in a general circulation model: Methodologies and results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sato, N.; Sellers, P. J.; Randall, D. A.; Schneider, E. K.; Shukla, J.; Kinter, J. L., III; Hou, Y.-T.; Albertazzi, E.

1989-01-01

The Simple Biosphere MOdel (SiB) of Sellers et al., (1986) was designed to simulate the interactions between the Earth's land surface and the atmosphere by treating the vegetation explicitly and relistically, thereby incorporating biophysical controls on the exchanges of radiation, momentum, sensible and latent heat between the two systems. The steps taken to implement SiB in a modified version of the National Meteorological Center's spectral GCM are described. The coupled model (SiB-GCM) was used with a conventional hydrological model (Ctl-GCM) to produce summer and winter simulations. The same GCM was used with a conventional hydrological model (Ctl-GCM) to produce comparable 'control' summer and winter variations. It was found that SiB-GCM produced a more realistic partitioning of energy at the land surface than Ctl-GCM. Generally, SiB-GCM produced more sensible heat flux and less latent heat flux over vegetated land than did Ctl-GCM and this resulted in the development of a much deeper daytime planetary boundary and reduced precipitation rates over the continents in SiB-GCM. In the summer simulation, the 200 mb jet stream and the wind speed at 850 mb were slightly weakened in the SiB-GCM relative to the Ctl-GCM results and equivalent analyses from observations.

NASA's Solar System Treks: Online Portals for Planetary Mapping and Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Day, Brian

2017-01-01

NASA's Solar System Treks are a suite of web-based of lunar and planetary mapping and modeling portals providing interactive visualization and analysis tools enabling mission planners, planetary scientists, students, and the general public to access mapped lunar data products from past and current missions for the Moon, Mars, Vesta, and more. New portals for additional planetary bodies are being planned. This presentation will recap significant enhancements to these toolsets during the past year and look ahead to future features and releases. Moon Trek is a new portal replacing its predecessor, the Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal (LMMP), that significantly upgrades and builds upon the capabilities of LMMP. It features greatly improved navigation, 3D visualization, fly-overs, performance, and reliability. Additional data products and tools continue to be added. These include both generalized products as well as polar data products specifically targeting potential sites for NASA's Resource Prospector mission as well as for missions being planned by NASA's international partners. The latest release of Mars Trek includes new tools and data products requested by NASA's Planetary Science Division to support site selection and analysis for Mars Human Landing Exploration Zone Sites. Also being given very high priority by NASA Headquarters is Mars Trek's use as a means to directly involve the public in upcoming missions, letting them explore the areas the agency is focusing upon, understand what makes these sites so fascinating, follow the selection process, and get caught up in the excitement of exploring Mars. Phobos Trek, the latest effort in the Solar System Treks suite, is being developed in coordination with the International Phobos/Deimos Landing Site Working Group, with landing site selection and analysis for JAXA's MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) mission as a primary driver.

NASA's Solar System Treks: Online Portals for Planetary Mapping and Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, B. H.; Law, E.

2017-12-01

NASA's Solar System Treks are a suite of web-based of lunar and planetary mapping and modeling portals providing interactive visualization and analysis tools enabling mission planners, planetary scientists, students, and the general public to access mapped lunar data products from past and current missions for the Moon, Mars, Vesta, and more. New portals for additional planetary bodies are being planned. This presentation will recap significant enhancements to these toolsets during the past year and look ahead to future features and releases. Moon Trek is a new portal replacing its predecessor, the Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal (LMMP), that significantly upgrades and builds upon the capabilities of LMMP. It features greatly improved navigation, 3D visualization, fly-overs, performance, and reliability. Additional data products and tools continue to be added. These include both generalized products as well as polar data products specifically targeting potential sites for NASA's Resource Prospector mission as well as for missions being planned by NASA's international partners. The latest release of Mars Trek includes new tools and data products requested by NASA's Planetary Science Division to support site selection and analysis for Mars Human Landing Exploration Zone Sites. Also being given very high priority by NASA Headquarters is Mars Trek's use as a means to directly involve the public in upcoming missions, letting them explore the areas the agency is focusing upon, understand what makes these sites so fascinating, follow the selection process, and get caught up in the excitement of exploring Mars. Phobos Trek, the latest effort in the Solar System Treks suite, is being developed in coordination with the International Phobos/Deimos Landing Site Working Group, with landing site selection and analysis for JAXA's MMX mission as a primary driver.

Characteristics of the nocturnal boundary layer inferred from ozone measurements onboard a Zeppelin airship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohrer, Franz; Li, Xin; Hofzumahaus, Andreas; Ehlers, Christian; Holland, Frank; Klemp, Dieter; Lu, Keding; Mentel, Thomas F.; Kiendler-Scharr, Astrid; Wahner, Andreas

2014-05-01

The nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) is a sublayer within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) which evolves above solid land each day in the late afternoon due to radiation cooling of the surface. It is a region of several hundred meters thickness which inhibits vertical mixing. A residual and a surface layer remain above and below the NBL. Inside the surface layer, almost all direct emissions of atmospheric constituents take place during this time. This stratification lasts until the next morning after sunrise. Then, the heating of the surface generates a new convectionally mixed layer which successively eats up the NBL from below. This process lasts until shortly before noon when the NBL disappears completely and the PBL is mixed convectionally. Ozone measurements onboard a Zeppelin airship in The Netherlands, in Italy, and in Finland are used to analyse this behaviour with respect to atmospheric constituents and consequences for the diurnal cycles observed in the surface layer, the nocturnal boundary layer, and the residual layer are discussed.

Lightweight Multifunctional Planetary Probe for Extreme Environment Exploration and Locomotion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bayandor, Javid (Principal Investigator); Schroeder, Kevin; Samareh, Jamshid

2017-01-01

The demand to explore new worlds requires the development of advanced technologies that enable landed science on uncertain terrains or in hard to reach locations. As a result, contemporary Entry, Descent, Landing, (EDL) and additional locomotion (EDLL) profiles are becoming increasingly more complex, with the introduction of lifting/guided entries, hazard avoidance on descent, and a plethora of landing techniques including airbags and the skycrane maneuver. The inclusion of each of these subsystems into a mission profile is associated with a substantial mass penalty. This report explores the new all-in-one entry vehicle concept, TANDEM, a new combined EDLL concept, and compares it to the current state of the art EDL systems. The explored system is lightweight and collapsible and provides the capacity for lifting/guided entry, guided descent, hazard avoidance, omnidirectional impact protection and surface locomotion without the aid of any additional subsystems. This Phase I study explored: 1. The capabilities and feasibility of the TANDEM concept as an EDLL vehicle. 2. Extensive impact analysis to ensure mission success in unfavorable landing conditions, and safe landing in Tessera regions. 3. Development of a detailed design for a conceptual mission to Venus. As a result of our work it was shown that: 1. TANDEM provides additional benefits over the Adaptive, Deployable Entry Placement Technology (ADEPT) including guided descent and surface locomotion, while reducing the mass by 38% compared to the ADEPT-VITaL mission. 2. Demonstrated that the design of tensegrity structures, and TANDEM specifically, grows linearly with an increase in velocity, which was previously unknown. 3. Investigation of surface impact revealed a promising results that suggest a properly configured TANDEM vehicle can safely land and preform science in the Tessera regions, which was previously labeled by the Decadal Survey as, largely inaccessible despite its high scientific interest. This work has already resulted in a NASA TM and will be submitted to the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets.

Design and Impacts of Land-Biogenic-Atmosphere Coupling in the NASA-Unified WRF (NU-WRF) Modeling System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tan, Qian; Santanello, Joseph A., Jr.; Zhou, Shujia; Tao, Zhining; Peters-Lidard, Christa d.; Chn, Mian

2011-01-01

Land-Atmosphere coupling is typically designed and implemented independently for physical (e.g. water and energy) and chemical (e.g. biogenic emissions and surface depositions)-based models and applications. Differences in scale, data requirements, and physics thus limit the ability of Earth System models to be fully coupled in a consistent manner. In order for the physical-chemical-biological coupling to be complete, treatment of the land in terms of surface classification, condition, fluxes, and emissions must be considered simultaneously and coherently across all components. In this study, we investigate a coupling strategy for the NASA-Unified Weather Research and Forecasting (NU-WRF) model that incorporates the traditionally disparate fluxes of water and energy through NASA's LIS (Land Information System) and biogenic emissions through BEIS (Biogenic Emissions Inventory System) and MEGAN (Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature) into the atmosphere. In doing so, inconsistencies across model inputs and parameter data are resolved such that the emissions from a particular plant species are consistent with the heat and moisture fluxes calculated for that land cover type. In turn, the response of the atmospheric turbulence and mixing in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) acts on the identical surface type, fluxes, and emissions for each. In addition, the coupling of dust emission within the NU-WRF system is performed in order to ensure consistency and to maximize the benefit of high-resolution land representation in LIS. The impacts of those self-consistent components on' the simulation of atmospheric aerosols are then evaluated through the WRF-Chem-GOCART (Goddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport) model. Overall, this ambitious project highlights the current difficulties and future potential of fully coupled. components. in Earth System models, and underscores the importance of the iLEAPS community in supporting improved knowledge of processes and innovative approaches for models and observations.

Characteristics of Eurasian snowmelt and its impacts on the land surface and surface climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Kunhui; Lau, Ngar-Cheung

2018-03-01

The local hydrological and climatic impacts of Eurasian snowmelt are studied using advanced land surface and atmospheric data. It is found that intense melting of snow is located at mid-high latitudes in April and May. Snowmelt plays an important role in determining the seasonal cycles of surface runoff and soil moisture (SM). Specifically, melting is accompanied by sharp responses in surface runoff and surface SM while the impacts are delayed for deeper-layer of soil. This is particularly significant in the western sector of Eurasia. On interannual timescales, the responses of various surface parameters to snowmelt in the same month are rather significant. However, the persistence of surface SM anomalies is weak due to the strong soil evaporation anomalies and surplus of surface energy for evaporation. Strong impacts on the sensible heat flux, planetary boundary layer height and precipitation in the next month following the melting of snow are identified in west Russia and Siberia. Downward propagation of surface SM anomalies is observed and a positive evaporation-convection feedback is identified in west Russia. However, the subsequent impacts on the local convective precipitation in late spring-summer and its contribution to the total precipitation are seemingly weak. The atmospheric water vapor convergence has strong control over the total precipitation anomalies. Overall, snowmelt-produced SM anomalies are not found to significantly impact the late spring-summer local climate anomalies in Northern Eurasia. Therefore, the delayed remote-responses of atmospheric circulation and climate to the melting of Eurasian snow may be only possible near the melting period.

Impacts of regional land-grab on regional hydroclimate in southeastern Africa via modeling and remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maksimowicz, M.; Masarik, M. T.; Brandt, J.; Flores, A. N.

2017-12-01

Land use/land cover (LULC) change directly impacts the partitioning of surface mass and energy fluxes. Regional-scale weather and climate are potentially altered by LULC if the resultant changes in partitioning of surface energy fluxes are significant enough to induce changes in the evolution of the planetary boundary layer and its interaction with the atmosphere above. Dynamics of land use, particularly those related to the social dimensions of the Earth System, are often simplified or not represented in regional land-atmosphere models or Earth System Models. This study explores the role of LULC change on a regional hydroclimate system, focusing on potential hydroclimate changes arising from timber harvesting due to a land grab boom in Mozambique. We also focus more narrowly at quantifying regional impacts on Gorongosa National Park, a nationally important economic and biodiversity resource in southeastern Africa. After nationalizing all land in 1975 after Mozambique gained independence, complex social processes, including an extended low intensity conflict civil war and economic hardships, led to an escalation of land use rights grants to foreign governments. Between 2004 and 2009, large tracts of land were requested for timber. Here we use existing tree cover loss datasets to more accurately represent land cover within a regional weather model. LULC in a region encompassing Gorongosa is updated at three instances between 2001 and 2014 using a tree cover loss dataset. We use these derived LULC datasets to inform lower boundary conditions in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. To quantify potential hydrometeorological changes arising from land use change, we performed a factorial-like experiment by mixing input LULC maps and atmospheric forcing data from before, during, and after the land grab. Results suggest that the land grab has impacted microclimate parameters in a significant way via direct and indirect impacts on land-atmosphere interactions. Results of this study suggest that LULC change arising from regional social dynamics are a potentially understudied, yet important human process to capture in both regional reanalyses and climate change projections.

Energy Balance Models of planetary climate as a tool for investigating the habitability of terrestrial planets and its evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferri, G.; Murante, G.; Provenzale, A.; Silva, L.; Vladilo, G.

2012-04-01

The study of the habitability and potential for life formation of terrestrial planets requires a considerable work of modelization owing to the limited amount of experimental constraints typical of this type of research. As an example, the paucity of experimental Archean data severely limits the study of the habitability of the primitive Earth at the epoch of the origin of life. In the case of exoplanets the amount of experimental information available is quite limited and the need for modelization strong. Here we focus on the modelization of the surface planetary temperature, a key thermodynamical quantity used to define the habitability. Energy Balance Models (EBM) of planetary climate provide a simple way to calculate the temperature-latitude profile of terrestrial planets with a small amount of computing resources. Thanks to this fact EBMs offer an excellent tool to exploring a wide range of parameter space and therefore testing the effects of variations of physical/chemical quantities unconstrained by experimental data. In particular, one can easily probe possible scenarios of habitability at different stages of planetary evolution. We have recently implemented one-dimensional EBMs featuring the possibility of probing variations of astronomical and geophysical parameters, such as stellar luminosity, orbital semi-major axis and eccentricity, obliquity of the planetary axis, planet rotational velocity, land/ocean surface fractions and thermal capacities, and latitudinal heat diffusion. After testing our models against results obtained in previous work (Williams & Kasting 1997, Icarus, 129, 254; Spiegel et al. 2008, ApJ, 681, 1609), we introduced a novel parametrization of the diffusion coefficient as a function of the stellar zenith distance. Our models have been validated using the mean temperature-latitude profiles of the present Earth and its seasonal variations; the global albedo has been used as an additional constraint. In this work we present specific examples of application of our EBMs to studies of habitability of terrestrial planets. In the first part we focus on the primitive Earth, taking into account the effects of the higher speed of Earth rotation and reduced solar luminosity at the epoch of life formation. In the second part we provide examples of habitability studies of planetary systems discovered in surveys of exoplanets. These examples allow us to critically discuss the concept of circumstellar habitable zone.

Multifunctional Interface Facility for Receiving and Processing Planetary Surface Materials for Science Investigation and Resource Evaluation at the Deep Space Gateway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sibille, L.; Mantovani, J. G.; Townsend, I. I.; Mueller, R. P.

2018-02-01

The concepts describe hardware and instrumentation for the study of planetary surface materials at the Deep Space Gateway as a progressive evolution of capabilities for eliminating the need for special handling and Planetary Protection (PP) protocols inside the habitats.

Visualization of Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Meishu; Su, Jun; Wang, Weiguo; Lu, Jianlong

2017-01-01

For this article, we use a 3D printer to print a surface similar to universal gravitation for demonstrating and investigating Kepler's laws of planetary motion describing the motion of a small ball on the surface. This novel experimental method allows Kepler's laws of planetary motion to be visualized and will contribute to improving the…

Navigation and EDL for the Mars Exploration Rovers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watkins, Michael M.; Han, Dongsuk

2006-01-01

A viewgraph presentation on Deep Space Navigation, and Entry, Decent, and Landing (EDL) for Mars Exploration Rovers is shown. The contents include: 1) JPL Spacecraft Operating across the Solar System; 2) 2003 - 2004: The Busiest Period in JPL's History; 3) Deep Space Navigation Will Enable Many of the New NASA Missions; 4) What Exactly is Navigation vs. GNC for Deep Space?; 5) Cruise and Approach: Why is Deep Space Navigation So Difficult?; 6) Project Importance of GNC: Landing Site Selection; 7) Planetary Communications and Tracking; 8) Tracking Data Types; 9) Delta Differential One-Way Range (deltaDOR); 10) All Solutions Leading up to TCM-4 Design; 11) Entry Flight Path Sensitivities; 12) MER Navigation Results; 13) Atmospheric Entry Targeting and Delivery; 14) Landing Ellipse Orientation; 15) MER Landing Site Trade Example; 16) Entry, Descent and Landing: Entry Guidance or What Things Do We NOT do for MER Landings (but we will later...); 17) Entering Martian Space 8:29 p.m. PST (ERT); 18) Entry, Descent and Landing; 19) Entry, Descent and Landing: Terminal Guidance; 20) The Challenge Going from 12,000 mph to Zero in Less Than Six Minutes; 21) Spirit Landing Location; 22) Entry, Descent and Landing: The Future; 23) Powered Descent Time-Line; and 24) Updated Sky Crane Maneuver Description. A short summary is also given on planetary guidance, navigation and control as it pertains to EDL systems

Land surface-precipitation feedback analysis for a landfalling monsoon depression in the Indian region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baisya, Himadri; Pattnaik, Sandeep; Rajesh, P. V.

2017-03-01

A series of numerical experiments are carried out to investigate the sensitivity of a landfalling monsoon depression to land surface conditions using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Results suggest that precipitation is largely modulated by moisture influx and precipitation efficiency. Three cloud microphysical schemes (WSM6, WDM6, and Morrison) are examined, and Morrison is chosen for assessing the land surface-precipitation feedback analysis, owing to better precipitation forecast skills. It is found that increased soil moisture facilitates Moisture Flux Convergence (MFC) with reduced moisture influx, whereas a reduced soil moisture condition facilitates moisture influx but not MFC. A higher Moist Static Energy (MSE) is noted due to increased evapotranspiration in an elevated moisture scenario which enhances moist convection. As opposed to moist surface, sensible heat dominates in a reduced moisture scenario, ensued by an overall reduction in MSE throughout the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL). Stability analysis shows that Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) is comparable in magnitude for both increased and decreased moisture scenarios, whereas Convective Inhibition (CIN) shows increased values for the reduced moisture scenario as a consequence of drier atmosphere leading to suppression of convection. Simulations carried out with various fixed soil moisture levels indicate that the overall precipitation features of the storm are characterized by initial soil moisture condition, but precipitation intensity at any instant is modulated by soil moisture availability. Overall results based on this case study suggest that antecedent soil moisture plays a crucial role in modulating precipitation distribution and intensity of a monsoon depression.

Exploring the Largest Mass Fraction of the Solar System: the Case for Planetary Interiors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danielson, L. R.; Draper, D.; Righter, K.; McCubbin, F.; Boyce, J.

2017-01-01

Why explore planetary interiors: The typical image that comes to mind for planetary science is that of a planet surface. And while surface data drive our exploration of evolved geologic processes, it is the interiors of planets that hold the key to planetary origins via accretionary and early differentiation processes. It is that initial setting of the bulk planet composition that sets the stage for all geologic processes that follow. But nearly all of the mass of planets is inaccessible to direct examination, making experimentation an absolute necessity for full planetary exploration.

The Impact of Microphysics and Planetary Boundary Layer Physics on Model Simulation of U.S. Deep South Summer Convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCaul, Eugene W., Jr.; Case, Jonathan L.; Zavodsky, Bradley T.; Srikishen, Jayanthi; Medlin, Jeffrey M.; Wood, Lance

2014-01-01

Inspection of output from various configurations of high-resolution, explicit convection forecast models such as the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model indicates significant sensitivity to the choices of model physics pararneterizations employed. Some of the largest apparent sensitivities are related to the specifications of the cloud microphysics and planetary boundary layer physics packages. In addition, these sensitivities appear to be especially pronounced for the weakly-sheared, multicell modes of deep convection characteristic of the Deep South of the United States during the boreal summer. Possible ocean-land sensitivities also argue for further examination of the impacts of using unique ocean-land surface initialization datasets provided by the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRn Center to select NOAAlNWS weather forecast offices. To obtain better quantitative understanding of these sensitivities and also to determine the utility of the ocean-land initialization data, we have executed matrices of regional WRF forecasts for selected convective events near Mobile, AL (MOB), and Houston, TX (HGX). The matrices consist of identically initialized WRF 24-h forecasts using any of eight microphysics choices and any of three planetary boWldary layer choices. The resulting 24 simulations performed for each event within either the MOB or HGX regions are then compared to identify the sensitivities of various convective storm metrics to the physics choices. Particular emphasis is placed on sensitivities of precipitation timing, intensity, and coverage, as well as amount and coverage oflightuing activity diagnosed from storm kinematics and graupel in the mixed phase layer. The results confirm impressions gleaned from study of the behavior of variously configured WRF runs contained in the ensembles produced each spring at the Center for the Analysis and Prediction of Storms, but with the benefit of more straightforward control of the physics package choices. The design of the experiments thus allows for more direct interpretation of the sensitivities to each possible physics combination. The results should assist forecasters in their efforts to anticipate and correct for possible biases in simulated WRF convection patterns, and help the modeling community refine their model parameterizations.

The Impacts of Microphysics and Planetary Boundary Layer Physics on Model Simulations of U. S. Deep South Summer Convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCaul, E. W., Jr.; Case, J. L.; Zavodsky, B. T.; Srikishen, J.; Medlin, J. M.; Wood, L.

2014-01-01

Inspection of output from various configurations of high-resolution, explicit convection forecast models such as the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model indicates significant sensitivity to the choices of model physics parameterizations employed. Some of the largest apparent sensitivities are related to the specifications of the cloud microphysics and planetary boundary layer physics packages. In addition, these sensitivities appear to be especially pronounced for the weakly-sheared, multicell modes of deep convection characteristic of the Deep South of the United States during the boreal summer. Possible ocean-land sensitivities also argue for further examination of the impacts of using unique ocean-land surface initialization datasets provided by the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT Center to select NOAA/NWS weather forecast offices. To obtain better quantitative understanding of these sensitivities and also to determine the utility of the ocean-land initialization data, we have executed matrices of regional WRF forecasts for selected convective events near Mobile, AL (MOB), and Houston, TX (HGX). The matrices consist of identically initialized WRF 24-h forecasts using any of eight microphysics choices and any of three planetary boundary layer choices. The resulting 24 simulations performed for each event within either the MOB or HGX regions are then compared to identify the sensitivities of various convective storm metrics to the physics choices. Particular emphasis is placed on sensitivities of precipitation timing, intensity, and coverage, as well as amount and coverage of lightning activity diagnosed from storm kinematics and graupel in the mixed phase layer. The results confirm impressions gleaned from study of the behavior of variously configured WRF runs contained in the ensembles produced each spring at the Center for the Analysis and Prediction of Storms, but with the benefit of more straightforward control of the physics package choices. The design of the experiments thus allows for more direct interpretation of the sensitivities to each possible physics combination. The results should assist forecasters in their efforts to anticipate and correct for possible biases in simulated WRF convection patterns, and help the modeling community refine their model parameterizations.

Natural fracture systems on planetary surfaces: Genetic classification and pattern randomness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rossbacher, Lisa A.

1987-01-01

One method for classifying natural fracture systems is by fracture genesis. This approach involves the physics of the formation process, and it has been used most frequently in attempts to predict subsurface fractures and petroleum reservoir productivity. This classification system can also be applied to larger fracture systems on any planetary surface. One problem in applying this classification system to planetary surfaces is that it was developed for ralatively small-scale fractures that would influence porosity, particularly as observed in a core sample. Planetary studies also require consideration of large-scale fractures. Nevertheless, this system offers some valuable perspectives on fracture systems of any size.

Biogenic isoprene emissions driven by regional weather predictions using different initialization methods: case studies during the SEAC4RS and DISCOVER-AQ airborne campaigns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Min; Carmichael, Gregory R.; Crawford, James H.; Wisthaler, Armin; Zhan, Xiwu; Hain, Christopher R.; Lee, Pius; Guenther, Alex B.

2017-08-01

Land and atmospheric initial conditions of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are often interpolated from a different model output. We perform case studies during NASA's SEAC4RS and DISCOVER-AQ Houston airborne campaigns, demonstrating that using land initial conditions directly downscaled from a coarser resolution dataset led to significant positive biases in the coupled NASA-Unified WRF (NUWRF, version 7) surface and near-surface air temperature and planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) around the Missouri Ozarks and Houston, Texas, as well as poorly partitioned latent and sensible heat fluxes. Replacing land initial conditions with the output from a long-term offline Land Information System (LIS) simulation can effectively reduce the positive biases in NUWRF surface air temperature by ˜ 2 °C. We also show that the LIS land initialization can modify surface air temperature errors almost 10 times as effectively as applying a different atmospheric initialization method. The LIS-NUWRF-based isoprene emission calculations by the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN, version 2.1) are at least 20 % lower than those computed using the coarser resolution data-initialized NUWRF run, and are closer to aircraft-observation-derived emissions. Higher resolution MEGAN calculations are prone to amplified discrepancies with aircraft-observation-derived emissions on small scales. This is possibly a result of some limitations of MEGAN's parameterization and uncertainty in its inputs on small scales, as well as the representation error and the neglect of horizontal transport in deriving emissions from aircraft data. This study emphasizes the importance of proper land initialization to the coupled atmospheric weather modeling and the follow-on emission modeling. We anticipate it to also be critical to accurately representing other processes included in air quality modeling and chemical data assimilation. Having more confidence in the weather inputs is also beneficial for determining and quantifying the other sources of uncertainties (e.g., parameterization, other input data) of the models that they drive.

Aerial Explorers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Larry A.; Pisanich, Greg; Ippolito, Corey

2005-01-01

This paper presents recent results from a mission architecture study of planetary aerial explorers. In this study, several mission scenarios were developed in simulation and evaluated on success in meeting mission goals. This aerial explorer mission architecture study is unique in comparison with previous Mars airplane research activities. The study examines how aerial vehicles can find and gain access to otherwise inaccessible terrain features of interest. The aerial explorer also engages in a high-level of (indirect) surface interaction, despite not typically being able to takeoff and land or to engage in multiple flights/sorties. To achieve this goal, a new mission paradigm is proposed: aerial explorers should be considered as an additional element in the overall Entry, Descent, Landing System (EDLS) process. Further, aerial vehicles should be considered primarily as carrier/utility platforms whose purpose is to deliver air-deployed sensors and robotic devices, or symbiotes, to those high-value terrain features of interest.

Concept for a research project in early crustal genesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, R. J. (Compiler); Ashwal, L. (Compiler)

1983-01-01

Planetary volatiles, physical and chemical planetary evolution, surface processes, planetary formation, metallogenesis, crustal features and their development, tectonics, and paleobiology are discussed.

HERRO: A Science-Oriented Strategy for Crewed Missions Beyond LEO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, George R.

2011-01-01

This paper presents an exploration strategy for human missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the Moon that combines the best features of human and robotic spaceflight. This "Human Exploration using Real-time Robotic Operations" (HERRO) strategy refrains from placing humans on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars in the near-term. Rather, it focuses on sending piloted spacecraft and crews into orbit around exploration targets of interest, such as Mars, and conducting astronaut exploration of the surfaces using telerobots and remotely controlled systems. By eliminating the significant communications delay with Earth due to the speed of light limit, teleoperation provides scientists real-time control of rovers and other sophisticated instruments, in effect giving them a "virtual presence" on planetary surfaces, and thus expanding the scientific return at these destinations. It also eliminates development of the numerous man-rated landers, ascent vehicles and surface systems that are required to land humans on planetary surfaces. The propulsive requirements to travel from LEO to many destinations with shallow gravity-wells in the inner solar system are quite similar. Thus, a single spacecraft design could perform a variety of missions, including orbit-based surface exploration of the Moon, Mars and Venus, and rendezvous with Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs), as well as Phobos and Deimos. Although HERRO bypasses many of the initial steps that have been historically associated with human space exploration, it opens the door to many new destinations that are candidates for future resource utilization and settlement. HERRO is a first step that takes humans to exciting destinations beyond LEO, while expanding the ability to conduct science within the inner solar system.

Exploring medium gravity icy planetary bodies: an opportunity in the Inner System by landing at Ceres high latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poncy, J.; Grasset, O.; Martinot, V.; Tobie, G.

2009-04-01

With potentially up to 25% of its mass as H2O and current indications of a differentiated morphology, 950km-wide "dwarf planet" Ceres is holding the promise to be our closest significant icy planetary body. Ceres is within easier reach than the icy moons, allowing for the use of solar arrays and not lying inside the deep gravity well of a giant planet. As such, it would represent an ideal step stone for future in-situ exploration of other airless icy bodies of major interest such as Europa or Enceladus. But when NASA's Dawn orbits Ceres and maps it in 2015, will we be ready to undertake the next logical step: landing? Ceres' gravity at its poles, at about one fifth of the Moon's gravity, is too large for rendezvous-like asteroid landing techniques to apply. Instead, we are there fully in the application domain of soft precision landing techniques such as the ones being developed for ESA's MoonNext mission. These latter require a spacecraft architecture akin to robotic lunar Landers or NASA's Phoenix, and differing from missions to comets and asteroids. If Dawn confirms the icy nature of Ceres under its regolith-covered surface, the potential presence of some ice spots on the surface would call for specific attention. Such spots would indeed be highly interesting landing sites. They are more likely to lie close to the poles of Ceres where cold temperatures should prevent exposed ice from sublimating and/or may limit the thickness of the regolith layer. Also the science and instruments suite should be fitted to study a large body that has probably been or may still be geologically active: its non-negligible gravity field combined with its high volatile mass fraction would then bring Ceres closer in morphology and history to an "Enceladus" or a frozen or near-frozen "Europa" than to a rubble-pile-structured asteroid or a comet nucleus. Thales Alenia Space and the "Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique" of the University of Nantes have carried out a preliminary assessment of a mission to Ceres high latitudes. We present here why we think an in-situ mission to the polar areas of Ceres should be of interest in the near future. We dwell on the environmental factors and challenges for a Lander, both as specificities of Ceres and as a consequence of the high latitude targeted. Factors such as day duration, fine regolith, terrain hazards, optical contrasts, thermal gradients, planetary contamination... are reviewed. We then assess how the soft precision landing technologies being developed for other missions would apply in such an environment. We present a preliminary mission analysis and a concept for the Lander, with preliminary evaluation of mass and power resources for a fixed payload or for a mini-rover. The resulting mission design combines technological maturity and a launch mass that is found compatible with the moderate cost of a Soyuz launcher. Finally we conclude that a Ceres Polar Lander mission should be feasible, covered by automatic missions to the Moon in terms of difficulty of landing and by Dawn for the cruise. Lander missions to medium gravity bodies such as Ceres, Enceladus, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Iapetus, Triton… in the [0.01-0.15g] range should be accounted for in the development roadmaps of landing techniques and be considered in their return on investment. The synergies with the soft landing missions to come on Mars and Moon should then make a Ceres lander affordable for the agencies within the end of the next decade and pave the way for in-situ missions to more distant icy bodies.

Enhancing Europa surface characterization with ice penetrating radar: A Comparative study in Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curra, C.; Arnold, E.; Karwoski, B.; Grima, C.; Schroeder, D. M.; Young, D. A.; Blankenship, D. D.

2013-12-01

The shape and composition of the surface of Europa result from multiple processes, most of them involving direct and indirect interactions between the liquid and solid phases of its outer water layer. The surface ice composition is likely to reflect the material exchanged with the sub-glacial ocean and potentially holds signatures of organic compounds that could demonstrate the ability of the icy moon to sustain life. Therefore, the most likely targets for in-situ landing missions are primarily located in complex terrains disrupted by exchange mechanisms with the ocean/lenses of sub-glacial liquid water. Any landing site selection process to ensure a safe delivery of a future lander, will then have to confidently characterize its surface roughness. We evaluate the capability of an ice-penetrating radar to characterize the roughness using a statistical method applied to the surface echoes. Our approach is to compare radar-derived data with nadir-imagery and laser altimetry simultaneously acquired on an airborne platform over Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica, during the 2012-13 GIMBLE survey. The radar is the High-Capability Radar Sounder 2 (HiCARS 2, 60 MHz) system operated by the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG), with specifications similar to the Ice Penetrating Radar (IPR) of the Europa Clipper project. Surface textures as seen by simultaneously collected nadir imagery are manually classified, allowing individual contrast stretching for better identification. We identified crevasse fields, blue ice patches, and families of wind-blown patterns. Homogeneity/heterogeneity of the textures has also been an important classification criterion. The various textures are geolocated and compared to the evolution and amplitude of laser-derived and radar-derived roughness. Similarities and discrepancies between these three datasets are illustrated and analyzed to qualitatively constrain radar sensitivity to the surface textures. The result allows for a first insight and discussion into how to interpret statistically-inverted radar data from an icy planetary surface.

A Virtual Collaborative Environment for Mars Surveyor Landing Site Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulick, V.C.; Deardorff, D. G.; Briggs, G. A.; Hand, K. P.; Sandstrom, T. A.

1999-01-01

Over the past year and a half, the Center for Mars Exploration (CMEX) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) has been working with the Mars Surveyor Project Office at JPL to promote interactions among the planetary community and to coordinate landing site activities for the Mars Surveyor Project Office. To date, CMEX has been responsible for organizing the first two Mars Surveyor Landing Site workshops, web-archiving resulting information from these workshops, aiding in science evaluations of candidate landing sites, and serving as a liaison between the community and the Project. Most recently, CMEX has also been working with information technologists at Ames to develop a state-of-the-art collaborative web site environment to foster interaction of interested members of the planetary community with the Mars Surveyor Program and the Project Office. The web site will continue to evolve over the next several years as new tools and features are added to support the ongoing Mars Surveyor missions.

KSC-2013-4316

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Preparations are underway to prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for its first free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to asteroids and other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2013-4370

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A technician prepares the Project Morpheus prototype lander for a second free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2013-4367

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Preparations are underway to prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for a second free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2013-4369

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Engineers and technicians prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for a second free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2013-4318

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The first free flight of the Project Morpheus prototype lander begins as the lander’s engine fires at the north of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to asteroids and other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2013-4315

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Preparations are underway to prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for its first free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to asteroids and other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2013-4368

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A technician prepares the Project Morpheus prototype lander for a second free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2013-4319

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The first free flight of the Project Morpheus prototype lander begins as the lander’s engine fires at the north of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to asteroids and other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2013-4366

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Preparations are underway to prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for a second free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2013-4320

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The first free flight of the Project Morpheus prototype lander begins as the lander’s engine fires at the north of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to asteroids and other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2013-4317

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians and engineers prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for its first free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to asteroids and other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Cartography of the Luna-21 landing site and Lunokhod-2 traverse area based on Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera images and surface archive TV-panoramas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karachevtseva, I. P.; Kozlova, N. A.; Kokhanov, A. A.; Zubarev, A. E.; Nadezhdina, I. E.; Patratiy, V. D.; Konopikhin, A. A.; Basilevsky, A. T.; Abdrakhimov, A. M.; Oberst, J.; Haase, I.; Jolliff, B. L.; Plescia, J. B.; Robinson, M. S.

2017-02-01

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) system consists of a Wide Angle Camera (WAC) and Narrow Angle Camera (NAC). NAC images (∼0.5 to 1.7 m/pixel) reveal details of the Luna-21 landing site and Lunokhod-2 traverse area. We derived a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and an orthomosaic for the study region using photogrammetric stereo processing techniques with NAC images. The DEM and mosaic allowed us to analyze the topography and morphology of the landing site area and to map the Lunokhod-2 rover route. The total range of topographic elevation along the traverse was found to be less than 144 m; and the rover encountered slopes of up to 20°. With the orthomosaic tied to the lunar reference frame, we derived coordinates of the Lunokhod-2 landing module and overnight stop points. We identified the exact rover route by following its tracks and determined its total length as 39.16 km, more than was estimated during the mission (37 km), which until recently was a distance record for planetary robotic rovers held for more than 40 years.

Morpheus Alhat Tether Test Preparations

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians watch as a crane lowers the Project Morpheus prototype lander onto a launch pad at a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Preparations are underway for a tether test. The launch pad was moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Morpheus Alhat Tether Test Preparations

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A crane lowers the Project Morpheus prototype lander onto a launch pad at a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Preparations are underway for a tether test. The launch pad was moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Morpheus Alhat Tether Test Preparations

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and technicians monitor the progress as a crane lifts the Project Morpheus prototype lander off the ground for a tether test near a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch pad was moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Morpheus Campaign 2A Tether Test

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander is positioned near a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a tethered test. The test will be performed to verify the lander's recently installed autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, sensors and integration system. The launch pad was moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT, and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

Morpheus Trailered to the SLF

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-01-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Project Morpheus prototype lander is transported to a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The prototype lander is being prepared for its fourth free flight test at Kennedy. Morpheus will launch from the ground over a flame trench and then descend and land on a dedicated pad inside the autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/exploration/morpheus. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

Morpheus Alhat Tether Test Preparations

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-27

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander is positioned near a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a tether test. The launch pad was moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. In the foreground of the photo is the ALHAT field. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Morpheus Trailered to the SLF

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-01-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Project Morpheus prototype lander is being lifted by crane for positioning on a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The prototype lander is being prepared for its fourth free flight test at Kennedy. Morpheus will launch from the ground over a flame trench and then descend and land on a dedicated pad inside the autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/exploration/morpheus. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

KSC-2014-2645

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – From left behind the reporter in the white shirt, Chirold Epp, the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology, or ALHAT, project manager, Jon Olansen, Morpheus project manager, and Greg Gaddis, Morpheus/ALHAT site director, speak to members of the media near the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Media also viewed Morpheus inside a facility near the landing facility. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Plume-Surface Interaction Modeling for a Human-Scale Mars Lander

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hart, Kenneth

2017-01-01

Landing vehicles impart thermal and strain energy onto the landing site from the retrorocket exhaust. Depending on the design of the vehicle, the energy may be great enough to cause spallation at the landing site. This damage may be minor and repairable in the case of landing on a terrestrial landing pad. For missions to other planetary bodies, the spallation may cause the landing site to become uneven and unstable, as well as damage. Simulating this phenomenon in a laboratory or computationally would require a significant amount of time and other resources. These resources typically are not available during the design phase of a mission. This paper presents a computationally-efficient model for the temperature and stress distributions that arise during landing. These quantities can be used along with existing failure criteria, such as the Hoek-Brown criterion for geological materials, to quickly determine whether spallation will occur. The stress and temperature distributions at the landing site are inherently 3D; however, there is a plane of symmetry and in that plane the distributions are 2D. Both quantities are modeled using series solutions to their governing partial differential equations (PDEs). The stress is modeled using the Airy stress potential function and its governing PDE is the biharmonic equation. The temperature is governed by Fourier's law. The models assume that stress due to gravity can be neglected, the points in the plane do not accelerate, and that the material properties are constant.

Rapid Generation of Optimal Asteroid Powered Descent Trajectories Via Convex Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinson, Robin; Lu, Ping

2015-01-01

This paper investigates a convex optimization based method that can rapidly generate the fuel optimal asteroid powered descent trajectory. The ultimate goal is to autonomously design the optimal powered descent trajectory on-board the spacecraft immediately prior to the descent burn. Compared to a planetary powered landing problem, the major difficulty is the complex gravity field near the surface of an asteroid that cannot be approximated by a constant gravity field. This paper uses relaxation techniques and a successive solution process that seeks the solution to the original nonlinear, nonconvex problem through the solutions to a sequence of convex optimal control problems.

Interviews with the Apollo lunar surface astronauts in support of planning for EVA systems design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connors, Mary M.; Eppler, Dean B.; Morrow, Daniel G.

1994-01-01

Focused interviews were conducted with the Apollo astronauts who landed on the moon. The purpose of these interviews was to help define extravehicular activity (EVA) system requirements for future lunar and planetary missions. Information from the interviews was examined with particular attention to identifying areas of consensus, since some commonality of experience is necessary to aid in the design of advanced systems. Results are presented under the following categories: mission approach; mission structure; suits; portable life support systems; dust control; gloves; automation; information, displays, and controls; rovers and remotes; tools; operations; training; and general comments. Research recommendations are offered, along with supporting information.

Numerical Simulations of Granular Physics in the Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballouz, Ronald

2017-08-01

Granular physics is a sub-discipline of physics that attempts to combine principles that have been developed for both solid-state physics and engineering (such as soil mechanics) with fluid dynamics in order to formulate a coherent theory for the description of granular materials, which are found in both terrestrial (e.g., earthquakes, landslides, and pharmaceuticals) and extra-terrestrial settings (e.g., asteroids surfaces, asteroid interiors, and planetary ring systems). In the case of our solar system, the growth of this sub-discipline has been key in helping to interpret the formation, structure, and evolution of both asteroids and planetary rings. It is difficult to develop a deterministic theory for granular materials due to the fact that granular systems are composed of a large number of elements that interact through a non-linear combination of various forces (mechanical, gravitational, and electrostatic, for example) leading to a high degree of stochasticity. Hence, we study these environments using an N-body code, pkdgrav, that is able to simulate the gravitational, collisional, and cohesive interactions of grains. Using pkdgrav, I have studied the size segregation on asteroid surfaces due to seismic shaking (the Brazil-nut effect), the interaction of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission sampling head, TAGSAM, with the surface of the asteroid Bennu, the collisional disruptions of rubble-pile asteroids, and the formation of structure in Saturn's rings. In all of these scenarios, I have found that the evolution of a granular system depends sensitively on the intrinsic properties of the individual grains (size, shape, sand surface roughness). For example, through our simulations, we have been able to determine relationships between regolith properties and the amount of surface penetration a spacecraft achieves upon landing. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that this relationship also depends on the strength of the local gravity. By comparing our numerical results to laboratory experiments and observations by spacecraft we can begin to understand which microscopic properties (i.e., grain properties) control the macroscopic properties of the system. For example, we can compare the mechanical response of a spacecraft to landing or Cassini observations of Saturn's ring to understand how the penetration depth of a spacecraft or the complex optical depth structure of a ring system depends on the size and surface properties of the grains in those systems.

Formation of relief on Europa's surface and analysis of a melting probe movement through the ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erokhina, O. S.; Chumachenko, E. N.; Dunham, D. W.; Aksenov, S. A.; Logashina, I. V.

2013-12-01

These days, studies of planetary bodies' are of great interest. And of special interest are the icy moons of the giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. Analysis of 'Voyager 1', 'Voyager 2', 'Galileo' and 'Cassini' spacecraft data showed that icy covers were observed on Jupiter's moons Ganymede, Europa and Calisto, and Saturn's moons Titan and Enceladus. Of particular interest is the relatively smooth surface of Europa. The entire surface is covered by a system of bands, valleys, and ridges. These structures are explained by the mobility of surface ice, and the impact of stress and large-scale tectonic processes. Also conditions on these moons allow speculation about possible life, considering these moons from an astrobiological point of view. To study the planetary icy body in future space missions, one of the problems to solve is the problem of design of a special device capable of penetrating through the ice, as well as the choice of the landing site of this probe. To select a possible landing site, analysis of Europa's surface relief formation is studied. This analysis showed that compression, extention, shearing, and bending can influence some arbitrarily separated section of Europe's icy surface. The computer simulation with the finite element method (FEM) was performed to see what types of defects could arise from such effects. The analysis showed that fractures and cracks could have various forms depending on the stress-strained state arising in their vicinity. Also the problem of a melting probe's movement through the ice is considered: How the probe will move in low gravity and low atmospheric pressure; whether the hole formed in the ice will be closed when the probe penetrates far enough or not; what is the influence of the probe's characteristics on the melting process; what would be the order of magnitude of the penetration velocity. This study explores the technique based on elasto-plastic theory and so-called 'solid water' theory to estimate the melting velocity and to study the melting process. Based on this technique, several cases of melting probe motion are considered, the velocity of the melting probe is estimated, the influence of different factors are studied and discussed, and an easy way to optimize the parameters of the probe is proposed.

Lunar soil and surface processes studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, B. P.

1975-01-01

Glass particles in lunar soil were characterized and compared to terrestrial analogues. In addition, useful information was obtained concerning the nature of lunar surface processes (e.g. volcanism and impact), maturity of soils and chemistry and heterogeneity of lunar surface material. It is felt, however, that the most important result of the study was that it demonstrated that the investigation of glass particles from the regolith of planetary bodies with little or no atmospheres can be a powerful method for learning about the surface processes and chemistry of planetary surfaces. Thus, the return of samples from other planetary bodies (especially the terrestrial planets and asteroids) using unmanned spacecraft is urged.

Study of the Effects of Photometric Geometry on Spectral Reflectance Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helfenstein, Paul

1998-01-01

The objective of this research is to investigate how the spectrophotometric properties of planetary surface materials depend on photometric geometry by refining and applying radiative transfer theory to data obtained from spacecraft and telescope observations of planetary surfaces, studies of laboratory analogs, and computer simulations. The goal is to perfect the physical interpretation of photometric parameters in the context of planetary surface geological properties and processes. The purpose of this report is to document the research achievements associated with this study.

NEWTON - NEW portable multi-sensor scienTific instrument for non-invasive ON-site characterization of rock from planetary surface and sub-surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz-Michelena, M.; de Frutos, J.; Ordóñez, A. A.; Rivero, M. A.; Mesa, J. L.; González, L.; Lavín, C.; Aroca, C.; Sanz, M.; Maicas, M.; Prieto, J. L.; Cobos, P.; Pérez, M.; Kilian, R.; Baeza, O.; Langlais, B.; Thébault, E.; Grösser, J.; Pappusch, M.

2017-09-01

In space instrumentation, there is currently no instrument dedicated to susceptibly or complete magnetization measurements of rocks. Magnetic field instrument suites are generally vector (or scalar) magnetometers, which locally measure the magnetic field. When mounted on board rovers, the electromagnetic perturbations associated with motors and other elements make it difficult to reap the benefits from the inclusion of such instruments. However, magnetic characterization is essential to understand key aspects of the present and past history of planetary objects. The work presented here overcomes the limitations currently existing in space instrumentation by developing a new portable and compact multi-sensor instrument for ground breaking high-resolution magnetic characterization of planetary surfaces and sub-surfaces. This new technology introduces for the first time magnetic susceptometry (real and imaginary parts) as a complement to existing compact vector magnetometers for planetary exploration. This work aims to solve the limitations currently existing in space instrumentation by means of providing a new portable and compact multi-sensor instrument for use in space, science and planetary exploration to solve some of the open questions on the crustal and more generally planetary evolution within the Solar System.

The Probing In-Situ With Neutron and Gamma Rays (PING) Instrument for Planetary Composition Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, A.; Bodnarik, J.; Evans, L.; McClanahan, T.; Namkung, M.; Nowicki, S.; Schweitzer, J.; Starr, R.

2012-01-01

The Probing In situ with Neutrons and Gamma rays (PING) instrument (formerly named PNG-GRAND) [I] experiment is an innovative application of the active neutron-gamma ray technology successfully used in oil field well logging and mineral exploration on Earth over many decades. The objective of our active neutron-gamma ray technology program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC) is to bring PING to the point where it can be flown on a variety of surface lander or rover missions to the Moon, Mars, Venus, asteroids, comets and the satellites of the outer planets and measure their bulk surface and subsurface elemental composition without the need to drill into the surface. Gamma-Ray Spectrometers (GRS) have been incorporated into numerous orbital planetary science missions. While orbital measurements can map a planet, they have low spatial and elemental sensitivity due to the low surface gamma ray emission rates reSUlting from using cosmic rays as an excitation source, PING overcomes this limitation in situ by incorporating a powerful neutron excitation source that permits significantly higher elemental sensitivity elemental composition measurements. PING combines a 14 MeV deuterium-tritium Pulsed Neutron Generator (PNG) with a gamma ray spectrometer and two neutron detectors to produce a landed instrument that can determine the elemental composition of a planet down to 30 - 50 cm below the planet's surface, The penetrating nature of .5 - 10 MeV gamma rays and 14 MeV neutrons allows such sub-surface composition measurements to be made without the need to drill into or otherwise disturb the planetary surface, thus greatly simplifying the lander design, We are cun'ently testing a PING prototype at a unique outdoor neutron instrumentation test facility at NASA/GSFC that provides two large (1.8 m x 1.8 m x ,9 m) granite and basalt test formations placed outdoors in an empty field, Since an independent trace elemental analysis has been performed on both these Columbia River basalt and Concord Gray granite materials, these large samples present two known standards with which to compare PING's experimentally measured elemental composition results, We will present both gamma ray and neutron experimental results from PING measurements of the granite and basalt test formations in various layering configurations and compare the results to the known composition.

Impact of parameterization of physical processes on simulation of track and intensity of tropical cyclone Nargis (2008) with WRF-NMM model.

PubMed

Pattanayak, Sujata; Mohanty, U C; Osuri, Krishna K

2012-01-01

The present study is carried out to investigate the performance of different cumulus convection, planetary boundary layer, land surface processes, and microphysics parameterization schemes in the simulation of a very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS) Nargis (2008), developed in the central Bay of Bengal on 27 April 2008. For this purpose, the nonhydrostatic mesoscale model (NMM) dynamic core of weather research and forecasting (WRF) system is used. Model-simulated track positions and intensity in terms of minimum central mean sea level pressure (MSLP), maximum surface wind (10 m), and precipitation are verified with observations as provided by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM). The estimated optimum combination is reinvestigated with six different initial conditions of the same case to have better conclusion on the performance of WRF-NMM. A few more diagnostic fields like vertical velocity, vorticity, and heat fluxes are also evaluated. The results indicate that cumulus convection play an important role in the movement of the cyclone, and PBL has a crucial role in the intensification of the storm. The combination of Simplified Arakawa Schubert (SAS) convection, Yonsei University (YSU) PBL, NMM land surface, and Ferrier microphysics parameterization schemes in WRF-NMM give better track and intensity forecast with minimum vector displacement error.

Surface Telerobotics: Development and Testing of a Crew Controlled Planetary Rover System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bualat, Maria G.; Fong, Terrence; Allan, Mark; Bouyssounouse, Xavier; Cohen, Tamar; Kobayashi, Linda

2013-01-01

In planning for future exploration missions, architecture and study teams have made numerous assumptions about how crew can be telepresent on a planetary surface by remotely operating surface robots from space (i.e. from a flight vehicle or deep space habitat). These assumptions include estimates of technology maturity, existing technology gaps, and operational risks. These assumptions, however, have not been grounded by experimental data. Moreover, to date, no crew-controlled surface telerobot has been fully tested in a high-fidelity manner. To address these issues, we developed the "Surface Telerobotics" tests to do three things: 1) Demonstrate interactive crew control of a mobile surface telerobot in the presence of short communications delay. 2) Characterize a concept of operations for a single astronaut remotely operating a planetary rover with limited support from ground control. 3) Characterize system utilization and operator work-load for a single astronaut remotely operating a planetary rover with limited support from ground control.

Lunar Science Conference, 8th, Houston, Tex., March 14-18, 1977, Proceedings. Volume 1 - The moon and the inner solar system. Volume 2 - Petrogenetic studies of mare and highland rocks. Volume 3 - Planetary and lunar surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merril, R. B.

1977-01-01

Solar system processes are considered along with the origin and evolution of the moon, planetary geophysics, lunar basins and crustal layering, lunar magnetism, the lunar surface as a planetary probe, remote observations of lunar and planetary surfaces, earth-based measurements, integrated studies, physical properties of lunar materials, and asteroids, meteorites, and the early solar system. Attention is also given to studies of mare basalts, the kinetics of basalt crystallization, topical studies of mare basalts, highland rocks, experimental studies of highland rocks, geochemical studies of highland rocks, studies of materials of KREEP composition, a consortium study of lunar breccia 73215, topical studies on highland rocks, Venus, and regional studies of the moon. Studies of surface processes, are reported, taking into account cratering mechanics and fresh crater morphology, crater statistics and surface dating, effects of exposure and gardening, and the chemistry of surfaces.

Special Software for Planetary Image Processing and Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubarev, A. E.; Nadezhdina, I. E.; Kozlova, N. A.; Brusnikin, E. S.; Karachevtseva, I. P.

2016-06-01

The special modules of photogrammetric processing of remote sensing data that provide the opportunity to effectively organize and optimize the planetary studies were developed. As basic application the commercial software package PHOTOMOD™ is used. Special modules were created to perform various types of data processing: calculation of preliminary navigation parameters, calculation of shape parameters of celestial body, global view image orthorectification, estimation of Sun illumination and Earth visibilities from planetary surface. For photogrammetric processing the different types of data have been used, including images of the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Phobos, Galilean satellites and Enceladus obtained by frame or push-broom cameras. We used modern planetary data and images that were taken over the years, shooting from orbit flight path with various illumination and resolution as well as obtained by planetary rovers from surface. Planetary data image processing is a complex task, and as usual it can take from few months to years. We present our efficient pipeline procedure that provides the possibilities to obtain different data products and supports a long way from planetary images to celestial body maps. The obtained data - new three-dimensional control point networks, elevation models, orthomosaics - provided accurate maps production: a new Phobos atlas (Karachevtseva et al., 2015) and various thematic maps that derived from studies of planetary surface (Karachevtseva et al., 2016a).

Data fusion strategies for hazard detection and safe site selection for planetary and small body landings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Câmara, F.; Oliveira, J.; Hormigo, T.; Araújo, J.; Ribeiro, R.; Falcão, A.; Gomes, M.; Dubois-Matra, O.; Vijendran, S.

2015-06-01

This paper discusses the design and evaluation of data fusion strategies to perform tiered fusion of several heterogeneous sensors and a priori data. The aim is to increase robustness and performance of hazard detection and avoidance systems, while enabling safe planetary and small body landings anytime, anywhere. The focus is on Mars and asteroid landing mission scenarios and three distinct data fusion algorithms are introduced and compared. The first algorithm consists of a hybrid camera-LIDAR hazard detection and avoidance system, the H2DAS, in which data fusion is performed at both sensor-level data (reconstruction of the point cloud obtained with a scanning LIDAR using the navigation motion states and correcting the image for motion compensation using IMU data), feature-level data (concatenation of multiple digital elevation maps, obtained from consecutive LIDAR images, to achieve higher accuracy and resolution maps while enabling relative positioning) as well as decision-level data (fusing hazard maps from multiple sensors onto a single image space, with a single grid orientation and spacing). The second method presented is a hybrid reasoning fusion, the HRF, in which innovative algorithms replace the decision-level functions of the previous method, by combining three different reasoning engines—a fuzzy reasoning engine, a probabilistic reasoning engine and an evidential reasoning engine—to produce safety maps. Finally, the third method presented is called Intelligent Planetary Site Selection, the IPSIS, an innovative multi-criteria, dynamic decision-level data fusion algorithm that takes into account historical information for the selection of landing sites and a piloting function with a non-exhaustive landing site search capability, i.e., capable of finding local optima by searching a reduced set of global maps. All the discussed data fusion strategies and algorithms have been integrated, verified and validated in a closed-loop simulation environment. Monte Carlo simulation campaigns were performed for the algorithms performance assessment and benchmarking. The simulations results comprise the landing phases of Mars and Phobos landing mission scenarios.

Toward Improved Land Surface Initialization in Support of Regional WRF Forecasts at the Kenya Meteorological Service (KMS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, Johnathan L.; Mungai, John; Sakwa, Vincent; Kabuchanga, Eric; Zavodsky, Bradley T.; Limaye, Ashutosh S.

2014-01-01

Flooding and drought are two key forecasting challenges for the Kenya Meteorological Service (KMS). Atmospheric processes leading to excessive precipitation and/or prolonged drought can be quite sensitive to the state of the land surface, which interacts with the planetary boundary layer (PBL) of the atmosphere providing a source of heat and moisture. The development and evolution of precipitation systems are affected by heat and moisture fluxes from the land surface, particularly within weakly-sheared environments such as in the tropics and sub-tropics. These heat and moisture fluxes during the day can be strongly influenced by land cover, vegetation, and soil moisture content. Therefore, it is important to represent the land surface state as accurately as possible in land surface and numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. Enhanced regional modeling capabilities have the potential to improve forecast guidance in support of daily operations and high-impact weather over eastern Africa. KMS currently runs a configuration of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) NWP model in real time to support its daily forecasting operations, making use of the NOAA/National Weather Service (NWS) Science and Training Resource Center's Environmental Modeling System (EMS) to manage and produce the KMS-WRF runs on a regional grid over eastern Africa. Two organizations at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, SERVIR and the Shortterm Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center, have established a working partnership with KMS for enhancing its regional modeling capabilities through new datasets and tools. To accomplish this goal, SPoRT and SERVIR is providing enhanced, experimental land surface initialization datasets and model verification capabilities to KMS as part of this collaboration. To produce a land-surface initialization more consistent with the resolution of the KMS-WRF runs, the NASA Land Information System (LIS) is run at a comparable resolution to provide real-time, daily soil initialization data in place of data interpolated from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) model soil moisture and temperature fields. Additionally, realtime green vegetation fraction (GVF) data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi- NPP) satellite will be incorporated into the KMS-WRF runs, once it becomes publicly available from the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS). Finally, model verification capabilities will be transitioned to KMS using the Model Evaluation Tools (MET; Brown et al. 2009) package in conjunction with a dynamic scripting package developed by SPoRT (Zavodsky et al. 2014), to help quantify possible improvements in simulated temperature, moisture and precipitation resulting from the experimental land surface initialization. Furthermore, the transition of these MET tools will enable KMS to monitor model forecast accuracy in near real time. This paper presents preliminary efforts to improve land surface model initialization over eastern Africa in support of operations at KMS. The remainder of this extended abstract is organized as follows: The collaborating organizations involved in the project are described in Section 2; background information on LIS and the configuration for eastern Africa is presented in Section 3; the WRF configuration used in this modeling experiment is described in Section 4; sample experimental WRF output with and without LIS initialization data are given in Section 5; a summary is given in Section 6 followed by acknowledgements and references.

The impact of Surface Wind Velocity Data Assimilation on the Predictability of Plume Advection in the Lower Troposphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekiyama, Thomas; Kajino, Mizuo; Kunii, Masaru

2017-04-01

The authors investigated the impact of surface wind velocity data assimilation on the predictability of plume advection in the lower troposphere exploiting the radioactive cesium emitted by the Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 as an atmospheric tracer. It was because the radioactive cesium plume was dispersed from the sole point source exactly placed at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and its surface concentration was measured at many locations with a high frequency and high accuracy. We used a non-hydrostatic regional weather prediction model with a horizontal resolution of 3 km, which was coupled with an ensemble Kalman filter data assimilation system in this study, to simulate the wind velocity and plume advection. The main module of this weather prediction model has been developed and used operationally by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) since before March 2011. The weather observation data assimilated into the model simulation were provided from two data resources; [#1] the JMA observation archives collected for numerical weather predictions (NWPs) and [#2] the land-surface wind velocity data archived by the JMA surface weather observation network. The former dataset [#1] does not contain land-surface wind velocity observations because their spatial representativeness is relatively small and therefore the land-surface wind velocity data assimilation normally deteriorates the more than one day NWP performance. The latter dataset [#2] is usually used for real-time weather monitoring and never used for the data assimilation of more than one day NWPs. We conducted two experiments (STD and TEST) to reproduce the radioactive cesium plume behavior for 48 hours from 12UTC 14 March to 12UTC 16 March 2011 over the land area of western Japan. The STD experiment was performed to replicate the operational NWP using only the #1 dataset, not assimilating land-surface wind observations. In contrast, the TEST experiment was performed assimilating both the #1 dataset and the #2 dataset including land-surface wind observations measured at more than 200 stations in the model domain. The meteorological boundary conditions for both the experiments were imported from the JMA operational global NWP model results. The modeled radioactive cesium concentrations were examined for plume arrival timing at each observatory comparing with the hourly-measured "suspended particulate matter" filter tape's cesium concentrations retrieved by Tsuruta et al. at more than 40 observatories. The averaged difference of the plume arrival times at 40 observatories between the observational reality and the STD experiment was 82.0 minutes; at this time, the forecast period was 13 hours on average. Meanwhile, The averaged difference of the TEST experiment was 72.8 minutes, which was smaller than that of the STD experiment with a statistical significance of 99.2 %. In summary, the land-surface wind velocity data assimilation improves the predictability of plume advection in the lower troposphere at least in the case of wintertime air pollution over complex terrain. We need more investigation into the data assimilation impact of land-surface weather observations on the predictability of pollutant dispersion especially in the planetary boundary layer.

Measuring and interpreting X-ray fluorescence from planetary surfaces.

PubMed

Owens, Alan; Beckhoff, Burkhard; Fraser, George; Kolbe, Michael; Krumrey, Michael; Mantero, Alfonso; Mantler, Michael; Peacock, Anthony; Pia, Maria-Grazia; Pullan, Derek; Schneider, Uwe G; Ulm, Gerhard

2008-11-15

As part of a comprehensive study of X-ray emission from planetary surfaces and in particular the planet Mercury, we have measured fluorescent radiation from a number of planetary analog rock samples using monochromatized synchrotron radiation provided by the BESSY II electron storage ring. The experiments were carried out using a purpose built X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer chamber developed by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Germany's national metrology institute. The XRF instrumentation is absolutely calibrated and allows for reference-free quantitation of rock sample composition, taking into account secondary photon- and electron-induced enhancement effects. The fluorescence data, in turn, have been used to validate a planetary fluorescence simulation tool based on the GEANT4 transport code. This simulation can be used as a mission analysis tool to predict the time-dependent orbital XRF spectral distributions from planetary surfaces throughout the mapping phase.

Precise Chemical Analyses of Planetary Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kring, David; Schweitzer, Jeffrey; Meyer, Charles; Trombka, Jacob; Freund, Friedemann; Economou, Thanasis; Yen, Albert; Kim, Soon Sam; Treiman, Allan H.; Blake, David;

FITS and PDS4: Planetary Surface Data Interoperability Made Easier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marmo, C.; Hare, T. M.; Erard, S.; Cecconi, B.; Minin, M.; Rossi, A. P.; Costard, F.; Schmidt, F.

2018-04-01

This abstract describes how Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) can be used in planetary surface investigations, and how its metadata can easily be inserted in the PDS4 metadata distribution model.

Sustainable food systems for optimal planetary health.

PubMed

Canavan, Chelsey R; Noor, Ramadhani A; Golden, Christopher D; Juma, Calestous; Fawzi, Wafaie

2017-06-01

Sustainable food systems are an important component of a planetary health strategy to reduce the threat of infectious disease, minimize environmental footprint and promote nutrition. Human population trends and dietary transition have led to growing demand for food and increasing production and consumption of meat, amid declining availability of arable land and water. The intensification of livestock production has serious environmental and infectious disease impacts. Land clearing for agriculture alters ecosystems, increases human-wildlife interactions and leads to disease proliferation. Context-specific interventions should be evaluated towards optimizing nutrition resilience, minimizing environmental footprint and reducing animal and human disease risk. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Updating the Geologic Maps of the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 Landing Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garry, W. B.; Mest, S. C.; Yingst, R. A.; Ostrach, L. R.; Petro, N. E.; Cohen, B. A.

2018-06-01

Our team is funded through NASA's Planetary Data Archiving, Restoration, and Tools (PDART) program to produce two new USGS Special Investigation Maps (SIM) for the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions: a regional map (1:200K) and a landing-site map (1:24K).

Integrated Targeting and Guidance for Powered Planetary Descent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azimov, Dilmurat M.; Bishop, Robert H.

2018-02-01

This paper presents an on-board guidance and targeting design that enables explicit state and thrust vector control and on-board targeting for planetary descent and landing. These capabilities are developed utilizing a new closed-form solution for the constant thrust arc of the braking phase of the powered descent trajectory. The key elements of proven targeting and guidance architectures, including braking and approach phase quartics, are employed. It is demonstrated that implementation of the proposed solution avoids numerical simulation iterations, thereby facilitating on-board execution of targeting procedures during the descent. It is shown that the shape of the braking phase constant thrust arc is highly dependent on initial mass and propulsion system parameters. The analytic solution process is explicit in terms of targeting and guidance parameters, while remaining generic with respect to planetary body and descent trajectory design. These features increase the feasibility of extending the proposed integrated targeting and guidance design to future cargo and robotic landing missions.

Integrated Targeting and Guidance for Powered Planetary Descent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azimov, Dilmurat M.; Bishop, Robert H.

2018-06-01

This paper presents an on-board guidance and targeting design that enables explicit state and thrust vector control and on-board targeting for planetary descent and landing. These capabilities are developed utilizing a new closed-form solution for the constant thrust arc of the braking phase of the powered descent trajectory. The key elements of proven targeting and guidance architectures, including braking and approach phase quartics, are employed. It is demonstrated that implementation of the proposed solution avoids numerical simulation iterations, thereby facilitating on-board execution of targeting procedures during the descent. It is shown that the shape of the braking phase constant thrust arc is highly dependent on initial mass and propulsion system parameters. The analytic solution process is explicit in terms of targeting and guidance parameters, while remaining generic with respect to planetary body and descent trajectory design. These features increase the feasibility of extending the proposed integrated targeting and guidance design to future cargo and robotic landing missions.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Meteorites to and from the Moon and Mars: My Planet or Yours?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The titles in this section include: 1) Meteorites from Mars - Constraints from Numerical Modeling; 2) Iron Oxidation Products in Martian Ordinary Chondrite Finds as Possible Indicators of Liquid Water Exposure at Mars Exploration Rover Landings Sites; 3) Meteorites on Mars; 4) Sulfide Stability of Planetary Basalts; 5) Exposure and Terrestrial Histories of New Lunar and Martian Meteorites.

Initial Test Firing Results for Solid CO/GOX Cryogenic Hybrid Rocket Engine for Mars ISRU Propulsion Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, Eric E.; St. Clair, Christopher P.; Chiaverini, Martin J.; Knuth, William H.; Gustafson, Robert J.; Gramer, Daniel J.

1999-01-01

ORBITEC is developing methods for producing, testing, and utilizing Mars-based ISRU fuel/oxidizer combinations to support low cost, planetary surface and flight propulsion and power systems. When humans explore Mars we will need to use in situ resources that are available, such as: energy (solar); gases or liquids for life support, ground transportation, and flight to and from other surface locations and Earth; and materials for shielding and building habitats and infrastructure. Probably the easiest use of Martian resources to reduce the cost of human exploration activities is the use of the carbon and oxygen readily available from the CO2 in the Mars atmosphere. ORBITEC has conducted preliminary R&D that will eventually allow us to reliably use these resources. ORBITEC is focusing on the innovative use of solid CO as a fuel. A new advanced cryogenic hybrid rocket propulsion system is suggested that will offer advantages over LCO/LOX propulsion, making it the best option for a Mars sample return vehicle and other flight vehicles. This technology could also greatly support logistics and base operations by providing a reliable and simple way to store solar or nuclear generated energy in the form of chemical energy that can be used for ground transportation (rovers/land vehicles) and planetary surface power generators. This paper describes the overall concept and the test results of the first ever solid carbon monoxide/oxygen rocket engine firing.

Mobile Geochemistry Instrument Package Facility (MGIPF) for In Situ Mineralogical and Chemical Analysis of Planetary Surface Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klingelhöfer, G.; Romstedt, J.; Henkel, H.; Michaelis, H.; Brückner, J.; D'Uston, C.

A first order requirement for any spacecraft mission to land on a solid planetary or moon surface is instrumentation for in-situ mineralogical and chemical analysis 2 Such analysis provide data needed for primary classification and characterization of surface materials present We will discuss a mobile instrument package we have developed for in-situ investigations under harsh environmental conditions like on Mercury or Mars This Geochemistry Instrument Package Facility is a compact box also called payload cab containing three small advanced geochemistry mineralogy instruments the chemical spectrometer APXS the mineralogical M o ssbauer spectrometer MIMOS II 3 and a textural imager close-up camera The payload cab is equipped with two actuating arms with two degrees of freedom permitting precision placement of all instruments at a chosen sample This payload cab is the central part of the small rover Nanokhod which has the size of a shoebox 1 The Nanokhod rover is a tethered system with a typical operational range of sim 100 m Of course the payload cab itself can be attached by means of its arms to any deployment device of any other rover or deployment device 1 Andre Schiele Jens Romstedt Chris Lee Sabine Klinkner Rudi Rieder Ralf Gellert G o star Klingelh o fer Bodo Bernhardt Harald Michaelis The new NANOKHOD Engineeering model for extreme cold environments 8th International symposium on Artificial Intelligence Robotics and Automation in Space 5 - 9 September 2005

Diagnosing the Sensitivity of Local Land-Atmosphere Coupling via the Soil Moisture-Boundary Layer Interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santanello, Joseph A., Jr.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Kumar, Sujay V.

2011-01-01

The inherent coupled nature of earth s energy and water cycles places significant importance on the proper representation and diagnosis of land atmosphere (LA) interactions in hydrometeorological prediction models. However, the precise nature of the soil moisture precipitation relationship at the local scale is largely determined by a series of nonlinear processes and feedbacks that are difficult to quantify. To quantify the strength of the local LA coupling (LoCo), this process chain must be considered both in full and as individual components through their relationships and sensitivities. To address this, recent modeling and diagnostic studies have been extended to 1) quantify the processes governing LoCo utilizing the thermodynamic properties of mixing diagrams, and 2) diagnose the sensitivity of coupled systems, including clouds and moist processes, to perturbations in soil moisture. This work employs NASA s Land Information System (LIS) coupled to the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model and simulations performed over the U.S. Southern Great Plains. The behavior of different planetary boundary layers (PBL) and land surface scheme couplings in LIS WRF are examined in the context of the evolution of thermodynamic quantities that link the surface soil moisture condition to the PBL regime, clouds, and precipitation. Specifically, the tendency toward saturation in the PBL is quantified by the lifting condensation level (LCL) deficit and addressed as a function of time and space. The sensitivity of the LCL deficit to the soil moisture condition is indicative of the strength of LoCo, where both positive and negative feedbacks can be identified. Overall, this methodology can be applied to any model or observations and is a crucial step toward improved evaluation and quantification of LoCo within models, particularly given the advent of next-generation satellite measurements of PBL and land surface properties along with advances in data assimilation schemes.

Earth System Science at NASA: Teleconnections Between Sea Surface Temperature and Epidemics in Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meeson, Blanche W.

2000-01-01

The research carried out in the Earth Sciences in NASA and at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center will be the focus of the presentations. In addition, one research project that links sea surface temperature to epidemics in Africa will be highlighted. At GSFC research interests span the full breath of disciplines in Earth Science. Branches and research groups focus on areas as diverse as planetary geomagnetics and atmospheric chemistry. These organizations focus on atmospheric sciences (atmospheric chemistry, climate and radiation, regional processes, atmospheric modeling), hydrological sciences (snow, ice, oceans, and seasonal-to-interannual prediction), terrestrial physics (geology, terrestrial biology, land-atmosphere interactions, geophysics), climate modeling (global warming, greenhouse gases, climate change), on sensor development especially using lidar and microwave technologies, and on information technologies, that enable support of scientific and technical research.

Artificial Intelligence Support for Landing Site Selection on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rongier, G.; Pankratius, V.

2017-12-01

Mars is a key target for planetary exploration; a better understanding of its evolution and habitability requires roving in situ. Landing site selection is becoming more challenging for scientists as new instruments generate higher data volumes. The involved engineering and scientific constraints make site selection and the anticipation of possible onsite actions into a complex optimization problem: there may be multiple acceptable solutions depending on various goals and assumptions. Solutions must also account for missing data, errors, and potential biases. To address these problems, we propose an AI-informed decision support system that allows scientists, mission designers, engineers, and committees to explore alternative site selection choices based on data. In particular, we demonstrate first results of an exploratory case study using fuzzy logic and a simulation of a rover's mobility map based on the fast marching algorithm. Our system computes favorability maps of the entire planet to facilitate landing site selection and allows a definition of different configurations for rovers, science target priorities, landing ellipses, and other constraints. For a rover similar to NASA's Mars 2020 rover, we present results in form of a site favorability map as well as four derived exploration scenarios that depend on different prioritized scientific targets, all visualizing inherent tradeoffs. Our method uses the NASA PDS Geosciences Node and the NASA/ICA Integrated Database of Planetary Features. Under common assumptions, the data products reveal Eastern Margaritifer Terra and Meridiani Planum to be the most favorable sites due to a high concentration of scientific targets and a flat, easily navigable surface. Our method also allows mission designers to investigate which constraints have the highest impact on the mission exploration potential and to change parameter ranges. Increasing the elevation limit for landing, for example, provides access to many additional, more interesting sites on the southern terrains of Mars. The speed of current rovers is another limit to exploration capabilities: our system helps quantify how speed increases can improve the number of reachable targets in the search space. We acknowledge support from NASA AISTNNX15AG84G (PI Pankratius) and NSF ACI1442997 (PI Pankratius).

Electrostatic Phenomena on Planetary Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calle, Carlos I.

2017-02-01

The diverse planetary environments in the solar system react in somewhat different ways to the encompassing influence of the Sun. These different interactions define the electrostatic phenomena that take place on and near planetary surfaces. The desire to understand the electrostatic environments of planetary surfaces goes beyond scientific inquiry. These environments have enormous implications for both human and robotic exploration of the solar system. This book describes in some detail what is known about the electrostatic environment of the solar system from early and current experiments on Earth as well as what is being learned from the instrumentation on the space exploration missions (NASA, European Space Agency, and the Japanese Space Agency) of the last few decades. It begins with a brief review of the basic principles of electrostatics.

Progress on Implementing Additional Physics Schemes into ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has a team of scientists developing a next generation air quality modeling system employing the Model for Prediction Across Scales – Atmosphere (MPAS-A) as its meteorological foundation. Several preferred physics schemes and options available in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are regularly used by the USEPA with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model to conduct retrospective air quality simulations. These include the Pleim surface layer, the Pleim-Xiu (PX) land surface model with fractional land use for a 40-class National Land Cover Database (NLCD40), the Asymmetric Convective Model 2 (ACM2) planetary boundary layer scheme, the Kain-Fritsch (KF) convective parameterization with subgrid-scale cloud feedback to the radiation schemes and a scale-aware convective time scale, and analysis nudging four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA). All of these physics modules and options have already been implemented by the USEPA into MPAS-A v4.0, tested, and evaluated (please see the presentations of R. Gilliam and R. Bullock at this workshop). Since the release of MPAS v5.1 in May 2017, work has been under way to implement these preferred physics options into the MPAS-A v5.1 code. Test simulations of a summer month are being conducted on a global variable resolution mesh with the higher resolution cells centered over the contiguous United States. Driving fields for the FDDA and soil nudging are

Planetary Geology: A Teacher's Guide with Activities in Physical and Earth Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

This educator's guide discusses planetary geology. Exercises are grouped into five units: (1) introduction to geologic processes; (2) impact cratering activities; (3) planetary atmospheres; (4) planetary surfaces; and (5) geologic mapping. Suggested introductory exercises are noted at the beginning of each exercise. Each activity includes an…

The Twenty-Fifth Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Part 3: P-Z

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Various papers on lunar and planetary science are presented, covering such topics as: impact craters, tektites, lunar geology, lava flow, geodynamics, chondrites, planetary geology, planetary surfaces, volcanology, tectonics, topography, regolith, metamorphic rock, geomorphology, lunar soil, geochemistry, petrology, cometary collisions, geochronology, weathering, and meteoritic composition.

Towards a community Earth System Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackmon, M.

2003-04-01

The Community Climate System Model, version 2 (CCSM2), was released in June 2002. CCSM2 has several new components and features, which I will discuss briefly. I will also show a few results from a multi-century equilibrium run with this model, emphasizing the improvements over the earlier simulation using the original CSM. A few flaws and inadequacies in CCSM2 have been identified. I will also discuss briefly work underway to improve the model and present results, if available. CCSM2, with improvements, will be the basis for the development of a Community Earth System Model (CESM). The highest priority for expansion of the model involves incorporation of biogeosciences into the coupled model system, with emphasis given to the carbon, nitrogen and iron cycles. The overall goal of the biogeosciences project within CESM is to understand the regulation of planetary energetics, planetary ecology, and planetary metabolism through exchanges of energy, momentum, and materials among atmosphere, land, and ocean, and the response of the climate system through these processes to changes in land cover and land use. In particular, this research addresses how biogeochemical coupling of carbon, nitrogen, and iron cycles affects climate and how human perturbations of these cycles alter climate. To accomplish these goals, the Community Land Model, the land component of CCSM2, is being developed to include river routing, carbon and nitrogen cycles, emissions of mineral aerosols and biogenic volatile organic compounds, dry deposition of various gases, and vegetation dynamics. The carbon and nitrogen cycles are being implemented using parameterizations developed as part of a state-of-the-art ecosystem biogeochemistry model. The primary goal of this research is to provide an accurate net flux of CO2 between the land and the atmosphere so that CESM can be used to study the dynamics of the coupled climate-carbon system. Emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds are also based on a state-of-the-art emissions model and depend on plant type, leaf area index, photosynthetically active radiation, and leaf temperature. Dust emissions and deposition are being developed to implement a fully coupled dust cycle in CCSM, including the radiative effects of dust and carbon feedbacks related to fertilization of ocean and terrestrial ecosystems. Dust mobilization depends on surface wind speed, soil moisture, plant cover, and soil texture. Dust dry deposition processes include sedimentation and turbulent mix-out. A major research focus is how natural and human-mediated changes in land cover and ecosystem functions alter surface energy fluxes, the hydrological cycle, and biogeochemical cycles. Human land uses include conversion of natural vegetation to cropland, soil degradation, and urbanization. Climate feedbacks associated with natural changes in land cover are being assessed by developing and implementing a model of natural vegetation dynamics for use with the Community Land Model. Development of a marine ecosystem model is also underway. The ecosystem model is based on the global, mixed-layer marine ecosystem model of Moore et al., which includes parameterizations for such things as iron limitation and scavenging, zooplankton grazing, nitrogen fixation, calcification, and ballast-based remineralization. A series of experiments is being planned to assess the coupling of the ecology to the biogeochemistry, to adequately tune some of the model parameters that are poorly constrained by data, to explore new parameterizations and processes (e.g., riverine and atmospheric inputs of nutrients), and to conduct uncoupled application studies (e.g., deliberate carbon sequestration, retrospective historical simulations, iron-dust deposition response). Longer term plans include investigating biogeochemical processes in the coastal zone and how to incorporate these processes into a global ocean model, either through subgrid-scale parameterizations or model nesting. A Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model(WACCM) is being developed. The vertical extent of the model is 150 km at present, but extension to 500 km is eventually expected. Interactive chemistry is being incorporated. This model will be used as the atmospheric component of CESM for some experiments. One expected application is the study of solar variability and its impact on climate variability in the troposphere and at the atmosphere, ocean, land interface. Preliminary results using some of these model components will be shown. A timeline for development and use of the models will be given.

Technological support of tool wear resistant qualities and cost saving of process of planetary grinding of flat parts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, T. N.; Lyupa, D. C.; Revenko, N. F.; Berkutova, T. A.; Silivanova, O. A.

2018-03-01

A lot of factors varied in time lead to instability of the grinding process. Besides, the method of grinding influences significantly the productivity and quality of processing. In this regard a creation of processes of intensive defect-free grinding on the basis of new constructive and technology solutions represents the scientific problem which is of great importance. One of such solutions is application of planetary face grinding which allows simultaneously changing the kinematics of movement, implementing discontinuous grinding. The distinctive features of such grinding are decreasing the heat release rate in a contact zone; ensuring intermittence of the process with a solid grinding wheel; reverse grinding; cutting by different edges of an abrasive grain; stabilization of working parameters of a grinding wheel; ensuring work of a grinding wheel in a self-sharpening mode. The design of the planetary grinding tool was developed for plane surface processing for implementation of the specified distinctive features of planetary grinding. The kinematics of shaping a surface by flat face diamond grinding has been investigated; manufacturing capabilities of planetary face grinding have been revealed, and ways of improvement of quality and productivity have been offered. The algorithm and the program to define the motion path of a grain depending on the given set of grinding factors were received. Optimization of the process of face diamond grinding using the planetary grinding device has been confirmed with the developed program and techniques to choose cutting conditions of planetary grinding and characteristics of grinding wheels for processing different materials. While studying the process of planetary grinding, special attention was paid to the research how processing conditions influence microgeometry of the processed surface made of steel 4X5M (Russian State Standard (GOST)). As a result of the executed research, it was established that surface roughness parameter Ra during the processing using the planetary grinding device is 35 - 40% less than when using the tool with the solid cutting surface. This phenomenon can be accounted for more uniform work of the cutting grains of the planetary grinding tool as the number of meetings of diamond grains with the surface being processed increases. At the same time, it should be noted that during the planetary grinding more intensive smoothing of tops of microroughnesses is observed that provides the creation of steadier cutting shape. The given method of calculation of cost value of grinding operation allows solving various manufacturing problems: to compare cost value of grinding different materials, grinding wheels of different parameters; to define the optimum grinding conditions.

Planetary entry, descent, and landing technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pichkhadze, K.; Vorontsov, V.; Polyakov, A.; Ivankov, A.; Taalas, P.; Pellinen, R.; Harri, A.-M.; Linkin, V.

2003-04-01

Martian meteorological lander (MML) is intended for landing on the Martian surface in order to monitor the atmosphere at landing point for one Martian year. MMLs shall become the basic elements of a global network of meteorological mini-landers, observing the dynamics of changes of the atmospheric parameters on the Red Planet. The MML main scientific tasks are as follows: (1) Study of vertical structure of the Martian atmosphere throughout the MML descent; (2) On-surface meteorological observations for one Martian year. One of the essential factors influencing the lander's design is its entry, descent, and landing (EDL) sequence. During Phase A of the MML development, five different options for the lander's design were carefully analyzed. All of these options ensure the accomplishment of the above-mentioned scientific tasks with high effectiveness. CONCEPT A (conventional approach): Two lander options (with a parachute system + airbag and an inflatable airbrake + airbag) were analyzed. They are similar in terms of fulfilling braking phases and completely analogous in landing by means of airbags. CONCEPT B (innovative approach): Three lander options were analyzed. The distinguishing feature is the presence of inflatable braking units (IBU) in their configurations. SELECTED OPTION (innovative approach): Incorporating a unique design approach and modern technologies, the selected option of the lander represents a combination of the options analyzed in the framework of Concept B study. Currently, the selected lander option undergoes systems testing (Phase D1). Several MMLs can be delivered to Mars in frameworks of various missions as primary or piggybacking payload: (1) USA-led "Mars Scout" (2007); (2) France-led "NetLander" (2007/2009); (3) Russia-led "Mars-Deimos-Phobos sample return" (2007); (4) Independent mission (currently under preliminary study); etc.

Entry, Descent, and Landing With Propulsive Deceleration: Supersonic Retropropulsion Wind Tunnel Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palaszewski, Bryan

2012-01-01

The future exploration of the Solar System will require innovations in transportation and the use of entry, descent, and landing (EDL) systems at many planetary landing sites. The cost of space missions has always been prohibitive, and using the natural planetary and planet s moons atmosphere for entry, descent, and landing can reduce the cost, mass, and complexity of these missions. This paper will describe some of the EDL ideas for planetary entry and survey the overall technologies for EDL that may be attractive for future Solar System missions. Future EDL systems may include an inflatable decelerator for the initial atmospheric entry and an additional supersonic retro-propulsion (SRP) rocket system for the final soft landing. As part of those efforts, NASA began to conduct experiments to gather the experimental data to make informed decisions on the "best" EDL options. A model of a three engine retro-propulsion configuration with a 2.5 in. diameter sphere-cone aeroshell model was tested in the NASA Glenn 1- by 1-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT). The testing was conducted to identify potential blockage issues in the tunnel, and visualize the rocket flow and shock interactions during supersonic and hypersonic entry conditions. Earlier experimental testing of a 70 Viking-like (sphere-cone) aeroshell was conducted as a baseline for testing of a supersonic retro-propulsion system. This baseline testing defined the flow field around the aeroshell and from this comparative baseline data, retro-propulsion options will be assessed. Images and analyses from the SWT testing with 300- and 500-psia rocket engine chamber pressures are presented here. The rocket engine flow was simulated with a non-combusting flow of air.

Visualization of Kepler’s laws of planetary motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Meishu; Su, Jun; Wang, Weiguo; Lu, Jianlong

2017-03-01

For this article, we use a 3D printer to print a surface similar to universal gravitation for demonstrating and investigating Kepler’s laws of planetary motion describing the motion of a small ball on the surface. This novel experimental method allows Kepler’s laws of planetary motion to be visualized and will contribute to improving the manipulative ability of middle school students and the accessibility of classroom education.

An abstract model for radiative transfer in an atmosphere with reflection by the planetary surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenberg, W.; van der Mee, C. V. M.

1985-07-01

A Hilbert-space model is developed that applies to radiative transfer in a homogeneous, plane-parallel planetary atmosphere. Reflection and absorption by the planetary surface are taken into account by imposing a reflective boundary condition. The existence and uniqueness of the solution of this boundary value problem are established by proving the invertibility of a scattering operator using the Fredholm alternative.

Comparative Climates of the Trappist-1 Planetary System: Results from a Simple Climate-vegetation Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alberti, Tommaso; Carbone, Vincenzo; Lepreti, Fabio

The recent discovery of the planetary system hosted by the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 could open new paths for investigations of the planetary climates of Earth-sized exoplanets, their atmospheres, and their possible habitability. In this paper, we use a simple climate-vegetation energy-balance model to study the climate of the seven TRAPPIST-1 planets and the climate dependence on various factors: the global albedo, the fraction of vegetation that could cover their surfaces, and the different greenhouse conditions. The model allows us to investigate whether liquid water could be maintained on the planetary surfaces (i.e., by defining a “surface water zone (SWZ)”)more » in different planetary conditions, with or without the presence of a greenhouse effect. It is shown that planet TRAPPIST-1d seems to be the most stable from an Earth-like perspective, since it resides in the SWZ for a wide range of reasonable values of the model parameters. Moreover, according to the model, outer planets (f, g, and h) cannot host liquid water on their surfaces, even with Earth-like conditions, entering a snowball state. Although very simple, the model allows us to extract the main features of the TRAPPIST-1 planetary climates.« less

The Minimum-Mass Surface Density of the Solar Nebula using the Disk Evolution Equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Sanford S.

2005-01-01

The Hayashi minimum-mass power law representation of the pre-solar nebula (Hayashi 1981, Prog. Theo. Phys.70,35) is revisited using analytic solutions of the disk evolution equation. A new cumulative-planetary-mass-model (an integrated form of the surface density) is shown to predict a smoother surface density compared with methods based on direct estimates of surface density from planetary data. First, a best-fit transcendental function is applied directly to the cumulative planetary mass data with the surface density obtained by direct differentiation. Next a solution to the time-dependent disk evolution equation is parametrically adapted to the planetary data. The latter model indicates a decay rate of r -1/2 in the inner disk followed by a rapid decay which results in a sharper outer boundary than predicted by the minimum mass model. The model is shown to be a good approximation to the finite-size early Solar Nebula and by extension to extra solar protoplanetary disks.

On The Development of Additive Construction Technologies for Application to Development of Lunar/Martian Surface Structures Using In-Situ Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werkheiser, Niki; Fiske, Michael; Edmunson, Jennifer; Khoshnevis, Behrokh

2015-01-01

For long-duration missions on other planetary bodies, the use of in-situ materials will become increasingly critical. As man's presence on these bodies expands, so must the breadth of the structures required to accommodate them including habitats, laboratories, berms, radiation shielding for natural radiation and surface reactors, garages, solar storm shelters, greenhouses, etc. Planetary surface structure manufacturing and assembly technologies that incorporate in-situ resources provide options for autonomous, affordable, pre-positioned environments with radiation shielding features and protection from micrometeorites, exhaust plume debris, and other hazards. This is important because gamma and particle radiation constitute a serious but reducible threat to long-term survival of human beings, electronics, and other materials in space environments. Also, it is anticipated that surface structures will constitute the primary mass element of lunar or Martian launch requirements. The ability to use in-situ materials to construct these structures will provide a benefit in the reduction of up-mass that would otherwise make long-term Moon or Mars structures cost prohibitive. The ability to fabricate structures in situ brings with it the ability to repair these structures, which allows for self-sufficiency necessary for long-duration habitation. Previously, under the auspices of the MSFC In Situ Fabrication and Repair (ISFR) project and more recently, under the joint MSFC/KSC Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME) project, the MSFC Surface Structures Group has been developing materials and construction technologies to support future planetary habitats with in situ resources. One such technology, known as Contour Crafting (additive construction), is shown in Figure 1, along with a typical structure fabricated using this technology. This paper will present the results to date of these efforts, including development of novel nozzle concepts for advanced layer deposition using the Contour Crafting process. This process, conceived initially for rapid development of cementitious structures on Earth, also lends itself exceptionally well to the automated fabrication of planetary surface structures using minimally processed regolith as aggregate, and imported binder material or binders developed from in situ materials. This process has been used successfully in the fabrication of construction elements using lunar regolith simulant and Mars regolith simulant, both with various binder materials. These binder materials have resulted from extensive evaluation and include both "imported" binder materials that might be launched from Earth as well as some binder materials that can theoretically also be derived from existing regolith materials. They were chosen to 1) reduce penetrating radiation as much as possible, primarily with hydrogen-bearing polymers, 2) attempt to provide an air-tight structure, 3) sufficiently mix and adsorb to regolith grains for strength, 4) maximize tolerance to day-night thermal cycling, 5) possibly increase electrical conductivity to dissipate any accumulated static charge, and 6) ease their application on planetary surfaces (specifically, the accommodation of reduced atmosphere and lack of heat sinks). Some of these materials have been tested with respect to radiation mitigation, micrometeorite resistance, and resistance to larger, slower-traveling pieces of regolith impinging on the surface, simulating nearby launch and landing activities. Conceptual designs for a Continuous Feedstock Delivery/Mixing System (CFDMS) will also be presented and future planned activities will be discussed as well.

2nd International Planetary Probe Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkatapathy, Ethiraj; Martinez, Ed; Arcadi, Marla

2005-01-01

Included are presentations from the 2nd International Planetary Probe Workshop. The purpose of the second workshop was to continue to unite the community of planetary scientists, spacecraft engineers and mission designers and planners; whose expertise, experience and interests are in the areas of entry probe trajectory and attitude determination, and the aerodynamics/aerothermodynamics of planetary entry vehicles. Mars lander missions and the first probe mission to Titan made 2004 an exciting year for planetary exploration. The Workshop addressed entry probe science, engineering challenges, mission design and instruments, along with the challenges of reconstruction of the entry, descent and landing or the aerocapture phases. Topics addressed included methods, technologies, and algorithms currently employed; techniques and results from the rich history of entry probe science such as PAET, Venera/Vega, Pioneer Venus, Viking, Galileo, Mars Pathfinder and Mars MER; upcoming missions such as the imminent entry of Huygens and future Mars entry probes; and new and novel instrumentation and methodologies.

Twenty-fourth Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Part 1: A-F

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The topics covered include the following: petrology, petrography, meteoritic composition, planetary geology, atmospheric composition, astronomical spectroscopy, lunar geology, Mars (planet), Mars composition, Mars surface, volcanology, Mars volcanoes, Mars craters, lunar craters, mineralogy, mineral deposits, lithology, asteroids, impact melts, planetary composition, planetary atmospheres, planetary mapping, cosmic dust, photogeology, stratigraphy, lunar craters, lunar exploration, space exploration, geochronology, tectonics, atmospheric chemistry, astronomical models, and geochemistry.

Potential Research and Development Synergies between Life support and Planetary protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lasseur, Ch.; Kminek, G.; Mergeay, M.

Long term manned missions of our Russian colleagues have demonstrated the risks associated with microbial contamination These risks concern both crew health via the metabolic consumables contamination water air but and also the hardware degradation Over the last six years ESA and IBMP have developed a collaboration to elaborate and document these microbial contamination issues The collaboration involved the mutual exchanges of knowledge as well as microbial samples and leads up to the microbial survey of the Russian module of the ISS Based on these results and in addition to an external expert report commissioned by ESA the agency initiated the development of a rapid and automated microbial detection and identification tool for use in future space missions In parallel to these developments and via several international meetings planetary protection experts have agreed to place clear specification of the microbial quality of future hardware landing on virgin planets as well as elaborate the preliminary requirements of contamination for manned missions on surface For these activities its is necessary to have a better understanding of microbial activity to create culture collection and to develop on-line detection tools Within this paper we present more deeply the life support activities related to microbial issues we identify some potential synergies with Planetary protection developments and we propose some pathway for collaboration between these two communities

Advanced Life Support Project Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Life support systems are an enabling technology and have become integral to the success of living and working in space. As NASA embarks on human exploration and development of space to open the space frontier by exploring, using and enabling the development of space and to expand the human experience into the far reaches of space, it becomes imperative, for considerations of safety, cost, and crew health, to minimize consumables and increase the autonomy of the life support system. Utilizing advanced life support technologies increases this autonomy by reducing mass, power, and volume necessary for human support, thus permitting larger payload allocations for science and exploration. Two basic classes of life support systems must be developed, those directed toward applications on transportation/habitation vehicles (e.g., Space Shuttle, International Space Station (ISS), next generation launch vehicles, crew-tended stations/observatories, planetary transit spacecraft, etc.) and those directed toward applications on the planetary surfaces (e.g., lunar or Martian landing spacecraft, planetary habitats and facilities, etc.). In general, it can be viewed as those systems compatible with microgravity and those compatible with hypogravity environments. Part B of the Appendix defines the technology development 'Roadmap' to be followed in providing the necessary systems for these missions. The purpose of this Project Plan is to define the Project objectives, Project-level requirements, the management organizations responsible for the Project throughout its life cycle, and Project-level resources, schedules and controls.

Tools and technologies needed for conducting planetary field geology while on EVA: Insights from the 2010 Desert RATS geologist crewmembers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Kelsey; Hurtado, José M.; Bleacher, Jacob E.; Brent Garry, W.; Bleisath, Scott; Buffington, Jesse; Rice, James W.

2013-10-01

The tools used by crews while on extravehicular activity during future missions to other bodies in the Solar System will be a combination of traditional geologic field tools (e.g. hammers, rakes, sample bags) and state-of-the-art technologies (e.g. high definition cameras, digital situational awareness devices, and new geologic tools). In the 2010 Desert Research and Technology Studies (RATS) field test, four crews, each consisting of an astronaut/engineer and field geologist, tested and evaluated various technologies during two weeks of simulated spacewalks in the San Francisco volcanic field, Arizona. These tools consisted of both Apollo-style field geology tools and modern technological equipment not used during the six Apollo lunar landings. The underlying exploration driver for this field test was to establish the protocols and technology needed for an eventual manned mission to an asteroid, the Moon, or Mars. The authors of this paper represent Desert RATS geologist crewmembers as well as two engineers who worked on technology development. Here we present an evaluation and assessment of these tools and technologies based on our first-hand experience of using them during the analog field test. We intend this to serve as a basis for continued development of technologies and protocols used for conducting planetary field geology as the Solar System exploration community moves forward into the next generation of planetary surface exploration.

Reacting to nuclear power systems in space: American public protests over outer planetary probes since the 1980s

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Launius, Roger D.

2014-03-01

The United States has pioneered the use of nuclear power systems for outer planetary space probes since the 1970s. These systems have enabled the Viking landings to reach the surface of Mars and both Pioneers 10 and 11 and Voyagers 1 and 2 to travel to the limits of the solar system. Although the American public has long been concerned about safety of these systems, in the 1980s a reaction to nuclear accidents - especially the Soviet Cosmos 954 spacecraft destruction and the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accidents - heightened awareness about the hazards of nuclear power and every spacecraft launch since that time has been contested by opponents of nuclear energy. This has led to a debate over the appropriateness of the use of nuclear power systems for spacecraft. It has also refocused attention on the need for strict systems of control and rigorous checks and balances to assure safety. This essay describes the history of space radioisotope power systems, the struggles to ensure safe operations, and the political confrontation over whether or not to allow the launch the Galileo and Cassini space probes to the outer planets. Effectively, these efforts have led to the successful flights of 12 deep space planetary probes, two-thirds of them operated since the accidents of Cosmos 954, Three Mile Island, and Chernobyl.

Modeling Green Infrastructure Land Use Changes on Future Air Quality—Case Study in Kansas City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Bash, J. O.; Roselle, S. J.; Gilliland, A. B.; Shatas, A.; DeYoung, R.; Piziali, J.

2016-12-01

Green infrastructure can be a cost-effective approach for reducing stormwater runoff and improving water quality as a result, but it could also bring co-benefits for air quality: less impervious surfaces and more vegetation can decrease the urban heat island effect, and also result in more removal of air pollutants via dry deposition with increased vegetative surfaces. Cooler surface temperatures can also decrease ozone formation through the increases of NOx titration; however, cooler surface temperatures also lower the height of the boundary layer resulting in more concentrated pollutants within the same volume of air, especially for primary emitted pollutants (e.g. NOx, CO, primary particulate matter). To better understand how green infrastructure impacts air quality, the interactions between all of these processes must be considered collectively. In this study, we use a comprehensive coupled meteorology-air quality model (WRF-CMAQ) to simulate the influence of planned land use changes that include green infrastructure in Kansas City (KC) on regional meteorology and air quality. Current and future land use data was provided by the Mid-America Regional Council for 2012 and 2040 (projected land use due to population growth, city planning and green infrastructure implementation). We found that the average 2-meter temperatures (T2) during summer (June, July and August) are projected to slightly decrease over the downtown of KC and slightly increase over the newly developed regions surrounding the urban core. The planetary boundary layer (PBL) height changes are consistent with the T2 changes: the PBL height is somewhat lowered over the downtown and raised over the newly developed areas. We also saw relatively small decreases in O3 in the downtown area for the mean of all hours as well as for the maximum 8 hour average (MDA8), corresponding with the changes in T2 and PBL height. However, we also found relatively small PM2.5 concentration increases over KC, especially over the downtown areas, with the largest contribution from components of organic carbon, elementary carbon, non-anion dust, and unspeciated PM. More diagnostic analysis is needed to further investigate how these land use changes affect different processes (such as the dry deposition).

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Weird Martian Minerals: Complex Mars Surface Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session "Complex Mars Surface" included the following reports:A Reappraisal of Adsorbed Superoxide Ion as the Cause Behind the Reactivity of the Martian Soils; Sub-Surface Deposits of Hydrous Silicates or Hydrated Magnesium Sulfates as Hydrogen Reservoirs near the Martian Equator: Plausible or Not?; Thermal and Evolved Gas Analysis of Smectites: The Search for Water on Mars; Aqueous Alteration Pathways for K, Th, and U on Mars; Temperature Dependence of the Moessbauer Fraction in Mars-Analog Minerals; Acid-Sulfate Vapor Reactions with Basaltic Tephra: An Analog for Martian Surface Processes; Iron Oxide Weathering in Sulfuric Acid: Implications for Mars; P/Fe as an Aquamarker for Mars; Stable Isotope Composition of Carbonates Formed in Low-Temperature Terrestrial Environments as Martian Analogs; Can the Phosphate Sorption and Occlusion Properties Help to Elucidate the Genesis of Specular Hematite on the Mars Surface?; Sulfate Salts, Regolith Interactions, and Water Storage in Equatorial Martian Regolith; Potential Pathways to Maghemite in Mars Soils: The Key Role of Phosphate; and Mineralogy, Abundance, and Hydration State of Sulfates and Chlorides at the Mars Pathfinder Landing Site.

The Third Tibetan Plateau Atmospheric Scientific Experiment for Understanding the Earth-Atmosphere Coupled System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, P.; Xu, X.; Chen, F.; Guo, X.; Zheng, X.; Liu, L. P.; Hong, Y.; Li, Y.; La, Z.; Peng, H.; Zhong, L. Z.; Ma, Y.; Tang, S. H.; Liu, Y.; Liu, H.; Li, Y. H.; Zhang, Q.; Hu, Z.; Sun, J. H.; Zhang, S.; Dong, L.; Zhang, H.; Zhao, Y.; Yan, X.; Xiao, A.; Wan, W.; Zhou, X.

2016-12-01

The Third Tibetan Plateau atmospheric scientific experiment (TIPEX-III) was initiated jointly by the China Meteorological Administration, the National Natural Scientific Foundation, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This paper presents the background, scientific objectives, and overall experimental design of TIPEX-III. It was designed to conduct an integrated observation of the earth-atmosphere coupled system over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) from land surface, planetary boundary layer (PBL), troposphere, and stratosphere for eight to ten years by coordinating ground- and air-based measurement facilities for understanding spatial heterogeneities of complex land-air interactions, cloud-precipitation physical processes, and interactions between troposphere and stratosphere. TIPEX-III originally began in 2014, and is ongoing. It established multiscale land-surface and PBL observation networks over the TP and a tropospheric meteorological radiosonde network over the western TP, and executed an integrated observation mission for cloud-precipitation physical features using ground-based radar systems and aircraft campaigns and an observation task for atmospheric ozone, aerosol, and water vapor. The archive, management, and share policy of the observation data are also introduced herein. Some TIPEX-III data have been preliminarily applied to analyze the features of surface sensible and latent heat fluxes, cloud-precipitation physical processes, and atmospheric water vapor and ozone over the TP, and to improve the local precipitation forecast. Furthermore, TIPEX-III intends to promote greater scientific and technological cooperation with international research communities and broader organizations. Scientists working internationally are invited to participate in the field campaigns and to use the TIPEX-III data for their own research.

Exploration Consequences of Particle Radiation Environments at Airless Planetary Surfaces: Lessons Learned at the Moon by LRO/CRaTER and Scaling to Other Solar System Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spence, H. E.

2017-12-01

We examine and compare the energetic particle ionizing radiation environments at airless planetary surfaces throughout the solar system. Energetic charged particles fill interplanetary space and bathe the environments of planetary objects with a ceaseless source of sometimes powerful yet ever-present ionizing radiation. In turn, these charged particles interact with planetary bodies in various ways, depending upon the properties of the body as well as upon the nature of the charged particles themselves. The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) on the Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter (LRO), launched in 2009, continues to provide new insights into the ways by which the lunar surface is influenced by these energetic particles. In this presentation, we briefly review some of these mechanisms and how they operate at the Moon, and then compare and contrast the radiation environments at other atmospherereless planetary objects within our solar system that are potential future human exploration targets. In particular, we explore two primary sources of ionizing radiation, galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar energetic particles (SEP), in the environments of planetary objects that have weak or absent atmospheres and intrinsic magnetic fields. We motivate the use of simplified scaling relationships with heliocentric distance to estimate their intensity, which then serves as a basis for estimating the relative importance of various energetic particle and planetary surface physical interactions, in the context of humankind's expanding explorations beyond low-Earth orbit.

Aerocapture, Entry, Descent and Landing (AEDL) Human Planetary Landing Systems. Section 10: AEDL Analysis, Test and Validation Infrastructure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, J.; Cheatwood, N.; Powell, D.; Wolf, A.; Guensey, C.; Rivellini, T.; Venkatapathy, E.; Beard, T.; Beutter, B.; Laub, B.

2005-01-01

Contents include the following: 3 Listing of critical capabilities (knowledge, procedures, training, facilities) and metrics for validating that they are mission ready. Examples of critical capabilities and validation metrics: ground test and simulations. Flight testing to prove capabilities are mission ready. Issues and recommendations.

Rover mounted ground penetrating radar as a tool for investigating the near-surface of Mars and beyong

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grant, J. A.; Schultz, P. H.

1993-01-01

In spite of the highly successful nature of recent planetary missions to the terrestrial planets and outer satellites a number of questions concerning the evolution of their surfaces remain unresolved. For example, knowledge of many characteristics of the stratigraphy and soils comprising the near-surface on Mars remains largely unknown, but is crucial in order to accurately define the history of surface processes and near-surface sedimentary record. Similar statements can be made regarding our understanding of near-surface stratigraphy and processes on other extraterrestrial planetary bodies. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a proven and standard instrument capable of imaging the subsurface at high resolution to 10's of meters depth in a variety of terrestrial environments. Moreover, GPR is portable and easily modified for rover deployment. Data collected with a rover mounted GPR could resolve a number of issues related to planetary surface evolution by defining shallow stratigraphic records and would provide context for interpreting results of other surface analyses (e.g. elemental or mineralogical). A discussion of existing GPR capabilities is followed first by examples of how GPR might be used to better define surface evolution on Mars and then by a brief description of possible GPR applications to the Moon and other planetary surfaces.

Influence of Idealized Heterogeneity on Wet and Dry Planetary Boundary Layers Coupled to the Land Surface. 2; Phase-Averages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houser, Paul (Technical Monitor); Patton, Edward G.; Sullivan, Peter P.; Moeng, Chin-Hoh

2003-01-01

We examine the influence of surface heterogeneity on boundary layers using a large-eddy simulation coupled to a land-surface model. Heterogeneity, imposed in strips varying from 2-30 km (1 less than lambda/z(sub i) less than 18), is found to dramatically alter the structure of the free convective boundary layer by inducing significant organized circulations. A conditional sampling technique, based on the scale of the surface heterogeneity (phase averaging), is used to identify and quantify the organized surface fluxes and motions in the atmospheric boundary layer. The impact of the organized motions on turbulent transport depends critically on the scale of the heterogeneity lambda, the boundary layer height zi and the initial moisture state of the boundary layer. Dynamical and scalar fields respond differently as the scale of the heterogeneity varies. Surface heterogeneity of scale 4 less than lamba/z(sub i) less than 9 induces the strongest organized flow fields (up, wp) while heterogeneity with smaller or larger lambda/z(sub i) induces little organized motion. However, the organized components of the scalar fields (virtual potential temperature and mixing ratio) grow continuously in magnitude and horizontal scale, as lambda/z(sub i) increases. For some cases, the organized motions can contribute nearly 100% of the total vertical moisture flux. Patch-induced fluxes are shown to dramatically impact point measurements that assume the time-average vertical velocity to be zero. The magnitude and sign of this impact depends on the location of the measurement within the region of heterogeneity.

A mineralogical instrument for planetary applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blake, David F.; Vaniman, David T.; Bish, David L.

1994-01-01

The mineralogy of a planetary surface can be used to identify the provenance of soil or sediment and reveal the volcanic, metamorphic and/or sedimentological history of a particular region. We have discussed elsewhere the applications and the instrument design of possible X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence (XRD/XRF) devices for the mineralogical characterization of planetary surfaces. In this abstract we evaluate some aspects of sample-detector geometry and sample collection strategies.

Planetary Atmosphere and Surfaces Chamber (PASC): A Platform to Address Various Challenges in Astrobiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mateo-Marti, Eva

2014-08-01

The study of planetary environments of astrobiological interest has become a major challenge. Because of the obvious technical and economical limitations on in situ planetary exploration, laboratory simulations are one of the most feasible research options to make advances both in planetary science and in developing a consistent description of the origin of life. With this objective in mind, we applied vacuum technology to the design of versatile vacuum chambers devoted to the simulation of planetary atmospheres' conditions. These vacuum chambers are able to simulate atmospheres and surface temperatures representative of the majority of planetary objects, and they are especially appropriate for studying the physical, chemical and biological changes induced in a particular sample by in situ irradiation or physical parameters in a controlled environment. Vacuum chambers are a promising potential tool in several scientific and technological fields, such as engineering, chemistry, geology and biology. They also offer the possibility of discriminating between the effects of individual physical parameters and selected combinations thereof. The implementation of our vacuum chambers in combination with analytical techniques was specifically developed to make feasible the in situ physico-chemical characterization of samples. Many wide-ranging applications in astrobiology are detailed herein to provide an understanding of the potential and flexibility of these experimental systems. Instruments and engineering technology for space applications could take advantage of our environment-simulation chambers for sensor calibration. Our systems also provide the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the chemical reactivity of molecules on surfaces under different environments, thereby leading to a greater understanding of interface processes in prebiotic chemical reactions and facilitating studies of UV photostability and photochemistry on surfaces. Furthermore, the stability and presence of certain minerals on planetary surfaces and the potential habitability of microorganisms under various planetary environmental conditions can be studied using our apparatus. Therefore, these simulation chambers can address multiple different challenging and multidisciplinary astrobiological studies.

Activities at the Lunar and Planetary Institute

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, K.

1984-01-01

The scientific and administrative activities of the Lunar and Planetary Institute are summarized. Recent research relating to geophysics, planetary geology, the origin of the Earth and Moon, the lunar surface, Mars, meteorites, and image processing techniques is discussed.

Development of a Coherent Lidar for Aiding Precision Soft Landing on Planetary Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin; Pierrottet, Diego; Tolson, Robert H.; Powell, Richard W.; Davidson, John B.; Peri, Frank

2005-01-01

Coherent lidar can play a critical role in future planetary exploration missions by providing key guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) data necessary for navigating planetary landers to the pre-selected site and achieving autonomous safe soft-landing. Although the landing accuracy has steadily improved over time to approximately 35 km for the recent Mars Exploration Rovers due to better approach navigation, a drastically different guidance, navigation and control concept is required to meet future mission requirements. For example, future rovers will require better than 6 km landing accuracy for Mars and better than 1 km for the Moon plus maneuvering capability to avoid hazardous terrain features. For this purpose, an all-fiber coherent lidar is being developed to address the call for advancement of entry, descent, and landing technologies. This lidar will be capable of providing precision range to the ground and approach velocity data, and in the case of landing on Mars, it will also measure the atmospheric wind and density. The lidar obtains high resolution range information from a frequency modulated-continuous wave (FM-CW) laser beam whose instantaneous frequency varies linearly with time, and the ground vector velocity is directly extracted from the Doppler frequency shift. Utilizing the high concentration of aerosols in the Mars atmosphere (approx. two order of magnitude higher than the Earth), the lidar can measure wind velocity with a few watts of optical power. Operating in 1.57 micron wavelength regime, the lidar can use the differential absorption (DIAL) technique to measure the average CO2 concentration along the laser beam using, that is directly proportional to the Martian atmospheric density. Employing fiber optics components allows for the lidar multi-functional operation while facilitating a highly efficient, compact and reliable design suitable for integration into a spacecraft with limited mass, size, and power resources.

Spacecraft Status Report: 2001 Mars Odyssey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyles, Carole

2012-01-01

Fourth extension of Odyssey mission continues, with orbital science investigations and relay services for landed assets. Mitigation of aging IMU and UHF transceiver. ODY has responded to Program Office/board recommendations. All Stellar mode has been certified for flight operations and is now standard for nadir point operations on the A-side. Investigating options to mitigate aging Battery. Gradual transfer to a later LMST orbit node to shorten eclipse durations. Reduce spacecraft loads during the longer eclipses. Optimize battery performance. ODY is preparing for E5 Proposal and Planetary Science Division FY12 Senior Review activities. ODY is on track to support MSL EDL and surface operations. ODY is managing consumables in order to remain in operations until 2020.

Analysis and design of a capsule landing system and surface vehicle control system for Mars exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frederick, D. K.; Lashmet, P. K.; Sandor, G. N.; Shen, C. N.; Smith, E. J.; Yerazunis, S. W.

1971-01-01

Investigation of problems related to control of a mobile planetary vehicle according to a systematic plan for the exploration of Mars has been undertaken. Problem areas receiving attention include: (1) overall systems analysis; (2) vehicle configuration and dynamics; (3) toroidal wheel design and evaluation; (4) on-board navigation systems; (5) satellite-vehicle navigation systems; (6) obstacle detection systems; (7) terrain sensing, interpretation and modeling; (8) computer simulation of terrain sensor-path selection systems; and (9) chromatographic systems design concept studies. The specific tasks which have been undertaken are defined and the progress which has been achieved during the period July 1, 1971 to December 31, 1971 is summarized.

Reports of planetary geology program, 1979 - 1980. [bibliographies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wirth, P.; Greeley, R.; Dalli, R.

1980-01-01

Abstracts of 145 reports are compiled addressing the morphology, geochemistry, and stratigraphy of planetary surfaces with some specific examinations of volcanic, aeolian, fluvial, and periglacial processes and landforms. In addition, reports on cartography and remote sensing of planet surfaces are included.

Morpheus Trailered to the SLF

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-01-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians monitor the progress as a crane lowers the Project Morpheus prototype for positioning on a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The prototype lander is being prepared for its fourth free flight test at Kennedy. Morpheus will launch from the ground over a flame trench and then descend and land on a dedicated pad inside the autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/exploration/morpheus. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

Morpheus Trailered to the SLF

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-01-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians and engineers monitor the progress as the Project Morpheus prototype lander is lifted by crane for positioning on a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The prototype lander is being prepared for its fourth free flight test at Kennedy. Morpheus will launch from the ground over a flame trench and then descend and land on a dedicated pad inside the autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/exploration/morpheus. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

Morpheus Trailered to the SLF

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-01-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians monitor the progress as the Project Morpheus prototype lander is lifted by crane for positioning on a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The prototype lander is being prepared for its fourth free flight test at Kennedy. Morpheus will launch from the ground over a flame trench and then descend and land on a dedicated pad inside the autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/exploration/morpheus. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

Lessons Learned in Science Operations for Planetary Surface Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, K. E.; Graff, T. G.; Reagan, M.; Coan, D.; Evans, C. A.; Bleacher, J. E.; Glotch, T. D.

2017-01-01

The six Apollo lunar surface missions represent the only occasions where we have conducted scientific operations on another planetary surface. While these six missions were successful in bringing back valuable geologic samples, technology advances in the subsequent forty years have enabled much higher resolution scientific activity in situ. Regardless of where astronauts next visit (whether it be back to the Moon or to Mars or a Near Earth Object), the science operations procedures completed during this mission will need to be refined and updated to reflect these advances. We have undertaken a series of operational tests in relevant field environments to understand how best to develop the new generation of science operations procedures for planetary surface exploration.

KSC-2013-4322

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The first free flight of the Project Morpheus prototype lander begins as the engine fires and the lander lifts off at the north of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to asteroids and other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2013-4321

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The first free flight of the Project Morpheus prototype lander begins as the engine fires and the lander begins to lift off at the north of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Testing of the prototype lander was performed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in preparation for tethered and free flight testing at Kennedy. Project Morpheus integrates NASA’s automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, with an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to asteroids and other planetary surfaces. The landing facility will provide the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Design and Analysis of Map Relative Localization for Access to Hazardous Landing Sites on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Andrew E.; Aaron, Seth; Cheng, Yang; Montgomery, James; Trawny, Nikolas; Tweddle, Brent; Vaughan, Geoffrey; Zheng, Jason

2016-01-01

Human and robotic planetary lander missions require accurate surface relative position knowledge to land near science targets or next to pre-deployed assets. In the absence of GPS, accurate position estimates can be obtained by automatically matching sensor data collected during descent to an on-board map. The Lander Vision System (LVS) that is being developed for Mars landing applications generates landmark matches in descent imagery and combines these with inertial data to estimate vehicle position, velocity and attitude. This paper describes recent LVS design work focused on making the map relative localization algorithms robust to challenging environmental conditions like bland terrain, appearance differences between the map and image and initial input state errors. Improved results are shown using data from a recent LVS field test campaign. This paper also fills a gap in analysis to date by assessing the performance of the LVS with data sets containing significant vertical motion including a complete data set from the Mars Science Laboratory mission, a Mars landing simulation, and field test data taken over multiple altitudes above the same scene. Accurate and robust performance is achieved for all data sets indicating that vertical motion does not play a significant role in position estimation performance.

Multi-Beam Surface Lidar for Lunar and Planetary Mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bufton, Jack L.; Garvin, James B.

1998-01-01

Surface lidar techniques are now being demonstrated in low Earth orbit with a single beam of pulsed laser radiation at 1064 nm that profiles the vertical structure of Earth surface landforms along the nadir track of a spacecraft. In addition, a profiling laser altimeter, called MOLA, is operating in elliptical Martian orbit and returning surface topography data. These instruments form the basis for suggesting an improved lidar instrument that employs multiple beams for extension of sensor capabilities toward the goal of true, 3-dimensional mapping of the Moon or other similar planetary surfaces. In general the lidar waveform acquired with digitization of a laser echo can be used for laser distance measurement (i.e. range-to-the-surface) by time-of-flight measurement and for surface slope and shape measurements by examining the detailed lidar waveform. This is particularly effective when the intended target is the lunar surface or another planetary body free of any atmosphere. The width of the distorted return pulse is a first order measure of the surface incidence angle, a combination of surface slope and laser beam pointing. Assuming an independent and absolute (with respect to inertial space) measurement of laser beam pointing on the spacecraft, it is possible to derive a surface slope with-respect-to the mean planetary surface or its equipotential gravity surface. Higher-order laser pulse distortions can be interpreted in terms of the vertical relief of the surface or reflectivity variations within the area of the laser beam footprint on the surface.

Solar System atlas series on the Eötvös University, Budapest, Hungary: textbooks for space and planetary science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berczi, Sz.; Hargitai, H.; Horvath, A.; Illes, E.; Kereszturi, A.; Mortl, M.; Sik, A.; Weidinger, T.; Hegyi, S.; Hudoba, Gy.

Planetary science education needs new forms of teaching. Our group have various initiatives of which a new atlas series about the studies of the Solar System materials, planetary surfaces and atmospheres, instrumental field works with robots (landers, rovers) and other beautiful field work analog studies. Such analog studies are both used in comparative planetology as scientific method and it also plays a key role in planetary science education. With such initiatives the whole system of the knowledge of terrestrial geology can be transformed to the conditions of other planetary worlds. We prepared both courses and their textbooks in Eötvös University in space science education and edited the following educational materials worked out by the members of our space science education and research group: (1): Planetary and Material Maps on: Lunar Rocks, Meteorites (2000); (2): Investigating Planetary Surfaces with the Experimental Space Probe Hunveyor Constructed on the Basis of Surveyor (2001); (3): Atlas of Planetary Bodies (2001); (4): Atlas of Planetary Atmospheres (2002); (5): Space Research and Geometry (2002); (6): Atlas of Micro Environments of Planetary Surfaces (2003); (7): Atlas of Rovers and Activities on Planetary Surfaces (2004); (8): Space Research and Chemistry (2005); (9): Planetary Analog Studies and Simulations: Materials, Terrains, Morphologies, Processes. (2005); References: [1] Bérczi Sz., Hegyi S., Kovács Zs., Fabriczy A., Földi T., Keresztesi M., Cech V., Drommer B., Gránicz K., Hevesi L., Borbola T., Tóth Sz., Németh I., Horváth Cs., Diósy T., Kovács B., Bordás F., Köll˝ Z., Roskó F., Balogh Zs., Koris A., o 1 Imrek Gy. (Bérczi Sz., Kabai S. Eds.) (2002): Concise Atlas of the Solar System (2): From Surveyor to Hunveyor. How we constructed an experimental educational planetary lander model. UNICONSTANT. Budapest-Pécs-Szombathely-Püspökladány. [2] Bérczi Sz., Hargitai H., Illés E., Kereszturi Á., Sik A., Földi T., Hegyi S., Kovács Zs., Mörtl M., Weidinger T. (2004): Concise Atlas of the Solar System (6): Atlas of Microenvironments of Planetary surfaces. ELTE TTK Kozmikus Anyagokat Vizsgáló Ûrkutató Csoport, UNICONSTANT, Budapest-Püspökladány; [3] Szaniszló Bérczi, Henrik Hargitai, Ákos Kereszturi, András Sik (2005): Concise Atlas on the Solar System (3): Atlas of Planetary Bodies. ELTE TTK Kozmikus Anyagokat Vizsgáló Ûrkutató Csoport. Budapest, [4] Szaniszló Bérczi, Tivadar Földi, Péter Gadányi, Arnold Gucsik, Henrik Hargitai, Sándor Hegyi, György Hudoba, Sándor Józsa, Ákos Kereszturi, János Rakonczai, András Sik, György Szakmány, Kálmán Török (2005): Concise Atlas on the Solar System (9): Planetary Analog Studies and Simulations: Materials, Terrains, Morphologies, Processes. (Szaniszló Bérczi, editor) ELTE TTK Kozmikus Anyagokat Vizsgáló Ûrkutató Csoport, UNICONSTANT, Budapest-Püspökladány. 2

NASA-ESA Joint Mission to Explore Two Worlds of Great Astrobiological Interest - Titan and Enceladus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reh, K.; Coustenis, A.; Lunine, J.; Matson, D.; Lebreton, J.-P.; Erd, C.; Beauchamp, P.

2009-04-01

Rugged shorelines, laced with canyons, leading to ethane/methane seas glimpsed through an organic haze, vast fields of dunes shaped by alien sciroccos… An icy moon festooned with plumes of water-ice and organics, whose warm watery source might be glimpsed through surface cracks that glow in the infrared… The revelations by Cassini-Huygens about Saturn's crown jewels, Titan and Enceladus, have rocked the public with glimpses of new worlds unimagined a decade before. The time is at hand to capitalize on those discoveries with a broad mission of exploration that combines the widest range of planetary science disciplines—Geology, Geophysics, Atmospheres, Astrobiology,Chemistry, Magnetospheres—in a single NASA/ESA collaboration. The Titan Saturn System Mission will explore these exciting new environments, flying through Enceladus' plumes and plunging deep into Titan's atmosphere with instruments tuned to find what Cassini could only hint at. Exploring Titan with an international fleet of vehicles; from orbit, from the surface of a great polar sea, and from the air with the first hot air balloon to ride an extraterrestrial breeze, TSSM will turn our snapshot gaze of these worlds into an epic film. This paper will describe a collaborative NASA-ESA Titan Saturn System Mission that will open a new phase of planetary exploration by projecting robotic presence on the land, on the sea, and in the air of an active, organic-rich world.

Entry, Descent, and Landing with Propulsive Deceleration: Supersonic Retropropulsion Wind Tunnel Testing and Shock Phenomena

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palaszewski, Bryan

2014-01-01

The future exploration of the Solar System will require innovations in transportation and the use of entry, descent, and landing (EDL) systems at many planetary landing sites. The cost of space missions has always been prohibitive, and using the natural planetary and planet's moon atmospheres for entry, and descent can reduce the cost, mass, and complexity of these missions. This paper will describe some of the EDL ideas for planetary entry and survey the overall technologies for EDL that may be attractive for future Solar System missions. Future EDL systems may include an inflatable decelerator for the initial atmospheric entry and an additional supersonic retropropulsion (SRP) rocket system for the final soft landing. A three engine retropropulsion configuration with a 2.5 in. diameter sphere-cone aeroshell model was tested in the NASA Glenn Research Center's 1- by 1-ft (1×1) Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT). The testing was conducted to identify potential blockage issues in the tunnel, and visualize the rocket flow and shock interactions during supersonic and hypersonic entry conditions. Earlier experimental testing of a 70deg Viking-like (sphere-cone) aeroshell was conducted as a baseline for testing of a SRP system. This baseline testing defined the flow field around the aeroshell and from this comparative baseline data, retropropulsion options will be assessed. Images and analyses from the SWT testing with 300- and 500-psia rocket engine chamber pressures are presented here. In addition, special topics of electromagnetic interference with retropropulsion induced shock waves and retropropulsion for Earth launched booster recovery are also addressed.

Entry, Descent, and Landing with Propulsive Deceleration: Supersonic Retropropulsion Wind Tunnel Testing and Shock Phenomena

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palaszewski, Bryan

2013-01-01

The future exploration of the Solar System will require innovations in transportation and the use of entry, descent, and landing (EDL) systems at many planetary landing sites. The cost of space missions has always been prohibitive, and using the natural planetary and planet's moon atmospheres for entry, and descent can reduce the cost, mass, and complexity of these missions. This paper will describe some of the EDL ideas for planetary entry and survey the overall technologies for EDL that may be attractive for future Solar System missions. Future EDL systems may include an inflatable decelerator for the initial atmospheric entry and an additional supersonic retro-propulsion (SRP) rocket system for the final soft landing. A three engine retro-propulsion configuration with a 2.5 inch diameter sphere-cone aeroshell model was tested in the NASA Glenn 1x1 Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT). The testing was conducted to identify potential blockage issues in the tunnel, and visualize the rocket flow and shock interactions during supersonic and hypersonic entry conditions. Earlier experimental testing of a 70 degree Viking-like (sphere-cone) aeroshell was conducted as a baseline for testing of a supersonic retro-propulsion system. This baseline testing defined the flow field around the aeroshell and from this comparative baseline data, retro-propulsion options will be assessed. Images and analyses from the SWT testing with 300- and 500-psia rocket engine chamber pressures are presented here. In addition, special topics of electromagnetic interference with retro-propulsion induced shock waves and retro-propulsion for Earth launched booster recovery are also addressed.

Press abstracts of the 21st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The Program Committee for the Twenty-fisrt Lunar and Planetary Science Conference has chosen these contributions as having the greatest potential interest for the general public. The papers in this collection were written for general presentation, avoiding jargon and unnecessarily complex terms. More technical abstracts will be found in Lunar and Planetary Science XXI. Representative titles are: Ancient Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Interactions on Mars: Global Model and Geological Evidence; Oxygen Isotopic Compositions of Ordinary Chondrites and Their Chondrules; Exposure Ages and Collisional History of L-Chondrite Parent Bodies; Models of Solar-Powered Geysers on Triton; and Search for Life: A Science Rationale for a Permanent Base on Mars.

Morpheus Campaign 1C

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and technicians prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for its sixth free flight test from a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Morpheus Campaign 1C

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Project Morpheus prototype lander begins to ascend on its sixth free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-1606

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high after launching on its sixth free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-1607

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high and moves forward after launching on its sixth free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-1609

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Project Morpheus prototype lander begins to ascend on its sixth free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2014-1613

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high after launching on its sixth free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2014-1610

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Project Morpheus prototype lander begins to ascend on its sixth free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Morpheus Campaign 1C

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high after launching on its sixth free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-1604

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and technicians prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for its sixth free flight test from a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-1612

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high after launching on its sixth free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2014-1611

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Project Morpheus prototype lander ascends on its sixth free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2014-1603

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and technicians prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for its sixth free flight test from a launch pad at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-1614

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Project Morpheus prototype lander touches down in the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field after completing its sixth free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 82-second test began at 11:32 a.m. EST with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 465 feet. The lander flew forward, covering 633 feet while performing a 55-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and landing on a dedicated pad inside the hazard field. Morpheus landed 10 inches west of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Small reactor power systems for manned planetary surface bases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloomfield, Harvey S.

1987-01-01

A preliminary feasibility study of the potential application of small nuclear reactor space power systems to manned planetary surface base missions was conducted. The purpose of the study was to identify and assess the technology, performance, and safety issues associated with integration of reactor power systems with an evolutionary manned planetary surface exploration scenario. The requirements and characteristics of a variety of human-rated modular reactor power system configurations selected for a range of power levels from 25 kWe to hundreds of kilowatts is described. Trade-off analyses for reactor power systems utilizing both man-made and indigenous shielding materials are provided to examine performance, installation and operational safety feasibility issues. The results of this study have confirmed the preliminary feasibility of a wide variety of small reactor power plant configurations for growth oriented manned planetary surface exploration missions. The capability for power level growth with increasing manned presence, while maintaining safe radiation levels, was favorably assessed for nominal 25 to 100 kWe modular configurations. No feasibility limitations or technical barriers were identified and the use of both distance and indigenous planetary soil material for human rated radiation shielding were shown to be viable and attractive options.

Derivation of planetary topography using multi-image shape-from-shading

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lohse, V.; Heipke, C.; Kirk, R.L.

2006-01-01

In many cases, the derivation of high-resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) from planetary surfaces using conventional digital image matching is a problem. The matching methods need at least one stereo pair of images with sufficient texture. However, many space missions provide only a few stereo images and planetary surfaces often possess insufficient texture. This paper describes a method for the generation of high-resolution DTMs from planetary surfaces, which has the potential to overcome the described problem. The suggested method, developed by our group, is based on shape-from-shading using an arbitrary number of digital optical images, and is termed "multi-image shape-from-shading" (MI-SFS). The paper contains an explanation of the theory of MI-SFS, followed by a presentation of current results, which were obtained using images from NASA's lunar mission Clementine, and constitute the first practical application with our method using extraterrestrial imagery. The lunar surface is reconstructed under the assumption of different kinds of reflectance models (e.g. Lommel-Seeliger and Lambert). The represented results show that the derivation of a high-resolution DTM of real digital planetary images by means of MI-SFS is feasible. ?? 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laser-based mass spectrometry for in situ chemical composition analysis of planetary surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frey, Samira; Neuland, Maike B.; Grimaudo, Valentine; Moreno-García, Pavel; Riedo, Andreas; Tulej, Marek; Broekmann, Peter; Wurz, Peter

2016-04-01

Mass spectrometry is an important analytical technique in space research. The chemical composition of planetary surface material is a key scientific question on every space mission to a planet, moon or asteroid. Chemical composition measurements of rocky material on the surface are of great importance to understand the origin and evolution of the planetary body.[1] A miniature laser ablation/ionisation reflectron- type time-of-flight mass spectrometer (instrument name LMS) was designed and built at the University of Bern for planetary research.[2] Despite its small size and light weight, the LMS instrument still maintains the same capabilities as large laboratory systems, which makes it suitable for its application on planetary space missions.[3-5] The high dynamic range of about eight orders of magnitude, high lateral (μm-level) and vertical (sub-nm level) resolution and high detection sensitivity for almost all elements (10 ppb, atomic fraction) make LMS a versatile instrument for various applications. LMS is a suitable instrument for in situ measurements of elemental and isotope composition with high precision and accuracy. Measurements of Pb- isotope abundances can be used for dating of planetary material. Measurements of bio-relevant elements allow searching for past or present life on a planetary surface. The high spatial resolution, both in lateral and vertical direction, is of considerable interest, e.g. for analysis of inhomogeneous, extraterrestrial samples as well as weathering processes of planetary material. References [1] P. Wurz, D. Abplanalp, M. Tulej, M. Iakovleva, V.A. Fernandes, A. Chumikov, and G. Managadze, "Mass Spectrometric Analysis in Planetary Science: Investigation of the Surface and the Atmosphere", Sol. Sys. Res., 2012, 46, 408. [2] U. Rohner, J.A. Whitby, P. Wurz, "A miniature laser ablation time of flight mass spectrometer for in situ planetary exploration" Meas. Sci. Tch., 2003, 14, 2159. [3] M. Tulej, A. Riedo, M.B. Neuland, S. Meyer, P. Wurz, N. Thomas, V. Grimaudo, P. Moreno-García, P. Broekmann, A. Neubeck and M. Ivarsson, "CAMAM: A miniature laser ablation ionisation mass spectrometer and microscope-camera system for in situ investigation of the composition and morphology of extraterrestrial materials", Geostand. Geoanal. Res., 2014, 38, 441. [4] A. Riedo, M. Neuland, S. Meyer, M. Tulej and P. Wurz, "Coupling of LMS with a fs-laser ablation ion source: elemental and isotope composition measurements", J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2013, 28, 1256. [5] A. Riedo, S. Meyer, B. Heredia, M. Neuland, A. Bieler, M. Tulej, I. Leya, M. Iakovleva, K. Mezger and P. Wurz, "Highly accurate isotope composition measurements by a miniature laser ablation mass spectrometer designed for in situ investigations on planetary surfaces", Planet. Space Sci., 2013, 87, 1.

Direct detection of projectile relics from the end of the lunar basin-forming epoch.

PubMed

Joy, Katherine H; Zolensky, Michael E; Nagashima, Kazuhide; Huss, Gary R; Ross, D Kent; McKay, David S; Kring, David A

2012-06-15

The lunar surface, a key proxy for the early Earth, contains relics of asteroids and comets that have pummeled terrestrial planetary surfaces. Surviving fragments of projectiles in the lunar regolith provide a direct measure of the types and thus the sources of exogenous material delivered to the Earth-Moon system. In ancient [>3.4 billion years ago (Ga)] regolith breccias from the Apollo 16 landing site, we located mineral and lithologic relics of magnesian chondrules from chondritic impactors. These ancient impactor fragments are not nearly as diverse as those found in younger (3.4 Ga to today) regolith breccias and soils from the Moon or that presently fall as meteorites to Earth. This suggests that primitive chondritic asteroids, originating from a similar source region, were common Earth-Moon-crossing impactors during the latter stages of the basin-forming epoch.

Analysis and design of a capsule landing system and surface vehicle control system for Mars exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frederick, D. K.; Lashmet, P. K.; Moyer, W. R.; Sandor, G. N.; Shen, C. N.; Smith, E. J.; Yerazunis, S. W.

1973-01-01

The following tasks related to the design, construction, and evaluation of a mobile planetary vehicle for unmanned exploration of Mars are discussed: (1) design and construction of a 0.5 scale dynamic vehicle; (2) mathematical modeling of vehicle dynamics; (3) experimental 0.4 scale vehicle dynamics measurements and interpretation; (4) vehicle electro-mechanical control systems; (5) remote control systems; (6) collapsibility and deployment concepts and hardware; (7) design, construction and evaluation of a wheel with increased lateral stiffness, (8) system design optimization; (9) design of an on-board computer; (10) design and construction of a laser range finder; (11) measurement of reflectivity of terrain surfaces; (12) obstacle perception by edge detection; (13) terrain modeling based on gradients; (14) laser scan systems; (15) path selection system simulation and evaluation; (16) gas chromatograph system concepts; (17) experimental chromatograph separation measurements and chromatograph model improvement and evaluation.

Neutral Mass Spectrometry for Venus Atmosphere and Surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahaffy, Paul

2004-01-01

The nature of the divergent evolution of the terrestrial planets Venus, Earth, and Mars is a fundamental problem in planetary science that is most relevant to understanding the characteristics of small planets we are likely to discover in extrasolar systems and the number of such systems that may support habitable environments. For this reason, the National Research Council's Decadal Survey gives Venus exploration high priority. That report was the basis of the NASA selection of Venus as one of four prime mission targets for the recently initiated New Frontiers Program. If the Decadal Survey priorities are to be realized, in situ Venus exploration must remain a high priority. Remote sensing orbital and in situ atmospheric measurements from entry probe or balloon platforms might be realized under the low cost Discovery missions while both atmospheric and landed surface measurements are envisioned with the intermediate class missions of the New Frontiers Program.

Advanced Navigation Strategies for an Asteroid Sample Return Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauman, J.; Getzandanner, K.; Williams, B.; Williams, K.

2011-01-01

The proximity operations phases of a sample return mission to an asteroid have been analyzed using advanced navigation techniques derived from experience gained in planetary exploration. These techniques rely on tracking types such as Earth-based radio metric Doppler and ranging, spacecraft-based ranging, and optical navigation using images of landmarks on the asteroid surface. Navigation strategies for the orbital phases leading up to sample collection, the touch down for collecting the sample, and the post sample collection phase at the asteroid are included. Options for successfully executing the phases are studied using covariance analysis and Monte Carlo simulations of an example mission to the near Earth asteroid 4660 Nereus. Two landing options were studied including trajectories with either one or two bums from orbit to the surface. Additionally, a comparison of post-sample collection strategies is presented. These strategies include remaining in orbit about the asteroid or standing-off a given distance until departure to Earth.

Aseptic Handling of the MOMA Mass Spectrometer After Dry Heat Microbial Reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lalime, Erin

2017-01-01

Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer Mass Spectrometer (MOMA-MS) is an instrument in the larger MOMA instrument suite for the European Space Agency (ESA) ExoMars 2020 Rover. As a life-detection instrument on a Mars landing mission, MOMA-MS has very stringent Planetary Protection (PP) bioburden requirements. Within the MOMA instrument suite, the hardware surfaces of the sample path must be cleaned to a level of 0.03 spore/sq m. To meet this requirement, a process called Dry Heat Microbial Reduction (DHMR) is used to decrease the number of viable spores by 4 orders of magnitude. Before DHMR, the hardware is handled using standard cleanroom practices, while after DHMR, all sample path surfaces must be handled aseptically when exposed. Aseptic handling of the sample path involves a number of strategies and protocols including working only in an aseptic ISO class 5 work space, limiting the amount of time of exposure, using sterile garmenting with sterile gloves, and using sterile tools. Before work begins, the aseptic workspace will be tested for bioburden and particle fallout, and all tools that will contact sample path surfaces must be sterilized. During the exposure activity, sterile garments will be worn, sterile tools will be handled in a 2 person set up so that the operator touches only the sterile tool and not the exterior surfaces of the sterile pouch, and the environment will be monitored with active and passive fallout for bioburden and particle levels. Any breach in the planetary protection cleanliness can necessitate repeating DHMR, which not only has significant cost and schedule implications, it also become a risk to hardware that is not rated for repeated long exposures to high temperatures.

Advanced Space Surface Systems Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huffaker, Zachary Lynn; Mueller, Robert P.

2014-01-01

The importance of advanced surface systems is becoming increasingly relevant in the modern age of space technology. Specifically, projects pursued by the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Lab are unparalleled in the field of planetary resourcefulness. This internship opportunity involved projects that support properly utilizing natural resources from other celestial bodies. Beginning with the tele-robotic workstation, mechanical upgrades were necessary to consider for specific portions of the workstation consoles and successfully designed in concept. This would provide more means for innovation and creativity concerning advanced robotic operations. Project RASSOR is a regolith excavator robot whose primary objective is to mine, store, and dump regolith efficiently on other planetary surfaces. Mechanical adjustments were made to improve this robot's functionality, although there were some minor system changes left to perform before the opportunity ended. On the topic of excavator robots, the notes taken by the GMRO staff during the 2013 and 2014 Robotic Mining Competitions were effectively organized and analyzed for logistical purposes. Lessons learned from these annual competitions at Kennedy Space Center are greatly influential to the GMRO engineers and roboticists. Another project that GMRO staff support is Project Morpheus. Support for this project included successfully producing mathematical models of the eroded landing pad surface for the vertical testbed vehicle to predict a timeline for pad reparation. And finally, the last project this opportunity made contribution to was Project Neo, a project exterior to GMRO Lab projects, which focuses on rocket propulsion systems. Additions were successfully installed to the support structure of an original vertical testbed rocket engine, thus making progress towards futuristic test firings in which data will be analyzed by students affiliated with Rocket University. Each project will be explained in further detail, as well as the full scope of the contributions made during this opportunity.

Updated global soil map for the Weather Research and Forecasting model and soil moisture initialization for the Noah land surface model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DY, C. Y.; Fung, J. C. H.

2016-08-01

A meteorological model requires accurate initial conditions and boundary conditions to obtain realistic numerical weather predictions. The land surface controls the surface heat and moisture exchanges, which can be determined by the physical properties of the soil and soil state variables, subsequently exerting an effect on the boundary layer meteorology. The initial and boundary conditions of soil moisture are currently obtained via National Centers for Environmental Prediction FNL (Final) Operational Global Analysis data, which are collected operationally in 1° by 1° resolutions every 6 h. Another input to the model is the soil map generated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (FAO-UNESCO) soil database, which combines several soil surveys from around the world. Both soil moisture from the FNL analysis data and the default soil map lack accuracy and feature coarse resolutions, particularly for certain areas of China. In this study, we update the global soil map with data from Beijing Normal University in 1 km by 1 km grids and propose an alternative method of soil moisture initialization. Simulations of the Weather Research and Forecasting model show that spinning-up the soil moisture improves near-surface temperature and relative humidity prediction using different types of soil moisture initialization. Explanations of that improvement and improvement of the planetary boundary layer height in performing process analysis are provided.

Planetary Surface-Atmosphere Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merrison, J. P.; Bak, E.; Finster, K.; Gunnlaugsson, H. P.; Holstein-Rathlou, C.; Knak Jensen, S.; Nørnberg, P.

2013-09-01

Planetary bodies having an accessible solid surface and significant atmosphere, such as Earth, Mars, Venus, Titan, share common phenomenology. Specifically wind induced transport of surface materials, subsequent erosion, the generation and transport of solid aerosols which leads both to chemical and electrostatic interaction with the atmosphere. How these processes affect the evolution of the atmosphere and surface will be discussed in the context of general planetology and the latest laboratory studies will be presented.

Impact of Parameterization of Physical Processes on Simulation of Track and Intensity of Tropical Cyclone Nargis (2008) with WRF-NMM Model

PubMed Central

Pattanayak, Sujata; Mohanty, U. C.; Osuri, Krishna K.

2012-01-01

The present study is carried out to investigate the performance of different cumulus convection, planetary boundary layer, land surface processes, and microphysics parameterization schemes in the simulation of a very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS) Nargis (2008), developed in the central Bay of Bengal on 27 April 2008. For this purpose, the nonhydrostatic mesoscale model (NMM) dynamic core of weather research and forecasting (WRF) system is used. Model-simulated track positions and intensity in terms of minimum central mean sea level pressure (MSLP), maximum surface wind (10 m), and precipitation are verified with observations as provided by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM). The estimated optimum combination is reinvestigated with six different initial conditions of the same case to have better conclusion on the performance of WRF-NMM. A few more diagnostic fields like vertical velocity, vorticity, and heat fluxes are also evaluated. The results indicate that cumulus convection play an important role in the movement of the cyclone, and PBL has a crucial role in the intensification of the storm. The combination of Simplified Arakawa Schubert (SAS) convection, Yonsei University (YSU) PBL, NMM land surface, and Ferrier microphysics parameterization schemes in WRF-NMM give better track and intensity forecast with minimum vector displacement error. PMID:22701366

Some design considerations for planetary relay communications satellites.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barber, T. A.; Bourke, R. D.

1966-01-01

Items affecting information transmitted from payload landed on remote planet to earth via communications satellite including orbit, transmission policy and orbit injection error effect on communication capability

Some design considerations for planetary relay communications satellites.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barber, T. A.; Bourke, R. D.

1966-01-01

Items affecting information transmitted from payload landed on remote planet to Earth via communications satellite including orbit, transmission policy and orbit injection error effect on communication capability

Europlanet Research Infrastructure: Planetary Simulation Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, G. R.; Mason, N. J.; Green, S.; Gómez, F.; Prieto, O.; Helbert, J.; Colangeli, L.; Srama, R.; Grande, M.; Merrison, J.

2008-09-01

EuroPlanet The Europlanet Research Infrastructure consortium funded under FP7 aims to provide the EU Planetary Science community greater access for to research infrastructure. A series of networking and outreach initiatives will be complimented by joint research activities and the formation of three Trans National Access distributed service laboratories (TNA's) to provide a unique and comprehensive set of analogue field sites, laboratory simulation facilities, and extraterrestrial sample analysis tools. Here we report on the infrastructure that comprises the second TNA; Planetary Simulation Facilities. 11 laboratory based facilities are able to recreate the conditions found in the atmospheres and on the surfaces of planetary systems with specific emphasis on Martian, Titan and Europa analogues. The strategy has been to offer some overlap in capabilities to ensure access to the highest number of users and to allow for progressive and efficient development strategies. For example initial testing of mobility capability prior to the step wise development within planetary atmospheres that can be made progressively more hostile through the introduction of extreme temperatures, radiation, wind and dust. Europlanet Research Infrastructure Facilties: Mars atmosphere simulation chambers at VUA and OU These relatively large chambers (up to 1 x 0.5 x 0.5 m) simulate Martian atmospheric conditions and the dual cooling options at VUA allows stabilised instrument temperatures while the remainder of the sample chamber can be varied between 220K and 350K. Researchers can therefore assess analytical protocols for instruments operating on Mars; e.g. effect of pCO2, temperature and material (e.g., ± ice) on spectroscopic and laser ablation techniques while monitoring the performance of detection technologies such as CCD at low T & variable p H2O & pCO2. Titan atmosphere and surface simulation chamber at OU The chamber simulates Titan's atmospheric composition under a range of pressures and temperatures and through provision of external UV light and or electrical discharge can be used to form the well known Titan Aerosol species, which can subsequently be analysed using one of several analytical techniques (UV-Vis, FTIR and mass spectrometry). Simulated surfaces can be produced (icy surfaces down to 15K) and subjected to a variety of light and particles (electron and ion) sources. Chemical and physical changes in the surface may be explored using remote spectroscopy. Planetary Simulation chamber for low density atmospheres INTA-CAB The planetary simulation chamber-ultra-high vacuum equipment (PSC-UHV) has been designed to study planetary surfaces and low dense atmospheres, space environments or any other hypothetic environment at UHV. Total pressure ranges from 7 mbar (Martian conditions) to 5x10-9 mbar. A residual gas analyzer regulates gas compositions to ppm precision. Temperature ranges from 4K to 325K and most operations are computer controlled. Radiation levels are simulated using a deuterium UV lamp, and ionization sources. 5 KV electron and noble-gas discharge UV allows measurement of IR and UV spectra and chemical compositions are determined by mass spectroscopy. Planetary Simulation chamber for high density planetary atmospheres at INTA-CAB The facility allows experimental study of planetary environments under high pressure, and was designed to include underground, seafloor and dense atmosphere environments. Analytical capabilities include Raman spectra, physicochemical properties of materials, e.a. thermal conductivity. P-T can be controlled as independent variables to allow monitoring of the tolerance of microorganisms and the stability of materials and their phase changes. Planetary Simulation chamber for icy surfaces at INTA-CAB This chamber is being developed to the growth of ice samples to simulate the chemical and physical properties of ices found on both planetary bodies and their moons. The goal is to allow measurement of the physical properties of ice samples formed under planetary conditions to assess how rheology varies with pressure and temperature and grain size to gain a far better understanding of how tectonics may operate on icy moons. Hot planetary surfaces simulation chamber at DLR The planetary simulation chamber is to study the behaviour of planetary analogue materials on the surface of hot (airless) bodies in the solar system. Samples can be heated up to temperatures of 500°C simulating conditions found on the surface of Mercury and Venus. This enables highly accurate thermal emission measurements using the integrated infrared spectrometer and calibrated sources. Thermal gradients can be applied to samples to simulate diurnal thermal cycles and examine thermal stresses in materials. The chamber can be placed under vacuum or purged with gas. In addition, to the high temperature chamber a number of further planetary simulation chambers are available equipped with LIBS and Raman-spectroscopy equipment. Dust analogue simulation chamber at INAF/OACN This facility produces and characterises dust analogues (arc discharge, laser ablation, grinding of minerals, ices) in a variety of simulation chambers under variable pressure (10-6 - 10-3 mbar), temperature (80 - 330 K) and gas composition. Dust and analogues are characterised by a variety of Spectroscopic (absorption, transmission, diffuse-specular reflectance) and imaging techniques (SEM) and can be subjected to thermal annealing, ion bombardment and UV irradiation. Dust accelerator facility at Max Planck Institüt Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg. This facility allows the investigation of hypervelocity dust impacts onto various materials. Dust grain materials from nano to micron sizes are accelerated using a 2 MV Vande- Graaff to velocities between 1 and 60 km/s comparable to the planetary rings of the giant gas planets and impact ejecta processes on the surface of small bodies (asteroids, comets) as well as moons and planetary surfaces. Potential phenomena for study include dust charging, dust magentosphere interactions, dust impact flashes and the possibility of obtaining compositional measurements of impact plasma plumes. Mars surface simulation Laboratory, Aberystwyth University. A Planetary Analogue Terrain Laboratory facilitates comprehensive mission operations emulation experiments designed to interpret and maximise scientific data return from robotic instruments. This facility includes Mars Soil Simulant and `science target' rocks that have been fully characterised. The terrain also has an area for sub-surface sampling. An Access Grid Node allows simulation of remote control operation and diminishes the need for direct onsite attendance. PAT Lab has a large selection of software tools for rover, robot arm and instrument modelling and simulation, and for the processing and visualisation of captured instrument data. Instrument motion is measured using a Vicon motion capture system with a resolution < 0.1 mm. Dusty wind tunnel at Aarhus University, Denmark The Aarhus wind tunnel simulates wind driven dust exposure on Mars. This allows study into analogue materials, dust/surface processes, meteorological condition and microbiological survival under Martian conditions. The multipurpose facility is used to quantify dust deposition (i.e. on optical surfaces, electrical or mechanical components) and examine the operation of instrumentation in dusty/windy environment under Martian conditions (pressure, gas composition & temperature). This includes calibration of wind flow instrumentation and dust sensors.

The Time Series Technique for Aerosol Retrievals over Land from MODIS: Algorithm MAIAC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyapustin, Alexei; Wang, Yujie

2008-01-01

Atmospheric aerosols interact with sun light by scattering and absorbing radiation. By changing irradiance of the Earth surface, modifying cloud fractional cover and microphysical properties and a number of other mechanisms, they affect the energy balance, hydrological cycle, and planetary climate [IPCC, 2007]. In many world regions there is a growing impact of aerosols on air quality and human health. The Earth Observing System [NASA, 1999] initiated high quality global Earth observations and operational aerosol retrievals over land. With the wide swath (2300 km) of MODIS instrument, the MODIS Dark Target algorithm [Kaufman et al., 1997; Remer et al., 2005; Levy et al., 2007] currently complemented with the Deep Blue method [Hsu et al., 2004] provides daily global view of planetary atmospheric aerosol. The MISR algorithm [Martonchik et al., 1998; Diner et al., 2005] makes high quality aerosol retrievals in 300 km swaths covering the globe in 8 days. With MODIS aerosol program being very successful, there are still several unresolved issues in the retrieval algorithms. The current processing is pixel-based and relies on a single-orbit data. Such an approach produces a single measurement for every pixel characterized by two main unknowns, aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and surface reflectance (SR). This lack of information constitutes a fundamental problem of the remote sensing which cannot be resolved without a priori information. For example, MODIS Dark Target algorithm makes spectral assumptions about surface reflectance, whereas the Deep Blue method uses ancillary global database of surface reflectance composed from minimal monthly measurements with Rayleigh correction. Both algorithms use Lambertian surface model. The surface-related assumptions in the aerosol retrievals may affect subsequent atmospheric correction in unintended way. For example, the Dark Target algorithm uses an empirical relationship to predict SR in the Blue (B3) and Red (B1) bands from the 2.1 m channel (B7) for the purpose of aerosol retrieval. Obviously, the subsequent atmospheric correction will produce the same SR in the red and blue bands as predicted, i.e. an empirical function of 2.1. In other words, the spectral, spatial and temporal variability of surface reflectance in the Blue and Red bands appears borrowed from band B7. This may have certain implications for the vegetation and global carbon analysis because the chlorophyll-sensing bands B1, B3 are effectively substituted in terms of variability by band B7, which is sensitive to the plant liquid water. This chapter describes a new recently developed generic aerosol-surface retrieval algorithm for MODIS. The Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm simultaneously retrieves AOT and surface bi-directional reflection factor (BRF) using the time series of MODIS measurements.

Planetary science: A lunar perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, S. R.

1982-01-01

An interpretative synthesis of current knowledge on the moon and the terrestrial planets is presented, emphasizing the impact of recent lunar research (using Apollo data and samples) on theories of planetary morphology and evolution. Chapters are included on the exploration of the solar system; geology and stratigraphy; meteorite impacts, craters, and multiring basins; planetary surfaces; planetary crusts; basaltic volcanism; planetary interiors; the chemical composition of the planets; the origin and evolution of the moon and planets; and the significance of lunar and planetary exploration. Photographs, drawings, graphs, tables of quantitative data, and a glossary are provided.

Novel 3D imaging techniques for improved understanding of planetary surface geomorphology.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Jan-Peter

2015-04-01

Understanding the role of different planetary surface formation processes within our Solar System is one of the fundamental goals of planetary science research. There has been a revolution in planetary surface observations over the past decade for Mars and the Moon, especially in 3D imaging of surface shape (down to resolutions of 75cm) and subsequent correction for terrain relief of imagery from orbiting and co-registration of lander and rover robotic images. We present some of the recent highlights including 3D modelling of surface shape from the ESA Mars Express HRSC (High Resolution Stereo Camera), see [1], [2] at 30-100m grid-spacing; and then co-registered to HRSC using a resolution cascade of 20m DTMs from NASA MRO stereo-CTX and 0.75m DTMs from MRO stereo-HiRISE [3]. This has opened our eyes to the formation mechanisms of megaflooding events, such as the formation of Iani Vallis and the upstream blocky terrain, to crater lakes and receding valley cuts [4]. A comparable set of products is now available for the Moon from LROC-WA at 100m [5] and LROC-NA at 1m [6]. Recently, a very novel technique for the super-resolution restoration (SRR) of stacks of images has been developed at UCL [7]. First examples shown will be of the entire MER-A Spirit rover traverse taking a stack of 25cm HiRISE to generate a corridor of SRR images along the rover traverse of 5cm imagery of unresolved features such as rocks, created as a consequence of meteoritic bombardment, ridge and valley features. This SRR technique will allow us for ˜400 areas on Mars (where 5 or more HiRISE images have been captured) and similar numbers on the Moon to resolve sub-pixel features. Examples will be shown of how these SRR images can be employed to assist with the better understanding of surface geomorphology. Acknowledgements: The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under PRoViDE grant agreement n° 312377. Partial support is also provided from the STFC 'MSSL Consolidated Grant' ST/K000977/1. References: [1] Gwinner, K., F. et al. (2010) Topography of Mars from global mapping by HRSC high-resolution digital terrain models and orthoimages: characteristics and performance. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 294, 506-519, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.11.007, 2010; [2] Gwinner, K., F. et al. (2015) MarsExpress High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) Multi-orbit Data Products: Methodology, Mapping Concepts and Performance for the first Quadrangle (MC-11E). Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 17, EGU2015-13832; [3] Kim, J., & Muller, J. (2009). Multi-resolution topographic data extraction from Martian stereo imagery. Planetary and Space Science, 57, 2095-2112. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2009.09.024; [4] Warner, N. H., Gupta, S., Kim, J.-R., Muller, J.-P., Le Corre, L., Morley, J., et al. (2011). Constraints on the origin and evolution of Iani Chaos, Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research, 116(E6), E06003. doi:10.1029/2010JE003787; [5] Fok, H. S., Shum, C. K., Yi, Y., Araki, H., Ping, J., Williams, J. G., et al. (2011). Accuracy assessment of lunar topography models. Earth Planets Space, 63, 15-23. doi:10.5047/eps.2010.08.005; [6] Haase, I., Oberst, J., Scholten, F., Wählisch, M., Gläser, P., Karachevtseva, I., & Robinson, M. S. (2012). Mapping the Apollo 17 landing site area based on Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera images and Apollo surface photography - Haase - 2012 - Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets (1991-2012). Journal of Geophysical Research, 117, E00H20. doi:10.1029/2011JE003908; [7] Tao, Y., Muller, J.-P. (2015) Supporting lander and rover operation: a novel super-resolution restoration technique. Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 17, EGU2015-6925

Spectral Feature Analysis of Minerals and Planetary Surfaces in an Introductory Planetary Science Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urban, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Using an ALTA II reflectance spectrometer, the USGS digital spectral library, graphs of planetary spectra, and a few mineral hand samples, one can teach how light can be used to study planets and moons. The author created the hands-on, inquiry-based activity for an undergraduate planetary science course consisting of freshman to senior level…

KSC-2014-1695

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high on its seventh free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet, its highest to date. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Mike Chambers

KSC-2014-1698

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high on its seventh free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet, its highest to date. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Mike Chambers

KSC-2014-1696

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high on its seventh free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet, its highest to date. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Mike Chambers

Morpheus 1C preps & post launch activities

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Technicians prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for its seventh free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet, its highest to date. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Morpheus 1C preps & post launch activities

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Engineers and technicians prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for its seventh free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet, its highest to date. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-1699

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Project Morpheus prototype lander touches down in the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field after completing its seventh free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet, its highest to date. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Mike Chambers

KSC-2014-1697

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Project Morpheus prototype lander soars high on its seventh free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet, its highest to date. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Mike Chambers

Morpheus 1C preps & post launch activities

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Preparations are underway to prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for its seventh free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet, its highest to date. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Morpheus 1C preps & post launch activities

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Project Morpheus prototype lander is transported to the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the seventh free flight test. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet, its highest to date. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-1694

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Project Morpheus prototype lander begins to ascend on its seventh free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet, its highest to date. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Mike Chambers

Orbital SAR and Ground-Penetrating Radar for Mars: Complementary Tools in the Search for Water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, B. A.; Grant, J. A.

2000-01-01

The physical structure and compositional variability of the upper martian crust is poorly understood. Optical and infrared measurements probe at most the top few cm of the surface layer and indicate the presence of layered volcanics and sediments, but it is likely that permafrost, hydrothermal deposits, and transient liquid water pockets occur at depths of meters to kilometers within the crust. An orbital synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can provide constraints on surface roughness, the depth of fine-grained aeolian or volcanic deposits, and the presence of strongly absorbing near-surface deposits such as carbonates. This information is crucial to the successful landing and operation of any rover designed to search for subsurface water. A rover-based ground-penetrating radar (GPR) can reveal layering in the upper crust, the presence of erosional or other subsurface horizons, depth to a permafrost layer, and direct detection of near-surface transient liquid water. We detail here the radar design parameters likely to provide the best information for Mars, based on experience with SAR and GPR in analogous terrestrial or planetary environments.

Project Morpheus: Lean Development of a Terrestrial Flight Testbed for Maturing NASA Lander Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devolites, Jennifer L.; Olansen, Jon B.

2015-01-01

NASA's Morpheus Project has developed and tested a prototype planetary lander capable of vertical takeoff and landing that is designed to serve as a testbed for advanced spacecraft technologies. The lander vehicle, propelled by a Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/Methane engine and sized to carry a 500kg payload to the lunar surface, provides a platform for bringing technologies from the laboratory into an integrated flight system at relatively low cost. In 2012, Morpheus began integrating the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) sensors and software onto the vehicle in order to demonstrate safe, autonomous landing and hazard avoidance. From the beginning, one of goals for the Morpheus Project was to streamline agency processes and practices. The Morpheus project accepted a challenge to tailor the traditional NASA systems engineering approach in a way that would be appropriate for a lower cost, rapid prototype engineering effort, but retain the essence of the guiding principles. This paper describes the tailored project life cycle and systems engineering approach for the Morpheus project, including the processes, tools, and amount of rigor employed over the project's multiple lifecycles since the project began in fiscal year (FY) 2011.

Sensitivity of the WRF model to the lower boundary in an extreme precipitation event - Madeira island case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teixeira, J. C.; Carvalho, A. C.; Carvalho, M. J.; Luna, T.; Rocha, A.

2014-08-01

The advances in satellite technology in recent years have made feasible the acquisition of high-resolution information on the Earth's surface. Examples of such information include elevation and land use, which have become more detailed. Including this information in numerical atmospheric models can improve their results in simulating lower boundary forced events, by providing detailed information on their characteristics. Consequently, this work aims to study the sensitivity of the weather research and forecast (WRF) model to different topography as well as land-use simulations in an extreme precipitation event. The test case focused on a topographically driven precipitation event over the island of Madeira, which triggered flash floods and mudslides in the southern parts of the island. Difference fields between simulations were computed, showing that the change in the data sets produced statistically significant changes to the flow, the planetary boundary layer structure and precipitation patterns. Moreover, model results show an improvement in model skill in the windward region for precipitation and in the leeward region for wind, in spite of the non-significant enhancement in the overall results with higher-resolution data sets of topography and land use.

Development of Navigation Doppler Lidar for Future Landing Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin; Hines, Glenn D.; Petway, Larry B.; Barnes, Bruce W.; Pierrottet, Diego F.; Carson, John M., III

2016-01-01

A coherent Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL) sensor has been developed under the Autonomous precision Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project to support future NASA missions to planetary bodies. This lidar sensor provides accurate surface-relative altitude and vector velocity data during the descent phase that can be used by an autonomous Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) system to precisely navigate the vehicle from a few kilometers above the ground to a designated location and execute a controlled soft touchdown. The operation and performance of the NDL was demonstrated through closed-loop flights onboard the rocket-propelled Morpheus vehicle in 2014. In Morpheus flights, conducted at the NASA Kennedy Space Center, the NDL data was used by an autonomous GN&C system to navigate and land the vehicle precisely at the selected location surrounded by hazardous rocks and craters. Since then, development efforts for the NDL have shifted toward enhancing performance, optimizing design, and addressing spaceflight size and mass constraints and environmental and reliability requirements. The next generation NDL, with expanded operational envelope and significantly reduced size, will be demonstrated in 2017 through a new flight test campaign onboard a commercial rocketpropelled test vehicle.

Joint Europa Mission (JEM) : A multi-scale study of Europa to characterize its habitability and search for life.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanc, Michel; Prieto Ballesteros, Olga; Andre, Nicolas; Cooper, John F.

2017-04-01

Europa is the closest and probably the most promising target to perform a comprehensive characterization of habitability and search for extant life. We propose that NASA and ESA join forces to design an ambitious planetary mission we call JEM (for Joint Europa Mission) to reach this objective. JEM will be assigned the following overarching goal: Understand Europa as a complex system responding to Jupiter system forcing, characterize the habitability of its potential biosphere, and search for life in its surface, sub-surface and exosphere. Our observation strategy to address these goals will combine three scientific measurement sequences: measurements on a high-latitude, low-latitude Europan orbit providing a continuous and global mapping of planetary fields (magnetic and gravity) and of the neutral and charged environment during a period of three months; in-situ measurements at the surface, using a soft lander operating during 35 days, to search for bio-signatures at the surface and sub-surface and operate a geophysical station; measurements of the chemical composition of the very low exosphere and plumes in search for biomolecules. The implementation of these three observation sequences will rest on the combination of two science platforms equipped with the most advanced instrumentation: a soft lander to perform all scientific measurements at the surface and sub-surface at a selected landing site, and a carrier/relay/orbiter to perform the orbital survey and descent sequences. In this concept, the orbiter will perform science operations during the relay phase on a carefully optimized halo orbit of the Europa-Jupiter system before moving to its final Europan orbit. The design of both orbiter and lander instruments will have to accommodate the very challenging radiation mitigation and Planetary Protection issues. The proposed lander science platform is composed of a geophysical station and of two complementary astrobiology facilities dedicated to bio-signature characterization experiments operating respectively in the solid and in the liquid phases, fed by a common articulated arm. The "Astrobiology Wet Laboratory" will be a specific European contribution. We propose an innovative distribution of roles to make JEM an appealing and affordable joint venture for the two agencies: while NASA would provide an SLS launcher, the lander stack and mission operations, ESA would provide the carrier-orbiter-relay platform. The delivery of the orbiter by ESA could take advantage of a double European heritage: an adaptation of the ORION ESM bus to JEM, complemented by avionics derived from JUICE.

Coherent Doppler Lidar for Precision Navigation of Spacecrafts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin; Pierrottet, Diego; Petway, Larry; Hines, Glenn; Lockhard, George; Barnes, Bruce

2011-01-01

A fiber-based coherent Doppler lidar, utilizing an FMCW technique, has been developed and its capabilities demonstrated through two successful helicopter flight test campaigns. This Doppler lidar is expected to play a critical role in future planetary exploration missions because of its ability in providing the necessary data for soft landing on the planetary bodies and for landing missions requiring precision navigation to the designated location on the ground. Compared with radars, the Doppler lidar can provide significantly higher precision velocity and altitude data at a much higher rate without concerns for measurement ambiguity or target clutter. Future work calls for testing the Doppler lidar onboard a rocket-powered free-flyer platform operating in a closed-loop with the vehicle s guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) unit.

MEMS-Based Micro Instruments for In-Situ Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

George, Thomas; Urgiles, Eduardo R; Toda, Risaku; Wilcox, Jaroslava Z.; Douglas, Susanne; Lee, C-S.; Son, Kyung-Ah; Miller, D.; Myung, N.; Madsen, L.;

Titan's surface and atmosphere from Cassini/VIMS data with updated methane opacity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirtzig, M.; Bézard, B.; Coustenis, A.; Lellouch, E.; Drossart, P.; deBergh, C.; Campargue, A.; Boudon, V.; Tyuterev, V.; Rannou, P.; Cours, T.; Kassi, S.; Nikitin, A.; Wang, L.; Solomonidou, A.; Schmitt, B.; Rodriguez, S.

2012-04-01

In this paper we present an updated analysis of VIMS data in view of recent developments on the methane opacity in the 1.3-5.2 µm region, a very important parameter in simulating Titan's spectrum. We use a multi-stream radiative transfer model, benefitting from the latest methane absorption coefficients available [1], which allows us to determine more accurately the haze and surface contributions. This code is applied to Cassini/VIMS spectro-imaging data of various regions with very different spectral responses to extract information on the content of the lower atmosphere (0-200 km) as well as on the surface properties. In particular, we update the DISR aerosol model [2] for the Huygens landing site that we then adjust to fit the data for other locations on Titan's disk. Fitting VIMS data taken from 2004 to 2010 (TA to T70), around Titan's mid-latitudes (40°S-40°N), we determine the latitudinal and temporal evolution of the aerosol population, monitoring the North-South Asymmetry. While around the equinox [3] witnessed the collapse of the detached haze layer, we measure a continuous depletion of the aerosols throughout the atmosphere, although the NSA remains with a brighter northern hemisphere. Using this improved atmospheric model, we also retrieve surface albedos simultaneously for all the seven windows in the whole VIMS range for these regions, also recovering the shape of the surface albedo within each window. Eventually, we look for Titan's surface probable chemical composition, using mixtures of dark and complex hydrocarbons like bitumens and tholins, as well as bright CH4, CO2, NH3 and H2O ices of various grain sizes. [4] [1] Campargue, A. et al., (2012) Icarus, submitted. [2] Tomasko, M. et al., (2008) Planetary and Space Science, 56, 669. [3] West, R.A. et al., (2011) Geophysical Research Letters, 38, L06204. [4] Hirtzig, M. et al., (2012) Planetary and Space Science, submitted.

Data catalog series for space science and applications flight missions. Volume 1A: Brief descriptions of planetary and heliocentric spacecraft and investigations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cameron, W. S. (Editor); Vostreys, R. W. (Editor)

1982-01-01

Planetary and heliocentric spacecraft, including planetary flybys and probes, are described. Imaging, particles and fields, ultraviolet, infrared, radio science and celestial mechanics, atmospheres, surface chemistry, biology, and polarization are discussed.

Viking Lander 2 Anniversary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site]

This portion of a daytime IR image covers the Viking 2 landing site (shown with the X). The second landing on Mars took place September 3, 1976 in Utopia Planitia. The exact location of Lander 2 is not as well established as Lander 1 because there were no clearly identifiable features in the lander images as there were for the site of Lander 1. The Utopia landing site region contains pedestal craters, shallow swales and gentle ridges. The crater Goldstone was named in honor of the Tracking Station in the desert of California. The two Viking Landers operated for over 6 years (nearly four martian years) after landing. This one band IR (band 9 at 12.6 microns) image shows bright and dark textures, which are primarily due to differences in the abundance of rocks on the surface. The relatively cool (dark) regions during the day are rocky or indurated materials, fine sand and dust are warmer (bright). Many of the temperature variations are due to slope effects, with sun-facing slopes warmer than shaded slopes. The dark rings around several of the craters are due to the presence of rocky (cool) material ejected from the crater. These rocks are well below the resolution of any existing Mars camera, but THEMIS can detect the temperature variations they produce. Daytime temperature variations are produced by a combination of topographic (solar heating) and thermophysical (thermal inertia and albedo) effects. Due to topographic heating the surface morphologies seen in THEMIS daytime IR images are similar to those seen in previous imagery and MOLA topography.

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Integrated optimization of planetary rover layout and exploration routes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Dongoo; Ahn, Jaemyung

2018-01-01

This article introduces an optimization framework for the integrated design of a planetary surface rover and its exploration route that is applicable to the initial phase of a planetary exploration campaign composed of multiple surface missions. The scientific capability and the mobility of a rover are modelled as functions of the science weight fraction, a key parameter characterizing the rover. The proposed problem is formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear program that maximizes the sum of profits obtained through a planetary surface exploration mission by simultaneously determining the science weight fraction of the rover, the sites to visit and their visiting sequences under resource consumption constraints imposed on each route and collectively on a mission. A solution procedure for the proposed problem composed of two loops (the outer loop and the inner loop) is developed. The results of test cases demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed framework are presented.

Fluvial geomorphology on Earth-like planetary surfaces: A review.

PubMed

Baker, Victor R; Hamilton, Christopher W; Burr, Devon M; Gulick, Virginia C; Komatsu, Goro; Luo, Wei; Rice, James W; Rodriguez, J A P

2015-09-15

Morphological evidence for ancient channelized flows (fluvial and fluvial-like landforms) exists on the surfaces of all of the inner planets and on some of the satellites of the Solar System. In some cases, the relevant fluid flows are related to a planetary evolution that involves the global cycling of a volatile component (water for Earth and Mars; methane for Saturn's moon Titan). In other cases, as on Mercury, Venus, Earth's moon, and Jupiter's moon Io, the flows were of highly fluid lava. The discovery, in 1972, of what are now known to be fluvial channels and valleys on Mars sparked a major controversy over the role of water in shaping the surface of that planet. The recognition of the fluvial character of these features has opened unresolved fundamental questions about the geological history of water on Mars, including the presence of an ancient ocean and the operation of a hydrological cycle during the earliest phases of planetary history. Other fundamental questions posed by fluvial and fluvial-like features on planetary bodies include the possible erosive action of large-scale outpourings of very fluid lavas, such as those that may have produced the remarkable canali forms on Venus; the ability of exotic fluids, such as methane, to create fluvial-like landforms, as observed on Saturn's moon, Titan; and the nature of sedimentation and erosion under different conditions of planetary surface gravity. Planetary fluvial geomorphology also illustrates fundamental epistemological and methodological issues, including the role of analogy in geomorphological/geological inquiry.

Intercomparison of 7 Planetary Boundary-Layer/Surface-Layer Physics Schemes over Complex Terrain for Battlefield Situational Awareness

DTIC Science & Technology

This study considers the performance of 7 of the Weather Research and Forecast model boundary-layer (BL) parameterization schemes in a complex...schemes performed best. The surface parameters, planetary BL structure, and vertical profiles are important for US Army Research Laboratory

MASCOT2 - A small body lander to investigate the interior of 65803 Didymos‧ moon in the frame of the AIDA/AIM mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lange, Caroline; Biele, Jens; Ulamec, Stephan; Krause, Christian; Cozzoni, Barbara; Küchemann, Oliver; Tardivel, Simon; Ho, Tra-Mi; Grimm, Christian; Grundmann, Jan Thimo; Wejmo, Elisabet; Schröder, Silvio; Lange, Michael; Reill, Josef; Hérique, Alain; Rogez, Yves; Plettemeier, Dirk; Carnelli, Ian; Galvez, Andrés; Philippe, Christian; Küppers, Michael; Grieger, Björn; Fernandez, Jesus Gil; Grygorczuk, Jerzy; Tokarz, Marta; Ziach, Christian

2018-08-01

In the frame of Near-Earth-Object exploration and planetary defence, the two-part AIDA mission is currently studied by NASA and ESA. Being composed of a kinetic impactor, DART (NASA), and by an observing spacecraft, AIM (ESA), AIDA has been designed to deliver vital data to determine the momentum transfer efficiency of a kinetic impact onto a small body and the key physical properties of the target asteroid. This will enable derivation of the impact response of the object as a function of its physical properties, a crucial quantitative point besides the qualitative proof of the deflection. In the course of the AIM mission definition, a lander has been studied as an essential element of the overall mission architecture. It was meant to be deployed on Didymoon, the secondary body of the binary NEA system 65803 Didymos and it was supposed to significantly enhance the analysis of the body's dynamical state, mass, geophysical properties, surface and subsurface structure. The mission profile and the design of the 13 kg (current best estimate) nano-lander have been derived from the MASCOT lander flying aboard Hayabusa2. Differing from its predecessor by having an increased lifetime of more than three months, a surface mobility capability including directed movement, a sensor system for localization and attitude determination on the surface and a redesigned mechanical interface to the mother spacecraft. The MASCOT2 instrument suite consists of a bi-static, low frequency radar as main instrument, supported by an accelerometer, a camera, a radiometer and a magnetometer; the latter three already flying on MASCOT. Besides the radar measurements, the camera is meant to provide high-resolution images of the landing area, and accelerometers to record the bouncing dynamics by which the top surface mechanical properties can be determined. During the DART impact, MASCOT2 was expected to be able to detect the seismic shock, providing valuable information on the internal structure of the body. MASCOT2 was supposed also to serve as a technology demonstrator for very small asteroid landing and extended operations powered by a solar generator. In this paper, we describe the science concept, mission analysis of the separation, descent and landing phase, the operational timeline, and the latest status of the lander's design. Despite the fact that AIM funding has not been fully confirmed during the ESA Ministerial conference in 2016, MASCOT2 is an instrument package of high maturity and major interest for planetary defence and NEO science. With appropriate tailoring and optimization, it can be considered and studied for future missions.

New Design and Improvement of Planetary Gear Trains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Handschuh, Robert (Technical Monitor); Litvin, Faydor L.; Fuentes, Alfonso; Vecchiato, Daniele; Gonzalez-Perez, Ignacio

2004-01-01

The development of new types of planetary and planetary face-gear drives is proposed. The new designs are based on regulating backlash between the gears and modifying the tooth surfaces to improve the design. The goal of this work is to obtain a nearly uniform distribution of load between the planet gears. In addition, a new type of planetary face-gear drive was developed in this project.

Thermal Modeling on Planetary Regoliths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hale, A. S.; Hapke, B.W.

2002-01-01

The thermal region of the spectrum is one of special interest in planetary science as it is the only region where planetary emission is significant. Studying how planetary surfaces emit in the thermal infrared can tell us about their physical makeup and chemical composition, as well as their temperature profile with depth. This abstract will discuss a model of thermal energy transfer in planetary regoliths on airless bodies which includes both conductive and radiative processes while including the time dependence of the solar input function.

Morpheus Alhat Integrated and Laser Test

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and technicians prepare the Project Morpheus prototype lander for an automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, and laser test at a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch pad was moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. The seventh free flight test of Morpheus occurred on March 11. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Morpheus Alhat Integrated and Laser Test

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers run an automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, and laser test on the Project Morpheus prototype lander at a new launch site at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch pad was moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. The seventh free flight test of Morpheus occurred on March 11. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Morpheus 1C preps & post launch activities

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - An engineer checks the Project Morpheus prototype lander after it landed in the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field, completing its seventh free flight test at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet, its highest to date. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Morpheus Launch Pad Move

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Construction workers assist as a crane lowers a portion of the launch pad for the Project Morpheus prototype lander onto a transporter at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch pad is being moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. Morpheus completed its seventh free flight test on March 11. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

Morpheus Launch Pad Move

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-03-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Construction workers assist as a crane lowers a large portion of the launch pad for the Project Morpheus prototype lander onto a transporter at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch pad is being moved to a different location at the landing facility to support the next phase of flight testing. Morpheus completed its seventh free flight test on March 11. The 83-second test began at 3:41 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending to 580 feet. Morpheus then flew its fastest downrange trek at 30 mph, travelling farther than before, 837 feet. The lander performed a 42-foot divert to emulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before descending and touching down on Landing Site 2, at the northern landing pad inside the automated landing and hazard avoidance technology ALHAT hazard field. Morpheus landed within one foot of its intended target. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, or green propellants, into a fully-operational lander that could deliver cargo to other planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2014-2341

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-04-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Engineers and technicians check NASA's Project Morpheus prototype lander after it touched down on a dedicated landing pad inside the autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology, or ALHAT, hazard field at the north end of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Morpheus launched on a free-flight test from a new launch pad at the north end of the landing facility. The 98-second test began at 1:57 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending more than 800 feet at a peak speed of 36 mph. The vehicle, with its recently installed ALHAT sensors, surveyed the hazard field to determine safe landing sites. Morpheus then flew forward and downward covering approximately 1300 feet while performing a 78-foot divert to simulate a hazard avoidance maneuver before landing on the dedicated pad inside the ALHAT hazard field. Project Morpheus tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These new capabilities could be used in future efforts to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. The landing facility provides the lander with the kind of field necessary for realistic testing, complete with rocks, craters and hazards to avoid. Morpheus’ ALHAT payload allows it to navigate to clear landing sites amidst rocks, craters and other hazards during its descent. Project Morpheus is being managed under the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, Division in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The efforts in AES pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. For more information on Project Morpheus, visit http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett