ESA Planetary Science Archive Architecture and Data Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arviset, C.; Barbarisi, I.; Besse, S.; Barthelemy, M.; de Marchi, G.; Docasal, R.; Fraga, D.; Grotheer, E.; Heather, D.; Laantee, C.; Lim, T.; Macfarlane, A.; Martinez, S.; Montero, A.; Osinde, J.; Rios, C.; Saiz, J.; Vallat, C.

2018-04-01

The Planetary Science Archive is the European Space Agency repository of science data from all planetary science and exploration missions. This paper presents PSA's content, architecture, user interfaces, and the relation between the PSA and IPDA.

A Notional Example of Understanding Human Exploration Traverses on the Lunar Surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gruener, John

2012-01-01

Mr. Gruener received an M.S. in physical science, with an emphasis in planetary geology, from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1994. He then began working with NASA JSC.s Solar System Exploration Division on the development of prototype planetary science instruments, the development of a mineral-based substrate for nutrient delivery to plant growth systems in bio-regenerative life support systems, and in support of the Mars Exploration Rover missions in rock and mineral identification. In 2004, Mr. Gruener again participated in a renewed effort to plan and design missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. He participated in many exploration planning activities, including NASA.s Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS), Global Exploration Strategy Workshop, Lunar Architecture Team 1 and 2, Constellation Lunar Architecture Team, the Global Point of Departure Lunar Exploration Team, and the NASA Advisory Council (NAC) Workshop on Science Associated with the Lunar Exploration Architecture. Mr. Gruener has also been an active member of the science team supporting NASA.s Desert Research and Technology Studies (RATS).

Communication System Architecture for Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braham, Stephen P.; Alena, Richard; Gilbaugh, Bruce; Glass, Brian; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Future human missions to Mars will require effective communications supporting exploration activities and scientific field data collection. Constraints on cost, size, weight and power consumption for all communications equipment make optimization of these systems very important. These information and communication systems connect people and systems together into coherent teams performing the difficult and hazardous tasks inherent in planetary exploration. The communication network supporting vehicle telemetry data, mission operations, and scientific collaboration must have excellent reliability, and flexibility.

Robotic Planetary Drill Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, Brian J.; Thompson, S.; Paulsen, G.

2010-01-01

Several proposed or planned planetary science missions to Mars and other Solar System bodies over the next decade require subsurface access by drilling. This paper discusses the problems of remote robotic drilling, an automation and control architecture based loosely on observed human behaviors in drilling on Earth, and an overview of robotic drilling field test results using this architecture since 2005. Both rotary-drag and rotary-percussive drills are targeted. A hybrid diagnostic approach incorporates heuristics, model-based reasoning and vibration monitoring with neural nets. Ongoing work leads to flight-ready drilling software.

Planetary Migration and Kuiper Belt Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malhotra, Renu

The Kuiper belt holds memory of the dynamical processes that shaped the architecture of the solar system, including the orbital migration history of the giant planets. We propose studies of the orbital dynamics of the Kuiper Belt in order to understand the origin of its complex dynamical structure and its link to the orbital migration history of the giant planets. By means of numerical simulations, statistical tests, as well as analytical calculations we will (1) investigate the origin of resonant Kuiper belt objects to test alternative scenarios of Neptune's migration history, (2) investigate the long term dynamical evolution of the Haumea family of Kuiper Belt objects in order to improve the age estimate of this family, and (3) investigate resonance-sticking behavior and the Kozai-Lidov mechanism and its role in the origin of the extended scattered disk. These studies directly support the goals of the NASA-OSS program by improving our understanding of the origin of the solar system's architecture. Our results will provide constraints on the nature and timing of the dynamical excitation event that is thought to have occurred in early solar system history and to have determined the architecture of the present-day solar system; our results will also provide deeper theoretical understanding of sticky mean motion resonances which contribute greatly to the longevity of many small bodies, improve our understanding of dynamical transport of planetesimals in planetary systems, and help interpret observations of other planetary systems.

The ExtraSolar Planetary Imaging Coronagraph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clampin, M.; Lyon, R.

2010-10-01

The Extrasolar Planetary Imaging Coronagraph (EPIC) is a 1.65-m telescope employing a visible nulling coronagraph (VNC) to deliver high-contrast images of extrasolar system architectures. EPIC will survey the architectures of exosolar systems, and investigate the physical nature of planets in these solar systems. EPIC will employ a Visible Nulling Coronagraph (VNC), featuring an inner working angle of ≤2λ/D, and offers the ideal balance between performance and feasibility of implementation, while not sacrificing science return. The VNC does not demand unrealistic thermal stability from its telescope optics, achieving its primary mirror surface figure requires no new technology, and pointing stability is within state of the art. The EPIC mission will be launched into a drift-away orbit with a five-year mission lifetime.

Enabling All-Access Mobility for Planetary Exploration Vehicles via Transformative Reconfiguration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferguson, Scott; Mazzoleni, Andre

2016-01-01

Effective large-scale exploration of planetary surfaces requires robotic vehicles capable of mobility across chaotic terrain. Characterized by a combination of ridges, cracks and valleys, the demands of this environment can cause spacecraft to experience significant reductions in operating footprint, performance, or even result in total system loss. Significantly increasing the scientific return of an interplanetary mission is facilitated by architectures capable of real-time configuration changes that go beyond that of active suspensions while concurrently meeting system, mass, power, and cost constraints. This Phase 1 report systematically explores how in-service architecture changes can expand system capabilities and mission opportunities. A foundation for concept generation is supplied by four Martian mission profiles spanning chasms, ice fields, craters and rocky terrain. A fifth mission profile centered on Near Earth Object exploration is also introduced. Concept generation is directed using four transformation principles - a taxonomy developed by the engineering design community to explain the cause of an architecture change and existing brainstorming techniques. This allowed early conceptual sketches of architecture changes to be organized by the principle driving the greatest increase in mission performance capability.

PDS4 - Some Principles for Agile Data Curation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, J. S.; Crichton, D. J.; Hardman, S. H.; Joyner, R.; Algermissen, S.; Padams, J.

2015-12-01

PDS4, a research data management and curation system for NASA's Planetary Science Archive, was developed using principles that promote the characteristics of agile development. The result is an efficient system that produces better research data products while using less resources (time, effort, and money) and maximizes their usefulness for current and future scientists. The key principle is architectural. The PDS4 information architecture is developed and maintained independent of the infrastructure's process, application and technology architectures. The information architecture is based on an ontology-based information model developed to leverage best practices from standard reference models for digital archives, digital object registries, and metadata registries and capture domain knowledge from a panel of planetary science domain experts. The information model provides a sharable, stable, and formal set of information requirements for the system and is the primary source for information to configure most system components, including the product registry, search engine, validation and display tools, and production pipelines. Multi-level governance is also allowed for the effective management of the informational elements at the common, discipline, and project level. This presentation will describe the development principles, components, and uses of the information model and how an information model-driven architecture exhibits characteristics of agile curation including early delivery, evolutionary development, adaptive planning, continuous improvement, and rapid and flexible response to change.

SHINE, The SpHere INfrared survey for Exoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauvin, G.; Desidera, S.; Lagrange, A.-M.; Vigan, A.; Feldt, M.; Gratton, R.; Langlois, M.; Cheetham, A.; Bonnefoy, M.; Meyer, M.

2017-12-01

The SHINE survey for SPHERE High-contrast ImagiNg survey for Exoplanets, is a large near-infrared survey of 400-600 young, nearby stars and represents a significant component of the SPHERE consortium Guaranteed Time Observations consisting in 200 observing nights. The scientific goals are: i) to characterize known planetary systems (architecture, orbit, stability, luminosity, atmosphere); ii) to search for new planetary systems using SPHERE's unprecedented performance; and finally iii) to determine the occurrence and orbital and mass function properties of the wide-orbit, giant planet population as a function of the stellar host mass and age. Combined, the results will increase our understanding of planetary atmospheric physics and the processes of planetary formation and evolution.

Design of a walking robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whittaker, William; Dowling, Kevin

1994-01-01

Carnegie Mellon University's Autonomous Planetary Exploration Program (APEX) is currently building the Daedalus robot; a system capable of performing extended autonomous planetary exploration missions. Extended autonomy is an important capability because the continued exploration of the Moon, Mars and other solid bodies within the solar system will probably be carried out by autonomous robotic systems. There are a number of reasons for this - the most important of which are the high cost of placing a man in space, the high risk associated with human exploration and communication delays that make teleoperation infeasible. The Daedalus robot represents an evolutionary approach to robot mechanism design and software system architecture. Daedalus incorporates key features from a number of predecessor systems. Using previously proven technologies, the Apex project endeavors to encompass all of the capabilities necessary for robust planetary exploration. The Ambler, a six-legged walking machine was developed by CMU for demonstration of technologies required for planetary exploration. In its five years of life, the Ambler project brought major breakthroughs in various areas of robotic technology. Significant progress was made in: mechanism and control, by introducing a novel gait pattern (circulating gait) and use of orthogonal legs; perception, by developing sophisticated algorithms for map building; and planning, by developing and implementing the Task Control Architecture to coordinate tasks and control complex system functions. The APEX project is the successor of the Ambler project.

Design of a walking robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whittaker, William; Dowling, Kevin

1994-03-01

Carnegie Mellon University's Autonomous Planetary Exploration Program (APEX) is currently building the Daedalus robot; a system capable of performing extended autonomous planetary exploration missions. Extended autonomy is an important capability because the continued exploration of the Moon, Mars and other solid bodies within the solar system will probably be carried out by autonomous robotic systems. There are a number of reasons for this - the most important of which are the high cost of placing a man in space, the high risk associated with human exploration and communication delays that make teleoperation infeasible. The Daedalus robot represents an evolutionary approach to robot mechanism design and software system architecture. Daedalus incorporates key features from a number of predecessor systems. Using previously proven technologies, the Apex project endeavors to encompass all of the capabilities necessary for robust planetary exploration. The Ambler, a six-legged walking machine was developed by CMU for demonstration of technologies required for planetary exploration. In its five years of life, the Ambler project brought major breakthroughs in various areas of robotic technology. Significant progress was made in: mechanism and control, by introducing a novel gait pattern (circulating gait) and use of orthogonal legs; perception, by developing sophisticated algorithms for map building; and planning, by developing and implementing the Task Control Architecture to coordinate tasks and control complex system functions. The APEX project is the successor of the Ambler project.

Life Support and Habitation and Planetary Protection Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogan, John A. (Editor); Race, Margaret S. (Editor); Fisher, John W. (Editor); Joshi, Jitendra A. (Editor); Rummel, John D. (Editor)

2006-01-01

A workshop entitled "Life Support and Habitation and Planetary Protection Workshop" was held in Houston, Texas on April 27-29, 2005 to facilitate the development of planetary protection guidelines for future human Mars exploration missions and to identify the potential effects of these guidelines on the design and selection of related human life support, extravehicular activity and monitoring and control systems. This report provides a summary of the workshop organization, starting assumptions, working group results and recommendations. Specific result topics include the identification of research and technology development gaps, potential forward and back contaminants and pathways, mitigation alternatives, and planetary protection requirements definition needs. Participants concluded that planetary protection and science-based requirements potentially affect system design, technology trade options, development costs and mission architecture. Therefore early and regular coordination between the planetary protection, scientific, planning, engineering, operations and medical communities is needed to develop workable and effective designs for human exploration of Mars.

International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA) Information Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, John Steven; Beebe, R.; Guinness, E.; Heather, D.; Huang, M.; Kasaba, Y.; Osuna, P.; Rye, E.; Savorskiy, V.

2007-01-01

This document is the third deliverable of the International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA) Archive Data Standards Requirements Identification project. The goal of the project is to identify a subset of the standards currently in use by NASAs Planetary Data System (PDS) that are appropriate for internationalization. As shown in the highlighted sections of Figure 1, the focus of this project is the Information Model component of the Data Architecture Standards, namely the object models, a data dictionary, and a set of data formats.

Fast Litho-Panspermia in Tightly-Packed Systems Around M Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krijt, S.; Bowling, T. J.; Lyons, R. J.; Ciesla, F. J.

2017-11-01

We investigate the fate of impact ejecta in tightly-packed planetary architectures like the TRAPPIST-1 system, finding that material transfer in such configurations is many orders of magnitude faster compared to the inner solar system.

Detectable close-in planets around white dwarfs through late unpacking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veras, Dimitri; Gänsicke, Boris T.

2015-02-01

Although 25-50 per cent of white dwarfs (WDs) display evidence for remnant planetary systems, their orbital architectures and overall sizes remain unknown. Vibrant close-in (≃1 R⊙) circumstellar activity is detected at WDs spanning many Gyr in age, suggestive of planets further away. Here we demonstrate how systems with 4 and 10 closely packed planets that remain stable and ordered on the main sequence can become unpacked when the star evolves into a WD and experience pervasive inward planetary incursions throughout WD cooling. Our full-lifetime simulations run for the age of the Universe and adopt main-sequence stellar masses of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 M⊙, which correspond to the mass range occupied by the progenitors of typical present-day WDs. These results provide (i) a natural way to generate an ever-changing dynamical architecture in post-main-sequence planetary systems, (ii) an avenue for planets to achieve temporary close-in orbits that are potentially detectable by transit photometry and (iii) a dynamical explanation for how residual asteroids might pollute particularly old WDs.

A Modular Habitation System for Human Planetary and Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howe, A. Scott

2015-01-01

A small-diameter modular pressure vessel system is devised that can be applied to planetary surface and deep space human exploration missions. As one of the recommendations prepared for the NASA Human Spaceflight Architecture Team (HAT) Evolvable Mars Campaign (EMC), a compact modular system can provide a Mars-forward approach to a variety of missions and environments. Small cabins derived from the system can fit into the Space Launch System (SLS) Orion "trunk", or can be mounted with mobility systems to function as pressurized rovers, in-space taxis, ascent stage cabins, or propellant tanks. Larger volumes can be created using inflatable elements for long-duration deep space missions and planetary surface outposts. This paper discusses how a small-diameter modular system can address functional requirements, mass and volume constraints, and operational scenarios.

The architecture and formation of the Kepler-30 planetary system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panichi, F.; Goździewski, K.; Migaszewski, C.; Szuszkiewicz, E.

2018-04-01

We study the orbital architecture, physical characteristics of planets, formation and long-term evolution of the Kepler-30 planetary system, detected and announced in 2012 by the KEPLER team. We show that the Kepler-30 system belongs to a particular class of very compact and quasi-resonant, yet long-term stable planetary systems. We re-analyse the light curves of the host star spanning Q1-Q17 quarters of the KEPLER mission. A huge variability of the Transit Timing Variations (TTV) exceeding 2 days is induced by a massive Jovian planet located between two Neptune-like companions. The innermost pair is near to the 2:1 mean motion resonance (MMR), and the outermost pair is close to higher order MMRs, such as 17:7 and 7:3. Our re-analysis of photometric data allows us to constrain, better than before, the orbital elements, planets' radii and masses, which are 9.2 ± 0.1, 536 ± 5, and 23.7 ± 1.3 Earth masses for Kepler-30b, Kepler-30c and Kepler-30d, respectively. The masses of the inner planets are determined within ˜1% uncertainty. We infer the internal structures of the Kepler-30 planets and their bulk densities in a wide range from (0.19 ± 0.01) g.cm-3 for Kepler-30d, (0.96 ± 0.15) g.cm-3 for Kepler-30b, to (1.71 ± 0.13) g.cm-3 for the Jovian planet Kepler-30c. We attempt to explain the origin of this unique planetary system and a deviation of the orbits from exact MMRs through the planetary migration scenario. We anticipate that the Jupiter-like planet plays an important role in determining the present dynamical state of this system.

The Resilience of Kepler Multi-systems to Stellar Obliquity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spalding, Christopher; Marx, Noah W.; Batygin, Konstantin

2018-04-01

The Kepler mission and its successor K2 have brought forth a cascade of transiting planets. Many of these planetary systems exhibit multiple transiting members. However, a large fraction possesses only a single transiting planet. This high abundance of singles, dubbed the "Kepler Dichotomy," has been hypothesized to arise from significant mutual inclinations between orbits in multi-planet systems. Alternatively, the single-transiting population truly possesses no other planets in the system, but the true origin of the overabundance of single systems remains unresolved. In this work, we propose that planetary systems typically form with a coplanar, multiple-planetary architecture, but that quadrupolar gravitational perturbations from their rapidly-rotating host star subsequently disrupt this primordial coplanarity. We demonstrate that, given sufficient stellar obliquity, even systems beginning with 2 planetary constituents are susceptible to dynamical instability soon after planet formation, as a result of the stellar quadrupole moment. This mechanism stands as a widespread, yet poorly explored pathway toward planetary system instability. Moreover, by requiring that observed multi-systems remain coplanar on Gyr timescales, we are able to place upper limits on the stellar obliquity in systems such as K2-38 (obliquity < 20 degrees), where other methods of measuring spin-orbit misalignment are not currently available.

Architecture of Kepler's multi-transiting systems. II. New investigations with twice as many candidates

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

Fabrycky, Daniel C.; Lissauer, Jack J.; Rowe, Jason F.

We report on the orbital architectures of Kepler systems having multiple-planet candidates identified in the analysis of data from the first six quarters of Kepler data and reported by Batalha et al. (2013). These data show 899 transiting planet candidates in 365 multiple-planet systems and provide a powerful means to study the statistical properties of planetary systems. Using a generic mass-radius relationship, we find that only two pairs of planets in these candidate systems (out of 761 pairs total) appear to be on Hill-unstable orbits, indicating ∼96% of the candidate planetary systems are correctly interpreted as true systems. We findmore » that planet pairs show little statistical preference to be near mean-motion resonances. We identify an asymmetry in the distribution of period ratios near first-order resonances (e.g., 2:1, 3:2), with an excess of planet pairs lying wide of resonance and relatively few lying narrow of resonance. Finally, based upon the transit duration ratios of adjacent planets in each system, we find that the interior planet tends to have a smaller transit impact parameter than the exterior planet does. This finding suggests that the mode of the mutual inclinations of planetary orbital planes is in the range 1.°0-2.°2, for the packed systems of small planets probed by these observations.« less

An Ontology Driven Information Architecture for Interoperable Disparate Data Sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, J. Steven; Crichton, Dan; Hardman, Sean; Joyner, Ronald; Mattmann, Chris; Ramirez, Paul; Kelly, Sean; Castano, Rebecca

2011-01-01

The mission of the Planetary Data System is to facilitate achievement of NASA's planetary science goals by efficiently collecting, archiving, and making accessible digital data produced by or relevant to NASA's planetary missions, research programs, and data analysis programs. The vision is: (1) To gather and preserve the data obtained from exploration of the Solar System by the U.S. and other nations (2) To facilitate new and exciting discoveries by providing access to and ensuring usability of those data to the worldwide community (3) To inspire the public through availability and distribution of the body of knowledge reflected in the PDS data collection PDS is a federation of heterogeneous nodes including science and support nodes

About 30% of Sun-like Stars Have Kepler-like Planetary Systems: A Study of Their Intrinsic Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Wei; Petrovich, Cristobal; Wu, Yanqin; Dong, Subo; Xie, Jiwei

2018-06-01

We constrain the intrinsic architecture of Kepler planetary systems by modeling the observed multiplicities of the transiting planets (tranets) and their transit timing variations (TTVs). We robustly determine that the fraction of Sun-like stars with Kepler-like planets, η Kepler, is 30 ± 3%. Here, Kepler-like planets are planets that have radii R p ≳ R ⊕ and orbital periods P < 400 days. Our result thus significantly revises previous claims that more than 50% of Sun-like stars have such planets. Combined with the average number of Kepler planets per star (∼0.9), we obtain that on average each planetary system has 3.0 ± 0.3 planets within 400 days. We also find that the dispersion in orbital inclinations of planets within a given planetary system, σ i,k , is a steep function of its number of planets, k. This can be parameterized as {σ }i,k\\propto {k}α and we find that ‑4 < α < ‑2 at the 2σ level. Such a distribution well describes the observed multiplicities of both transits and TTVs with no excess of single-tranet systems. Therefore we do not find evidence supporting the so-called “Kepler dichotomy.” Together with a previous study on orbital eccentricities, we now have a consistent picture: the fewer planets in a system, the hotter it is dynamically. We discuss briefly possible scenarios that lead to such a trend. Despite our solar system not belonging to the Kepler club, it is interesting to notice that the solar system also has three planets within 400 days and that the inclination dispersion is similar to Kepler systems of the same multiplicity.

N-body simulations of planet formation: understanding exoplanet system architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coleman, Gavin; Nelson, Richard

2015-12-01

Observations have demonstrated the existence of a significant population of compact systems comprised of super-Earths and Neptune-mass planets, and a population of gas giants that appear to occur primarily in either short-period (<10 days) or longer period (>100 days) orbits. The broad diversity of system architectures raises the question of whether or not the same formation processes operating in standard disc models can explain these planets, or if different scenarios are required instead to explain the widely differing architectures. To explore this issue, we present the results from a comprehensive suite of N-body simulations of planetary system formation that include the following physical processes: gravitational interactions and collisions between planetary embryos and planetesimals; type I and II migration; gas accretion onto planetary cores; self-consistent viscous disc evolution and disc removal through photo-evaporation. Our results indicate that the formation and survival of compact systems of super-Earths and Neptune-mass planets occur commonly in disc models where a simple prescription for the disc viscosity is assumed, but such models never lead to the formation and survival of gas giant planets due to migration into the star. Inspired in part by the ALMA observations of HL Tau, and by MHD simulations that display the formation of long-lived zonal flows, we have explored the consequences of assuming that the disc viscosity varies in both time and space. We find that the radial structuring of the disc leads to conditions in which systems of giant planets are able to form and survive. Furthermore, these giants generally occupy those regions of the mass-period diagram that are densely populated by the observed gas giants, suggesting that the planet traps generated by radial structuring of protoplanetary discs may be a necessary ingredient for forming giant planets.

Foundational Methane Propulsion Related Technology Efforts, and Challenges for Applications to Human Exploration Beyond Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Thomas; Klem, Mark; McRight, Patrick

2016-01-01

Current interest in human exploration beyond earth orbit is driving requirements for high performance, long duration space transportation capabilities. Continued advancement in photovoltaic power systems and investments in high performance electric propulsion promise to enable solar electric options for cargo delivery and pre-deployment of operational architecture elements. However, higher thrust options are required for human in-space transportation as well as planetary descent and ascent functions. While high thrust requirements for interplanetary transportation may be provided by chemical or nuclear thermal propulsion systems, planetary descent and ascent systems are limited to chemical solutions due to their higher thrust to weight and potential planetary protection concerns. Liquid hydrogen fueled systems provide high specific impulse, but pose challenges due to low propellant density and the thermal issues of long term propellant storage. Liquid methane fueled propulsion is a promising compromise with lower specific impulse, higher bulk propellant density and compatibility with proposed in-situ propellant production concepts. Additionally, some architecture studies have identified the potential for commonality between interplanetary and descent/ascent propulsion solutions using liquid methane (LCH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellants. These commonalities may lead to reduced overall development costs and more affordable exploration architectures. With this increased interest, it is critical to understand the current state of LOX/LCH4 propulsion technology and the remaining challenges to its application to beyond earth orbit human exploration. This paper provides a survey of NASA's past and current methane propulsion related technology efforts, assesses the accomplishments to date, and examines the remaining risks associated with full scale development.

Architectures of planetary systems and implications for their formation.

PubMed

Ford, Eric B

2014-09-02

Doppler planet searches revealed that many giant planets orbit close to their host star or in highly eccentric orbits. These and subsequent observations inspired new theories of planet formation that invoke gravitation interactions in multiple planet systems to explain the excitation of orbital eccentricities and even short-period giant planets. Recently, NASA's Kepler mission has identified over 300 systems with multiple transiting planet candidates, including many potentially rocky planets. Most of these systems include multiple planets with closely spaced orbits and sizes between that of Earth and Neptune. These systems represent yet another new and unexpected class of planetary systems and provide an opportunity to test the theories developed to explain the properties of giant exoplanets. Presently, we have limited knowledge about such planetary systems, mostly about their sizes and orbital periods. With the advent of long-term, nearly continuous monitoring by Kepler, the method of transit timing variations (TTVs) has blossomed as a new technique for characterizing the gravitational effects of mutual planetary perturbations for hundreds of planets. TTVs can provide precise, but complex, constraints on planetary masses, densities, and orbits, even for planetary systems with faint host stars. In the coming years, astronomers will translate TTV observations into increasingly powerful constraints on the formation and orbital evolution of planetary systems with low-mass planets. Between TTVs, improved Doppler surveys, high-contrast imaging campaigns, and microlensing surveys, astronomers can look forward to a much better understanding of planet formation in the coming decade.

Architectures of planetary systems and implications for their formation

PubMed Central

Ford, Eric B.

2014-01-01

Doppler planet searches revealed that many giant planets orbit close to their host star or in highly eccentric orbits. These and subsequent observations inspired new theories of planet formation that invoke gravitation interactions in multiple planet systems to explain the excitation of orbital eccentricities and even short-period giant planets. Recently, NASA’s Kepler mission has identified over 300 systems with multiple transiting planet candidates, including many potentially rocky planets. Most of these systems include multiple planets with closely spaced orbits and sizes between that of Earth and Neptune. These systems represent yet another new and unexpected class of planetary systems and provide an opportunity to test the theories developed to explain the properties of giant exoplanets. Presently, we have limited knowledge about such planetary systems, mostly about their sizes and orbital periods. With the advent of long-term, nearly continuous monitoring by Kepler, the method of transit timing variations (TTVs) has blossomed as a new technique for characterizing the gravitational effects of mutual planetary perturbations for hundreds of planets. TTVs can provide precise, but complex, constraints on planetary masses, densities, and orbits, even for planetary systems with faint host stars. In the coming years, astronomers will translate TTV observations into increasingly powerful constraints on the formation and orbital evolution of planetary systems with low-mass planets. Between TTVs, improved Doppler surveys, high-contrast imaging campaigns, and microlensing surveys, astronomers can look forward to a much better understanding of planet formation in the coming decade. PMID:24778212

Secular Resonances During Main-Sequence and Post-Main-Sequence Planetary System Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smallwood, Jeremy L.

We investigate gravitational perturbations of an asteroid belt by secular resonances. We ap- ply analytic and numerical models to main-sequence and post-main-sequence planetary systems. First, we investigate how the asteroid impact rate on the Earth is affected by the architecture of the planetary system. We find that the nu6 resonance plays an important role in the asteroid collision rate with the Earth. Compared to exoplanetary systems, the solar system is somewhat special in its lack of a super-Earth mass planet in the inner solar system. We therefore consider the effects of the presence of a super-Earth in the terrestrial planet region. We find a significant effect for super-Earths with a mass of around 10 M_{Earth} and a separation greater than about 0.7 AU. These results have implications for the habitability of exoplanetary systems. Secondly, we model white dwarf pollution by asteroids from secular resonances. In the past few decades, observations have revealed signatures of metals polluting the atmospheres of white dwarfs that require a continu- ous accretion of asteroids. We show that secular resonances driven by two outer companions can provide a source of pollution if an inner terrestrial planet is engulfed during the red-giant branch phase. Secular resonances may be a viable mechanism for the pollution of white dwarfs in a variety of exoplanetary system architectures including systems with two giant planets and systems with one giant planet and a binary star companion.

Open Architecture SDR for Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Carl; Long, Chris; Liebetreu, John; Reinhart, Richard C.

2005-01-01

This paper describes an open-architecture SDR (software defined radio) infrastructure that is suitable for space-based operations (Space-SDR). SDR technologies will endow space and planetary exploration systems with dramatically increased capability, reduced power consumption, and significantly less mass than conventional systems, at costs reduced by vigorous competition, hardware commonality, dense integration, reduced obsolescence, interoperability, and software re-use. Significant progress has been recorded on developments like the Joint Tactical Radio System (JSTRS) Software Communication Architecture (SCA), which is oriented toward reconfigurable radios for defense forces operating in multiple theaters of engagement. The JTRS-SCA presents a consistent software interface for waveform development, and facilitates interoperability, waveform portability, software re-use, and technology evolution.

Information architecture for a planetary 'exploration web'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lamarra, N.; McVittie, T.

2002-01-01

'Web services' is a common way of deploying distributed applications whose software components and data sources may be in different locations, formats, languages, etc. Although such collaboration is not utilized significantly in planetary exploration, we believe there is significant benefit in developing an architecture in which missions could leverage each others capabilities. We believe that an incremental deployment of such an architecture could significantly contribute to the evolution of increasingly capable, efficient, and even autonomous remote exploration.

Common Infrastructure for Neo Scientific and Planetary Defense Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Robert; Wilks, Rodney

2009-01-01

While defending the Earth against collisions with asteroids and comets has garnered increasing attention over the past few decades, our knowledge of the threats and methods of mitigation remain inadequate. There exists a considerable gap in knowledge regarding the size, composition, location, internal structure and formation of near earth asteroids and comets. Although estimates have been made, critical experiments have not yet been conducted on the effectiveness of various proposed mitigation techniques. Closing this knowledge gap is of interest to both the planetary defense and planetary science communities. Increased scientific knowledge of asteroid and comet composition and structure can confirm or advance current theories about the formation of the solar system. This proposal suggests a joint effort between these two communities to provide an economical architecture that supports multiple launches of characterization and mitigation payloads with minimal response time. The science community can use this architecture for characterization missions of opportunity when multiple scientific targets or targets of uncommon scientific value present themselves, while the planetary defense community would be able to fire characterization or mitigation payloads at targets that present a threat to the Earth. Both communities would benefit from testing potential mitigation techniques, which would reveal information on the internal structure of asteroids and comets. In return, the Earth would have the beginnings of a viable response system should an impact threat prove real in the near future.

Planet Formation Imager (PFI): science vision and key requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraus, Stefan; Monnier, John D.; Ireland, Michael J.; Duchêne, Gaspard; Espaillat, Catherine; Hönig, Sebastian; Juhasz, Attila; Mordasini, Chris; Olofsson, Johan; Paladini, Claudia; Stassun, Keivan; Turner, Neal; Vasisht, Gautam; Harries, Tim J.; Bate, Matthew R.; Gonzalez, Jean-François; Matter, Alexis; Zhu, Zhaohuan; Panic, Olja; Regaly, Zsolt; Morbidelli, Alessandro; Meru, Farzana; Wolf, Sebastian; Ilee, John; Berger, Jean-Philippe; Zhao, Ming; Kral, Quentin; Morlok, Andreas; Bonsor, Amy; Ciardi, David; Kane, Stephen R.; Kratter, Kaitlin; Laughlin, Greg; Pepper, Joshua; Raymond, Sean; Labadie, Lucas; Nelson, Richard P.; Weigelt, Gerd; ten Brummelaar, Theo; Pierens, Arnaud; Oudmaijer, Rene; Kley, Wilhelm; Pope, Benjamin; Jensen, Eric L. N.; Bayo, Amelia; Smith, Michael; Boyajian, Tabetha; Quiroga-Nuñez, Luis Henry; Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Chiavassa, Andrea; Gallenne, Alexandre; Reynolds, Mark; de Wit, Willem-Jan; Wittkowski, Markus; Millour, Florentin; Gandhi, Poshak; Ramos Almeida, Cristina; Alonso Herrero, Almudena; Packham, Chris; Kishimoto, Makoto; Tristram, Konrad R. W.; Pott, Jörg-Uwe; Surdej, Jean; Buscher, David; Haniff, Chris; Lacour, Sylvestre; Petrov, Romain; Ridgway, Steve; Tuthill, Peter; van Belle, Gerard; Armitage, Phil; Baruteau, Clement; Benisty, Myriam; Bitsch, Bertram; Paardekooper, Sijme-Jan; Pinte, Christophe; Masset, Frederic; Rosotti, Giovanni

2016-08-01

The Planet Formation Imager (PFI) project aims to provide a strong scientific vision for ground-based optical astronomy beyond the upcoming generation of Extremely Large Telescopes. We make the case that a breakthrough in angular resolution imaging capabilities is required in order to unravel the processes involved in planet formation. PFI will be optimised to provide a complete census of the protoplanet population at all stellocentric radii and over the age range from 0.1 to 100 Myr. Within this age period, planetary systems undergo dramatic changes and the final architecture of planetary systems is determined. Our goal is to study the planetary birth on the natural spatial scale where the material is assembled, which is the "Hill Sphere" of the forming planet, and to characterise the protoplanetary cores by measuring their masses and physical properties. Our science working group has investigated the observational characteristics of these young protoplanets as well as the migration mechanisms that might alter the system architecture. We simulated the imprints that the planets leave in the disk and study how PFI could revolutionise areas ranging from exoplanet to extragalactic science. In this contribution we outline the key science drivers of PFI and discuss the requirements that will guide the technology choices, the site selection, and potential science/technology tradeoffs.

A low-cost approach to the exploration of Mars through a robotic technology demonstrator mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellery, Alex; Richter, Lutz; Parnell, John; Baker, Adam

2003-11-01

We present a proposed robotic mission to Mars - Vanguard - for the Aurora Arrow programme which combines an extensive technology demonstrator with a high scientific return. The novel aspect of this technology demonstrator is the demonstration of "water mining" capabilities for in-situ resource utilisation in conjunction with high-value astrobiological investigation within a low mass lander package of 70 kg. The basic architecture comprises a small lander, a micro-rover and a number of ground-penetrating moles. This basic architecture offers the possibility of testing a wide variety of generic technologies associated with space systems and planetary exploration. The architecture provides for the demonstration of specific technologies associated with planetary surface exploration, and with the Aurora programme specifically. Technology demonstration of in-situ resource utilisation will be a necessary precursor to any future human mission to Mars. Furthermore, its modest mass overhead allows the reuse of the already built Mars Express bus, making it a very low cost option.

A low-cost approach to the exploration of Mars through a robotic technology demonstrator mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellery, Alex; Richter, Lutz; Parnell, John; Baker, Adam

2006-10-01

We present a proposed robotic mission to Mars—Vanguard—for the Aurora Arrow programme which combines an extensive technology demonstrator with a high scientific return. The novel aspect of this technology demonstrator is the demonstration of “water mining” capabilities for in situ resource utilisation (ISRU) in conjunction with high-value astrobiological investigation within a low-mass lander package of 70 kg. The basic architecture comprises a small lander, a micro-rover and a number of ground-penetrating moles. This basic architecture offers the possibility of testing a wide variety of generic technologies associated with space systems and planetary exploration. The architecture provides for the demonstration of specific technologies associated with planetary surface exploration, and with the Aurora programme specifically. Technology demonstration of ISRU will be a necessary precursor to any future human mission to Mars. Furthermore, its modest mass overhead allows the re-use of the already built Mars Express bus, making it a very low-cost option.

Networks on the Edge of Forever: Examining the Feasibility of using Meteor Burst (MB) Communication Networks on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charania, A.

2002-01-01

The envisioned future may include continuous operating outposts and networks on other worlds supporting human and robotic exploration. Given this possibility, a feasibility analysis is performed of a communications architecture based upon reflection of ion trails from meteors in planetary atmospheres. Meteor Burst (MB) communication systems use meteoritic impacts on planetary atmospheres as two-way, short burst communication nodes. MB systems consist of semi-continuous, low bandwidth networks. These systems possess both long distance capability (hundred of kilometers) and have lower susceptibility to atmospheric perturbations. Every day millions of meteors come into Earth's upper atmosphere with enough energy to ionize gas molecules suitably to reflect radio waves and facilitate communications beyond line of site. The ionized trail occurs at altitudes of 100 km with lengths reaching 30 km. The trial sustains itself long enough to support typical network distances of 1800 km. The initial step to use meteors in this fashion includes detection of a usable ionic trail. A probe signal is sent from one station to another in the network. If there is a meteor trail present, the probe signal is reflected to a receiving station. When another station receives the probe signal, it sends an acknowledgement to the originating station to proceed with transfer on that trail in a high-speed digital data burst. This probe-main signal handshaking occurs each time a burst of data is sent and can occur several times over the course of just one useable meteor trail. Given the need for non-data sending probe signals and error correcting bits; typical transmission data rates vary from a few kilobits per second to over 100 kilobits per second. On Earth, MB links open up hundreds of time per hour depending upon daily and seasonal variations. Meteor bursts were first noticed in detail in the 1930s. With the capabilities of modern computer processing, MB systems have become both technically feasible and commercially viable for selected applications on Earth. Terrestrial applications currently include weather monitoring, river monitoring, transport tracking, emergency detection, two-way messaging, and vehicle performance monitoring. Translation of such a system beyond Earth requires an atmosphere; therefore Martian analogues of such a system are presented. Such systems could support planetary mobility (for humans and robots), weather stations, and emergency communications while minimizing the need for massive orbital telecommunication constellations. For this investigation, a conceptual Meteor Burst (MB) communication architecture is developed to assess potential viability in supporting planetary exploration missions on Mars. Current terrestrial systems are extrapolated to generate candidate network architectures for selected science applications. Technology road mapping activities are also performed on these architectures.

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.

Full-lifetime simulations of multiple planets across all phases of stellar evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veras, D.; Mustill, A. J.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Redfield, S.; Georgakarakos, N.; Bowler, A. B.; Lloyd, M. J. S.

2017-09-01

We know that planetary systems are just as common around white dwarfs as around main-sequence stars. However, self-consistently linking a planetary system across these two phases of stellar evolution through the violent giant branch poses computational challenges, and previous studies restricted architectures to equal-mass planets. Here, we remove this constraint and perform over 450 numerical integrations over a Hubble time (14 Gyr) of packed planetary systems with unequal-mass planets. We characterize the resulting trends as a function of planet order and mass. We find that intrusive radial incursions in the vicinity of the white dwarf become less likely as the dispersion amongst planet masses increases. The orbital meandering which may sustain a sufficiently dynamic environment around a white dwarf to explain observations is more dependent on the presence of terrestrial-mass planets than any variation in planetary mass. Triggering unpacking or instability during the white dwarf phase is comparably easy for systems of unequal-mass planets and systems of equal-mass planets; instabilities during the giant branch phase remain rare and require fine-tuning of initial conditions. We list the key dynamical features of each simulation individually as a potential guide for upcoming discoveries.

The PDS4 Information Model and its Role in Agile Science Data Curation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, J. S.; Crichton, D.

2017-12-01

PDS4 is an information model-driven service architecture supporting the capture, management, distribution and integration of massive planetary science data captured in distributed data archives world-wide. The PDS4 Information Model (IM), the core element of the architecture, was developed using lessons learned from 20 years of archiving Planetary Science Data and best practices for information model development. The foundational principles were adopted from the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) Reference Model (ISO 14721), the Metadata Registry Specification (ISO/IEC 11179), and W3C XML (Extensible Markup Language) specifications. These provided respectively an object oriented model for archive information systems, a comprehensive schema for data dictionaries and hierarchical governance, and rules for rules for encoding documents electronically. The PDS4 Information model is unique in that it drives the PDS4 infrastructure by providing the representation of concepts and their relationships, constraints, rules, and operations; a sharable, stable, and organized set of information requirements; and machine parsable definitions that are suitable for configuring and generating code. This presentation will provide an over of the PDS4 Information Model and how it is being leveraged to develop and evolve the PDS4 infrastructure and enable agile curation of over 30 years of science data collected by the international Planetary Science community.

The Nexus for Exoplanet System Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batalha, Natalie Marie; Gelino, Dawn; Del Genio, Tony

2016-01-01

NExSS is a research coordination network dedicated to the study of planetary habitability. A NASA cross-division initiative bringing astrophysicists, planetary scientists, Earth scientists, and heliophysicists together to bring a systems science approach to this problem. NExSS's goals being to investigate the diversity of planets, understanding how planet history, geology, and climate interact to create the conditions for life. Also, to put planets into an architectural context as stellar systems built over time by dynamical processes and sculpted by stars. Use experience from solar system (including Earth) history to identify where habitable niches are most likely to occur and which planets are most likely to be habitable. Leverage NASA investments in research and missions to accelerate discovery and characterization of potential life-bearing worlds.

A Planetary Defense Gateway for Smart Discovery of relevant Information for Decision Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bambacus, Myra; Yang, Chaowei Phil; Leung, Ronald Y.; Barbee, Brent; Nuth, Joseph A.; Seery, Bernard; Jiang, Yongyao; Qin, Han; Li, Yun; Yu, Manzhu;

System Architectures Near the 2:1 Resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boisvert, John; Steffen, Jason H.; Nelson, Benjamin E.

2018-01-01

Uncovering the architectures of planetary systems give insight into their formation and evolution. For example, the protoplanetary disk in multi-planet systems can drive adjacent planets into mean-motion resonances (such as the 2:1), while simultaneously damping their eccentricities. On the other hand, planet-planet scattering will produce single planets with eccentric orbits.In the RV signal, there is a degeneracy between models with two planets on circular orbits near the 2:1 period ratio and single planets on eccentric orbits. Historically, single planet models have been favored on simplicity grounds. However, the prominence of the 2:1 period ratio for systems observed by Kepler motivates additional scrutiny for single eccentric systems.We analyzed 95 planetary systems from the NASA Exoplanet Archive that are reported as single planet systems. We fit models of single eccentrics, circular doubles with a period ratio of 2:1, and circular doubles with a period ratio near 2.17:1 to the data. We computed the Bayes factors between each model in order to determine which is more likely given the current data. We find a significant fraction of these systems prefer double planet models. New observations are being planned to further break the degeneracy for these systems. This fraction suggests that disk-migration may be more important than the currently reported parameters propose.

Space/ground systems as cooperating agents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grant, T. J.

1994-01-01

Within NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) it is agreed that autonomy is an important goal for the design of future spacecraft and that this requires on-board artificial intelligence. NASA emphasizes deep space and planetary rover missions, while ESA considers on-board autonomy as an enabling technology for missions that must cope with imperfect communications. ESA's attention is on the space/ground system. A major issue is the optimal distribution of intelligent functions within the space/ground system. This paper describes the multi-agent architecture for space/ground systems (MAASGS) which would enable this issue to be investigated. A MAASGS agent may model a complete spacecraft, a spacecraft subsystem or payload, a ground segment, a spacecraft control system, a human operator, or an environment. The MAASGS architecture has evolved through a series of prototypes. The paper recommends that the MAASGS architecture should be implemented in the operational Dutch Utilization Center.

PC Software graphics tool for conceptual design of space/planetary electrical power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Truong, Long V.

1995-01-01

This paper describes the Decision Support System (DSS), a personal computer software graphics tool for designing conceptual space and/or planetary electrical power systems. By using the DSS, users can obtain desirable system design and operating parameters, such as system weight, electrical distribution efficiency, and bus power. With this tool, a large-scale specific power system was designed in a matter of days. It is an excellent tool to help designers make tradeoffs between system components, hardware architectures, and operation parameters in the early stages of the design cycle. The DSS is a user-friendly, menu-driven tool with online help and a custom graphical user interface. An example design and results are illustrated for a typical space power system with multiple types of power sources, frequencies, energy storage systems, and loads.

Information Model Translation to Support a Wider Science Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, John S.; Crichton, Daniel; Ritschel, Bernd; Hardman, Sean; Joyner, Ronald

2014-05-01

The Planetary Data System (PDS), NASA's long-term archive for solar system exploration data, has just released PDS4, a modernization of the PDS architecture, data standards, and technical infrastructure. This next generation system positions the PDS to meet the demands of the coming decade, including big data, international cooperation, distributed nodes, and multiple ways of analysing and interpreting data. It also addresses three fundamental project goals: providing more efficient data delivery by data providers to the PDS, enabling a stable, long-term usable planetary science data archive, and enabling services for the data consumer to find, access, and use the data they require in contemporary data formats. The PDS4 information architecture is used to describe all PDS data using a common model. Captured in an ontology modeling tool it supports a hierarchy of data dictionaries built to the ISO/IEC 11179 standard and is designed to increase flexibility, enable complex searches at the product level, and to promote interoperability that facilitates data sharing both nationally and internationally. A PDS4 information architecture design requirement stipulates that the content of the information model must be translatable to external data definition languages such as XML Schema, XMI/XML, and RDF/XML. To support the semantic Web standards we are now in the process of mapping the contents into RDF/XML to support SPARQL capable databases. We are also building a terminological ontology to support virtually unified data retrieval and access. This paper will provide an overview of the PDS4 information architecture focusing on its domain information model and how the translation and mapping are being accomplished.

The Kepler Dichotomy in Planetary Disks: Linking Kepler Observables to Simulations of Late-stage Planet Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moriarty, John; Ballard, Sarah

2016-11-01

NASA’s Kepler Mission uncovered a wealth of planetary systems, many with planets on short-period orbits. These short-period systems reside around 50% of Sun-like stars and are similarly prevalent around M dwarfs. Their formation and subsequent evolution is the subject of active debate. In this paper, we simulate late-stage, in situ planet formation across a grid of planetesimal disks with varying surface density profiles and total mass. We compare simulation results with observable characteristics of the Kepler sample. We identify mixture models with different primordial planetesimal disk properties that self-consistently recover the multiplicity, radius, period and period ratio, and duration ratio distributions of the Kepler planets. We draw three main conclusions. (1) We favor a “frozen-in” narrative for systems of short-period planets, in which they are stable over long timescales, as opposed to metastable. (2) The “Kepler dichotomy,” an observed phenomenon of the Kepler sample wherein the architectures of planetary systems appear to either vary significantly or have multiple modes, can naturally be explained by formation within planetesimal disks with varying surface density profiles. Finally, (3) we quantify the nature of the “Kepler dichotomy” for both GK stars and M dwarfs, and find that it varies with stellar type. While the mode of planet formation that accounts for high multiplicity systems occurs in 24% ± 7% of planetary systems orbiting GK stars, it occurs in 63% ± 16% of planetary systems orbiting M dwarfs.

Intelligent robots for planetary exploration and construction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albus, James S.

1992-01-01

Robots capable of practical applications in planetary exploration and construction will require realtime sensory-interactive goal-directed control systems. A reference model architecture based on the NIST Real-time Control System (RCS) for real-time intelligent control systems is suggested. RCS partitions the control problem into four basic elements: behavior generation (or task decomposition), world modeling, sensory processing, and value judgment. It clusters these elements into computational nodes that have responsibility for specific subsystems, and arranges these nodes in hierarchical layers such that each layer has characteristic functionality and timing. Planetary exploration robots should have mobility systems that can safely maneuver over rough surfaces at high speeds. Walking machines and wheeled vehicles with dynamic suspensions are candidates. The technology of sensing and sensory processing has progressed to the point where real-time autonomous path planning and obstacle avoidance behavior is feasible. Map-based navigation systems will support long-range mobility goals and plans. Planetary construction robots must have high strength-to-weight ratios for lifting and positioning tools and materials in six degrees-of-freedom over large working volumes. A new generation of cable-suspended Stewart platform devices and inflatable structures are suggested for lifting and positioning materials and structures, as well as for excavation, grading, and manipulating a variety of tools and construction machinery.

Exploration Planetary Surface Structural Systems: Design Requirements and Compliance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorsey, John T.

2011-01-01

The Lunar Surface Systems Project developed system concepts that would be necessary to establish and maintain a permanent human presence on the Lunar surface. A variety of specific system implementations were generated as a part of the scenarios, some level of system definition was completed, and masses estimated for each system. Because the architecture studies generally spawned a large number of system concepts and the studies were executed in a short amount of time, the resulting system definitions had very low design fidelity. This paper describes the development sequence required to field a particular structural system: 1) Define Requirements, 2) Develop the Design and 3) Demonstrate Compliance of the Design to all Requirements. This paper also outlines and describes in detail the information and data that are required to establish structural design requirements and outlines the information that would comprise a planetary surface system Structures Requirements document.

Design of Hybrid Mobile Communication Networks for Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alena, Richard L.; Ossenfort, John; Lee, Charles; Walker, Edward; Stone, Thom

2004-01-01

The Mobile Exploration System Project (MEX) at NASA Ames Research Center has been conducting studies into hybrid communication networks for future planetary missions. These networks consist of space-based communication assets connected to ground-based Internets and planetary surface-based mobile wireless networks. These hybrid mobile networks have been deployed in rugged field locations in the American desert and the Canadian arctic for support of science and simulation activities on at least six occasions. This work has been conducted over the past five years resulting in evolving architectural complexity, improved component characteristics and better analysis and test methods. A rich set of data and techniques have resulted from the development and field testing of the communication network during field expeditions such as the Haughton Mars Project and NASA Mobile Agents Project.

The Elephant in the Room: Effects of Distant, Massive Companions on Planetary System Architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knutson, Heather

2016-06-01

Over the past two decades ongoing radial velocity and transit surveys have been astoundingly successful in detecting thousands of new planetary systems around nearby stars. These systems include apparently single gas giant planets on short period orbits, closely packed systems of up to 5-6 “super-Earths”, and relatively empty systems with either one or no small planets interior to 0.5 AU. Despite our success in cataloguing the diverse properties of these systems, we are still struggling to develop narratives that can explain their apparently divergent formation and migration histories. This is in large part due to our lack of knowledge about the potential presence of massive outer companions in these systems, which can play a pivotal role in the shaping the final properties of the inner planets. In my talk I will discuss current efforts to complete the census for known planetary systems by searching for outer gas giant planets with long term radial velocity monitoring and wide separation stellar companions with high contrast imaging and spectroscopy. I will then demonstrate how statistical constraints on this population of outer companions can be used to test current theories for planet formation and migration.

Galaxy Gadgeteers: Architects in Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, M. S.

This essay explores interdisciplinary themes finding links between architecture, science and science fiction. A character from Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide series is presented as an archetypical architect charged with designing planets. The author offers diverse examples of other architectural projects dealing with vast planetary and interplanetary scales. The design of space colonies within Dyson Spheres and Torus Rings is examined with an eye to precedents from architectural history. Speculative space colony designs pursued by NASA are critiqued as awkward assemblages of futuristic fantasy and nostalgia. Contemporary architectural projects are presented, revealing the scalar adaptability or looseness of certain architects with strong stylistic tendencies. The paper concludes by examining partly unrealized designs for an Enlightenment utopian town and how themes inspired by the image of the solar system move from spatial and formal arrangements to pictorial and metaphorical depictions.

The disruption of multiplanet systems through resonance with a binary orbit.

PubMed

Touma, Jihad R; Sridhar, S

2015-08-27

Most exoplanetary systems in binary stars are of S-type, and consist of one or more planets orbiting a primary star with a wide binary stellar companion. Planetary eccentricities and mutual inclinations can be large, perhaps forced gravitationally by the binary companion. Earlier work on single planet systems appealed to the Kozai-Lidov instability wherein a sufficiently inclined binary orbit excites large-amplitude oscillations in the planet's eccentricity and inclination. The instability, however, can be quenched by many agents that induce fast orbital precession, including mutual gravitational forces in a multiplanet system. Here we report that orbital precession, which inhibits Kozai-Lidov cycling in a multiplanet system, can become fast enough to resonate with the orbital motion of a distant binary companion. Resonant binary forcing results in dramatic outcomes ranging from the excitation of large planetary eccentricities and mutual inclinations to total disruption. Processes such as planetary migration can bring an initially non-resonant system into resonance. As it does not require special physical or initial conditions, binary resonant driving is generic and may have altered the architecture of many multiplanet systems. It can also weaken the multiplanet occurrence rate in wide binaries, and affect planet formation in close binaries.

Prospects for detecting decreasing exoplanet frequency with main-sequence age using PLATO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veras, Dimitri; Brown, David J. A.; Mustill, Alexander J.; Pollacco, Don

2015-10-01

The space mission PLATO will usher in a new era of exoplanetary science by expanding our current inventory of transiting systems and constraining host star ages, which are currently highly uncertain. This capability might allow PLATO to detect changes in planetary system architecture with time, particularly because planetary scattering due to Lagrange instability may be triggered long after the system was formed. Here, we utilize previously published instability time-scale prescriptions to determine PLATO's capability to detect a trend of decreasing planet frequency with age for systems with equal-mass planets. For two-planet systems, our results demonstrate that PLATO may detect a trend for planet masses which are at least as massive as super-Earths. For systems with three or more planets, we link their initial compactness to potentially detectable frequency trends in order to aid future investigations when these populations will be better characterized.

Prospects for detecting decreasing exoplanet frequency with main-sequence age using PLATO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veras, D.; Brown, D. J. A.; Mustill, A. J.; Pollacco, D.

2017-09-01

The space mission PLATO will usher in a new era of exoplanetary science by expanding our current inventory of transiting systems and constraining host star ages, which are currently highly uncertain. This capability might allow PLATO to detect changes in planetary system architecture with time, particularly because planetary scattering due to Lagrange instability may be triggered long after the system was formed. Here, we utilize previously published instability time-scale prescriptions to determine PLATO's capability to detect a trend of decreasing planet frequency with age for systems with equal- mass planets. For two-planet systems, our results demonstrate that PLATO may detect a trend for planet masses which are at least as massive as super-Earths. For systems with three or more planets, we link their initial compactness to potentially detectable frequency trends in order to aid future investigations when these populations will be better characterized.

PDS4: Current Status and Future Vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crichton, D. J.; Hughes, J. S.; Hardman, S. H.; Law, E. S.; Beebe, R. F.

2017-12-01

In 2010, the Planetary Data System began the largest standards and software upgrade in its history called "PDS4". PDS4 was architected with core principles, applying years of experience and lessons learned working with scientific data returned from robotic solar system missions. In addition to applying those lessons learned, the PDS team was able to take advantage of modern software and data architecture approaches and emerging information technologies which has enabled the capture, management, discovery, and distribution of data from planetary science archives world-wide. What has emerged is a foundational set of standards, services, and common tools to construct and enable interoperability of planetary science archives from distributed repositories. Early in the PDS4 development, PDS selected two missions as drivers to be used to validate the PDS4 approach: LADEE and MAVEN. Additionally, PDS partnered with international agencies to begin discussing the architecture, design, and implementation to ensure that PDS4 would be architected as a world-wide standard and platform for archive development and interoperability. Given the evolving requirements, an agile software development methodology known as the "Evolutionary Software Development Lifecycle" was chosen. This led to incremental releases of increasing capability over time which were matched against emerging mission and user needs. To date, PDS has now performed 16 releases of PDS4 with adoption of over 12 missions world-wide. PDS has also increased from approximately 200 TBs in 2010 to approximately 1.3 PBs of data today, bringing it into the era of big data. The development of PDS4 has not only focused on the construction of compatible archives, but also on increasing access and use of the data in the big data era. As PDS looks forward, it is focused on achieving the recommendations of the Planetary Science Decadal Survey (2013-2022): "support the ongoing effort to evolve the Planetary Data System to an effective online resource for the NASA and international communities". The foundation laid by the standards, software services, and tools positions PDS to develop and adopt new approaches and technologies to enable users to effectively search, extract, integrate, and analyze with the wealth of observational data across international boundaries.

The Anglo-Australian Planet Search. XXIII. Two New Jupiter Analogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Horner, Jonathan; Tinney, C. G.; Butler, R. P.; Jones, H. R. A.; Tuomi, Mikko; Salter, G. S.; Carter, B. D.; Koch, F. Elliott; O'Toole, S. J.; Bailey, J.; Wright, D.

2014-03-01

We report the discovery of two long-period giant planets from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search. HD 154857c is in a multiple-planet system, while HD 114613b appears to be solitary. HD 114613b has an orbital period P = 10.5 yr, and a minimum mass msin i of 0.48 M Jup; HD 154857c has P = 9.5 yr and msin i = 2.6 M Jup. These new data confirm the planetary nature of the previously unconstrained long-period object in the HD 154857 system. We have performed detailed dynamical stability simulations which show that the HD 154857 two-planet system is stable on timescales of at least 108 yr. These results highlight the continued importance of "legacy" surveys with long observational baselines; these ongoing campaigns are critical for determining the population of Jupiter analogs, and hence of those planetary systems with architectures most like our own solar system.

In-Space Propulsion: Where We Stand and What's Next

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sackheim, Robert L.

2003-01-01

The focus of this paper will be on the three stages of in-space transportation propulsion systems, now commonly referred to as in-space propulsion (ISP); i.e., the transfer of payloads from low-Earth orbits into higher orbits or into trajectories for planetary encounters, including planetary landers and sample return launchers, if required. Functions required at the operational location where ISP must provide thrust for orbit include maintenance, position control, stationkeeping, and spacecraft altitude control; i.e., proper pointing and dynamic stability in inertial space; and the third function set to enable operations at various planetary locations, such as atmospheric entry and capture, descent to the surface and ascent, back to rendezvous orbit. The discussion will concentrate on where ISP stands today and some observations of what might be next in line for new ISP technologies and systems for near-term and future flight applications. The architectural choices that are applicable for ISP will also be described and discussed in detail.

PSF subtraction to search for distant Jupiters with SPITZER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rameau, Julien; Artigau, Etienne; Baron, Frédérique; Lafrenière, David; Doyon, Rene; Malo, Lison; Naud, Marie-Eve; Delorme, Philippe; Janson, Markus; Albert, Loic; Gagné, Jonathan; Beichman, Charles

2015-12-01

In the course of the search for extrasolar planets, a focus has been made towards rocky planets very close (within few AUs) to their parent stars. However, planetary systems might host gas giants as well, possibly at larger separation from the central star. Direct imaging is the only technique able to probe the outer part of planetary systems. With the advent of the new generation of planet finders like GPI and SPHERE, extrasolar systems are now studied at the solar system scale. Nevertheless, very extended planetary systems do exist and have been found (Gu Ps, AB Pic b, etc.). They are easier to detect and characterize. They are also excellent proxy for close-in gas giants that are detected from the ground. These planets have no equivalent in our solar system and their origin remain a matter of speculation. In this sense, studying planetary systems from its innermost to its outermost part is therefore mandatory to have a clear understanding of its architecture, hence hints of its formation and evolution. We are carrying out a space-based survey using SPITZER to search for distant companions around a well-characterized sample of 120 young and nearby stars. We designed an observing strategy that allows building a very homogeneous PSF library. With this library, we perform a PSF subtraction to search for planets from 10’’ down to 1’’. In this poster, I will present the library, the different algorithms used to subtract the PSF, and the promising detection sensitivity that we are able to reach with this survey. This project to search for the most extreme planetary systems is unique in the exoplanet community. It is also the only realistic mean of directly imaging and subsequently obtaining spectroscopy of young Saturn or Jupiter mass planets in the JWST-era.

In-Space Propulsion Engine Architecture Based on Sublimation of Planetary Resources: From Exploration Robots to NED Mitigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sibille, Laurent; Mantovani, James; Dominquez, Jesus

2011-01-01

The purpose of this NIAC study is to identify those volatile and mineral resources that are available on asteroids, comets, moons and planets in the solar system, and investigate methods to transform these resources into forms of power that will expand the capabilities of future robotic and human exploration missions to explore planetary bodies beyond the Moon and will mitigate hazards from NEOs. The sources of power used for deep space probe missions are usually derived from either solar panels for electrical energy, radioisotope thermal generators for thermal energy, or fuel cells and chemical reactions for chemical energy and propulsion.

SDR/STRS Flight Experiment and the Role of SDR-Based Communication and Navigation Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reinhart, Richard C.

2008-01-01

This presentation describes an open architecture SDR (software defined radio) infrastructure, suitable for space-based radios and operations, entitled Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS). SDR technologies will endow space and planetary exploration systems with dramatically increased capability, reduced power consumption, and less mass than conventional systems, at costs reduced by vigorous competition, hardware commonality, dense integration, minimizing the impact of parts obsolescence, improved interoperability, and software re-use. To advance the SDR architecture technology and demonstrate its applicability in space, NASA is developing a space experiment of multiple SDRs each with various waveforms to communicate with NASA s TDRSS satellite and ground networks, and the GPS constellation. An experiments program will investigate S-band and Ka-band communications, navigation, and networking technologies and operations.

Field Tested Service Oriented Robotic Architecture: Case Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flueckiger, Lorenzo; Utz, Hanz

2012-01-01

This paper presents the lessons learned from six years of experiments with planetary rover prototypes running the Service Oriented Robotic Architecture (SORA) developed by the Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG) at NASA Ames Research Center. SORA relies on proven software methods and technologies applied to the robotic world. Based on a Service Oriented Architecture and robust middleware, SORA extends its reach beyond the on-board robot controller and supports the full suite of software tools used during mission scenarios from ground control to remote robotic sites. SORA has been field tested in numerous scenarios of robotic lunar and planetary exploration. The results of these high fidelity experiments are illustrated through concrete examples that have shown the benefits of using SORA as well as its limitations.

Evolving the Technical Infrastructure of the Planetary Data System for the 21st Century

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beebe, Reta F.; Crichton, D.; Hughes, S.; Grayzeck, E.

2010-01-01

The Planetary Data System (PDS) was established in 1989 as a distributed system to assure scientific oversight. Initially the PDS followed guidelines recommended by the National Academies Committee on Data Management and Computation (CODMAC, 1982) and placed emphasis on archiving validated datasets. But overtime user demands, supported by increased computing capabilities and communication methods, have placed increasing demands on the PDS. The PDS must add additional services to better enable scientific analysis within distributed environments and to ensure that those services integrate with existing systems and data. To face these challenges the Planetary Data System (PDS) must modernize its architecture and technical implementation. The PDS 2010 project addresses these challenges. As part of this project, the PDS has three fundamental project goals that include: (1) Providing more efficient client delivery of data by data providers to the PDS (2) Enabling a stable, long-term usable planetary science data archive (3) Enabling services for the data consumer to find, access and use the data they require in contemporary data formats. In order to achieve these goals, the PDS 2010 project is upgrading both the technical infrastructure and the data standards to support increased efficiency in data delivery as well as usability of the PDS. Efforts are underway to interface with missions as early as possible and to streamline the preparation and delivery of data to the PDS. Likewise, the PDS is working to define and plan for data services that will help researchers to perform analysis in cost-constrained environments. This presentation will cover the PDS 2010 project including the goals, data standards and technical implementation plans that are underway within the Planetary Data System. It will discuss the plans for moving from the current system, version PDS 3, to version PDS 4.

Service Oriented Robotic Architecture for Space Robotics: Design, Testing, and Lessons Learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fluckiger, Lorenzo Jean Marc E; Utz, Hans Heinrich

2013-01-01

This paper presents the lessons learned from six years of experiments with planetary rover prototypes running the Service Oriented Robotic Architecture (SORA) developed by the Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG) at the NASA Ames Research Center. SORA relies on proven software engineering methods and technologies applied to space robotics. Based on a Service Oriented Architecture and robust middleware, SORA encompasses on-board robot control and a full suite of software tools necessary for remotely operated exploration missions. SORA has been eld tested in numerous scenarios of robotic lunar and planetary exploration. The experiments conducted by IRG with SORA exercise a large set of the constraints encountered in space applications: remote robotic assets, ight relevant science instruments, distributed operations, high network latencies and unreliable or intermittent communication links. In this paper, we present the results of these eld tests in regard to the developed architecture, and discuss its bene ts and limitations.

Formation of TRAPPIST-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ormel, C. W.; Liu, B.; Schoonenberg, D.

2017-09-01

We present a model for the formation of the recently-discovered TRAPPIST-1 planetary system. In our scenario planets form in the interior regions, by accretion of mm to cm-size particles (pebbles) that drifted from the outer disk. This scenario has several advantages: it connects to the observation that disks are made up of pebbles, it is efficient, it explains why the TRAPPIST-1 planets are ˜Earth mass, and it provides a rationale for the system's architecture.

Dynamical simulations of the HR8799 planetary system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, J.; Horner, J.; Carter, A.

2010-10-01

HR8799 is a young (20-160 Myr) A-dwarf main sequence star with a debris disc detected by IRAS (InfraRed Astronomical Satellite). In 2008, it was one of two stars around which exoplanets were directly imaged for the first time. The presence of three Jupiter-mass planets around HR8799 provoked much interest in modelling the dynamical stability of the system. Initial simulations indicated that the observed planetary architecture was unstable on timescales much shorter than the lifetime of the star (~105 yr). Subsequent models suggested that the system could be stable if the planets were locked in a 1:2:4 mutual mean motion resonance (MMR). In this work, we have examined the influence of varying orbital eccentricity and the semi-major axis on the stability of the three-planet system, through dynamical simulations using the MERCURY n-body integrator. We find that, in agreement with previous work on this system, the 1:2:4 MMR is the most stable planetary configuration, and that the system stability is dominated by the interaction between the inner pair of planets. In contrast to previous results, we find that with small eccentricities, the three-planet system can be stable for timescales comparable to the system lifetime and, potentially, much longer.

The dispersal of planet-forming discs: theory confronts observations.

PubMed

Ercolano, Barbara; Pascucci, Ilaria

2017-04-01

Discs of gas and dust around million-year-old stars are a by-product of the star formation process and provide the raw material to form planets. Hence, their evolution and dispersal directly impact what type of planets can form and affect the final architecture of planetary systems. Here, we review empirical constraints on disc evolution and dispersal with special emphasis on transition discs, a subset of discs that appear to be caught in the act of clearing out planet-forming material. Along with observations, we summarize theoretical models that build our physical understanding of how discs evolve and disperse and discuss their significance in the context of the formation and evolution of planetary systems. By confronting theoretical predictions with observations, we also identify the most promising areas for future progress.

Preface to the special issue of PSS on "Surfaces, atmospheres and magnetospheres of the outer planets, their satellites and ring systems: Part XII″

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coustenis, A.; Atreya, S.; Castillo-Rogez, J.; Mueller-Wodarg, I.; Spilker, L.; Strazzulla, G.

2018-06-01

This issue contains six articles on original research and review papers presented in the past year in sessions organized during several international meetings and congresses including the European Geosciences Union (EGU), European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) and others. The manuscripts cover recent observations and models of the atmospheres, magnetospheres and surfaces of the giant planets and their satellites based on ongoing and recent planetary missions. Concepts of architecture and payload for future space missions are also presented. The six articles in this special issue cover a variety of objects in the outer solar system ranging from Jupiter to Neptune and the possibilities for their exploration. A brief introductory summary of their findings follows.

The dispersal of planet-forming discs: theory confronts observations

PubMed Central

Pascucci, Ilaria

2017-01-01

Discs of gas and dust around million-year-old stars are a by-product of the star formation process and provide the raw material to form planets. Hence, their evolution and dispersal directly impact what type of planets can form and affect the final architecture of planetary systems. Here, we review empirical constraints on disc evolution and dispersal with special emphasis on transition discs, a subset of discs that appear to be caught in the act of clearing out planet-forming material. Along with observations, we summarize theoretical models that build our physical understanding of how discs evolve and disperse and discuss their significance in the context of the formation and evolution of planetary systems. By confronting theoretical predictions with observations, we also identify the most promising areas for future progress. PMID:28484640

Baby Solar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Currie, Thayne; Grady, Carol

2012-01-01

What did our solar system look like in its infancy,...... when the planets were forming? We cannot travel back in time to take an image of the early solar system, but in principle we can have the next best thing: images of infant planetary systems around Sun-like stars with ages of 1 to 5 million years, the time we think it took for the giant planets to form. Infant exoplanetary systems are critically important because they can help us understand how our solar system fits within the context of planet formation in general. More than 80% of stars are born with gas- and dust-rich disks, and thus have the potential to form planets. Through many methods we have identified more than 760 planetary systems around middle-aged stars like the Sun, but many of these have architectures that look nothing like our solar system. Young planetary systems are important missing links between various endpoints and may help us understand how and when these differences emerge. Well-known star-forming regions in Taurus, Scorpius. and Orion contain stars that could have infant planetary systems. But these stars are much more distant than our nearest neighbors such as Alpha Centauri or Sirius, making it extremely challenging to produce clear images of systems that can reveal signs of recent planet formation, let alone reveal the planets themselves. Recently, a star with the unassuming name LkCa 15 may have given us our first detailed "baby picture" of a young planetary system similar to our solar system. Located about 450 light-years away in the Taurus starforming region. LkCa 15 has a mass comparable to the Sun (0.97 solar mass) and an age of l to 5 million years, comparable to the time at which Saturn and perhaps Jupiter formed. The star is surrounded by a gas-rich disk similar in structure to the one in our solar system from which the planets formed. With new technologies and observing strategies, we have confirmed suspicions that LkCa 15's disk harbors a young planetary system.

Brahms Mobile Agents: Architecture and Field Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clancey, William J.; Sierhuis, Maarten; Kaskiris, Charis; vanHoof, Ron

2002-01-01

We have developed a model-based, distributed architecture that integrates diverse components in a system designed for lunar and planetary surface operations: an astronaut's space suit, cameras, rover/All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV), robotic assistant, other personnel in a local habitat, and a remote mission support team (with time delay). Software processes, called agents, implemented in the Brahms language, run on multiple, mobile platforms. These mobile agents interpret and transform available data to help people and robotic systems coordinate their actions to make operations more safe and efficient. The Brahms-based mobile agent architecture (MAA) uses a novel combination of agent types so the software agents may understand and facilitate communications between people and between system components. A state-of-the-art spoken dialogue interface is integrated with Brahms models, supporting a speech-driven field observation record and rover command system (e.g., return here later and bring this back to the habitat ). This combination of agents, rover, and model-based spoken dialogue interface constitutes a personal assistant. An important aspect of the methodology involves first simulating the entire system in Brahms, then configuring the agents into a run-time system.

An MPI-based MoSST core dynamics model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Weiyuan; Kuang, Weijia

2008-09-01

Distributed systems are among the main cost-effective and expandable platforms for high-end scientific computing. Therefore scalable numerical models are important for effective use of such systems. In this paper, we present an MPI-based numerical core dynamics model for simulation of geodynamo and planetary dynamos, and for simulation of core-mantle interactions. The model is developed based on MPI libraries. Two algorithms are used for node-node communication: a "master-slave" architecture and a "divide-and-conquer" architecture. The former is easy to implement but not scalable in communication. The latter is scalable in both computation and communication. The model scalability is tested on Linux PC clusters with up to 128 nodes. This model is also benchmarked with a published numerical dynamo model solution.

Parallel Architectures for Planetary Exploration Requirements (PAPER)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cezzar, Ruknet

1993-08-01

The project's main contributions have been in the area of student support. Throughout the project, at least one, in some cases two, undergraduate students have been supported. By working with the project, these students gained valuable knowledge involving the scientific research project, including the not-so-pleasant reporting requirements to the funding agencies. The other important contribution was towards the establishment of a graduate program in computer science at Hampton University. Primarily, the PAPER project has served as the main research basis in seeking funds from other agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, for establishing a research infrastructure in the department. In technical areas, especially in the first phase, we believe the trip to Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and gathering together all the pertinent information involving experimental computer architectures aimed for planetary explorations was very helpful. Indeed, if this effort is to be revived in the future due to congressional funding for planetary explorations, say an unmanned mission to Mars, our interim report will be an important starting point. In other technical areas, our simulator has pinpointed and highlighted several important performance issues related to the design of operating system kernels for MIMD machines. In particular, the critical issue of how the kernel itself will run in parallel on a multiple-processor system has been addressed through the various ready list organization and access policies. In the area of neural computing, our main contribution was an introductory tutorial package to familiarize the researchers at NASA with this new and promising field zone axes (20). Finally, we have introduced the notion of reversibility in programming systems which may find applications in various areas of space research.

Parallel Architectures for Planetary Exploration Requirements (PAPER)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cezzar, Ruknet

1993-01-01

The project's main contributions have been in the area of student support. Throughout the project, at least one, in some cases two, undergraduate students have been supported. By working with the project, these students gained valuable knowledge involving the scientific research project, including the not-so-pleasant reporting requirements to the funding agencies. The other important contribution was towards the establishment of a graduate program in computer science at Hampton University. Primarily, the PAPER project has served as the main research basis in seeking funds from other agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, for establishing a research infrastructure in the department. In technical areas, especially in the first phase, we believe the trip to Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and gathering together all the pertinent information involving experimental computer architectures aimed for planetary explorations was very helpful. Indeed, if this effort is to be revived in the future due to congressional funding for planetary explorations, say an unmanned mission to Mars, our interim report will be an important starting point. In other technical areas, our simulator has pinpointed and highlighted several important performance issues related to the design of operating system kernels for MIMD machines. In particular, the critical issue of how the kernel itself will run in parallel on a multiple-processor system has been addressed through the various ready list organization and access policies. In the area of neural computing, our main contribution was an introductory tutorial package to familiarize the researchers at NASA with this new and promising field zone axes (20). Finally, we have introduced the notion of reversibility in programming systems which may find applications in various areas of space research.

A Disciplined Architectural Approach to Scaling Data Analysis for Massive, Scientific Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crichton, D. J.; Braverman, A. J.; Cinquini, L.; Turmon, M.; Lee, H.; Law, E.

2014-12-01

Data collections across remote sensing and ground-based instruments in astronomy, Earth science, and planetary science are outpacing scientists' ability to analyze them. Furthermore, the distribution, structure, and heterogeneity of the measurements themselves pose challenges that limit the scalability of data analysis using traditional approaches. Methods for developing science data processing pipelines, distribution of scientific datasets, and performing analysis will require innovative approaches that integrate cyber-infrastructure, algorithms, and data into more systematic approaches that can more efficiently compute and reduce data, particularly distributed data. This requires the integration of computer science, machine learning, statistics and domain expertise to identify scalable architectures for data analysis. The size of data returned from Earth Science observing satellites and the magnitude of data from climate model output, is predicted to grow into the tens of petabytes challenging current data analysis paradigms. This same kind of growth is present in astronomy and planetary science data. One of the major challenges in data science and related disciplines defining new approaches to scaling systems and analysis in order to increase scientific productivity and yield. Specific needs include: 1) identification of optimized system architectures for analyzing massive, distributed data sets; 2) algorithms for systematic analysis of massive data sets in distributed environments; and 3) the development of software infrastructures that are capable of performing massive, distributed data analysis across a comprehensive data science framework. NASA/JPL has begun an initiative in data science to address these challenges. Our goal is to evaluate how scientific productivity can be improved through optimized architectural topologies that identify how to deploy and manage the access, distribution, computation, and reduction of massive, distributed data, while managing the uncertainties of scientific conclusions derived from such capabilities. This talk will provide an overview of JPL's efforts in developing a comprehensive architectural approach to data science.

Architecture of Kepler's Multi-transiting Systems: II. New investigations with twice as many candidates

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

Fabrycky, Daniel C.; Lissauer, Jack J.; Ragozzine, Darin

Having discovered 885 planet candidates in 361 multiple-planet systems, Kepler has made transits a powerful method for studying the statistics of planetary systems. The orbits of only two pairs of planets in these candidate systems are apparently unstable. This indicates that a high percentage of the candidate systems are truly planets orbiting the same star, motivating physical investigations of the population. Pairs of planets in this sample are typically not in orbital resonances. However, pairs with orbital period ratios within a few percent of a first-order resonance (e.g. 2:1, 3:2) prefer orbital spacings just wide of the resonance and avoidmore » spacings just narrow of the resonance. Finally, we investigate mutual inclinations based on transit duration ratios. We infer that the inner planets of pairs tend to have a smaller impact parameter than their outer companions, suggesting these planetary systems are typically coplanar to within a few degrees.« less

Exoplanets: A New Era of Comparative Planetology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meadows, Victoria

2014-11-01

We now know of over 1700 planets orbiting other stars, and several thousand additional planetary candidates. These discoveries have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of planet formation and evolution, while providing targets for the search for life beyond the Solar System. Exoplanets display a larger diversity of planetary types than those seen in our Solar System - including low-density, low-mass objects. They are also found in planetary system architectures very different from our own, even for stars similar to our Sun. Over 20 potentially habitable planets are now known, and half of the M dwarfs stars in our Galaxy may harbor a habitable planet. M dwarfs are plentiful, and they are therefore the most likely habitable planet hosts, but their planets will have radiative and gravitational interactions with their star and sibling planets that are unlike those in our Solar System. Observations to characterize the atmospheres and surfaces of exoplanets are extremely challenging, and transit transmission spectroscopy has been used to measure atmospheric composition for a handful of candidates. Frustratingly, many of the smaller exoplanets have flat, featureless spectra indicative of planet-wide haze or clouds. The James Webb Space Telescope and future ground-based telescopes will improve transit transmission characterization, and enable the first search for signs of life in terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres. Beyond JWST, planned next-generation space telescopes will directly image terrestrial exoplanets, allowing surface and atmospheric characterization that is more robust to haze. Until these observations become available, there is a lot that we can do as planetary scientists to inform required measurements and future data interpretation. Solar System planets can be used as validation targets for extrasolar planet observations and models. The rich heritage of planetary science models can also be used to explore the potential diversity of exoplanet environments and star-planet interactions. And planetary remote-sensing can inform new techniques to identify environmental characteristics and biosignatures in exoplanet spectra.

Spacing of Kepler Planets: Sculpting by Dynamical Instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pu, Bonan; Wu, Yanqin

2015-07-01

We study the orbital architecture of multi-planet systems detected by the Kepler transit mission using N-body simulations, focusing on the orbital spacing between adjacent planets in systems showing four or more transiting planets. We find that the observed spacings are tightly clustered around 12 mutual Hill radii, when transit geometry and sensitivity limits are accounted for. In comparison, dynamical integrations reveal that the minimum spacing required for systems of similar masses to survive dynamical instability for as long as 1 billion yr is ∼10 if all orbits are circular and coplanar and ∼12 if planetary orbits have eccentricities of ∼0.02 (a value suggested by studies of planet transit-time variations). This apparent coincidence, between the observed spacing and the theoretical stability threshold, leads us to propose that typical planetary systems were formed with even tighter spacing, but most, except for the widest ones, have undergone dynamical instability, and are pared down to a more anemic version of their former selves, with fewer planets and larger spacings. So while the high-multiple systems (five or more transiting planets) are primordial systems that remain stable, the single or double planetary systems, abundantly discovered by the Kepler mission, may be the descendants of more closely packed high-multiple systems. If this hypothesis is correct, we infer that the formation environment of Kepler systems should be more dissipative than that of the terrestrial planets.

The anglo-australian planet search. XXIII. Two new Jupiter analogs

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

Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Horner, Jonathan; Tinney, C. G.

2014-03-10

We report the discovery of two long-period giant planets from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search. HD 154857c is in a multiple-planet system, while HD 114613b appears to be solitary. HD 114613b has an orbital period P = 10.5 yr, and a minimum mass msin i of 0.48 M {sub Jup}; HD 154857c has P = 9.5 yr and msin i = 2.6 M {sub Jup}. These new data confirm the planetary nature of the previously unconstrained long-period object in the HD 154857 system. We have performed detailed dynamical stability simulations which show that the HD 154857 two-planet system is stable onmore » timescales of at least 10{sup 8} yr. These results highlight the continued importance of 'legacy' surveys with long observational baselines; these ongoing campaigns are critical for determining the population of Jupiter analogs, and hence of those planetary systems with architectures most like our own solar system.« less

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.

Options for a lunar base surface architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Barney B.

1992-01-01

The Planet Surface Systems Office at the NASA Johnson Space Center has participated in an analysis of the Space Exploration Initiative architectures described in the Synthesis Group report. This effort involves a Systems Engineering and Integration effort to define point designs for evolving lunar and Mars bases that support substantial science, exploration, and resource production objectives. The analysis addresses systems-level designs; element requirements and conceptual designs; assessments of precursor and technology needs; and overall programmatics and schedules. This paper focuses on the results of the study of the Space Resource Utilization Architecture. This architecture develops the capability to extract useful materials from the indigenous resources of the Moon and Mars. On the Moon, a substantial infrastructure is emplaced which can support a crew of up to twelve. Two major process lines are developed: one produces oxygen, ceramics, and metals; the other produces hydrogen, helium, and other volatiles. The Moon is also used for a simulation of a Mars mission. Significant science capabilities are established in conjunction with resource development. Exploration includes remote global surveys and piloted sorties of local and regional areas. Science accommodations include planetary science, astronomy, and biomedical research. Greenhouses are established to provide a substantial amount of food needs.

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.

The final fate of planetary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaensicke, Boris

2015-12-01

The discovery of the first extra-solar planet around a main-sequence star in 1995 has changed the way we think about the Universe: our solar system is not unique. Twenty years later, we know that planetary systems are ubiquitous, orbit stars spanning a wide range in mass, and form in an astonishing variety of architectures. Yet, one fascinating aspect of planetary systems has received relatively little attention so far: their ultimate fate.Most planet hosts will eventually evolve into white dwarfs, Earth-sized stellar embers, and the outer parts of their planetary systems (in the solar system, Mars and beyond) can survive largely intact for billions of years. While scattered and tidally disrupted planetesimals are directly detected at a small number of white dwarfs in the form infrared excess, the most powerful probe for detecting evolved planetary systems is metal pollution of the otherwise pristine H/He atmospheres.I will present the results of a multi-cycle HST survey that has obtained COS observations of 136 white dwarfs. These ultraviolet spectra are exquisitely sensitive to the presence of metals contaminating the white atmosphere. Our sophisticated model atmosphere analysis demonstrates that at least 27% of all targets are currently accreting planetary debris, and an additional 29% have very likely done so in the past. These numbers suggest that planet formation around A-stars (the dominant progenitors of today's white dwarf population) is similarly efficient as around FGK stars.In addition to post-main sequence planetary system demographics, spectroscopy of the debris-polluted white dwarf atmospheres provides a direct window into the bulk composition of exo-planetesimals, analogous to the way we use of meteorites to determine solar-system abundances. Our ultraviolet spectroscopy is particularly sensitive to the detection of Si, a dominant rock-forming species, and we identify up to ten additional volatile and refractory elements in the most strongly contaminated white dwarfs. The derived bulk abundances unambiguously demonstrate the predominantly rocky nature of the accreted material, with two exceptions where we detect volatile-rich debris. The relative abundance ratios suggest a wide range of parent bodies, including both primitive asteroids and fragments from differentiated planetesimals. The growing number of detailed debris abundances can provide important observational constraints on planet formation models.

Nanotechnology at NASA Ames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srivastava, Deepak; Meyyappan, Meyya; Yan, Jerry (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Advanced miniaturization, a key thrust area to enable new science and exploration missions, provides ultrasmall sensors, power sources, communication, navigation, and propulsion systems with very low mass, volume, and power consumption. Revolutions in electronics and computing will allow reconfigurable, autonomous, 'thinking' spacecraft. Nanotechnology presents a whole new spectrum of opportunities to build device components and systems for entirely new space architectures: (1) networks of ultrasmall probes on planetary surfaces; (2) micro-rovers that drive, hop, fly, and burrow; and (3) collections of microspacecraft making a variety of measurements.

Enabling Venus In-Situ Science - Deployable Entry System Technology, Adaptive Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT): A Technology Development Project funded by Game Changing Development Program of the Space Technology Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wercinski, Paul F.; Venkatapathy, Ethiraj; Gage, Peter J.; Yount, Bryan C.; Prabhu, Dinesh K.; Smith, Brandon; Arnold, James O.; Makino, alberto; Peterson, Keith Hoppe; Chinnapongse, Ronald I.

2012-01-01

Venus is one of the important planetary destinations for scientific exploration, but: The combination of extreme entry environment coupled with extreme surface conditions have made mission planning and proposal efforts very challenging. We present an alternate, game-changing approach (ADEPT) where a novel entry system architecture enables more benign entry conditions and this allows for greater flexibility and lower risk in mission design

Electromagnetic Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schafer, Charles

2000-01-01

The design and development of an Electromagnetic Propulsion is discussed. Specific Electromagnetic Propulsion Topics discussed include: (1) Technology for Pulse Inductive Thruster (PIT), to design, develop, and test of a multirepetition rate pulsed inductive thruster, Solid-State Switch Technology, and Pulse Driver Network and Architecture; (2) Flight Weight Magnet Survey, to determine/develop light weight high performance magnetic materials for potential application Advanced Space Flight Systems as these systems develop; and (3) Magnetic Flux Compression, to enable rapid/robust/reliable omni-planetary space transportation within realistic development and operational costs constraints.

Advanced engineering software for in-space assembly and manned planetary spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delaquil, Donald; Mah, Robert

1990-01-01

Meeting the objectives of the Lunar/Mars initiative to establish safe and cost-effective extraterrestrial bases requires an integrated software/hardware approach to operational definitions and systems implementation. This paper begins this process by taking a 'software-first' approach to systems design, for implementing specific mission scenarios in the domains of in-space assembly and operations of the manned Mars spacecraft. The technological barriers facing implementation of robust operational systems within these two domains are discussed, and preliminary software requirements and architectures that resolve these barriers are provided.

Advantages of Brahms for Specifying and Implementing a Multiagent Human-Robotic Exploration System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clancey, William J.; Sierhuis, Maarten; Kaskiris, Charis; vanHoof, Ron

2003-01-01

We have developed a model-based, distributed architecture that integrates diverse components in a system designed for lunar and planetary surface operations: an astronaut's space suit, cameras, all-terrain vehicles, robotic assistant, crew in a local habitat, and mission support team. Software processes ('agents') implemented in the Brahms language, run on multiple, mobile platforms. These mobile agents interpret and transform available data to help people and robotic systems coordinate their actions to make operations more safe and efficient. The Brahms-based mobile agent architecture (MAA) uses a novel combination of agent types so the software agents may understand and facilitate communications between people and between system components. A state-of-the-art spoken dialogue interface is integrated with Brahms models, supporting a speech-driven field observation record and rover command system. An important aspect of the methodology involves first simulating the entire system in Brahms, then configuring the agents into a runtime system Thus, Brahms provides a language, engine, and system builder's toolkit for specifying and implementing multiagent systems.

Planetary Moon Cycler Trajectories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, Ryan P.; Strange, Nathan J.

2007-01-01

Free-return cycler trajectories repeatedly shuttle a spacecraft between two bodies using little or no fuel. Here, the cycler architecture is proposed as a complementary and alternative method for designing planetary moon tours. Previously applied enumerative cycler search and optimization techniques are generalized and specifically implemented in the Jovian and Saturnian moon systems. In addition, the algorithms are tested for general use to find non-Earth heliocentric cyclers. Overall, hundreds of ideal model ballistic cycler geometries are found and several representative cases are documented and discussed. Many of the ideal model solutions are found to remain ballistic in a zero radius sphere of influence patched conic ephemeris model, and preliminary work in a high-fidelity fully integrated model demonstrates near-ballistic cycles for several example cases.

In-Space Propulsion Technology Program Solar Electric Propulsion Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dankanich, John W.

2006-01-01

NASA's In-space Propulsion (ISP) Technology Project is developing new propulsion technologies that can enable or enhance near and mid-term NASA science missions. The Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) technology area has been investing in NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT), the High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAC), lightweight reliable feed systems, wear testing, and thruster modeling. These investments are specifically targeted to increase planetary science payload capability, expand the envelope of planetary science destinations, and significantly reduce the travel times, risk, and cost of NASA planetary science missions. Status and expected capabilities of the SEP technologies are reviewed in this presentation. The SEP technology area supports numerous mission studies and architecture analyses to determine which investments will give the greatest benefit to science missions. Both the NEXT and HiVHAC thrusters have modified their nominal throttle tables to better utilize diminished solar array power on outbound missions. A new life extension mechanism has been implemented on HiVHAC to increase the throughput capability on low-power systems to meet the needs of cost-capped missions. Lower complexity, more reliable feed system components common to all electric propulsion (EP) systems are being developed. ISP has also leveraged commercial investments to further validate new ion and hall thruster technologies and to potentially lower EP mission costs.

The Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems: Placing Our Solar System in Context with Spitzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Michael R.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Backman, Dana; Beckwith, Steve; Bouwman, Jeroen; Brooke, Tim; Carpenter, John; Cohen, Martin; Cortes, Stephanie; Crockett, Nathan; Gorti, Uma; Henning, Thomas; Hines, Dean; Hollenbach, David; Kim, Jinyoung Serena; Lunine, Jonathan; Malhotra, Renu; Mamajek, Eric; Metchev, Stanimir; Moro-Martin, Amaya; Morris, Pat; Najita, Joan; Padgett, Deborah; Pascucci, Ilaria; Rodmann, Jens; Schlingman, Wayne; Silverstone, Murray; Soderblom, David; Stauffer, John; Stobie, Elizabeth; Strom, Steve; Watson, Dan; Weidenschilling, Stuart; Wolf, Sebastian; Young, Erick

2006-12-01

We provide an overview of the Spitzer Legacy Program, Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems, that was proposed in 2000, begun in 2001, and executed aboard the Spitzer Space Telescope between 2003 and 2006. This program exploits the sensitivity of Spitzer to carry out mid-infrared spectrophotometric observations of solar-type stars. With a sample of ~328 stars ranging in age from ~3 Myr to ~3 Gyr, we trace the evolution of circumstellar gas and dust from primordial planet-building stages in young circumstellar disks through to older collisionally generated debris disks. When completed, our program will help define the timescales over which terrestrial and gas giant planets are built, constrain the frequency of planetesimal collisions as a function of time, and establish the diversity of mature planetary architectures. In addition to the observational program, we have coordinated a concomitant theoretical effort aimed at understanding the dynamics of circumstellar dust with and without the effects of embedded planets, dust spectral energy distributions, and atomic and molecular gas line emission. Together with the observations, these efforts will provide an astronomical context for understanding whether our solar system-and its habitable planet-is a common or a rare circumstance. Additional information about the FEPS project can be found on the team Web site.

SpaceWire- Based Control System Architecture for the Lightweight Advanced Robotic Arm Demonstrator [LARAD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rucinski, Marek; Coates, Adam; Montano, Giuseppe; Allouis, Elie; Jameux, David

2015-09-01

The Lightweight Advanced Robotic Arm Demonstrator (LARAD) is a state-of-the-art, two-meter long robotic arm for planetary surface exploration currently being developed by a UK consortium led by Airbus Defence and Space Ltd under contract to the UK Space Agency (CREST-2 programme). LARAD has a modular design, which allows for experimentation with different electronics and control software. The control system architecture includes the on-board computer, control software and firmware, and the communication infrastructure (e.g. data links, switches) connecting on-board computer(s), sensors, actuators and the end-effector. The purpose of the control system is to operate the arm according to pre-defined performance requirements, monitoring its behaviour in real-time and performing safing/recovery actions in case of faults. This paper reports on the results of a recent study about the feasibility of the development and integration of a novel control system architecture for LARAD fully based on the SpaceWire protocol. The current control system architecture is based on the combination of two communication protocols, Ethernet and CAN. The new SpaceWire-based control system will allow for improved monitoring and telecommanding performance thanks to higher communication data rate, allowing for the adoption of advanced control schemes, potentially based on multiple vision sensors, and for the handling of sophisticated end-effectors that require fine control, such as science payloads or robotic hands.

Software Architecture of Sensor Data Distribution In Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Charles; Alena, Richard; Stone, Thom; Ossenfort, John; Walker, Ed; Notario, Hugo

2006-01-01

Data from mobile and stationary sensors will be vital in planetary surface exploration. The distribution and collection of sensor data in an ad-hoc wireless network presents a challenge. Irregular terrain, mobile nodes, new associations with access points and repeaters with stronger signals as the network reconfigures to adapt to new conditions, signal fade and hardware failures can cause: a) Data errors; b) Out of sequence packets; c) Duplicate packets; and d) Drop out periods (when node is not connected). To mitigate the effects of these impairments, a robust and reliable software architecture must be implemented. This architecture must also be tolerant of communications outages. This paper describes such a robust and reliable software infrastructure that meets the challenges of a distributed ad hoc network in a difficult environment and presents the results of actual field experiments testing the principles and actual code developed.

RESONANCES REQUIRED: DYNAMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE 24 Sex AND HD 200964 PLANETARY SYSTEMS

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

Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Horner, Jonathan; Tinney, C. G., E-mail: rob@phys.unsw.edu.au

We perform several suites of highly detailed dynamical simulations to investigate the architectures of the 24 Sextantis and HD 200964 planetary systems. The best-fit orbital solution for the two planets in the 24 Sex system places them on orbits with periods that lie very close to 2:1 commensurability, while that for the HD 200964 system places the two planets therein in orbits whose periods lie close to a 4:3 commensurability. In both cases, the proposed best-fit orbits are mutually crossing-a scenario that is only dynamically feasible if the planets are protected from close encounters by the effects of mutual mean-motionmore » resonance (MMR). Our simulations reveal that the best-fit orbits for both systems lie within narrow islands of dynamical stability, and are surrounded by much larger regions of extreme instability. As such, we show that the planets are only feasible if they are currently trapped in mutual MMR-the 2:1 resonance in the case of 24 Sex b and c, and the 4:3 resonance in the case of HD 200964 b and c. In both cases, the region of stability is strongest and most pronounced when the planetary orbits are mutually coplanar. As the inclination of planet c with respect to planet b is increased, the stability of both systems rapidly collapses.« less

Predicting Instability Timescales in Closely-Packed Planetary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamayo, Daniel; Hadden, Samuel; Hussain, Naireen; Silburt, Ari; Gilbertson, Christian; Rein, Hanno; Menou, Kristen

2018-04-01

Many of the multi-planet systems discovered around other stars are maximally packed. This implies that simulations with masses or orbital parameters too far from the actual values will destabilize on short timescales; thus, long-term dynamics allows one to constrain the orbital architectures of many closely packed multi-planet systems. A central challenge in such efforts is the large computational cost of N-body simulations, which preclude a full survey of the high-dimensional parameter space of orbital architectures allowed by observations. I will present our recent successes in training machine learning models capable of reliably predicting orbital stability a million times faster than N-body simulations. By engineering dynamically relevant features that we feed to a gradient-boosted decision tree algorithm (XGBoost), we are able to achieve a precision and recall of 90% on a holdout test set of N-body simulations. This opens a wide discovery space for characterizing new exoplanet discoveries and for elucidating how orbital architectures evolve through time as the next generation of spaceborne exoplanet surveys prepare for launch this year.

Digital Beamforming Synthetic Aperture Radar Developments at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rincon, Rafael; Fatoyinbo, Temilola; Osmanoglu, Batuhan; Lee, Seung Kuk; Du Toit, Cornelis F.; Perrine, Martin; Ranson, K. Jon; Sun, Guoqing; Deshpande, Manohar; Beck, Jaclyn;

Space-Time and Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Field, F.; Goodbun, J.; Watson, V.

Architects have a role to play in interplanetary space that has barely yet been explored. The architectural community is largely unaware of this new territory, for which there is still no agreed method of practice. There is moreover a general confusion, in scientific and related fields, over what architects might actually do there today. Current extra-planetary designs generally fail to explore the dynamic and relational nature of space-time, and often reduce human habitation to a purely functional problem. This is compounded by a crisis over the representation (drawing) of space-time. The present work returns to first principles of architecture in order to realign them with current socio-economic and technological trends surrounding the space industry. What emerges is simultaneously the basis for an ecological space architecture, and the representational strategies necessary to draw it. We explore this approach through a work of design-based research that describes the construction of Ocean; a huge body of water formed by the collision of two asteroids at the Translunar Lagrange Point (L2), that would serve as a site for colonisation, and as a resource to fuel future missions. Ocean is an experimental model for extra-planetary space design and its representation, within the autonomous discipline of architecture.

Deep Space Habitat ECLSS Design Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curley, Su; Stambaugh, Imelda; Swickrath, Michael; Anderson, Molly S.; Rotter, Henry

2012-01-01

Life support is vital to human spaceflight, and most current life support systems employ single-use hardware or regenerable technologies that throw away the waste products, relying on resupply to make up the consumables lost in the process. Because the long-term goal of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is to expand human presence beyond low-earth orbit, life support systems must become self-sustaining for missions where resupply is not practical. From May through October 2011, the life support team at the Johnson Space Center was challenged to define requirements, develop a system concept, and create a preliminary life support system design for a non-planetary Deep Space Habitat that could sustain a crew of four in near earth orbit for a duration of 388 days. Some of the preferred technology choices to support this architecture were passed over because the mission definition has an unmanned portion lasting 825 days. The main portion of the architecture was derived from technologies currently integrated on the International Space Station as well as upcoming technologies with moderate Technology Readiness Levels. The final architecture concept contains only partially-closed air and water systems, as the breakeven point for some of the closure technologies was not achieved with the mission duration.

Deep Space Habitat ECLS Design Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curley, Su; Stambaugh, Imelda; Swickrath, Mike; Anderson, Molly; Rotter, Hank

2011-01-01

Life support is vital to human spaceflight, and most current life support systems employ single-use hardware or regenerable technologies that throw away the waste products, relying on resupply to make up the consumables lost in the process. Because the long-term goal of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is to expand human presence beyond low-earth orbit, life support systems must become self-sustaining for missions where resupply is not practical. From May through October 2011, the life support team at the Johnson Space Center was challenged to define requirements, develop a system concept, and create a preliminary life support system design for a non-planetary Deep Space Habitat that could sustain a crew of four in near earth orbit for a duration of 388 days. Some of the preferred technology choices to support this architecture were passed over as the mission definition also has an unmanned portion lasting 825 days. The main portion of the architecture was derived from technologies currently integrated on the International Space Station as well as upcoming technologies with moderate Technology Readiness Levels. The final architecture concept contains only partially-closed air and water systems, as the breakeven point for some of the closure technologies was not achieved with the mission duration.

The Outer Planetary Mission Design Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benfield, Michael; Turner, M. W.

2010-10-01

With the recent focus from the planetary science community on the outer planets of the solar system, The University of Alabama in Huntsville Integrated Product Team program is embarking on a new challenge to develop an outer planetary mission for the academic year 2010-2011. Currently four bodies are of interest for this mission: Titan, Europa, Triton, and Enceledus, with one body being chosen by the instructors by the beginning of the fall semester. This project will use the 2010 Discovery Announcement of Opportunity as its Request for Proposal (RFP). All of the teams competing in this project will use the AO to respond with a proposal to the instructors for their proposed mission and spacecraft concept. The project employs the two-semester design sequence of the IPT program to provide a framework for the development of this mission. This sequence is divided into four phases. Phase 1 - Requirements Development - focuses on the development of both the scientific and engineering requirements of the mission. During this phase the teams work very closely with the PI organization, represented by the College of Charleston. Phase 2 - Team Formation and Architecture Development - concentrates on the assessment of the overall mission architecture from the launch vehicle to the ground operations of the proposed spacecraft. Phase 3 - System Definition - provides for spacecraft subsystem trade studies and further refinement of the specific spacecraft to meet the scientific requirements and objectives developed in Phase 1. Phase 4 - Design - is the phase where the engineers provide the spacecraft design that is required for the mission of interest. At the conclusion of Phases 2 and 4, an external review board evaluates the proposed designs and chooses one winner of the competition.

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.

Architectural and Behavioral Systems Design Methodology and Analysis for Optimal Habitation in a Volume-Limited Spacecraft for Long Duration Flights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, Kriss J.; Lewis, Ruthan; Toups, Larry; Howard, Robert; Whitmire, Alexandra; Smitherman, David; Howe, Scott

2016-01-01

As our human spaceflight missions change as we reach towards Mars, the risk of an adverse behavioral outcome increases, and requirements for crew health, safety, and performance, and the internal architecture, will need to change to accommodate unprecedented mission demands. Evidence shows that architectural arrangement and habitability elements impact behavior. Net habitable volume is the volume available to the crew after accounting for elements that decrease the functional volume of the spacecraft. Determination of minimum acceptable net habitable volume and associated architectural design elements, as mission duration and environment varies, is key to enabling, maintaining, andor enhancing human performance and psychological and behavioral health. Current NASA efforts to derive minimum acceptable net habitable volumes and study the interaction of covariates and stressors, such as sensory stimulation, communication, autonomy, and privacy, and application to internal architecture design layouts, attributes, and use of advanced accommodations will be presented. Furthermore, implications of crew adaptation to available volume as they transfer from Earth accommodations, to deep space travel, to planetary surface habitats, and return, will be discussed.

Next Generation P-Band Planetary Synthetic Aperture Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rincon, Rafael; Carter, Lynn; Lu, Dee Pong Daniel

2016-01-01

The Space Exploration Synthetic Aperture Radar (SESAR) is an advanced P-band beamforming radar instrument concept to enable a new class of observations suitable to meet Decadal Survey science goals for planetary exploration. The radar operates at full polarimetry and fine (meter scale) resolution, and achieves beam agility through programmable waveform generation and digital beamforming. The radar architecture employs a novel low power, lightweight design approach to meet stringent planetary instrument requirements. This instrument concept has the potential to provide unprecedented surface and near- subsurface measurements applicable to multiple DecadalSurvey Science Goals.

Next Generation P-Band Planetary Synthetic Aperture Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rincon, Rafael; Carter, Lynn; Lu, Dee Pong Daniel

2017-01-01

The Space Exploration Synthetic Aperture Radar (SESAR) is an advanced P-band beamforming radar instrument concept to enable a new class of observations suitable to meet Decadal Survey science goals for planetary exploration. The radar operates at full polarimetry and fine (meter scale) resolution, and achieves beam agility through programmable waveform generation and digital beamforming. The radar architecture employs a novel low power, lightweight design approach to meet stringent planetary instrument requirements. This instrument concept has the potential to provide unprecedented surface and near- subsurface measurements applicable to multiple Decadal Survey Science Goals.

Intelligence for Human-Assistant Planetary Surface Robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirsh, Robert; Graham, Jeffrey; Tyree, Kimberly; Sierhuis, Maarten; Clancey, William J.

2006-01-01

The central premise in developing effective human-assistant planetary surface robots is that robotic intelligence is needed. The exact type, method, forms and/or quantity of intelligence is an open issue being explored on the ERA project, as well as others. In addition to field testing, theoretical research into this area can help provide answers on how to design future planetary robots. Many fundamental intelligence issues are discussed by Murphy [2], including (a) learning, (b) planning, (c) reasoning, (d) problem solving, (e) knowledge representation, and (f) computer vision (stereo tracking, gestures). The new "social interaction/emotional" form of intelligence that some consider critical to Human Robot Interaction (HRI) can also be addressed by human assistant planetary surface robots, as human operators feel more comfortable working with a robot when the robot is verbally (or even physically) interacting with them. Arkin [3] and Murphy are both proponents of the hybrid deliberative-reasoning/reactive-execution architecture as the best general architecture for fully realizing robot potential, and the robots discussed herein implement a design continuously progressing toward this hybrid philosophy. The remainder of this chapter will describe the challenges associated with robotic assistance to astronauts, our general research approach, the intelligence incorporated into our robots, and the results and lessons learned from over six years of testing human-assistant mobile robots in field settings relevant to planetary exploration. The chapter concludes with some key considerations for future work in this area.

Origin of the orbital architecture of the giant planets of the Solar System.

PubMed

Tsiganis, K; Gomes, R; Morbidelli, A; Levison, H F

2005-05-26

Planetary formation theories suggest that the giant planets formed on circular and coplanar orbits. The eccentricities of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus, however, reach values of 6 per cent, 9 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively. In addition, the inclinations of the orbital planes of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune take maximum values of approximately 2 degrees with respect to the mean orbital plane of Jupiter. Existing models for the excitation of the eccentricity of extrasolar giant planets have not been successfully applied to the Solar System. Here we show that a planetary system with initial quasi-circular, coplanar orbits would have evolved to the current orbital configuration, provided that Jupiter and Saturn crossed their 1:2 orbital resonance. We show that this resonance crossing could have occurred as the giant planets migrated owing to their interaction with a disk of planetesimals. Our model reproduces all the important characteristics of the giant planets' orbits, namely their final semimajor axes, eccentricities and mutual inclinations.

Earth-based analogs of lunar and planetary facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, Larry; Trotti, Guillermo

1992-01-01

Antarctica contains areas where the environment and terrain are more similar to regions on the Moon and Mars than any other place on Earth. These features offer opportunities for simulations to determine performance capabilities of people and machines in harsh, isolated locales. The Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA) plans to create a facility on Antarctica for research, planning, and demonstrations in support of planetary exploration. The Antarctic Planetary Testbed (APT) will be financed and utilized by public and private organizations throughout the world. Established on a continent owned by no country, it can serve as a model for cooperation between spacefaring nations. APT science and technology programs will expand knowledge about the nature and origin of our solar system, and will support preparations for human settlements beyond Earth that may occur within the first quarter of the next century. The initial APT facility, conceived to be operational by the year 1992, will be constructed during the summer months by a crew of approximately 12. Six to eight of these people will remain through the winter. As in space, structures and equipment systems will be modular to facilitate efficient transport to the site, assembly, and evolutionary expansion. State-of-the-art waste recovery/recycling systems are also emphasized due to their importance in space.

Design of a fast Mars space transfer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, Henry H.; Glass, James F.; Roy, Claude

1992-02-01

Architecture strategies and concepts for manned missions to Mars are being developed by NASA and industry. This paper addresses the key Mars transfer vehicle (MTV) design requirements which include surface payload mass, MTV mass, propulsion system characteristics, launch vehicle capability, in-space operations, abort considerations, crew exposure to interplanetary environments, and crew reconditioning for planetary entry. Different mission strategies are presented along with their implications. A representative artificial-g MTV using nuclear thermal propulsion is defined to show concepts which minimize extravehicular activity operations for in-space assembly, inspection, and maintenance.

Lunar Team Report from a Planetary Design Workshop at ESTEC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, A.; MacArthur, J.; Foing, B. H.

2014-04-01

On February 13, 2014, GeoVUsie, a student association for Earth science majors at Vrijie University (VU), Amsterdam, hosted a Planetary Sciences: Moon, Mars and More symposium. The symposium included a learning exercise the following day for a planetary design workshop at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) for 30 motivated students, the majority being from GeoVUsie with little previous experience of planetary science. Students were split into five teams and assigned pre-selected new science mission projects. A few scientific papers were given to use as reference just days before the workshop. Three hours were allocated to create a mission concept before presenting results to the other students and science advisors. The educational backgrounds varied from second year undergraduate students to masters' students from mostly local universities.The lunar team was told to design a mission to the lunar south pole, as this is a key destination agreed upon by the international lunar scientific community. This region has the potential to address many significant objectives for planetary science, as the South Pole-Aitken basin has preserved early solar system history and would help to understand impact events throughout the solar system as well as the origin and evolution of the Earth-Moon system, particularly if samples could be returned. This report shows the lunar team's mission concept and reasons for studying the origin of volatiles on the Moon as the primary science objective [1]. Amundsen crater was selected as the optimal landing site near the lunar south pole [2]. Other mission concepts such as RESOLVE [3], L-VRAP [4], ESA's lunar lander studies and Luna-27 were reviewed. A rover and drill were selected as being the most suitable architecture for the requirements of this mission. Recommendations for future student planetary design exercises were to continue events like this, ideally with more time, and also to invite a more diverse range of educational backgrounds, i.e., both engineering and science students/professionals.

Chaotic Excitation and Tidal Damping in the GJ 876 System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puranam, Abhijit; Batygin, Konstantin

2018-04-01

The M-dwarf GJ 876 is the closest known star to harbor a multi-planetary system. With three outer planets locked in a chaotic Laplace-type resonance and an appreciably eccentric short-period super-Earth, this system represents a unique exposition of extrasolar planetary dynamics. A key question that concerns the long-term evolution of this system, and the fate of close-in planets in general, is how the significant eccentricity of the inner-most planet is maintained against tidal circularization on timescales comparable to the age of the universe. Here, we employ stochastic secular perturbation theory and N-body simulations to show that the orbit of the inner-most planet is shaped by a delicate balance between extrinsic chaotic forcing and tidal dissipation. As such, the planet’s orbital eccentricity represents an indirect measure of its tidal quality factor. Based on the system’s present-day architecture, we estimate that the extrasolar super-Earth GJ 876 d has a tidal Q ∼ 104–105, a value characteristic of solar system gas giants.

ANTS: Applying A New Paradigm for Lunar and Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, P. E.; Curtis, S. A.; Rilee, M. L.

2002-01-01

ANTS (Autonomous Nano- Technology Swarm), a mission architecture consisting of a large (1000 member) swarm of picoclass (1 kg) totally autonomous spacecraft with both adaptable and evolvable heuristic systems, is being developed as a NASA advanced mission concept, and is here examined as a paradigm for lunar surface exploration. As the capacity and complexity of hardware and software, demands for bandwidth, and the sophistication of goals for lunar and planetary exploration have increased, greater cost constraints have led to fewer resources and thus, the need to operate spacecraft with less frequent human contact. At present, autonomous operation of spacecraft systems allows great capability of spacecraft to 'safe' themselves and survive when conditions threaten spacecraft safety. To further develop spacecraft capability, NASA is at the forefront of development of new mission architectures which involve the use of Intelligent Software Agents (ISAs), performing experiments in space and on the ground to advance deliberative and collaborative autonomous control techniques. Selected missions in current planning stages require small groups of spacecraft weighing tens, instead of hundreds, of kilograms to cooperate at a tactical level to select and schedule measurements to be made by appropriate instruments onboard. Such missions will be characterizing rapidly unfolding real-time events on a routine basis. The next level of development, which we are considering here, is in the use of autonomous systems at the strategic level, to explore the remote terranes, potentially involving large surveys or detailed reconnaissance.

Improving Conceptual Design for Launch Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olds, John R.

1998-01-01

This report summarizes activities performed during the second year of a three year cooperative agreement between NASA - Langley Research Center and Georgia Tech. Year 1 of the project resulted in the creation of a new Cost and Business Assessment Model (CABAM) for estimating the economic performance of advanced reusable launch vehicles including non-recurring costs, recurring costs, and revenue. The current year (second year) activities were focused on the evaluation of automated, collaborative design frameworks (computation architectures or computational frameworks) for automating the design process in advanced space vehicle design. Consistent with NASA's new thrust area in developing and understanding Intelligent Synthesis Environments (ISE), the goals of this year's research efforts were to develop and apply computer integration techniques and near-term computational frameworks for conducting advanced space vehicle design. NASA - Langley (VAB) has taken a lead role in developing a web-based computing architectures within which the designer can interact with disciplinary analysis tools through a flexible web interface. The advantages of this approach are, 1) flexible access to the designer interface through a simple web browser (e.g. Netscape Navigator), 2) ability to include existing 'legacy' codes, and 3) ability to include distributed analysis tools running on remote computers. To date, VAB's internal emphasis has been on developing this test system for the planetary entry mission under the joint Integrated Design System (IDS) program with NASA - Ames and JPL. Georgia Tech's complementary goals this year were to: 1) Examine an alternate 'custom' computational architecture for the three-discipline IDS planetary entry problem to assess the advantages and disadvantages relative to the web-based approach.and 2) Develop and examine a web-based interface and framework for a typical launch vehicle design problem.

Toward Identifying Needed Investments in Modeling and Simulation Tools for NEO Deflection Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Robert B.

2009-01-01

Its time: a) To bring planetary scientists, deflection system investigators and vehicle designers together on the characterization/mitigation problem. b) To develop a comprehensive trade space of options. c) To trade options under a common set of assumptions and see what comparisons on effectiveness can be made. d) To explore the synergy that can be had with proposed scientific and exploration architectures while interest in NEO's are at an all time high.

LOx/LCH4: A Unifying Technology for Future Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banker, Brian; Ryan, Abigail

2014-01-01

OVERVIEW For every pound of payload landed on Mars, 226 pounds are required on Earth to get it there. Due to this enormous mass gear-ratio, increasing commonality between lander subsystems, such as power, propulsion, and life support, results in tremendous launch mass and cost savings. Human-Mars architectures point to an oxygen-methane economy, utilizing common commodities scavenged from the planetary atmosphere and soil via In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and common commodity tankage across sub-systems.

Pursuing the planet-debris disk connection: Analysis of upper limits from the Anglo-Australian planet search

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

Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Marshall, Jonathan P., E-mail: rob@phys.unsw.edu.au

2015-02-01

Solid material in protoplanetary disks will suffer one of two fates after the epoch of planet formation; either being bound up into planetary bodies, or remaining in smaller planetesimals to be ground into dust. These end states are identified through detection of sub-stellar companions by periodic radial velocity (or transit) variations of the star, and excess emission at mid- and far-infrared wavelengths, respectively. Since the material that goes into producing the observable outcomes of planet formation is the same, we might expect these components to be related both to each other and their host star. Heretofore, our knowledge of planetarymore » systems around other stars has been strongly limited by instrumental sensitivity. In this work, we combine observations at far-infrared wavelengths by IRAS, Spitzer, and Herschel with limits on planetary companions derived from non-detections in the 16 year Anglo-Australian Planet Search to clarify the architectures of these (potential) planetary systems and search for evidence of correlations between their constituent parts. We find no convincing evidence of such correlations, possibly owing to the dynamical history of the disk systems, or the greater distance of the planet-search targets. Our results place robust limits on the presence of Jupiter analogs which, in concert with the debris disk observations, provides insights on the small-body dynamics of these nearby systems.« less

ORBITAL STABILITY OF MULTI-PLANET SYSTEMS: BEHAVIOR AT HIGH MASSES

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

Morrison, Sarah J.; Kratter, Kaitlin M., E-mail: morrison@lpl.arizona.edu, E-mail: kkratter@email.arizona.edu

2016-06-01

In the coming years, high-contrast imaging surveys are expected to reveal the characteristics of the population of wide-orbit, massive, exoplanets. To date, a handful of wide planetary mass companions are known, but only one such multi-planet system has been discovered: HR 8799. For low mass planetary systems, multi-planet interactions play an important role in setting system architecture. In this paper, we explore the stability of these high mass, multi-planet systems. While empirical relationships exist that predict how system stability scales with planet spacing at low masses, we show that extrapolating to super-Jupiter masses can lead to up to an ordermore » of magnitude overestimate of stability for massive, tightly packed systems. We show that at both low and high planet masses, overlapping mean-motion resonances trigger chaotic orbital evolution, which leads to system instability. We attribute some of the difference in behavior as a function of mass to the increasing importance of second order resonances at high planet–star mass ratios. We use our tailored high mass planet results to estimate the maximum number of planets that might reside in double component debris disk systems, whose gaps may indicate the presence of massive bodies.« less

Flight elements: Advanced avionics systems architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Space transportation objectives are associated with transporting material from Earth to orbit, interplanetary travel, and planetary landing. The objectives considered herein are associated with Earth to orbit transportation. Many good avionics architectural features will support all phases of space transportation, but interplanetary transportation poses significantly different problems such as long mission time with high reliability, unattended operation, and many different opportunities such as long nonoperational flight segments that can be used for equipment fault diagnosis and repair. Fault tolerance can be used to permit continued operation with faulty units, not only during launch but also, and perhaps with more impact, during prelaunch activities. Avionics systems are entering a phase of development where the traditional approaches to satisfactory systems based on engineering judgement and thorough testing will alone no longer be adequate to assure that the required system performance can be obtained. A deeper understanding will be required to make the effects of obscure design decisions clear at a level where their impact can be properly judged.

A system architecture for a planetary rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, D. B.; Matijevic, J. R.

1989-01-01

Each planetary mission requires a complex space vehicle which integrates several functions to accomplish the mission and science objectives. A Mars Rover is one of these vehicles, and extends the normal spacecraft functionality with two additional functions: surface mobility and sample acquisition. All functions are assembled into a hierarchical and structured format to understand the complexities of interactions between functions during different mission times. It can graphically show data flow between functions, and most importantly, the necessary control flow to avoid unambiguous results. Diagrams are presented organizing the functions into a structured, block format where each block represents a major function at the system level. As such, there are six blocks representing telecomm, power, thermal, science, mobility and sampling under a supervisory block called Data Management/Executive. Each block is a simple collection of state machines arranged into a hierarchical order very close to the NASREM model for Telerobotics. Each layer within a block represents a level of control for a set of state machines that do the three primary interface functions: command, telemetry, and fault protection. This latter function is expanded to include automatic reactions to the environment as well as internal faults. Lastly, diagrams are presented that trace the system operations involved in moving from site to site after site selection. The diagrams clearly illustrate both the data and control flows. They also illustrate inter-block data transfers and a hierarchical approach to fault protection. This systems architecture can be used to determine functional requirements, interface specifications and be used as a mechanism for grouping subsystems (i.e., collecting groups of machines, or blocks consistent with good and testable implementations).

How to Extend the Capabilities of Space Systems for Long Duration Space Exploration Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marzwell, Neville I.; Waterman, Robert D.; KrishnaKumar, Kalmanje; Waterman, Susan J.

2005-01-01

For sustainable Exploration Missions the need exists to assemble systems-of-systems in space, on the Moon or on other planetary surfaces. To fulfill this need new and innovative system architecture is needed that can be satisfied with the present lift capability of existing rocket technology without the added cost of developing a new heavy lift vehicle. To enable ultra-long life missions with minimum redundancy and lighter mass the need exists to develop system soft,i,are and hardware reconfigurability, which enables increasing functionality and multiple use of launched assets while at the same time overcoming any components failures. Also the need exists to develop the ability to dynamically demate and reassemble individual system elements during a mission in order to work around failed hardware or changed mission requirements. Therefore to meet the goals of Space Exploration Missions in hiteroperability and Reconfigurability, many challenges must be addressed to transform the traditional static avionics architecture into architecture with dynamic capabilities. The objective of this paper is to introduce concepts associated with reconfigurable computer systems; review the various needs and challenges associated with reconfigurable avionics space systems; provide an operational example that illustrates the needs applicable to either the Crew Exploration Vehicle or a collection of "Habot like" mobile surface elements; summarize the approaches that address key challenges to acceptance of a Flexible, Intelligent, Modular and Affordable reconfigurable avionics space system.

The International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA): Activities in 2010-2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crichton, Daniel; Beebe, Reta; Kasaba, Yasumasa; Sarkissian, Alain; Capria, Maria Teresa; Hughes, Steven; Osuna, Pedro

2012-07-01

The IPDA is an international collaboration of space agencies with a mission of providing access to scientific data returned from solar system missions archived at international data centers. In order to improve access and share scientific data, the IPDA was founded to develop data and software standards. The IPDA has focused on promoting standards that drive common methods for collecting and describing planetary science data. An initial starting point for developing such a standard has been the internationalization of NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) standard, which has become a de-facto standard. The IPDA has also focused on developing software standards that promote interoperability through the use of common software protocols allowing agencies to link their systems together. The IPDA has made significant progress since its inaugural meeting in 2006 adopting standards and developing collaborations across agencies to ensure data is captured in common formats. It has also grown to approximately eight agencies represented by a number of different groups through the IPDA Steering Committee [1]. The IPDA Steering Committee oversees the execution of projects. Over the past two years, the IPDA Steering Committee has conducted a number of focused projects around the development of these standards to enable interoperability, construction of compatible archives, and the operation of the IPDA as a whole. These projects have helped to establish the IPDA and to bring together the collaboration. Two key projects have been: development of a common protocol for data exchange, the Planetary Data Access Protocol (PDAP); and collaboration with the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS) on the next generation PDS standards, PDS4.. Both of these are progressing well and have draft standards that are now being tested. More recently, the IPDA has formed a Technical Experts Group (TEG) that is responsible for the technical architecture and implementation of the projects. As agencies implement archive systems, it is essential that the standards and software support exists and provide guidance to ensure that agencies can develop IPDA compatible archives. This talk will cover the results of the IPDA projects over the 2010-2012 timeframe. It will also discuss the plans for the next two years including the focus on ensuring that the IPDA standards for both the system and data are accessible for use by the international planetary science community. Finally, it will discuss progress on linking planetary archive systems together so scientists can access archived data regardless of the location. [1] http://planetarydata.org/members

A task control architecture for autonomous robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simmons, Reid; Mitchell, Tom

1990-01-01

An architecture is presented for controlling robots that have multiple tasks, operate in dynamic domains, and require a fair degree of autonomy. The architecture is built on several layers of functionality, including a distributed communication layer, a behavior layer for querying sensors, expanding goals, and executing commands, and a task level for managing the temporal aspects of planning and achieving goals, coordinating tasks, allocating resources, monitoring, and recovering from errors. Application to a legged planetary rover and an indoor mobile manipulator is described.

Operability driven space system concept with high leverage technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, Henry H.

1997-01-01

One of the common objectives of future launch and space transfer systems is to achieve low-cost and effective operational capability by automating processes from pre-launch to the end of mission. Hierarchical and integrated mission management, system management, autonomous GN&C, and integrated micro-nano avionics technologies are critical to extend or revitalize the exploitation of space. Essential to space transfer, orbital systems, Earth-To-Orbit (ETO), commercial and military aviation, and planetary systems are these high leverage hardware and software technologies. This paper covers the driving issues, goals, and requirements definition supported with typical concepts and utilization of multi-use technologies. The approach and method results in a practical system architecture and lower level design concepts.

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.

CIRS-lite, a Fourier Transform Spectrometer for Low-Cost Planetary Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brasunas, J.; Bly, V.; Edgerton, M.; Gong, Q.; Hagopian, J.; Mamakos, W.; Morelli, A.; Pasquale, B.; Strojny, C.

2011-01-01

Passive spectroscopic remote sensing of planetary atmospheres and surfaces in the thermal infrared is a powerful tool for obtaining information about surface and atmospheric temperatures, composition, and dynamics (via the thermal wind equation). Due to its broad spectral coverage, the Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) is particularly suited to the exploration and discovery of molecular species. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) developed the CIRS (Composite Infrared Spectrometer) FTS for the NASA/ESA Cassini mission to the Saturnian system. CIRS observes Saturn, Titan, icy moons such as Enceladus, and the rings in thermal self-emission over the spectral range of 7 to 1000 ell11. CIRS has given us important new insights into stratospheric composition and jets on Jupiter and Saturn, the cryo-geyser and thermal stripes on Enceladus, and the winter polar vortex on Titan. CIRS has a mass of 43 kg, contrasted with the earlier GSFC FTS, pre-Voyager IRIS (14 kg). Future low-cost planetary missions will have very tight constraints on science payload mass, thus we must endeavor to return to IRIS-level mass while maintaining CIRS-level science capabilities ("do more with less"). CIRS-lite achieves this by pursuing: a) more sensitive infrared detectors (high Tc superconductor) to enable smaller optics. b) changed long wavelength limit from 1000 to 300 microns to reduce diffraction by smaller optics. c) CVD (chemical vapor deposition) diamond beam-splitter for broad spectral coverage. d) single FTS architecture instead of a dual FTS architecture. e) novel materials, such as single crystal silicon for the input telescope primary.

Biodigester Feasibility and Design for Space & Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shutts, Stacy; Ewert, Mike; Bacon, Jack

2016-01-01

Anaerobic digestion converts organic waste into methane gas and fertilizer effluent. The ICA-developed prototype system is designed for planetary surface operation. It uses passive hydrostatic control for reliability, and is modular and redundant. The serpentine configuration accommodates tight geometric constraints similar to the ISS ECLSS rack architectures. Its shallow, low-tilt design enables (variable) lower-g convection than standard Earth (1 g) digesters. This technology will reuse and recycle materials including human waste, excess food, as well as packaging (if biodegradable bags are used).

Giant Planet Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Angelo, G.; Durisen, R. H.; Lissauer, J. J.

2010-12-01

Gas giant planets play a fundamental role in shaping the orbital architecture of planetary systems and in affecting the delivery of volatile materials to terrestrial planets in the habitable zones. Current theories of gas giant planet formation rely on either of two mechanisms: the core accretion model and the disk instability model. In this chapter, we describe the essential principles upon which these models are built and discuss the successes and limitations of each model in explaining observational data of giant planets orbiting the Sun and other stars.

Leveraging the Thousands of Known Planets to Inform TESS Follow-Up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballard, Sarah

2017-10-01

The Solar System furnishes our most familiar planetary architecture: many planets, orbiting nearly coplanar to one another. However, a typical system of planets in the Milky Way orbits a much smaller M dwarf star, and these stars furnish a different blueprint in key ways than the conditions that nourished evolution of life on Earth. With ensemble studies of hundreds-to-thousands of exoplanets, I will describe the emerging links between planet formation from disks, orbital dynamics of planets, and the content and observability of planetary atmospheres. These quantities can be tied to observables even in discovery light curves, to enable judicious selection of follow-up targets from the ground and from space. After TESS exoplanet discoveries start in earnest, the studies of individual planets with large, space-based platforms comprise the clear next step toward understanding the hospitability of the Milky Way to life. Our success hinges upon leveraging the many thousands of planet discoveries in hand to determine how to use these precious and limited resources.

Space station needs, attributes and architectural options study. Volume 2: Appendix C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Planetary science, Earth observation, space physics, astronomy, solar astronomy, life/biological sciences, materials processing, commercial materials processing, commercial communications, and technology development are discussed.

A Distributed Data Architecture for 2001 Mars Odyssey Data Distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crichton, Daniel J.; Hughes, J. Steven; Kelly, Sean

2003-01-01

Newer instruments and communications techniques have given scientists unprecedented amounts of data, more than can be feasibly distributed through traditional methods such as mailed CD-ROM's. Leveraging the web makes sense since it enables scientists to request specific data and retrieve products as soon as they're available. Yet defining the middleware system to support such an application has remained just out of reach, until Odyssey. For the first time ever, data from all Odyssey mission instruments were made available through a single system immediately upon delivery to the Planetary Data System (PDS). The Object Oriented Data Technology (OODT) software made such an application possible.

MW-Class Electric Propulsion System Designs for Mars Cargo Transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilland, James H.; LaPointe, Michael R.; Oleson, Steven; Mercer, Carolyn; Pencil, Eric; Maosn, Lee

2011-01-01

Multi-kilowatt electric propulsion systems are well developed and have been used on commercial and military satellites in Earth orbit for several years. Ion and Hall thrusters have also propelled robotic spacecraft to encounters with asteroids, the Moon, and minor planetary bodies within the solar system. High power electric propulsion systems are currently being considered to support piloted missions to near earth asteroids, as cargo transport for sustained lunar or Mars exploration, and for very high-power piloted missions to Mars and the outer planets. Using NASA Mars Design Architecture 5.0 as a reference, a preliminary parametric analysis was performed to determine the suitability of a nuclear powered, MW-class electric propulsion system for Mars cargo transport. For this initial analysis, high power 100-kW Hall thrusters and 250-kW VASIMR engines were separately evaluated to determine optimum vehicle architecture and estimated performance. The DRA 5.0 cargo mission closed for both propulsion options, delivering a 100 t payload to Mars orbit and reducing the number of heavy lift launch vehicles from five in the baseline DRA 5.0 architecture to two using electric propulsion. Under an imposed single engine-out mission success criteria, the VASIMR system took longer to reach Mars than did the Hall system, arising from the need to operate the VASIMR thrusters in pairs during the spiral out from low Earth orbit.

Onboard Data Processors for Planetary Ice-Penetrating Sounding Radars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, I. L.; Friesenhahn, R.; Gim, Y.; Wu, X.; Jordan, R.; Wang, C.; Clark, D.; Le, M.; Hand, K. P.; Plaut, J. J.

2011-12-01

Among the many concerns faced by outer planetary missions, science data storage and transmission hold special significance. Such missions must contend with limited onboard storage, brief data downlink windows, and low downlink bandwidths. A potential solution to these issues lies in employing onboard data processors (OBPs) to convert raw data into products that are smaller and closely capture relevant scientific phenomena. In this paper, we present the implementation of two OBP architectures for ice-penetrating sounding radars tasked with exploring Europa and Ganymede. Our first architecture utilizes an unfocused processing algorithm extended from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS, Jordan et. al. 2009). Compared to downlinking raw data, we are able to reduce data volume by approximately 100 times through OBP usage. To ensure the viability of our approach, we have implemented, simulated, and synthesized this architecture using both VHDL and Matlab models (with fixed-point and floating-point arithmetic) in conjunction with Modelsim. Creation of a VHDL model of our processor is the principle step in transitioning to actual digital hardware, whether in a FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), and successful simulation and synthesis strongly indicate feasibility. In addition, we examined the tradeoffs faced in the OBP between fixed-point accuracy, resource consumption, and data product fidelity. Our second architecture is based upon a focused fast back projection (FBP) algorithm that requires a modest amount of computing power and on-board memory while yielding high along-track resolution and improved slope detection capability. We present an overview of the algorithm and details of our implementation, also in VHDL. With the appropriate tradeoffs, the use of OBPs can significantly reduce data downlink requirements without sacrificing data product fidelity. Through the development, simulation, and synthesis of two different OBP architectures, we have proven the feasibility and efficacy of an OBP for planetary ice-penetrating radars.

The NASA Space Communications Data Networking Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Israel, David J.; Hooke, Adrian J.; Freeman, Kenneth; Rush, John J.

2006-01-01

The NASA Space Communications Architecture Working Group (SCAWG) has recently been developing an integrated agency-wide space communications architecture in order to provide the necessary communication and navigation capabilities to support NASA's new Exploration and Science Programs. A critical element of the space communications architecture is the end-to-end Data Networking Architecture, which must provide a wide range of services required for missions ranging from planetary rovers to human spaceflight, and from sub-orbital space to deep space. Requirements for a higher degree of user autonomy and interoperability between a variety of elements must be accommodated within an architecture that necessarily features minimum operational complexity. The architecture must also be scalable and evolvable to meet mission needs for the next 25 years. This paper will describe the recommended NASA Data Networking Architecture, present some of the rationale for the recommendations, and will illustrate an application of the architecture to example NASA missions.

Planet-Planet Scattering in Planetesimal Disks. II. Predictions for Outer Extrasolar Planetary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raymond, Sean N.; Armitage, Philip J.; Gorelick, Noel

2010-03-01

We develop an idealized dynamical model to predict the typical properties of outer extrasolar planetary systems, at radii comparable to the Jupiter-to-Neptune region of the solar system. The model is based upon the hypothesis that dynamical evolution in outer planetary systems is controlled by a combination of planet-planet scattering and planetary interactions with an exterior disk of small bodies ("planetesimals"). Our results are based on 5000 long duration N-body simulations that follow the evolution of three planets from a few to 10 AU, together with a planetesimal disk containing 50 M ⊕ from 10 to 20 AU. For large planet masses (M >~ M Sat), the model recovers the observed eccentricity distribution of extrasolar planets. For lower-mass planets, the range of outcomes in models with disks is far greater than that which is seen in isolated planet-planet scattering. Common outcomes include strong scattering among massive planets, sudden jumps in eccentricity due to resonance crossings driven by divergent migration, and re-circularization of scattered low-mass planets in the outer disk. We present the distributions of the eccentricity and inclination that result, and discuss how they vary with planet mass and initial system architecture. In agreement with other studies, we find that the currently observed eccentricity distribution (derived primarily from planets at a <~ 3 AU) is consistent with isolated planet-planet scattering. We explain the observed mass dependence—which is in the opposite sense from that predicted by the simplest scattering models—as a consequence of strong correlations between planet masses in the same system. At somewhat larger radii, initial planetary mass correlations and disk effects can yield similar modest changes to the eccentricity distribution. Nonetheless, strong damping of eccentricity for low-mass planets at large radii appears to be a secure signature of the dynamical influence of disks. Radial velocity measurements capable of detecting planets with K ≈ 5 m s-1 and periods in excess of 10 years will provide constraints on this regime. Finally, we present an analysis of the predicted separation of planets in two-planet systems, and of the population of planets in mean-motion resonances (MMRs). We show that, if there are systems with ~ Jupiter-mass planets that avoid close encounters, the planetesimal disk acts as a damping mechanism and populates MMRs at a very high rate (50%-80%). In many cases, resonant chains (in particular the 4:2:1 Laplace resonance) are set up among all three planets. We expect such resonant chains to be common among massive planets in outer planetary systems.

Applying Strategic Visualization(Registered Trademark) to Lunar and Planetary Mission Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frassanito, John R.; Cooke, D. R.

2002-01-01

NASA teams, such as the NASA Exploration Team (NEXT), utilize advanced computational visualization processes to develop mission designs and architectures for lunar and planetary missions. One such process, Strategic Visualization (trademark), is a tool used extensively to help mission designers visualize various design alternatives and present them to other participants of their team. The participants, which may include NASA, industry, and the academic community, are distributed within a virtual network. Consequently, computer animation and other digital techniques provide an efficient means to communicate top-level technical information among team members. Today,Strategic Visualization(trademark) is used extensively both in the mission design process within the technical community, and to communicate the value of space exploration to the general public. Movies and digital images have been generated and shown on nationally broadcast television and the Internet, as well as in magazines and digital media. In our presentation will show excerpts of a computer-generated animation depicting the reference Earth/Moon L1 Libration Point Gateway architecture. The Gateway serves as a staging corridor for human expeditions to the lunar poles and other surface locations. Also shown are crew transfer systems and current reference lunar excursion vehicles as well as the Human and robotic construction of an inflatable telescope array for deployment to the Sun/Earth Libration Point.

Interoperability In The New Planetary Science Archive (PSA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rios, C.; Barbarisi, I.; Docasal, R.; Macfarlane, A. J.; Gonzalez, J.; Arviset, C.; Grotheer, E.; Besse, S.; Martinez, S.; Heather, D.; De Marchi, G.; Lim, T.; Fraga, D.; Barthelemy, M.

2015-12-01

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, there is a greater need to provide interoperability with software and applications that are commonly being used globally. For this purpose, the development of the new Planetary Science Archive (PSA), by the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) Science Data Centre (ESDC), is focused on building a modern science archive that takes into account internationally recognised standards in order to provide access to the archive through tools from third parties, for example by the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS), the VESPA project from the Virtual Observatory of Paris as well as other international institutions. The protocols and standards currently being supported by the new Planetary Science Archive at this time are the Planetary Data Access Protocol (PDAP), the EuroPlanet-Table Access Protocol (EPN-TAP) and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards. The architecture of the PSA consists of a Geoserver (an open-source map server), the goal of which is to support use cases such as the distribution of search results, sharing and processing data through a OGC Web Feature Service (WFS) and a Web Map Service (WMS). This server also allows the retrieval of requested information in several standard output formats like Keyhole Markup Language (KML), Geography Markup Language (GML), shapefile, JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) and Comma Separated Values (CSV), among others. The provision of these various output formats enables end-users to be able to transfer retrieved data into popular applications such as Google Mars and NASA World Wind.

Surface Habitat Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, Kriss J.

2009-01-01

The Surface Habitat Systems (SHS) Focused Investment Group (FIG) is part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) effort to provide a focused direction and funding to the various projects that are working on human surface habitat designs and technologies for the planetary exploration missions. The overall SHS-FIG effort focuses on directing and guiding those projects that: 1) develop and demonstrate new surface habitat system concepts, innovations, and technologies to support human exploration missions, 2) improve environmental systems that interact with human habitats, 3) handle and emplace human surface habitats, and 4) focus on supporting humans living and working in habitats on planetary surfaces. The activity areas of the SHS FIG described herein are focused on the surface habitat project near-term objectives as described in this document. The SHS-FIG effort focuses on mitigating surface habitat risks (as identified by the Lunar Surface Systems Project Office (LSSPO) Surface Habitat Element Team; and concentrates on developing surface habitat technologies as identified in the FY08 gap analysis. The surface habitat gap assessment will be updated annually as the surface architecture and surface habitat definition continues to mature. These technologies are mapped to the SHS-FIG Strategic Development Roadmap. The Roadmap will bring to light the areas where additional innovative efforts are needed to support the development of habitat concepts and designs and the development of new technologies to support of the LSSPO Habitation Element development plan. Three specific areas of development that address Lunar Architecture Team (LAT)-2 and Constellation Architecture Team (CxAT) Lunar habitat design issues or risks will be focused on by the SHS-FIG. The SHS-FIG will establish four areas of development that will help the projects prepare in their planning for surface habitat systems development. Those development areas are the 1) surface habitat concept definition, 2) inflatable surface habitat development, and 3) autonomous habitat operations, and 4) cross-cutting / systems engineering. In subsequent years, the SHS-FIG will solicit a call for innovations and technologies that will support the development of these four development areas. The other development areas will be assessed yearly and identified on the SHS-FIG s Strategic Development Roadmap. Initial investment projects that are funded by the Constellation Program Office (CxPO), LSSPO, or the Exploration Technology Development Projects (ETDP) will also be included on the Roadmap. For example, in one or two years from now, the autonomous habitat operations and testbed would collaborations with the Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) and Automation for Operations ETDP projects, which will give the surface habitat projects an integrated habitat autonomy testbed to test software and systems. The SHS-FIG scope is to provide focused direction for multiple innovations, technologies and subsystems that are needed to support humans at a remote planetary surface habitat during the concept development, design definition, and integration phases of that project. Subsystems include: habitability, lightweight structures, power management, communications, autonomy, deployment, outfitting, life support, wireless connectivity, lighting, thermal and more.

ARCHITECTURE AND DYNAMICS OF KEPLER'S CANDIDATE MULTIPLE TRANSITING PLANET SYSTEMS

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

Lissauer, Jack J.; Jenkins, Jon M.; Borucki, William J.

About one-third of the {approx}1200 transiting planet candidates detected in the first four months of Kepler data are members of multiple candidate systems. There are 115 target stars with two candidate transiting planets, 45 with three, 8 with four, and 1 each with five and six. We characterize the dynamical properties of these candidate multi-planet systems. The distribution of observed period ratios shows that the vast majority of candidate pairs are neither in nor near low-order mean-motion resonances. Nonetheless, there are small but statistically significant excesses of candidate pairs both in resonance and spaced slightly too far apart to bemore » in resonance, particularly near the 2:1 resonance. We find that virtually all candidate systems are stable, as tested by numerical integrations that assume a nominal mass-radius relationship. Several considerations strongly suggest that the vast majority of these multi-candidate systems are true planetary systems. Using the observed multiplicity frequencies, we find that a single population of planetary systems that matches the higher multiplicities underpredicts the number of singly transiting systems. We provide constraints on the true multiplicity and mutual inclination distribution of the multi-candidate systems, revealing a population of systems with multiple super-Earth-size and Neptune-size planets with low to moderate mutual inclinations.« less

Survival of habitable planets in unstable planetary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrera, Daniel; Davies, Melvyn B.; Johansen, Anders

2016-12-01

Many observed giant planets lie on eccentric orbits. Such orbits could be the result of strong scatterings with other giant planets. The same dynamical instability that produces these scatterings may also cause habitable planets in interior orbits to become ejected, destroyed, or be transported out of the habitable zone. We say that a habitable planet has resilient habitability if it is able to avoid ejections and collisions and its orbit remains inside the habitable zone. Here we model the orbital evolution of rocky planets in planetary systems where giant planets become dynamically unstable. We measure the resilience of habitable planets as a function of the observed, present-day masses and orbits of the giant planets. We find that the survival rate of habitable planets depends strongly on the giant planet architecture. Equal-mass planetary systems are far more destructive than systems with giant planets of unequal masses. We also establish a link with observation; we find that giant planets with present-day eccentricities higher than 0.4 almost never have a habitable interior planet. For a giant planet with a present-day eccentricity of 0.2 and semimajor axis of 5 au orbiting a Sun-like star, 50 per cent of the orbits in the habitable zone are resilient to the instability. As semimajor axis increases and eccentricity decreases, a higher fraction of habitable planets survive and remain habitable. However, if the habitable planet has rocky siblings, there is a significant risk of rocky planet collisions that would sterilize the planet.

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.

Validating early stellar encounters as the cause of dynamically hot planetary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalas, Paul

2017-08-01

One of the key questions concerning exoplanetary systems is why some are dynamically cold, such as TRAPPIST-1, whereas others are dynamically hot, with highly eccentric planets and/or perturbed debris disks. Dynamical theory describes a variety of plausible mechanisms, but few can be empirically tested since the critical dynamical evolution that sets the final planetary architecture is short-lived. One rare system available for testing dynamical upheaval scenarios is the 400 Myr-old Fomalhaut system. In Cycle 22 we coronagraphically studied Fomalhaut C, which is a wide M-dwarf companion to Fomalhaut A, in order to test our prediction that the unresolved, Herschel-detected debris disk around Fomalhaut C may be highly perturbed because of a recent close interaction with Fomalhaut A. Using HST/STIS we discovered a highly asymmetric feature extending northward of Fomalhaut C by 3 that resembles our model of a dynamically hot disk. However, it may be a background galaxy and the definitive test of its physical relationship to Fomalhaut C is to demonstrate common proper motion. Using Keck adaptive optics follow-up observations in J band, we did not detect the feature, and hence follow-up HST observations are the only way to test for common proper motion. Here we request a very small program to revisit Fomalhaut C with STIS in order to validate the initial discovery as a debris disk (1 proper motion between HST epochs). The astrophysical significance is demonstrating that the Fomalhaut system is a valuable case for studying dynamical upheavals via stellar encounters that are inferred to occur in the evolution of many other planetary systems.

PSUP: A Planetary SUrface Portal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poulet, F.; Quantin-Nataf, C.; Ballans, H.; Dassas, K.; Audouard, J.; Carter, J.; Gondet, B.; Lozac'h, L.; Malapert, J.-C.; Marmo, C.; Riu, L.; Séjourné, A.

2018-01-01

The large size and complexity of planetary data acquired by spacecraft during the last two decades create a demand within the planetary community for access to the archives of raw and high level data and for the tools necessary to analyze these data. Among the different targets of the Solar System, Mars is unique as the combined datasets from the Viking, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions provide a tremendous wealth of information that can be used to study the surface of Mars. The number and the size of the datasets require an information system to process, manage and distribute data. The Observatories of Paris Sud (OSUPS) and Lyon (OSUL) have developed a portal, called PSUP (Planetary SUrface Portal), for providing users with efficient and easy access to data products dedicated to the Martian surface. The objectives of the portal are: 1) to allow processing and downloading of data via a specific application called MarsSI (Martian surface data processing Information System); 2) to provide the visualization and merging of high level (image, spectral, and topographic) products and catalogs via a web-based user interface (MarsVisu), and 3) to distribute some of these specific high level data with an emphasis on products issued by the science teams of OSUPS and OSUL. As the MarsSI service is extensively described in a companion paper (Quantin-Nataf et al., companion paper, submitted to this special issue), the present paper focus on the general architecture and the functionalities of the web-based user interface MarsVisu. This service provides access to many data products for Mars: albedo, mineral and thermal inertia global maps from spectrometers; mosaics from imagers; image footprints and rasters from the MarsSI tool; high level specific products (defined as catalogs or vectors). MarsVisu can be used to quickly assess the visualized processed data and maps as well as identify areas that have not been mapped yet. It also allows overlapping of these data products on a virtual Martian globe, which can be difficult to use collectively. The architecture of PSUP data management layer and visualization is based on SITools2 (Malapert and Marseille, 2012) and MIZAR (Module for Interactive visualiZation from Astronomical Repositories) respectively, two CNES generic tools developed by a joint effort between the French space agency (CNES) and French scientific laboratories. Future developments include the addition of high level products of Mars (regional geological maps, new global compositional maps…) and tools (spectra extraction from hyperspectral cubes). Ultimately, PSUP will be adapted to other planetary surfaces and space missions in which the French research institutes are involved.

Statistics and Machine Learning based Outlier Detection Techniques for Exoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goel, Amit; Montgomery, Michele

2015-08-01

Architectures of planetary systems are observable snapshots in time that can indicate formation and dynamic evolution of planets. The observable key parameters that we consider are planetary mass and orbital period. If planet masses are significantly less than their host star masses, then Keplerian Motion is defined as P^2 = a^3 where P is the orbital period in units of years and a is the orbital period in units of Astronomical Units (AU). Keplerian motion works on small scales such as the size of the Solar System but not on large scales such as the size of the Milky Way Galaxy. In this work, for confirmed exoplanets of known stellar mass, planetary mass, orbital period, and stellar age, we analyze Keplerian motion of systems based on stellar age to seek if Keplerian motion has an age dependency and to identify outliers. For detecting outliers, we apply several techniques based on statistical and machine learning methods such as probabilistic, linear, and proximity based models. In probabilistic and statistical models of outliers, the parameters of a closed form probability distributions are learned in order to detect the outliers. Linear models use regression analysis based techniques for detecting outliers. Proximity based models use distance based algorithms such as k-nearest neighbour, clustering algorithms such as k-means, or density based algorithms such as kernel density estimation. In this work, we will use unsupervised learning algorithms with only the proximity based models. In addition, we explore the relative strengths and weaknesses of the various techniques by validating the outliers. The validation criteria for the outliers is if the ratio of planetary mass to stellar mass is less than 0.001. In this work, we present our statistical analysis of the outliers thus detected.

New Insights on Planet Formation in WASP-47 from a Simultaneous Analysis of Radial Velocities and Transit Timing Variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, Lauren M.; Deck, Katherine M.; Sinukoff, Evan; Petigura, Erik A.; Agol, Eric; Lee, Eve J.; Becker, Juliette C.; Howard, Andrew W.; Isaacson, Howard; Crossfield, Ian J. M.; Fulton, Benjamin J.; Hirsch, Lea; Benneke, Björn

2017-06-01

Measuring precise planet masses, densities, and orbital dynamics in individual planetary systems is an important pathway toward understanding planet formation. The WASP-47 system has an unusual architecture that motivates a complex formation theory. The system includes a hot Jupiter (“b”) neighbored by interior (“e”) and exterior (“d”) sub-Neptunes, and a long-period eccentric giant planet (“c”). We simultaneously modeled transit times from the Kepler K2 mission and 118 radial velocities to determine the precise masses, densities, and Keplerian orbital elements of the WASP-47 planets. Combining RVs and TTVs provides a better estimate of the mass of planet d (13.6+/- 2.0 {M}\\oplus ) than that obtained with only RVs (12.75+/- 2.70 {M}\\oplus ) or TTVs (16.1+/- 3.8 {M}\\oplus ). Planets e and d have high densities for their size, consistent with a history of photoevaporation and/or formation in a volatile-poor environment. Through our RV and TTV analysis, we find that the planetary orbits have eccentricities similar to the solar system planets. The WASP-47 system has three similarities to our own solar system: (1) the planetary orbits are nearly circular and coplanar, (2) the planets are not trapped in mean motion resonances, and (3) the planets have diverse compositions. None of the current single-process exoplanet formation theories adequately reproduce these three characteristics of the WASP-47 system (or our solar system). We propose that WASP-47, like the solar system, formed in two stages: first, the giant planets formed in a gas-rich disk and migrated to their present locations, and second, the high-density sub-Neptunes formed in situ in a gas-poor environment.

The Search for Young Planetary Systems And the Evolution of Young Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beichman, Charles A.; Boden, Andrew; Ghez, Andrea; Hartman, Lee W.; Hillenbrand, Lynn; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Simon, Michael J.; Stauffer, John R.; Velusamy, Thangasamy

2004-01-01

The Space Interferometer Mission (SIM) will provide a census of planetary systems by con- ducting a broad survey of 2,000 stars that will be sensitive to the presence of planets with masses as small as approx. 15 Earth masses (1 Uranus mass) and a deep survey of approx. 250 of the nearest, stars with a mass limit of approx.3 Earth masses. The broad survey will include stars spanning a wide range of ages, spectral types, metallicity, and other important parameters. Within this larger context, the Young Stars and Planets Key Project will study approx. 200 stars with ages from 1 Myr to 100 Myr to understand the formation and dynamical evolution of gas giant planets. The SIM Young Stars and Planets Project will investigate both the frequency of giant planet formation and the early dynamical history of planetary systems. We will gain insight into how common the basic architecture of our solar system is compared with recently discovered systems with close-in giant planets by examining 200 of the nearest (less than 150 pc) and youngest (1-100 Myr) solar-type stars for planets. The sensitivity of the survey for stars located 140 pc away is shown in the planet mass-separation plane. We expect to find anywhere from 10 (assuming that only the presently known fraction of stars. 5-7%, has planets) to 200 (all young stars have planets) planetary systems. W-e have set our sensitivity threshold to ensure the detection of Jupiter-mass planets in the critical orbital range of 1 to 5 AU. These observations, when combined with the results of planetary searches of mature stars, will allow us to test theories of planetary formation and early solar system evolution. By searching for planets around pre-main sequence stars carefully selected to span an age range from 1 to 100 Myr, we will learn a t what epoch and with what frequency giant planets are found at the water-ice snowline where they are expected to form. This will provide insight into the physical mechanisms by which planets form and migrate from their place of birth, and about their survival rate. With these data in hand, we will provide data, for the first time, on such important questions as: What processes affect the formation and dynamical evolution of planets? When and where do planets form? What is initial mass distribution of planetary systems around young stars? How might planets be destroyed? What is the origin of the eccentricity of planetary orbits? What is the origin of the apparent dearth of companion objects between planets and brown dwarfs seen in mature stars? The observational strategy is a compromise between the desire to extend the planetary mass function as low as possible and the essential need to build up sufficient statistics on planetary occurrence. About half of the sample will be used to address the "where" and "when" of planet formation. We will study classical T Tauri stars (cTTs) which have massive accretion disks and post- accretion, weak-lined T Tauri stars (wTTs). Preliminary estimates suggest the sample will consist of approx. 30% cTTs and approx. 70% wTTs, driven in part by the difficulty of making accurate astrometric measurements toward objects with strong variability or prominent disks.

The Planetary Data System Distributed Inventory System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, J. Steven; McMahon, Susan K.

1996-01-01

The advent of the World Wide Web (Web) and the ability to easily put data repositories on-line has resulted in a proliferation of digital libraries. The heterogeneity of the underlying systems, the autonomy of the individual sites, and distributed nature of the technology has made both interoperability across the sites and the search for resources within a site major research topics. This article will describe a system that addresses both issues using standard Web protocols and meta-data labels to implement an inventory of on-line resources across a group of sites. The success of this system is strongly dependent on the existence of and adherence to a standards architecture that guides the management of meta-data within participating sites.

Shifting from Stewardship to Analytics of Massive Science Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crichton, D. J.; Doyle, R.; Law, E.; Hughes, S.; Huang, T.; Mahabal, A.

2015-12-01

Currently, the analysis of large data collections is executed through traditional computational and data analysis approaches, which require users to bring data to their desktops and perform local data analysis. Data collection, archiving and analysis from future remote sensing missions, be it from earth science satellites, planetary robotic missions, or massive radio observatories may not scale as more capable instruments stress existing architectural approaches and systems due to more continuous data streams, data from multiple observational platforms, and measurements and models from different agencies. A new paradigm is needed in order to increase the productivity and effectiveness of scientific data analysis. This paradigm must recognize that architectural choices, data processing, management, analysis, etc are interrelated, and must be carefully coordinated in any system that aims to allow efficient, interactive scientific exploration and discovery to exploit massive data collections. Future observational systems, including satellite and airborne experiments, and research in climate modeling will significantly increase the size of the data requiring new methodological approaches towards data analytics where users can more effectively interact with the data and apply automated mechanisms for data reduction, reduction and fusion across these massive data repositories. This presentation will discuss architecture, use cases, and approaches for developing a big data analytics strategy across multiple science disciplines.

Commercial Mars Sample Return Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenard, R.-X.

2018-04-01

Zodiac Planetary Services is a newly-formed company whose three founders together have over 80 years of space and high technology development and legal experience. The company uses IP created by the author covered by patent # 62/523432.

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): The First Light Machine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahl, H. Philip

2008-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), expected to launch in 2011, will study the origin and evolution of luminous objects, galaxies, stars, planetary systems and the origins of life. It is optimized for near infrared wavelength operation of 0.6-28 micrometers and will have a 5 year mission life (with a 10 year goal). This presentation reviews JWST's science objectives, the JWST telescope and mirror requirements and how they support the JWST architecture. Additionally, an overview of the JWST primary mirror technology development effort is highlighted.

Mars Sample Return Using Commercial Capabilities: Mission Architecture Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzales, Andrew A.; Stoker, Carol R.; Lemke, Lawrence G.; Bowles, Jeffery V.; Huynh, Loc C.; Faber, Nicholas T.; Race, Margaret S.

2014-01-01

Mars Sample Return (MSR) is the highest priority science mission for the next decade as recommended by the recent Decadal Survey of Planetary Science. This presentation provides an overview of a feasibility study for a MSR mission in which emerging commercial capabilities are used alongside other sources of mission elements. Goal is to reduce the number of mission systems and launches required to return the samples, with the goal of reducing mission cost.. Major elements required for the MSR mission are described. We report the feasibility of a complete and closed MSR mission design

Automation and Robotics for Human Mars Exploration (AROMA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hofmann, Peter; von Richter, Andreas

2003-01-01

Automation and Robotics (A&R) systems are a key technology for Mars exploration. All over the world initiatives in this field aim at developing new A&R systems and technologies for planetary surface exploration. From December 2000 to February 2002 Kayser-Threde GmbH, Munich, Germany lead a study called AROMA (Automation and Robotics for Human Mars Exploration) under ESA contract in order to define a reference architecture of A&R elements in support of a human Mars exploration program. One of the goals of this effort is to initiate new developments and to maintain the competitiveness of European industry within this field. c2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Automation and Robotics for Human Mars Exploration (AROMA).

PubMed

Hofmann, Peter; von Richter, Andreas

2003-01-01

Automation and Robotics (A&R) systems are a key technology for Mars exploration. All over the world initiatives in this field aim at developing new A&R systems and technologies for planetary surface exploration. From December 2000 to February 2002 Kayser-Threde GmbH, Munich, Germany lead a study called AROMA (Automation and Robotics for Human Mars Exploration) under ESA contract in order to define a reference architecture of A&R elements in support of a human Mars exploration program. One of the goals of this effort is to initiate new developments and to maintain the competitiveness of European industry within this field. c2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Human Mars Surface Science Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bobskill, Marianne R.; Lupisella, Mark L.

2014-01-01

Human missions to the surface of Mars will have challenging science operations. This paper will explore some of those challenges, based on science operations considerations as part of more general operational concepts being developed by NASA's Human Spaceflight Architecture (HAT) Mars Destination Operations Team (DOT). The HAT Mars DOT has been developing comprehensive surface operations concepts with an initial emphasis on a multi-phased mission that includes a 500-day surface stay. This paper will address crew science activities, operational details and potential architectural and system implications in the areas of (a) traverse planning and execution, (b) sample acquisition and sample handling, (c) in-situ science analysis, and (d) planetary protection. Three cross-cutting themes will also be explored in this paper: (a) contamination control, (b) low-latency telerobotic science, and (c) crew autonomy. The present traverses under consideration are based on the report, Planning for the Scientific Exploration of Mars by Humans1, by the Mars Exploration Planning and Analysis Group (MEPAG) Human Exploration of Mars-Science Analysis Group (HEM-SAG). The traverses are ambitious and the role of science in those traverses is a key component that will be discussed in this paper. The process of obtaining, handling, and analyzing samples will be an important part of ensuring acceptable science return. Meeting planetary protection protocols will be a key challenge and this paper will explore operational strategies and system designs to meet the challenges of planetary protection, particularly with respect to the exploration of "special regions." A significant challenge for Mars surface science operations with crew is preserving science sample integrity in what will likely be an uncertain environment. Crewed mission surface assets -- such as habitats, spacesuits, and pressurized rovers -- could be a significant source of contamination due to venting, out-gassing and cleanliness levels associated with crew presence. Low-latency telerobotic science operations has the potential to address a number of contamination control and planetary protection issues and will be explored in this paper. Crew autonomy is another key cross-cutting challenge regarding Mars surface science operations, because the communications delay between earth and Mars could as high as 20 minutes one way, likely requiring the crew to perform many science tasks without direct timely intervention from ground support on earth. Striking the operational balance between crew autonomy and earth support will be a key challenge that this paper will address.

Transit Duration Variations due to Secular Interactions in Systems with Tightly-packed Inner Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boley, Aaron; Van Laerhoven, Christa; Granados Contreras, A. Paula

2018-04-01

Secular interactions among planets in multi-planet systems will lead to variations in orbital inclinations and to the precession of orbital nodes. Taking known system architectures at face value, we calculate orbital precession rates for planets in tightly-packed systems using classical second-order secular theory, in which the orientation of the orbits can be described as a vector sum of eigenmodes and the eigenstructure is determined only by the masses and semi-major axes of the planets. Using this framework, we identify systems that have fast precession frequencies, and use those systems to explore the range of transit duration variation that could occur using amplitudes that are consistent with tightly-packed planetary systems. We then further assess how transit duration variations could be used in practice.

Actions, Observations, and Decision-Making: Biologically Inspired Strategies for Autonomous Aerial Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pisanich, Greg; Ippolito, Corey; Plice, Laura; Young, Larry A.; Lau, Benton

2003-01-01

This paper details the development and demonstration of an autonomous aerial vehicle embodying search and find mission planning and execution srrategies inspired by foraging behaviors found in biology. It begins by describing key characteristics required by an aeria! explorer to support science and planetary exploration goals, and illustrates these through a hypothetical mission profile. It next outlines a conceptual bio- inspired search and find autonomy architecture that implements observations, decisions, and actions through an "ecology" of producer, consumer, and decomposer agents. Moving from concepts to development activities, it then presents the results of mission representative UAV aerial surveys at a Mars analog site. It next describes hardware and software enhancements made to a commercial small fixed-wing UAV system, which inc!nde a ncw dpvelopnent architecture that also provides hardware in the loop simulation capability. After presenting the results of simulated and actual flights of bioinspired flight algorithms, it concludes with a discussion of future development to include an expansion of system capabilities and field science support.

Sparse distributed memory overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raugh, Mike

1990-01-01

The Sparse Distributed Memory (SDM) project is investigating the theory and applications of massively parallel computing architecture, called sparse distributed memory, that will support the storage and retrieval of sensory and motor patterns characteristic of autonomous systems. The immediate objectives of the project are centered in studies of the memory itself and in the use of the memory to solve problems in speech, vision, and robotics. Investigation of methods for encoding sensory data is an important part of the research. Examples of NASA missions that may benefit from this work are Space Station, planetary rovers, and solar exploration. Sparse distributed memory offers promising technology for systems that must learn through experience and be capable of adapting to new circumstances, and for operating any large complex system requiring automatic monitoring and control. Sparse distributed memory is a massively parallel architecture motivated by efforts to understand how the human brain works. Sparse distributed memory is an associative memory, able to retrieve information from cues that only partially match patterns stored in the memory. It is able to store long temporal sequences derived from the behavior of a complex system, such as progressive records of the system's sensory data and correlated records of the system's motor controls.

Small Spacecraft for Planetary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, John; Castillo-Rogez, Julie; Bousquet, Pierre-W.; Vane, Gregg; Komarek, Tomas; Klesh, Andrew

2016-07-01

As planetary science continues to explore new and remote regions of the Solar system with comprehensive and more sophisticated payloads, small spacecraft offer the possibility for focused and more affordable science investigations. These small spacecraft or micro spacecraft (< 100 kg) can be used in a variety of architectures consisting of orbiters, landers, rovers, atmospheric probes, and penetrators. A few such vehicles have been flown in the past as technology demonstrations. However, technologies such as new miniaturized science-grade sensors and electronics, advanced manufacturing for lightweight structures, and innovative propulsion are making it possible to fly much more capable micro spacecraft for planetary exploration. While micro spacecraft, such as CubeSats, offer significant cost reductions with added capability from advancing technologies, the technical challenges for deep space missions are very different than for missions conducted in low Earth orbit. Micro spacecraft must be able to sustain a broad range of planetary environments (i.e., radiations, temperatures, limited power generation) and offer long-range telecommunication performance on a par with science needs. Other capabilities needed for planetary missions, such as fine attitude control and determination, capable computer and data handling, and navigation are being met by technologies currently under development to be flown on CubeSats within the next five years. This paper will discuss how micro spacecraft offer an attractive alternative to accomplish specific science and technology goals and what relevant technologies are needed for these these types of spacecraft. Acknowledgements: Part of this work is being carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under contract to NASA. Government sponsorship acknowledged.

IPDA PDS4 Project: Towards an International Planetary Data Standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, Santa; Roatsch, Thomas; Capria, Maria Teresa; Heather, David; Yamamoto, Yukio; Hughes, Steven; Stein, Thomas; Cecconi, Baptiste; Prashar, Ajay; Batanov, Oleg; Gopala Krishna, Barla

2016-07-01

The International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA) is an international collaboration of space agencies with the main objective of facilitating discovery, access and use of planetary data managed across international boundaries. For this purpose, the IPDA has adopted the NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) standard as the de-facto archiving standard, and is working towards the internationalisation of the new generation of the standards, called PDS4. PDS4 is the largest upgrade in the history of the PDS, and is a significant step towards an online, distributed, model-driven and service-oriented architecture international archive. Following the successful deployment of PDS4 to support NASA's LADEE and MAVEN missions, PDS4 was endorsed by IPDA in 2014. This has led to the adoption of PDS4 by a number of international space agencies (ESA, JAXA, ISRO and Roscosmos, among others) for their upcoming missions. In order to closely follow the development of the PDS4 standards and to coordinate the international contribution and participation in its evolution, a group of experts from each international agency is dedicated to review different aspects of the standards and to capture recommendations and requirements to ensure the international needs are met. The activities performed by this group cover the assessment and implementation of all aspects of PDS4, including its use, documentation, tools, validation strategies and information model. This contribution will present the activities carried out by this group and how this partnership between PDS and IPDA provides an excellent foundation towards an international platform for planetary science research.

Infrared interferometric observations of nearby exozodiacal disks: current status and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Defrère, D.; Absil, O.; di Folco, E.; Coudé du Foresto, V.; Mérand, A.; Augereau, J.-C.

2010-10-01

Directly detecting exozodiacal dust in the inner part of extrasolar planetary systems is nowadays feasible thanks to the advance of high-precision near-infrared interferometry. Investigating this region around nearby stars provides unique information to understand the global architecture of planetary systems and to define the population of stars suitable for future exo-Earth characterization missions. Over the last few years, a survey of nearby main-sequence stars has been ongoing at the CHARA array using the FLUOR beam combiner. The goal of this survey is to directly probe the inner part of circumstellar disks in order to detect the signature of hot dust accounting for about 1% of the near-infrared stellar flux. In this paper, we present the status of this survey and provide the first statistical results about the occurrence of bright exozodiacal disks around nearby main-sequence stars. We also report on the first H-band interferometric observations of the exozodiacal disk around Vega which have been obtained with IOTA/IONIC, and discuss the implications on the disk properties.

Axiomatic Design of Space Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Harry W.

2017-01-01

Systems engineering is an organized way to design and develop systems, but the initial system design concepts are usually seen as the products of unexplained but highly creative intuition. Axiomatic design is a mathematical approach to produce and compare system architectures. The two axioms are:- Maintain the independence of the functional requirements.- Minimize the information content (or complexity) of the design. The first axiom generates good system design structures and the second axiom ranks them. The closed system human life support architecture now implemented in the International Space Station has been essentially unchanged for fifty years. In contrast, brief missions such as Apollo and Shuttle have used open loop life support. As mission length increases, greater system closure and increased recycling become more cost-effective.Closure can be gradually increased, first recycling humidity condensate, then hygiene wastewater, urine, carbon dioxide, and water recovery brine. A long term space station or planetary base could implement nearly full closure, including food production. Dynamic systems theory supports the axioms by showing that fewer requirements, fewer subsystems, and fewer interconnections all increase system stability. If systems are too complex and interconnected, reliability is reduced and operations and maintenance become more difficult. Using axiomatic design shows how the mission duration and other requirements determine the best life support system design including the degree of closure.

Multi-Planetary Systems: Observations and Models of Dynamical Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.

2018-01-01

More than 600 multi-planet systems are known. The vast majority of these systems have been discovered by NASA's Kepler spacecraft, but dozens were found using the Doppler technique, the first multi-exoplanet system was identified through pulsar timing, and the most massive system has been found using imaging. More than one-third of the 4000+ planet candidates found by NASA's Kepler spacecraft are associated with target stars that have more than one planet candidate, and the large number of such Kepler "multis" tells us that flat multiplanet systems like our Solar System are common. Virtually all of Kepler candidate multis are stable, as tested by numerical integrations that assume a physically motivated mass-radius relationship. Statistical studies performed on these candidate systems reveal a great deal about the architecture of planetary systems, including the typical spacing of orbits and flatness. The characteristics of several of the most interesting confirmed multi-exoplanet systems will also be discussed.HR 8799's four massive planets orbit tens of AU from their host star and travel on nearly circular orbits. PSR B1257+12 has three much smaller planets orbiting close to a neutron star. Both represent extremes and show that planet formation is a robust process that produces a diversity of outcomes. Although both exomoons and Trojan (triangle Lagrange point) planets have been searched for, neither has yet been found.

Revealing the structure and dust content of debris disks on solar systems scales with GPI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duchene, Gaspard; Fitzgerald, Michael P.; Kalas, Paul; Graham, James R.; Arriaga, Pauline; Bruzzone, Sebastian; Chen, Christine; Dawson, Rebekah Ilene; Dong, Ruobing; Draper, Zachary; Esposito, Thomas; Follette, Katherine; Hung, Li-Wei; Lawler, Samantha; Metchev, Stanimir; Millar-Blanchaer, Max; Murray-Clay, Ruth; Perrin, Marshall D.; Rameau, Julien; Wang, Jason; Wolff, Schuyler; Macintosh, Bruce; GPIES Team

2016-01-01

High contrast scattered light images offer the best prospect to assess the detailed geometry and structure of dusty debris disks. In turn, such images can yield profound insight on the architecture of the underlying planetary system as dust grains respond to the gravitational pull of planetary bodies. A new generation of extreme adaptive optics systems now enables an unprecedented exploration of circumstellar disks on solar system scales. Here we review the new science derived from over a dozen debris disks imaged with the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) as part of the GPI Exoplanet Survey (GPIES). In addition to its exquisite imaging capability, GPI's polarimetric mode provides invaluable insight on the dust content of each disk, in most cases for the very first time. These early results typically reveal narrow belts of material with evacuated regions roughly 50-100 AU in radius, subtle asymmetries in structure and high degree of linear polarization. We will provide an overview of the disk observations made during the GPIES campaign to date and will discuss in more detail some of the most remarkable systems.This work is supported by grants NSF AST-0909188, -1411868, -1413718; NASA NNX-15AD95G, -14AJ80G, -11AD21G; and the NExSS research network.

The challenges and benefits of lunar exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Aaron

1992-01-01

Three decades into the Space Age, the United States is experiencing a fundamental shift in space policy with the adoption of a broad national goal to expand human presence and activity beyond Earth orbit and out into the Solar System. These plans mark a turning point in American space exploration, for they entail a shift away from singular forays to a long-term, evolutionary program of exploration and utilization of space. No longer limited to the technical and operational specifics of any one vehicle or any one mission plan, this new approach will involve a fleet of spacecraft and a stable of off-planet research laboratories, industrial facilities, and exploration programs. The challenges inherent in this program are immense, but so too are the benefits. Central to this new space architecture is the concept of using a lunar base for in-situ resource utilization, and for the development of planetary surface exploration systems, applicable to the Moon, Mars, and other planetary bodies in the Solar System. This paper discusses the technical, economic, and political challenges involved in this new approach, and details the latest thinking on the benefits that could come from bold new endeavors on the final frontier.

Cerebellum Augmented Rover Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, Matthew

2005-01-01

Bio-Inspired Technologies and Systems (BITS) are a very natural result of thinking about Nature's way of solving problems. Knowledge of animal behaviors an be used in developing robotic behaviors intended for planetary exploration. This is the expertise of the JFL BITS Group and has served as a philosophical model for NMSU RioRobolab. Navigation is a vital function for any autonomous system. Systems must have the ability to determine a safe path between their current location and some target location. The MER mission, as well as other JPL rover missions, uses a method known as dead-reckoning to determine position information. Dead-reckoning uses wheel encoders to sense the wheel's rotation. In a sandy environment such as Mars, this method is highly inaccurate because the wheels will slip in the sand. Improving positioning error will allow the speed of an autonomous navigating rover to be greatly increased. Therefore, local navigation based upon landmark tracking is desirable in planetary exploration. The BITS Group is developing navigation technology based upon landmark tracking. Integration of the current rover architecture with a cerebellar neural network tracking algorithm will demonstrate that this approach to navigation is feasible and should be implemented in future rover and spacecraft missions.

NASA Tech Briefs, June 2007

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Topics covered include: High-Accuracy, High-Dynamic-Range Phase-Measurement System; Simple, Compact, Safe Impact Tester; Multi-Antenna Radar Systems for Doppler Rain Measurements; 600-GHz Electronically Tunable Vector Measurement System; Modular Architecture for the Measurement of Space Radiation; VLSI Design of a Turbo Decoder; Architecture of an Autonomous Radio Receiver; Improved On-Chip Measurement of Delay in an FPGA or ASIC; Resource Selection and Ranking; Accident/Mishap Investigation System; Simplified Identification of mRNA or DNA in Whole Cells; Printed Multi-Turn Loop Antennas for RF Biotelemetry; Making Ternary Quantum Dots From Single-Source Precursors; Improved Single-Source Precursors for Solar-Cell Absorbers; Spray CVD for Making Solar-Cell Absorber Layers; Glass/BNNT Composite for Sealing Solid Oxide Fuel Cells; A Method of Assembling Compact Coherent Fiber-Optic Bundles; Manufacturing Diamond Under Very High Pressure; Ring-Resonator/Sol-Gel Interferometric Immunosensor; Compact Fuel-Cell System Would Consume Neat Methanol; Algorithm Would Enable Robots to Solve Problems Creatively; Hypothetical Scenario Generator for Fault-Tolerant Diagnosis; Smart Data Node in the Sky; Pseudo-Waypoint Guidance for Proximity Spacecraft Maneuvers; Update on Controlling Herds of Cooperative Robots; and Simulation and Testing of Maneuvering of a Planetary Rover.

Infrastructure for Planetary Sciences: Universal planetary database development project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasaba, Yasumasa; Capria, M. T.; Crichton, D.; Zender, J.; Beebe, R.

The International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA), formally formed under COSPAR (Formal start: from the COSPAR 2008 at Montreal), is a joint international effort to enable global access and exchange of high quality planetary science data, and to establish archive stan-dards that make it easier to share the data across international boundaries. In 2008-2009, thanks to the many players from several agencies and institutions, we got fruitful results in 6 projects: (1) Inter-operable Planetary Data Access Protocol (PDAP) implementations [led by J. Salgado@ESA], (2) Small bodies interoperability [led by I. Shinohara@JAXA N. Hirata@U. Aizu], (3) PDAP assessment [led by Y. Yamamoto@JAXA], (4) Architecture and standards definition [led by D. Crichton@NASA], (5) Information model and data dictionary [led by S. Hughes@NASA], and (6) Venus Express Interoperability [led by N. Chanover@NMSU]. 'IPDA 2009-2010' is important, especially because the NASA/PDS system reformation is now reviewed as it develops for application at the international level. IPDA is the gate for the establishment of the future infrastructure. We are running 8 projects: (1) IPDA Assessment of PDS4 Data Standards [led by S. Hughes (NASA/JPL)], (2) IPDA Archive Guide [led by M.T. Capria (IASF/INAF) and D. Heather (ESA/PSA)], (3) IPDA Standards Identification [led by E. Rye (NASA/PDS) and G. Krishna (ISRO)], (4) Ancillary Data Standards [led by C. Acton (NASA/JPL)], (5) IPDA Registries Definition [led by D. Crichton (NASA/JPL)], (6) PDAP Specification [led by J. Salgado (ESA/PSA) and Y. Yamamoto (JAXA)], (7) In-teroperability Assessment [R. Beebe (NMSU) and D. Heather (ESA/PSA)], and (8) PDAP Geographic Information System (GIS) extension [N. Hirata (Univ. Aizu) and T. Hare (USGS: thare@usgs.gov)]. This paper presents our achievements and plans summarized in the IPDA 5th Steering Com-mittee meeting at DLR in July 2010. We are now just the gate for the establishment of the Infrastructure.

MExLab Planetary Geoportal: 3D-access to planetary images and results of spatial data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karachevtseva, I.; Garov, A.

2015-10-01

MExLab Planetary Geoportal was developed as Geodesy and Cartography Node which provide access to results of study of celestial bodies such as DEM and orthoimages, as well as basemaps, crater catalogues and derivative products: slope, roughness, crater density (http://cartsrv.mexlab.ru/geoportal). The main feature of designed Geoportal is the ability of spatial queries and access to the contents selecting from the list of available data set (Phobos, Mercury, Moon, including Lunokhod's archive data). Prior version of Geoportal has been developed using Flash technology. Now we are developing new version which will use 3D-API (OpenGL, WebGL) based on shaders not only for standard 3D-functionality, but for 2D-mapping as well. Users can obtain quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the objects in graphical, tabular and 3D-forms. It will bring the advantages of unification of code and speed of processing and provide a number of functional advantages based on GIS-tools such as: - possibility of dynamic raster transform for needed map projection; - effective implementation of the co-registration of planetary images by combining spatial data geometries; - presentation in 3D-form different types of data, including planetary atmospheric measurements, subsurface radar data, ect. The system will be created with a new software architecture, which has a potential for development and flexibility in reconfiguration based on cross platform solution: - an application for the three types of platforms: desktop (Windows, Linux, OSX), web platform (any HTML5 browser), and mobile application (Android, iOS); - a single codebase shared between platforms (using cross compilation for Web); - a new telecommunication solution to connect between modules and external system like PROVIDE WebGIS (http://www.provide-space.eu/progis/). The research leading to these result was partly supported by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 312377 PRoViDE.

Robotic Technology Development at Ames: The Intelligent Robotics Group and Surface Telerobotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bualat, Maria; Fong, Terrence

2013-01-01

Future human missions to the Moon, Mars, and other destinations offer many new opportunities for exploration. But, astronaut time will always be limited and some work will not be feasible for humans to do manually. Robots, however, can complement human explorers, performing work autonomously or under remote supervision from Earth. Since 2004, the Intelligent Robotics Group has been working to make human-robot interaction efficient and effective for space exploration. A central focus of our research has been to develop and field test robots that benefit human exploration. Our approach is inspired by lessons learned from the Mars Exploration Rovers, as well as human spaceflight programs, including Apollo, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station. We conduct applied research in computer vision, geospatial data systems, human-robot interaction, planetary mapping and robot software. 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 likely operational and functional risks. These assumptions, however, are not grounded by actual experimental data. Moreover, no crew-controlled surface telerobotic system has yet been fully tested, or rigorously validated, through flight testing. During Summer 2013, we conducted a series of tests to examine how astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS) can remotely operate a planetary rover across short time delays. The tests simulated portions of a proposed human-robotic Lunar Waypoint mission, in which astronauts in lunar orbit remotely operate a planetary rover on the lunar Farside to deploy a radio telescope array. We used these tests to obtain baseline-engineering data.

Obliquity Variations of Habitable Zone Planets Kepler-62f and Kepler-186f

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Yutong; Li, Gongjie

2018-06-01

Obliquity variability could play an important role in the climate and habitability of a planet. Orbital modulations caused by planetary companions and the planet’s spin axis precession due to the torque from the host star may lead to resonant interactions and cause large-amplitude obliquity variability. Here we consider the spin axis dynamics of Kepler-62f and Kepler-186f, both of which reside in the habitable zone around their host stars. Using N-body simulations and secular numerical integrations, we describe their obliquity evolution for particular realizations of the planetary systems. We then use a generalized analytic framework to characterize regions in parameter space where the obliquity is variable with large amplitude. We find that the locations of variability are fine-tuned over the planetary properties and system architecture in the lower-obliquity regimes (≲40°). As an example, assuming a rotation period of 24 hr, the obliquities of both Kepler-62f and Kepler-186f are stable below ∼40°, whereas the high-obliquity regions (60°–90°) allow moderate variabilities. However, for some other rotation periods of Kepler-62f or Kepler-186f, the lower-obliquity regions could become more variable owing to resonant interactions. Even small deviations from coplanarity (e.g., mutual inclinations ∼3°) could stir peak-to-peak obliquity variations up to ∼20°. Undetected planetary companions and/or the existence of a satellite could also destabilize the low-obliquity regions. In all cases, the high-obliquity region allows for moderate variations, and all obliquities corresponding to retrograde motion (i.e., >90°) are stable.

Unraveling the Mystery of Exozodiacal Dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ertel, S.; Augereau, J.-C.; Thébault, P.; Absil, O.; Bonsor, A.; Defrère, D.; Kral, Q.; Le Bouquin, J.-B.; Lebreton, J.; Coudé du Foresto, V.

2014-01-01

Exozodiacal dust clouds are thought to be the extrasolar analogs of the Solar System's zodiacal dust. Studying these systems provides insights in the architecture of the innermost regions of planetary systems, including the Habitable Zone. Furthermore, the mere presence of the dust may result in major obstacles for direct imaging of earth-like planets. Our EXOZODI project aims to detect and study exozodiacal dust and to explain its origin. We are carrying out the first large, near-infrared interferometric survey in the northern (CHARA/FLUOR) and southern (VLTI/PIONIER) hemispheres. Preliminary results suggest a detection rate of up to 30% around A to K type stars and interesting trends with spectral type and age. We focus here on presenting the observational work carried out by our team.

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.

Mars Sample Return Using Commercial Capabilities: Propulsive Entry, Descent and Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemke, Lawrence G.; Gonzales, Andrew A.; Huynh, Loc C.

2014-01-01

Mars Sample Return (MSR) is the highest priority science mission for the next decade as recommended by the recent Decadal Survey of Planetary Science. The objective of the study was to determine whether emerging commercial capabilities can be integrated into to such a mission. The premise of the study is that commercial capabilities can be more efficient than previously described systems, and by using fewer systems and fewer or less extensive launches, overall mission cost can be reduced. This presentation describes an EDL technique using planned upgrades to the Dragon capsule to perform a Supersonic Retropulsion Entry - Red Dragon concept. Landed Payload capability meets mission requirements for a MSR Architecture that reduces complexity.

Conference on Intelligent Robotics in Field, Factory, Service and Space (CIRFFSS 1994), Volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, Jon D. (Editor)

1994-01-01

The AIAA/NASA Conference on Intelligent Robotics in Field, Factory, Service, and Space (CIRFFSS '94) was originally proposed because of the strong belief that America's problems of global economic competitiveness and job creation and preservations can partly be solved by the use of intelligent robotics, which are also required for human space exploration missions. Individual sessions addressed the following topics: (1) vision systems integration and architecture; (2) selective perception and human robot interaction; (3) robotic systems technology; (4) military and other field applications; (5) dual-use precommercial robotic technology; (6) building operations; (7) planetary exploration applications; (8) planning; (9) new directions in robotics; and (10) commercialization.

Second Annual HEDS-UP Forum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duke, Michael B. (Editor)

1999-01-01

HEDS-UP (Human Exploration and Development of Space-University Partners) conducted its second annual forum on May 6-7, 1999, at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston. This year, the topics focused on human exploration of Mars, including considerations ranging from systems analysis of the transportation and surface architecture to very detailed considerations of surface elements such as greenhouses, rovers, and EVA suits. Ten undergraduate projects and four graduate level projects were presented with a total of 13 universities from around the country. Over 200 students participated on the study teams and nearly 100 students attended the forum meeting.

Possible Observational Criteria for Distinguishing Brown Dwarfs From Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, David C.

1997-01-01

The difference in formation process between binary stars and planetary systems is reflected in their composition, as well as orbital architecture, particularly in their orbital eccentricity as a function of orbital period. It is suggested here that this difference can be used as an observational criterion to distinguish between brown dwarfs and planets. Application of the orbital criterion suggests that, with three possible exceptions, all of the recently discovered substellar companions may be brown dwarfs and not planets. These criterion may be used as a guide for interpretation of the nature of substellar-mass companions to stars in the future.

The telesupervised adaptive ocean sensor fleet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elfes, Alberto; Podnar, Gregg W.; Dolan, John M.; Stancliff, Stephen; Lin, Ellie; Hosler, Jeffrey C.; Ames, Troy J.; Moisan, John; Moisan, Tiffany A.; Higinbotham, John; Kulczycki, Eric A.

2007-09-01

We are developing a multi-robot science exploration architecture and system called the Telesupervised Adaptive Ocean Sensor Fleet (TAOSF). TAOSF uses a group of robotic boats (the OASIS platforms) to enable in-situ study of ocean surface and sub-surface phenomena. The OASIS boats are extended-deployment autonomous ocean surface vehicles, whose development is funded separately by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The TAOSF architecture provides an integrated approach to multi-vehicle coordination and sliding human-vehicle autonomy. It allows multiple mobile sensing assets to function in a cooperative fashion, and the operating mode of the vessels to range from autonomous control to teleoperated control. In this manner, TAOSF increases data-gathering effectiveness and science return while reducing demands on scientists for tasking, control, and monitoring. It combines and extends prior related work done by the authors and their institutions. The TAOSF architecture is applicable to other areas where multiple sensing assets are needed, including ecological forecasting, water management, carbon management, disaster management, coastal management, homeland security, and planetary exploration. The first field application chosen for TAOSF is the characterization of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Several components of the TAOSF system have been tested, including the OASIS boats, the communications and control interfaces between the various hardware and software subsystems, and an airborne sensor validation system. Field tests in support of future HAB characterization were performed under controlled conditions, using rhodamine dye as a HAB simulant that was dispersed in a pond. In this paper, we describe the overall TAOSF architecture and its components, discuss the initial tests conducted and outline the next steps.

Heuristics Applied in the Development of Advanced Space Mission Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nilsen, Erik N.

1998-01-01

Advanced mission studies are the first step in determining the feasibility of a given space exploration concept. A space scientist develops a science goal in the exploration of space. This may be a new observation method, a new instrument or a mission concept to explore a solar system body. In order to determine the feasibility of a deep space mission, a concept study is convened to determine the technology needs and estimated cost of performing that mission. Heuristics are one method of defining viable mission and systems architectures that can be assessed for technology readiness and cost. Developing a viable architecture depends to a large extent upon extending the existing body of knowledge, and applying it in new and novel ways. These heuristics have evolved over time to include methods for estimating technical complexity, technology development, cost modeling and mission risk in the unique context of deep space missions. This paper examines the processes involved in performing these advanced concepts studies, and analyzes the application of heuristics in the development of an advanced in-situ planetary mission. The Venus Surface Sample Return mission study provides a context for the examination of the heuristics applied in the development of the mission and systems architecture. This study is illustrative of the effort involved in the initial assessment of an advance mission concept, and the knowledge and tools that are applied.

Fuzzy Behavior Modulation with Threshold Activation for Autonomous Vehicle Navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tunstel, Edward

2000-01-01

This paper describes fuzzy logic techniques used in a hierarchical behavior-based architecture for robot navigation. An architectural feature for threshold activation of fuzzy-behaviors is emphasized, which is potentially useful for tuning navigation performance in real world applications. The target application is autonomous local navigation of a small planetary rover. Threshold activation of low-level navigation behaviors is the primary focus. A preliminary assessment of its impact on local navigation performance is provided based on computer simulations.

Space Station Needs, Attributes and Architectural Options. Contractor orientation briefings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Requirements are considered for user missions involving life sciences; astrophysics, environmental observation; Earth and planetary exploration; materials processing; Spacelab payloads; technology development; and communications are analyzed. Plans to exchange data with potential cooperating nations and ESA are reviewed. The capability of the space shuttle to support space station activities are discussed. The status of the OAST space station technology study, conceptual architectures for a space station, elements of the space-based infrastructure, and the use of the shuttle external tank are also considered.

Fault Mitigation Schemes for Future Spaceflight Multicore Processors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, James W.; Clement, Bradley J.; Gostelow, Kim P.; Lai, John Y.

2012-01-01

Future planetary exploration missions demand significant advances in on-board computing capabilities over current avionics architectures based on a single-core processing element. The state-of-the-art multi-core processor provides much promise in meeting such challenges while introducing new fault tolerance problems when applied to space missions. Software-based schemes are being presented in this paper that can achieve system-level fault mitigation beyond that provided by radiation-hard-by-design (RHBD). For mission and time critical applications such as the Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) for planetary or small body navigation, and landing, a range of fault tolerance methods can be adapted by the application. The software methods being investigated include Error Correction Code (ECC) for data packet routing between cores, virtual network routing, Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR), and Algorithm-Based Fault Tolerance (ABFT). A robust fault tolerance framework that provides fail-operational behavior under hard real-time constraints and graceful degradation will be demonstrated using TRN executing on a commercial Tilera(R) processor with simulated fault injections.

Robotic laser adaptive optics imaging of 715 Kepler exoplanet candidates using Robo-AO

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

Law, Nicholas M.; Ziegler, Carl; Morton, Tim

2014-08-10

The Robo-AO Kepler Planetary Candidate Survey is observing every Kepler planet candidate host star with laser adaptive optics imaging to search for blended nearby stars, which may be physically associated companions and/or responsible for transit false positives. In this paper, we present the results from the 2012 observing season, searching for stars close to 715 Kepler planet candidate hosts. We find 53 companions, 43 of which are new discoveries. We detail the Robo-AO survey data reduction methods including a method of using the large ensemble of target observations as mutual point-spread-function references, along with a new automated companion-detection algorithm designedmore » for large adaptive optics surveys. Our survey is sensitive to objects from ≈0.''15 to 2.''5 separation, with magnitude differences up to Δm ≈ 6. We measure an overall nearby-star probability for Kepler planet candidates of 7.4% ± 1.0%, and calculate the effects of each detected nearby star on the Kepler-measured planetary radius. We discuss several Kepler Objects of Interest (KOIs) of particular interest, including KOI-191 and KOI-1151, which are both multi-planet systems with detected stellar companions whose unusual planetary system architecture might be best explained if they are 'coincident multiple' systems, with several transiting planets shared between the two stars. Finally, we find 98% confidence evidence that short-period giant planets are two to three times more likely than longer-period planets to be found in wide stellar binaries.« less

NASA Desert RATS 2010: Preliminary Results for Science Operations Conducted in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gruener, J. E.; Lofgren, G. E.; Bluethmann, W. J.; Bell, E. R.

2011-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is working with international partners to develop the space architectures and mission plans necessary for human spaceflight beyond earth orbit. These mission plans include the exploration of planetary surfaces with significant gravity fields. The Apollo missions to the Moon demonstrated conclusively that surface mobility is a key asset that improves the efficiency of human explorers on a planetary surface. NASA's Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) is a multi-year series tests of hardware and operations carried out annually in the high desert of Arizona. Conducted since 1998, these activities are designed to exercise planetary surface hardware and operations in relatively harsh climatic conditions where long-distance, multi-day roving is achievable

Lightweight Modular Instrumentation for Planetary Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joshi, P. B.

1993-01-01

An instrumentation, called Space Active Modular Materials ExperimentS (SAMMES), is developed for monitoring the spacecraft environment and for accurately measuring the degradation of space materials in low earth orbit (LEO). The SAMMES architecture concept can be extended to instrumentation for planetary exploration, both on spacecraft and in situ. The operating environment for planetary application will be substantially different, with temperature extremes and harsh solar wind and cosmic ray flux on lunar surfaces and temperature extremes and high winds on venusian and Martian surfaces. Moreover, instruments for surface deployment, which will be packaged in a small lander/rover (as in MESUR, for example), must be extremely compact with ultralow power and weight. With these requirements in mind, the SAMMES concept was extended to a sensor/instrumentation scheme for the lunar and Martian surface environment.

Probing for Exoplanets Hiding in Dusty Debris Disks: Disk Imaging, Characterization, and Exploration with HST-STIS Multi-roll Coronagraphy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, Glenn; Grady, Carol A.; Hines, Dean C.; Stark, Christopher C.; Debes, John; Carson, Joe; Kuchner, Marc J.; Perrin, Marshall; Weinberger, Alycia; Wisniewski, John P.;

Three-Dimensional Planetary Surface Tracking Based on a Simple Ultra-Wideband Impulse-Radio Infrastructure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barton, Richard J.; Ni, David; Ngo, Phong

2010-01-01

Several prototype ultra-wideband (UWB) impulse-radio (IR) tracking systems are currently under development at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). These systems are being studied for use in tracking of Lunar/Mars rovers and astronauts during early exploration missions when satellite navigation systems (such as GPS) are not available. To date, the systems that have been designed and tested are intended only for two-dimensional location and tracking, but these designs can all be extended to three-dimensional tracking with only minor modifications and increases in complexity. In this presentation, we will briefly review the design and performance of two of the current 2-D systems: one designed specifically for short-range, extremely high-precision tracking (approximately 1-2 cm resolution) and the other designed specifically for much longer range tracking with less stringent precision requirements (1-2 m resolution). We will then discuss a new multi-purpose system design based on a simple UWB-IR architecture that can be deployed easily on a planetary surface to support arbitrary three-dimensional localization and tracking applications. We will discuss utilization of this system as an infrastructure to provide both short-range and long-range tracking and analyze the localization performance of the system in several different configurations. We will give theoretical performance bounds for some canonical system configurations and compare these performance bounds with both numerical simulations of the system as well as actual experimental system performance evaluations.

Thermal and Mechanical Microspacecraft Technologies for Deep Space Systems Program X2000 Future Deliveries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birur, Gajanana C.; Bruno, Robin J.

1999-01-01

Thermal and mechanical technologies are an important part of the Deep Space Systems Technology (DSST) Program X2000 Future Deliveries (FD) microspacecraft. A wide range of future space missions are expected to utilize the technologies and the architecture developed by DSST FD. These technologies, besides being small in physical size, make the tiny spacecraft robust and flexible. The DSST FD architecture is designed to be highly reliable and suitable for a wide range of missions such as planetary landers/orbiters/flybys, earth orbiters, cometary flybys/landers/sample returns, etc. Two of the key ideas used in the development of thermal and mechanical technologies and architectures are: 1) to include several of the thermal and mechanical functions in any given single spacecraft element and 2) the architecture be modular so that it can easily be adapted to any of the future missions. One of the thermal architectures being explored for the DSST FD microspacecraft is the integrated thermal energy management of the complete spacecraft using a fluid loop. The robustness and the simplicity of the loop and the flexibility with which it can be integrated in the spacecraft have made it attractive for applications to DSST FD. Some of the thermal technologies to be developed as a part of this architecture are passive and active cooling loops, electrically variable emittance surfaces, miniature thermal switches, and specific high density electronic cooling technologies. In the mechanical area, multifunction architecture for the structural elements will be developed. The multifunction aspect is expected to substantially reduce the mass and volume of the spacecraft. Some of the technologies that will be developed are composite material panels incorporating electronics, cabling, and thermal elements in them. The paper describes the current state of the technologies and progress to be made in the thermal and mechanical technologies and approaches for the DSST Future Deliveries microspacecraft.

Improving the Discoverability and Availability of Sample Data and Imagery in NASA's Astromaterials Curation Digital Repository Using a New Common Architecture for Sample Databases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Todd, N. S.; Evans, C.

2015-01-01

The Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) is the designated facility for curating all of NASA's extraterrestrial samples. The suite of collections includes the lunar samples from the Apollo missions, cosmic dust particles falling into the Earth's atmosphere, meteorites collected in Antarctica, comet and interstellar dust particles from the Stardust mission, asteroid particles from the Japanese Hayabusa mission, and solar wind atoms collected during the Genesis mission. To support planetary science research on these samples, NASA's Astromaterials Curation Office hosts the Astromaterials Curation Digital Repository, which provides descriptions of the missions and collections, and critical information about each individual sample. Our office is implementing several informatics initiatives with the goal of better serving the planetary research community. One of these initiatives aims to increase the availability and discoverability of sample data and images through the use of a newly designed common architecture for Astromaterials Curation databases.

SmallSat Innovations for Planetary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinberg, Jonathan; Petroy, Shelley; Roark, Shane; Schindhelm, Eric

2017-10-01

As NASA continues to look for ways to fly smaller planetary missions such as SIMPLEX, MoO, and Venus Bridge, it is important that spacecraft and instrument capabilities keep pace to allow these missions to move forward. As spacecraft become smaller, it is necessary to balance size with capability, reliability and payload capacity. Ball Aerospace offers extensive SmallSat capabilities matured over the past decade, utilizing our broad experience developing mission architecture, assembling spacecraft and instruments, and testing advanced enabling technologies. Ball SmallSats inherit their software capabilities from the flight proven Ball Configurable Platform (BCP) line of spacecraft, and may be tailored to meet the unique requirements of Planetary Science missions. We present here recent efforts in pioneering both instrument miniaturization and SmallSat/sensorcraft development through mission design and implementation. Ball has flown several missions with small, but capable spacecraft. We also have demonstrated a variety of enhanced spacecraft/instrument capabilities in the laboratory and in flight to advance autonomy in spaceflight hardware that can enable some small planetary missions.

Passive versus active hazard detection and avoidance systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neveu, D.; Mercier, G.; Hamel, J.-F.; Simard Bilodeau, V.; Woicke, S.; Alger, M.; Beaudette, D.

2015-06-01

Upcoming planetary exploration missions will require advanced guidance, navigation and control technologies to reach landing sites with high precision and safety. Various technologies are currently in development to meet that goal. Some technologies rely on passive sensors and benefit from the low mass and power of such solutions while others rely on active sensors and benefit from an improved robustness and accuracy. This paper presents two different hazard detection and avoidance (HDA) system design approaches. The first architecture relies only on a camera as the passive HDA sensor while the second relies, in addition, on a Lidar as the active HDA sensor. Both options use in common an innovative hazard map fusion algorithm aiming at identifying the safest landing locations. This paper presents the simulation tools and reports the closed-loop software simulation results obtained using each design option. The paper also reports the Monte Carlo simulation campaign that was used to assess the robustness of each design option. The performance of each design option is compared against each other in terms of performance criteria such as percentage of success, mean distance to nearest hazard, etc. The applicability of each design option to planetary exploration missions is also discussed.

Research Objectives for Human Missions in the Proving Ground of Cis-Lunar Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niles, P. B.; Eppler, D. B.; Kennedy, K. J.; Lewis, R.; Spann, J. F.; Sullivan, T. A.

2016-01-01

Beginning in as early as 2023, crewed missions beyond low Earth orbit will begin enabled by the new capabilities of the SLS and Orion vehicles. This will initiate the "Proving Ground" phase of human exploration with Mars as an ultimate destination. The primary goal of the Proving Ground is to demonstrate the capability of suitably long duration spaceflight without need of continuous support from Earth, i.e. become Earth Independent. A major component of the Proving Ground phase is to conduct research activities aimed at accomplishing major objectives selected from a wide variety of disciplines including but not limited to: Astronomy, Heliophysics, Fundamental Physics, Planetary Science, Earth Science, Human Systems, Fundamental Space Biology, Microgravity, and In A major component of the Proving Ground phase is to conduct research activities aimed at accomplishing major objectives selected from a wide variety of disciplines including but not limited to: Astronomy, Heliophysics, Fundamental Physics, Planetary Science, Earth Science, Human Systems, Fundamental Space Biology, Microgravity, and In Situ Resource Utilization. Mapping and prioritizing the most important objectives from these disciplines will provide a strong foundation for establishing the architecture to be utilized in the Proving Ground.

Life Support Requirements and Challenges for NASA's Constellation Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carasquillo, Robyn

2007-01-01

NASA's Constellation Program, which includes the mission objectives of establishing a permanently-manned lunar Outpost, and the exploration of Mars, poses new and unique challenges for human life support systems that will require solutions beyond the Shuttle and International Space Station state of the art systems. In particular, the requirement to support crews for 210 days duration at the lunar outpost with limited resource resupply capability wilt require closed-loop regenerative life support systems with minimal expendables. Planetary environmental conditions such as lunar dust and extreme temperatures, as well as the capability to support frequent and extended-duration EVA's will be particularly challenging. This presentation will summarize the key program and mission life support requirements for the Constellation Program and the unique challenges they present for technology and architecture development.

Planar Submillimeter-Wave Mixer Technology with Integrated Antenna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chattopadhyay, Gautam; Mehdi, Imran; Gill, John J.; Lee, Choonsup; lombart, Muria L.; Thomas, Betrand

2010-01-01

High-performance mixers at terahertz frequencies require good matching between the coupling circuits such as antennas and local oscillators and the diode embedding impedance. With the availability of amplifiers at submillimeter wavelengths and the need to have multi-pixel imagers and cameras, planar mixer architecture is required to have an integrated system. An integrated mixer with planar antenna provides a compact and optimized design at terahertz frequencies. Moreover, it leads to a planar architecture that enables efficient interconnect with submillimeter-wave amplifiers. In this architecture, a planar slot antenna is designed on a thin gallium arsenide (GaAs) membrane in such a way that the beam on either side of the membrane is symmetric and has good beam profile with high coupling efficiency. A coplanar waveguide (CPW) coupled Schottky diode mixer is designed and integrated with the antenna. In this architecture, the local oscillator (LO) is coupled through one side of the antenna and the RF from the other side, without requiring any beam sp litters or diplexers. The intermediate frequency (IF) comes out on a 50-ohm CPW line at the edge of the mixer chip, which can be wire-bonded to external circuits. This unique terahertz mixer has an integrated single planar antenna for coupling both the radio frequency (RF) input and LO injection without any diplexer or beamsplitters. The design utilizes novel planar slot antenna architecture on a 3- mthick GaAs membrane. This work is required to enable future multi-pixel terahertz receivers for astrophysics missions, and lightweight and compact receivers for planetary missions to the outer planets in our solar system. Also, this technology can be used in tera hertz radar imaging applications as well as for testing of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs).

Constraints on the architecture of the HD 95086 planetary system with the Gemini Planet Imager

DOE PAGES

Rameau, Julien; Nielsen, Eric L.; De Rosa, Robert J.; ...

2016-05-06

Here, we present astrometric monitoring of the young exoplanet HD 95086 b obtained with the Gemini Planet Imager between 2013 and 2016. A small but significant position angle change is detected at constant separation; the orbital motion is confirmed with literature measurements. Efficient Monte Carlo techniques place preliminary constraints on the orbital parameters of HD 95086 b. With 68% confidence, a semimajor axis ofmore » $${61.7}_{-8.4}^{+20.7}$$ au and an inclination of $$153° {0}_{-13.5}^{+9.7}$$ are favored, with eccentricity less than 0.21. Under the assumption of a coplanar planet–disk system, the periastron of HD 95086 b is beyond 51 au with 68% confidence. Therefore, HD 95086 b cannot carve the entire gap inferred from the measured infrared excess in the SED of HD 95086. We use our sensitivity to additional planets to discuss specific scenarios presented in the literature to explain the geometry of the debris belts. We suggest that either two planets on moderately eccentric orbits or three to four planets with inhomogeneous masses and orbital properties are possible. As a result, the sensitivity to additional planetary companions within the observations presented in this study can be used to help further constrain future dynamical simulations of the planet–disk system.« less

James Webb Space Telescope: Large Deployable Cryogenic Telescope in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lightsey, Paul A.; Atkinson, Charles; Clampin, Mark; Feinberg, Lee D.

2012-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is an infrared space telescope designed to explore four major science themes: first light and reionization, the assembly of galaxies, the birth of stars and protoplanetary systems, and planetary systems and origins of life. JWST is a segmented architecture telescope with an aperture of 6.6 m. It will operate at cryogenic temperature (40 K), achieved via passive cooling, in an orbit about the Earth-Sun second Lagrange point (L2). Passive cooling is facilitated by means of a large sunshield that provides thermal isolation and protection from direct illumination from the Sun. The large size of the telescope and spacecraft systems require that they are stowed for launch in a configuration that fits the Ariane 5 fairing, and then deployed after launch. Routine wavefront sensing and control measurements are used to achieve phasing of the segmented primary mirror and initial alignment of the telescope. A suite of instruments will provide the capability to observe over a spectral range from 0.6- to 27-micron wavelengths with imaging and spectroscopic configurations. An overview is presented of the architecture and selected optical design features of JWST are described

SAFARI optical system architecture and design concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pastor, Carmen; Jellema, Willem; Zuluaga-Ramírez, Pablo; Arrazola, David; Fernández-Rodriguez, M.; Belenguer, Tomás.; González Fernández, Luis M.; Audley, Michael D.; Evers, Jaap; Eggens, Martin; Torres Redondo, Josefina; Najarro, Francisco; Roelfsema, Peter

2016-07-01

SpicA FAR infrared Instrument, SAFARI, is one of the instruments planned for the SPICA mission. The SPICA mission is the next great leap forward in space-based far-infrared astronomy and will study the evolution of galaxies, stars and planetary systems. SPICA will utilize a deeply cooled 2.5m-class telescope, provided by European industry, to realize zodiacal background limited performance, and high spatial resolution. The instrument SAFARI is a cryogenic grating-based point source spectrometer working in the wavelength domain 34 to 230 μm, providing spectral resolving power from 300 to at least 2000. The instrument shall provide low and high resolution spectroscopy in four spectral bands. Low Resolution mode is the native instrument mode, while the high Resolution mode is achieved by means of a Martin-Pupplet interferometer. The optical system is all-reflective and consists of three main modules; an input optics module, followed by the Band and Mode Distributing Optics and the grating Modules. The instrument utilizes Nyquist sampled filled linear arrays of very sensitive TES detectors. The work presented in this paper describes the optical design architecture and design concept compatible with the current instrument performance and volume design drivers.

Integration of Planetary Protection Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Race, Margaret S.

2000-01-01

Research and activities under this grant have focused on a systematic examination and analysis of critical questions likely to impact planetary protection (PP) controls and implementation for Mars sample return missions (MSR). Four areas in the non-scientific and social realms were selected for special attention because of their importance to future mission planning and concern about critical timing or possible economic impacts on MSR mission implementation. These include: (1) questions of legal uncertainty and the decision making process, (2) public perception of risks associated with sample return, (3) risk communication and Education/Public Outreach , and (4) planetary protection implications of alternative mission architectures, for both robotic and human sample return missions. In its entirety, NAG 2-986 has encompassed three categories of activity: (1) research and analysis (Race), (2) subcontracted research (MacGregor/Decision Research), and (3) consulting services.

High-autonomy control of space resource processing plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schooley, Larry C.; Zeigler, Bernard P.; Cellier, Francois E.; Wang, Fei-Yue

1993-01-01

A highly autonomous intelligent command/control architecture has been developed for planetary surface base industrial process plants and Space Station Freedom experimental facilities. The architecture makes use of a high-level task-oriented mode with supervisory control from one or several remote sites, and integrates advanced network communications concepts and state-of-the-art man/machine interfaces with the most advanced autonomous intelligent control. Attention is given to the full-dynamics model of a Martian oxygen-production plant, event-based/fuzzy-logic process control, and fault management practices.

Water vapour and wind measurements by a two micron space lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghibaudo, J.-B.; Labandibar, J.-Y.

2018-04-01

AEROSPATIALE presents the main results of the feasibility study under ESA contract on a coherent 2μm lidar instrument capable of measuring water vapour and wind velocity in the planetary boundary layer. The selected instrument configuration and the associated performance are provided, and the main critical subsystems identified (laser configuration, coherent receiver chain architecture, frequency locking and offsetting architecture. The second phase of this study is dedicated to breadboard the most critical elements of such an instrument in order to technologically consolidate its feasibility.

Mars Soil-Based Resource Processing and Planetary Protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, G. B.; Mueller, R. P.

2015-01-01

The ability to extract and process resources at the site of exploration into products and services, commonly referred to as In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), can have significant benefits for robotic and human exploration missions. In particular, the ability to use in situ resources to make propellants, fuel cell reactants, and life support consumables has been shown in studies to significantly reduce mission mass, cost, and risk, while enhancing or enabling missions not possible without the incorporation of ISRU. In December 2007, NASA completed the Mars Human Design Reference Architecture (DRA) 5.0 study. For the first time in a large scale Mars architecture study, water from Mars soil was considered as a potential resource. At the time of the study, knowledge of water resources (their form, concentration, and distribution) was extremely limited. Also, due to lack of understanding of how to apply planetary protection rules and requirements to ISRU soil-based excavation and processing, an extremely conservative approach was incorporated where only the top several centimeters of ultraviolet (UV) radiated soil could be processed (assumed to be 3% water by mass). While results of the Mars DRA 5.0 study showed that combining atmosphere processing to make oxygen and methane with soil processing to extract water provided the lowest mission mass, atmosphere processing to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into oxygen was baselined for the mission since it was the lowest power and risk option. With increased knowledge and further clarification of Mars planetary protection rules, and the recent release of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) report on "Special Regions and the Human Exploration of Mars", it is time to reexamine potential water resources on Mars, options for soil processing to extract water, and the implications with respect to planetary protection and Special Regions on Mars.

Virtualization - A Key Cost Saver in NASA Multi-Mission Ground System Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swenson, Paul; Kreisler, Stephen; Sager, Jennifer A.; Smith, Dan

2014-01-01

With science team budgets being slashed, and a lack of adequate facilities for science payload teams to operate their instruments, there is a strong need for innovative new ground systems that are able to provide necessary levels of capability processing power, system availability and redundancy while maintaining a small footprint in terms of physical space, power utilization and cooling.The ground system architecture being presented is based off of heritage from several other projects currently in development or operations at Goddard, but was designed and built specifically to meet the needs of the Science and Planetary Operations Control Center (SPOCC) as a low-cost payload command, control, planning and analysis operations center. However, this SPOCC architecture was designed to be generic enough to be re-used partially or in whole by other labs and missions (since its inception that has already happened in several cases!)The SPOCC architecture leverages a highly available VMware-based virtualization cluster with shared SAS Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) to provide an extremely high-performing, low-power-utilization and small-footprint compute environment that provides Virtual Machine resources shared among the various tenant missions in the SPOCC. The storage is also expandable, allowing future missions to chain up to 7 additional 2U chassis of storage at an extremely competitive cost if they require additional archive or virtual machine storage space.The software architecture provides a fully-redundant GMSEC-based message bus architecture based on the ActiveMQ middleware to track all health and safety status within the SPOCC ground system. All virtual machines utilize the GMSEC system agents to report system host health over the GMSEC bus, and spacecraft payload health is monitored using the Hammers Integrated Test and Operations System (ITOS) Galaxy Telemetry and Command (TC) system, which performs near-real-time limit checking and data processing on the downlinked data stream and injects messages into the GMSEC bus that are monitored to automatically page the on-call operator or Systems Administrator (SA) when an off-nominal condition is detected. This architecture, like the LTSP thin clients, are shared across all tenant missions.Other required IT security controls are implemented at the ground system level, including physical access controls, logical system-level authentication authorization management, auditing and reporting, network management and a NIST 800-53 FISMA-Moderate IT Security plan Risk Assessment Contingency Plan, helping multiple missions share the cost of compliance with agency-mandated directives.The SPOCC architecture provides science payload control centers and backup mission operations centers with a cost-effective, standardized approach to virtualizing and monitoring resources that were traditionally multiple racks full of physical machines. The increased agility in deploying new virtual systems and thin client workstations can provide significant savings in personnel costs for maintaining the ground system. The cost savings in procurement, power, rack footprint and cooling as well as the shared multi-mission design greatly reduces upfront cost for missions moving into the facility. Overall, the authors hope that this architecture will become a model for how future NASA operations centers are constructed!

No Metallicity Correlation Associated with the Kepler Dichotomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munoz Romero, Carlos Eduardo; Kempton, Eliza

2018-01-01

NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered thousands of planetary systems, ∼ 20% of which are found to host multiple transiting planets. This relative paucity (compared to the high fraction of single transiting systems) is postulated to result from a distinction in the architecture between multi-transiting systems and those hosting a single transiting planet: a phenomenon usually referred to as the Kepler dichotomy. We investigate the hypothesis that external giant planets are the main cause behind the over-abundance of single- relative to multi-transiting systems, which would be signaled by higher metallicities in the former sample. To this end, we perform a statistical analysis on the stellar metallicity distribution with respect to planet multiplicity in the Kepler data. We perform our analysis on a variety of samples taken from a population of 1062 Kepler main sequence planetary hosts, using precisely determined metallicities from the California-Kepler survey. Contrary to some predictions, we do not find a significant difference between the stellar metallicities of the single- and multiple-transiting planet systems. However, we do find a 43% upper bound for systems with a single non-giant planet that could also host a hidden giant planet, based on metallicity considerations. While the presence of external giant planets might be one factor behind the Kepler dichotomy, our results also favor alternative explanations. We suggest that additional radial velocity and direct imaging measurements are necessary to constrain the presence of gas giants in systems with a single transiting planet.

Deep Space Gateway Facilitates Exploration of Planetary Crusts: A Human/Robotic Exploration Design Reference Campaign to the Lunar Orientale Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Head, J. W.; Pieters, C. M.; Scott, D. R.

2018-02-01

We outline an Orientale Basin Human/Robotic Architecture that can be facilitated by a Deep Space Gateway International Science Operations Center (DSG-ISOC) (like McMurdo/Antarctica) to address fundamental scientific problems about the Moon and Mars.

Asteroid Retrieval Mission Concept - Trailblazing Our Future in Space and Helping to Protect Us from Earth Impactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazanek, Daniel D.; Brohpy, John R.; Merrill, Raymond G.

2013-01-01

The Asteroid Retrieval Mission (ARM) is a robotic mission concept with the goal of returning a small (7 m diameter) near-Earth asteroid (NEA), or part of a large NEA, to a safe, stable orbit in cislunar space using a 50 kW-class solar electric propulsion (SEP) robotic spacecraft (40 kW available to the electric propulsion system) and currently available technologies. The mass of the asteroidal material returned from this mission is anticipated to be up to 1,000 metric tons, depending on the orbit of the target NEA and the thrust-to-weight and control authority of the SEP spacecraft. Even larger masses could be returned in the future as technological capability and operational experience improve. The use of high-power solar electric propulsion is the key enabling technology for this mission concept, and is beneficial or enabling for a variety of space missions and architectures where high-efficiency, low-thrust transfers are applicable. Many of the ARM operations and technologies could also be applicable to, or help inform, planetary defense efforts. These include the operational approaches and systems associated with the NEA approach, rendezvous, and station-keeping mission phases utilizing a low-thrust, high-power SEP spacecraft, along with interacting with, capturing, maneuvering, and processing the massive amounts of material associated with this mission. Additionally, the processed materials themselves (e.g., high-specific impulse chemical propellants) could potentially be used for planetary defense efforts. Finally, a ubiquitous asteroid retrieval and resource extraction infrastructure could provide the foundation of an on call planetary defense system, where a SEP fleet capable of propelling large masses could deliver payloads to deflect or disrupt a confirmed impactor in an efficient and timely manner.

Parallel algorithm for solving Kepler’s equation on Graphics Processing Units: Application to analysis of Doppler exoplanet searches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Eric B.

2009-05-01

We present the results of a highly parallel Kepler equation solver using the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) on a commercial nVidia GeForce 280GTX and the "Compute Unified Device Architecture" (CUDA) programming environment. We apply this to evaluate a goodness-of-fit statistic (e.g., χ2) for Doppler observations of stars potentially harboring multiple planetary companions (assuming negligible planet-planet interactions). Given the high-dimensionality of the model parameter space (at least five dimensions per planet), a global search is extremely computationally demanding. We expect that the underlying Kepler solver and model evaluator will be combined with a wide variety of more sophisticated algorithms to provide efficient global search, parameter estimation, model comparison, and adaptive experimental design for radial velocity and/or astrometric planet searches. We tested multiple implementations using single precision, double precision, pairs of single precision, and mixed precision arithmetic. We find that the vast majority of computations can be performed using single precision arithmetic, with selective use of compensated summation for increased precision. However, standard single precision is not adequate for calculating the mean anomaly from the time of observation and orbital period when evaluating the goodness-of-fit for real planetary systems and observational data sets. Using all double precision, our GPU code outperforms a similar code using a modern CPU by a factor of over 60. Using mixed precision, our GPU code provides a speed-up factor of over 600, when evaluating nsys > 1024 models planetary systems each containing npl = 4 planets and assuming nobs = 256 observations of each system. We conclude that modern GPUs also offer a powerful tool for repeatedly evaluating Kepler's equation and a goodness-of-fit statistic for orbital models when presented with a large parameter space.

Proactive Integration of Planetary Protection Needs Into Early Design Phases of Human Exploration Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Race, Margaret; Conley, Catharine

Planetary protection (PP) policies established by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) of the International Council for Science have been in force effectively for five decades, ensuring responsible exploration and the integrity of science activities, for both human and robotic missions in the Solar System beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). At present, operations on most bodies in the solar system are not constrained by planetary protection considerations because they cannot be contaminated by Earth life in ways that impact future space exploration. However, operations on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus, which represent locations with biological potential, are subject to strict planetary protection constraints for missions of all types because they can potentially be contaminated by organisms brought from Earth. Forward contamination control for robotic missions is generally accomplished through a combination of activities that reduce the bioload of microbial hitchhikers on outbound spacecraft prior to launch. Back contamination control for recent robotic missions has chiefly been accomplished by selecting sample-return targets that have little or no potential for extant life (e.g., cometary particles returned by Stardust mission). In the post-Apollo era, no human missions have had to deal with planetary protection constraints because they have never left Earth orbit. Future human missions to Mars, for example, will experience many of the challenges faced by the Apollo lunar missions, with the added possibility that astronauts on Mars may encounter habitable environments in their exploration or activities. Current COSPAR PP Principles indicate that safeguarding the Earth from potential back contamination is the highest planetary protection priority in Mars exploration. While guidelines for planetary protection controls on human missions to Mars have been established by COSPAR, detailed engineering constraints and processes for implementation of these guidelines have not yet been developed. Looking ahead, it is recognized that these planetary protection policies will apply to both governmental and non-governmental entities for the more than 100 countries that are signatories to the Outer SpaceTreaty. Fortunately, planetary protection controls for human missions are supportive of many other important mission needs, such as maximizing closed-loop and recycling capabilities to minimize mass required, minimizing exposure of humans to planetary materials for multiple health reasons, and minimizing contamination of planetary samples and environments during exploration and science activities. Currently, there is progress on a number of fronts in translating the basic COSPAR PP Principles and Implementation Guidelines into information that links with early engineering and process considerations. For example, an IAA Study Group on Planetary Protection and Human Missions is engaging robotic and human mission developers and scientists in exploring detailed technical, engineering and operational approaches by which planetary protection objectives can be accomplished for human missions in synergism with robotic exploration and in view of other constraints. This on-going study aims to highlight important information for the early stages of planning, and identify key research and technology development (R&TD) areas for further consideration and work. Such R&TD challenges provide opportunities for individuals, institutions and agencies of emerging countries to be involved in international exploration efforts. In January 2014, the study group presented an Interim Report to the IAA Heads of Agencies Summit in Washington DC. Subsequently, the group has continued to work on expanding the initial technical recommendations and findings, focusing especially on information useful to mission architects and designers as they integrate PP considerations in their varied plans-- scientific, commercial and otherwise. Already the findings and recommendations discussed by the study participants to date have set the agenda for additional work that will continue for at least another year, culminating in a final report that should be useful to current and new nations and partnerships in planning human missions beyond LEO. In addition, over the past two years, NASA has made progress in integrating planetary protection considerations into mission designs along with other important human, environmental and science needs. Details about planetary protection have also been incorporated into the latest Addendum of the Design Reference Architecture (DRA) for human missions to Mars. Other ongoing studies of Mars human mission architecture, technologies and operations have likewise been integrating PP requirements and guidelines into cross-cutting measures of various types. An important objective of all these studies is to proactively gather and communicate PP information to the broad community of planners, engineers and assorted partners who are facing the challenges of future human exploration missions. By analyzing ways to integrate PP provisions effectively into early mission phases in synergism with other needs, these projects and studies will help ensure that all institutions and organizations avoid releasing harmful contamination on bodies with biological potential, thereby ensuring protection of the Earth and astronauts throughout their missions and safeguarding the integrity of science exploration—all in compliance with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.

Smashing the Stovepipe: Leveraging the GMSEC Open Architecture and Advanced IT Automation to Rapidly Prototype, Develop and Deploy Next-Generation Multi-Mission Ground Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swenson, Paul

2017-01-01

Satellite/Payload Ground Systems - Typically highly-customized to a specific mission's use cases - Utilize hundreds (or thousands!) of specialized point-to-point interfaces for data flows / file transfers Documentation and tracking of these complex interfaces requires extensive time to develop and extremely high staffing costs Implementation and testing of these interfaces are even more cost-prohibitive, and documentation often lags behind implementation resulting in inconsistencies down the road With expanding threat vectors, IT Security, Information Assurance and Operational Security have become key Ground System architecture drivers New Federal security-related directives are generated on a daily basis, imposing new requirements on current / existing ground systems - These mandated activities and data calls typically carry little or no additional funding for implementation As a result, Ground System Sustaining Engineering groups and Information Technology staff continually struggle to keep up with the rolling tide of security Advancing security concerns and shrinking budgets are pushing these large stove-piped ground systems to begin sharing resources - I.e. Operational / SysAdmin staff, IT security baselines, architecture decisions or even networks / hosting infrastructure Refactoring these existing ground systems into multi-mission assets proves extremely challenging due to what is typically very tight coupling between legacy components As a result, many "Multi-Mission" ops. environments end up simply sharing compute resources and networks due to the difficulty of refactoring into true multi-mission systems Utilizing continuous integration / rapid system deployment technologies in conjunction with an open architecture messaging approach allows System Engineers and Architects to worry less about the low-level details of interfaces between components and configuration of systems GMSEC messaging is inherently designed to support multi-mission requirements, and allows components to aggregate data across multiple homogeneous or heterogeneous satellites or payloads - The highly-successful Goddard Science and Planetary Operations Control Center (SPOCC) utilizes GMSEC as the hub for it's automation and situational awareness capability Shifts focus towards getting GS to a final configuration-managed baseline, as well as multi-mission / big-picture capabilities that help increase situational awareness, promote cross-mission sharing and establish enhanced fleet management capabilities across all levels of the enterprise.

Venus Express Chemical Propulsion System - The Mars Express Legacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunter, C. J.

2004-10-01

ESA's ambition of inter-planetary exploration using a fast-track low cost industrial programme was well achieved with Mars Express. Reusing the platform architecture for the service module and specifically the Propulsion system enabled Venus Express to benefit from several lessons learnt from the Mars Express experience. Using all existing components qualified for previous programmes, many of them commercial telecommunication spacecraft programmes with components available from stock, an industrial organisation familiar from Mars Express was able to compress the schedule to make the November 2005 launch window a realistic target. While initial inspection of the CPS schematic indicates a modified Eurostar type architecture, - a similar system using some Eurostar components - would be a fairer description. The use of many parts of the system on arrival at the destination (Mars or Venus in this case) is a departure from the usual mode of operation, where many components are used during the initial few weeks of GTO or GEO. The system modifications over the basic Eurostar system have catered for this in terms of reliability contingencies by replacing components, or providing different levels of test capability or isolation in flight. This paper aims to provide an introduction to the system, address the evolution from Eurostar, and provide an initial assessment of the success of these modifications using the Mars Express experience, and how measures have been adopted specifically for Venus Express.

Decadal opportunities for space architects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherwood, Brent

2012-12-01

A significant challenge for the new field of space architecture is the dearth of project opportunities. Yet every year more young professionals express interest to enter the field. This paper derives projections that bound the number, type, and range of global development opportunities that may be reasonably expected over the next few decades for human space flight (HSF) systems so those interested in the field can benchmark their goals. Four categories of HSF activity are described: human Exploration of solar system bodies; human Servicing of space-based assets; large-scale development of space Resources; and Breakout of self-sustaining human societies into the solar system. A progressive sequence of capabilities for each category starts with its earliest feasible missions and leads toward its full expression. The four sequences are compared in scale, distance from Earth, and readiness. Scenarios hybridize the most synergistic features from the four sequences for comparison to status quo, government-funded HSF program plans. Finally qualitative, decadal, order-of-magnitude estimates are derived for system development needs, and hence opportunities for space architects. Government investment towards human planetary exploration is the weakest generator of space architecture work. Conversely, the strongest generator is a combination of three market drivers: (1) commercial passenger travel in low Earth orbit; (2) in parallel, government extension of HSF capability to GEO; both followed by (3) scale-up demonstration of end-to-end solar power satellites in GEO. The rich end of this scale affords space architecture opportunities which are more diverse, complex, large-scale, and sociologically challenging than traditional exploration vehicle cabins and habitats.

Understanding exoplanet populations with simulation-based methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morehead, Robert Charles

The Kepler candidate catalog represents an unprecedented sample of exoplanet host stars. This dataset is ideal for probing the populations of exoplanet systems and exploring their architectures. Confirming transiting exoplanets candidates through traditional follow-up methods is challenging, especially for faint host stars. Most of Kepler's validated planets relied on statistical methods to separate true planets from false-positives. Multiple transiting planet systems (MTPS) have been previously shown to have low false-positive rates and over 850 planets in MTPSs have been statistically validated so far. We show that the period-normalized transit duration ratio (xi) offers additional information that can be used to establish the planetary nature of these systems. We briefly discuss the observed distribution of xi for the Q1-Q17 Kepler Candidate Search. We also use xi to develop a Bayesian statistical framework combined with Monte Carlo methods to determine which pairs of planet candidates in an MTPS are consistent with the planet hypothesis for a sample of 862 MTPSs that include candidate planets, confirmed planets, and known false-positives. This analysis proves to be efficient and advantageous in that it only requires catalog-level bulk candidate properties and galactic population modeling to compute the probabilities of a myriad of feasible scenarios composed of background and companion stellar blends in the photometric aperture, without needing additional observational follow-up. Our results agree with the previous results of a low false-positive rate in the Kepler MTPSs. This implies, independently of any other estimates, that most of the MTPSs detected by Kepler are planetary in nature, but that a substantial fraction could be orbiting stars other than then the putative target star, and therefore may be subject to significant error in the inferred planet parameters resulting from unknown or mismeasured stellar host attributes. We also apply approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) using forward simulations of the Kepler planet catalog to simultaneously constrain the distributions of mutual inclination between the planets, orbital eccentricity, the underlying number of planets per planetary system, and the fraction of stars that host planet systems in a subsample of Kepler candidate planets using SimpleABC, a Python package we developed that is a general-purpose framework for ABC analysis. For our investigation into planet architectures, we limit our investigation to candidates in orbits from 10 to 320 days, where the false-positive contamination rate is expected to be low. We test two models, the first is an independent eccentricity ( e) model where mutual inclination and e are drawn from Rayleigh distributions with dispersions sigmaim and sigmae, planets per planetary system is drawn from a Poisson distribution with mean lambda, and the fraction of stars with planetary systems is drawn from two-state categorical distribution parameterized by etap. We also test an Equipartition Model identical to the Independent e Model, except that sigmae is linked to sigmaim by a scaling factor gammae. For the Independent e Model, we find sigmaim = 5.51° +8.00-3.35, sigmae = 0.03+0.05-0.01, lambda = 6.62+7.74 -3.36, and etap = 0.20 +0.18-0.11. For the Equipartition Model, we find sigmaim = 1.15°+0.56-0.33 , gammae = 1.38+1.89 -0.93, lambda = 2.25+0.56-0.29, and etap = 0.56+0.08-0.11 . These results, especially the Equipartition Model, are in good agreement with previous studies. However, deficiencies in our single population models suggest that at least one additional subpopulation of planet systems is needed to explain the Kepler sample, providing more confirmation of the so-called "Kepler Dichotomy".

Technology Challenges for Deep-Throttle Cryogenic Engines for Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Kendall K.; Nelson, Karl W.

2005-01-01

Historically, cryogenic rocket engines have not been used for in-space applications due to their additional complexity, the mission need for high reliability, and the challenges of propellant boil-off. While the mission and vehicle architectures are not yet defined for the lunar and Martian robotic and human exploration objectives, cryogenic rocket engines offer the potential for higher performance and greater architecture/mission flexibility. In-situ cryogenic propellant production could enable a more robust exploration program by significantly reducing the propellant mass delivered to low earth orbit, thus warranting the evaluation of cryogenic rocket engines versus the hypergolic bi-propellant engines used in the Apollo program. A multi-use engine. one which can provide the functionality that separate engines provided in the Apollo mission architecture, is desirable for lunar and Mars exploration missions because it increases overall architecture effectiveness through commonality and modularity. The engine requirement derivation process must address each unique mission application and each unique phase within each mission. The resulting requirements, such as thrust level, performance, packaging, bum duration, number of operations; required impulses for each trajectory phase; operation after extended space or surface exposure; availability for inspection and maintenance; throttle range for planetary descent, ascent, acceleration limits and many more must be addressed. Within engine system studies, the system and component technology, capability, and risks must be evaluated and a balance between the appropriate amount of technology-push and technology-pull must be addressed. This paper will summarize many of the key technology challenges associated with using high-performance cryogenic liquid propellant rocket engine systems and components in the exploration program architectures. The paper is divided into two areas. The first area describes how the mission requirements affect the engine system requirements and create system level technology challenges. An engine system architecture for multiple applications or a family of engines based upon a set of core technologies, design, and fabrication approaches may reduce overall programmatic cost and risk. The engine system discussion will also address the characterization of engine cycle figures of merit, configurations, and design approaches for some in-space vehicle alternatives under consideration. The second area evaluates the component-level technology challenges induced from the system requirements. Component technology issues are discussed addressing injector, thrust chamber, ignition system, turbopump assembly, and valve design for the challenging requirements of high reliability, robustness, fault tolerance, deep throttling, reasonable performance (with respect to weight and specific impulse).

Technology Challenges for Deep-Throttle Cryogenic Engines for Space Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Kendall K.; Nelson, Karl W.

2005-02-01

Historically, cryogenic rocket engines have not been used for in-space applications due to their additional complexity, the mission need for high reliability, and the challenges of propellant boil-off. While the mission and vehicle architectures are not yet defined for the lunar and Martian robotic and human exploration objectives, cryogenic rocket engines offer the potential for higher performance and greater architecture/mission flexibility. In-situ cryogenic propellant production could enable a more robust exploration program by significantly reducing the propellant mass delivered to low earth orbit, thus warranting the evaluation of cryogenic rocket engines versus the hypergolic bipropellant engines used in the Apollo program. A multi-use engine, one which can provide the functionality that separate engines provided in the Apollo mission architecture, is desirable for lunar and Mars exploration missions because it increases overall architecture effectiveness through commonality and modularity. The engine requirement derivation process must address each unique mission application and each unique phase within each mission. The resulting requirements, such as thrust level, performance, packaging, burn duration, number of operations; required impulses for each trajectory phase; operation after extended space or surface exposure; availability for inspection and maintenance; throttle range for planetary descent, ascent, acceleration limits and many more must be addressed. Within engine system studies, the system and component technology, capability, and risks must be evaluated and a balance between the appropriate amount of technology-push and technology-pull must be addressed. This paper will summarize many of the key technology challenges associated with using high-performance cryogenic liquid propellant rocket engine systems and components in the exploration program architectures. The paper is divided into two areas. The first area describes how the mission requirements affect the engine system requirements and create system level technology challenges. An engine system architecture for multiple applications or a family of engines based upon a set of core technologies, design, and fabrication approaches may reduce overall programmatic cost and risk. The engine system discussion will also address the characterization of engine cycle figures of merit, configurations, and design approaches for some in-space vehicle alternatives under consideration. The second area evaluates the component-level technology challenges induced from the system requirements. Component technology issues are discussed addressing injector, thrust chamber, ignition system, turbopump assembly, and valve design for the challenging requirements of high reliability, robustness, fault tolerance, deep throttling, reasonable performance (with respect to weight and specific impulse).

Asteroid impacts on terrestrial planets: the effects of super-Earths and the role of the ν6 resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smallwood, Jeremy L.; Martin, Rebecca G.; Lepp, Stephen; Livio, Mario

2018-01-01

With N-body simulations of a planetary system with an asteroid belt, we investigate how the asteroid impact rate on the Earth is affected by the architecture of the planetary system. We find that the ν6 secular resonance plays an important role in the asteroid collision rate with the Earth. Compared to exoplanetary systems, the Solar system is somewhat special in its lack of a super-Earth mass planet in the inner Solar system. We therefore first consider the effects of the presence of a super-Earth in the terrestrial planet region. We find a significant effect for super-Earths with a mass of around 10 M⊕ and a separation greater than about 0.7 au. For a super-Earth which is interior to the Earth's orbit, the number of asteroids colliding with Earth increases the closer the super-Earth is to the Earth's orbit. This is the result of multiple secular resonance locations causing more asteroids to be perturbed on to Earth-crossing orbits. When the super-Earth is placed exterior to Earth's orbit, the collision rate decreases substantially because the ν6 resonance no longer exists in the asteroid belt region. We also find that changing the semimajor axis of Saturn leads to a significant decrease in the asteroid collision rate, though increasing its mass increases the collision rate. These results may have implications for the habitability of exoplanetary systems.

Robosphere: Self Sustaining Robotic Ecologies as Precursors to Human Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colombano, Silvano P.

2003-01-01

The present sequential mission oriented approach to robotic planetary exploration, could be changed to an infrastructure building approach where a robotic presence is permanent, self sustaining and growing with each mission. We call this self-sustaining robotic ecology approach robosphere and discuss the technological issues that need to be addressed before this concept can be realized. One of the major advantages of this approach is that a robosphere would include much of the infrastructure required by human explorers and would thus lower the preparation and risk threshold inherent in the transition from robotic to human exploration. In this context we discuss some implications for space architecture.

Water transport to circumprimary habitable zones from icy planetesimal disks in binary star systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bancelin, D.; Pilat-Lohinger, E.; Maindl, T. I.; Bazsó, Á.

2017-03-01

So far, more than 130 extrasolar planets have been found in multiple stellar systems. Dynamical simulations show that the outcome of the planetary formation process can lead to different planetary architectures (i.e. location, size, mass, and water content) when the star system is single or double. In the late phase of planetary formation, when embryo-sized objects dominate the inner region of the system, asteroids are also present and can provide additional material for objects inside the habitable zone (HZ). In this study, we make a comparison of several binary star systems and aim to show how efficient they are at moving icy asteroids from beyond the snow line into orbits crossing the HZ. We also analyze the influence of secular and mean motion resonances on the water transport towards the HZ. Our study shows that small bodies also participate in bearing a non-negligible amount of water to the HZ. The proximity of a companion moving on an eccentric orbit increases the flux of asteroids to the HZ, which could result in a more efficient water transport on a short timescale, causing a heavy bombardment. In contrast to asteroids moving under the gravitational perturbations of one G-type star and a gas giant, we show that the presence of a companion star not only favors a faster depletion of our disk of planetesimals, but can also bring 4-5 times more water into the whole HZ. However, due to the secular resonance located either inside the HZ or inside the asteroid belt, impacts between icy planetesimals from the disk and big objects in the HZ can occur at high impact speed. Therefore, real collision modeling using a GPU 3D-SPH code show that in reality, the water content of the projectile is greatly reduced and therefore, also the water transported to planets or embryos initially inside the HZ.

Onboard data processing and compression for a four-sensor suite: the SERENA experiment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mura, A.; Orsini, S.; Di Lellis, A.; Lazzarotto, F.; Barabash, S.; Livi, S.; Torkar, K.; Milillo, A.; De Angelis, E.

2013-09-01

SERENA (Search for Exospheric Refilling and Emitted Natural Abundances) is an instrument package that will fly on board the BepiColombo/Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO). SERENA instrument includes four units: ELENA (Emitted Low Energy Neutral Atoms), a neutral particle analyzer/imager to detect ion sputtering and backscattering from Mercury's surface; STROFIO (Start from a Rotating FIeld mass spectrometer), a mass spectrometer to identify atomic masses released from the surface; MIPA (Miniature Ion Precipitation Analyzer) and PICAM (Planetary Ion Camera), two ion spectrometers to monitor the precipitating solar wind and measure the plasma environment around Mercury. The System Control Unit architecture is such that all four sensors are connected to a high resolution FPGA, which dialogs with a dedicated high-performance data processing unit. The unpredictability of the data rate, due to the peculiarities of these investigations, leads to several possible scenarios for the data compression and handling. In this study we first discuss about the predicted data volume that comes from the optimized operation strategy, and then we report on the instrument data processing and compression.

Hands-On Educational Programs and Projects at SICSA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, L.

2002-01-01

The Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA) has a long history of projects that involve the design of space structures, including habitats for low-Earth orbit (LEO) and planetary applications. Some of these projects are supported by corporate sponsors, such as a space tourism research, planning and design study conducted for the owner of national U.S. hotel chain. Some have been undertaken in support of programs sponsored by the State Government of Texas, including current commercial spaceport development planning for the Texas Aerospace Commission and three counties that represent candidate spaceport sites. Other projects have been supported by NASA and the Texas Aerospace Consortium, including the design and development of SICSA's "Space Habitation Laboratory", a space station module sized environmental simulator facility which has been featured in the "NASA Select" television broadcast series. This presentation will highlight representative projects. SICSA is internationally recognized for its leadership in the field of space architecture. Many program graduates have embarked upon productive and rewarding careers with aerospace organizations throughout the world. NASA has awarded certificates of appreciation to SICSA for significant achievements contributing to its advanced design initiatives. SICSA and its work have been featured in numerous popular magazines, professional publications, and public media broadcasts in many countries. SICSA applies a very comprehensive scope of activities to the practice of space architecture. Important roles include mission planning conceptualization of orbital and planetary structures and assembly processes, and design of habitats to optimize human safety, adaptation and productivity. SICSA sponsors educational programs for upper division undergraduate students and graduate students with interests in space and experimental architecture. Many fourth year participants continue in the SICSA program throughout their remaining undergraduate studies, and are joined by other new fifth year students. Selected graduate applicants holding a professional degree in architecture from accredited colleges and universities can earn a Master of Architecture degree with a specialization in space and experimental architecture upon completion of 32 credit hours of study which includes two six-hour design studios. Accepted graduate students seeking a Master of Architecture degree who do not hold a professional architecture degree may enter SICSA studios during the final year of their minimum 72 credit hours of study. Subject to necessary University of Houston and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approvals, SICSA and the College of Architecture propose to expand their graduate education role to add a Master of Science in Space Architecture degree program. This new program is primarily being planned in response to known interests of non-architect professionals from NASA and aerospace corporations who wish to pursue advanced space architecture research and design studies. The program will be also available to working professionals holding an undergraduate architectural degree.

Innovative HPC architectures for the study of planetary plasma environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amaya, Jorge; Wolf, Anna; Lembège, Bertrand; Zitz, Anke; Alvarez, Damian; Lapenta, Giovanni

2016-04-01

DEEP-ER is an European Commission founded project that develops a new type of High Performance Computer architecture. The revolutionary system is currently used by KU Leuven to study the effects of the solar wind on the global environments of the Earth and Mercury. The new architecture combines the versatility of Intel Xeon computing nodes with the power of the upcoming Intel Xeon Phi accelerators. Contrary to classical heterogeneous HPC architectures, where it is customary to find CPU and accelerators in the same computing nodes, in the DEEP-ER system CPU nodes are grouped together (Cluster) and independently from the accelerator nodes (Booster). The system is equipped with a state of the art interconnection network, a highly scalable and fast I/O and a fail recovery resiliency system. The final objective of the project is to introduce a scalable system that can be used to create the next generation of exascale supercomputers. The code iPic3D from KU Leuven is being adapted to this new architecture. This particle-in-cell code can now perform the computation of the electromagnetic fields in the Cluster while the particles are moved in the Booster side. Using fast and scalable Xeon Phi accelerators in the Booster we can introduce many more particles per cell in the simulation than what is possible in the current generation of HPC systems, allowing to calculate fully kinetic plasmas with very low interpolation noise. The system will be used to perform fully kinetic, low noise, 3D simulations of the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetosphere of the Earth and Mercury. Preliminary simulations have been performed in other HPC centers in order to compare the results in different systems. In this presentation we show the complexity of the plasma flow around the planets, including the development of hydrodynamic instabilities at the flanks, the presence of the collision-less shock, the magnetosheath, the magnetopause, reconnection zones, the formation of the plasma sheet and the magnetotail, and the variation of ion/electron plasma flows when crossing these frontiers. The simulations also give access to detailed information about the particle dynamics and their velocity distribution at locations that can be used for comparison with satellite data.

Modeling, simulation, and high-autonomy control of a Martian oxygen production plant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schooley, L. C.; Cellier, F. E.; Wang, F.-Y.; Zeigler, B. P.

1992-01-01

Progress on a project for the development of a high-autonomy intelligent command and control architecture for process plants used to produce oxygen from local planetary resources is reported. A distributed command and control architecture is being developed and implemented so that an oxygen production plant, or other equipment, can be reliably commanded and controlled over an extended time period in a high-autonomy mode with high-level task-oriented teleoperation from one or several remote locations. During the reporting period, progress was made at all levels of the architecture. At the remote site, several remote observers can now participate in monitoring the plant. At the local site, a command and control center was introduced for increased flexibility, reliability, and robustness. The local control architecture was enhanced to control multiple tubes in parallel, and was refined for increased robustness. The simulation model was enhanced to full dynamics descriptions.

Considerations on communications network protocols in deep space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clare, L. P.; Agre, J. R.; Yan, T.

2001-01-01

Communications supporting deep space missions impose numerous unique constraints that impact the architectural choices made for cost-effectiveness. We are entering the era where networks that exist in deep space are needed to support planetary exploration. Cost-effective performance will require a balanced integration of applicable widely used standard protocols with new and innovative designs.

GIS Technologies for the Planetary Science Archive (PSA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Docasal, R.

2017-09-01

In my abstract I try to show how a GIS and 3D visual tools architecture could handle the different approaches for visualizing the spatial info, depending on the nature and shape of the object (planet, satellite, comet...etc) to be mapped in a multi-mission website such as the new PSA.

Near Earth Object (NEO) Mitigation Options Using Exploration Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Robert B.

2008-01-01

This presentation considers the use of new launch vehicles in defense against near-Earth objects, building upon expertise in launch vehicle and spacecraft design, astronomy and planetary science and missile defense. This work also seeks to demonstrate the synergy needed between architectures for human/robotic exploration initiatives and planetary defense. Three different mitigation operations were baselined for this study--nuclear standoff explosion, kinetic interceptor, and solar collector--however, these are not the only viable options. The design and predicted performance of each of these methods is discussed and compared. It is determined that the nuclear interceptor option can deflect NEOs of smaller size (100-500 m) with 2 years or more time before impact, and larger NEOs with 5 or more years warning; kinetic interceptors may be effective for deflection of asteroids up to 300-400 m but require 8-10 years warning time; and, solar collectors may be able to deflect NEOs up to 1 km if issues pertaining to long operation can be overcome. Ares I and Ares V vehicles show sufficient performance to enable the development of a near-term categorization and mitigation architecture.

Data Management in the Euclid Science Archive System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Teodoro, P.; Nieto, S.; Altieri, B.

2017-06-01

Euclid is the ESA M2 mission and a milestone in the understanding of the geometry of the Universe. In total Euclid will produce up to 26 PB per year of observations. The Science Archive Systems (SAS) belongs to the Euclid Archive System (EAS) that sits in the core of the Euclid Science Ground Segment (SGS). The SAS is being built at the ESAC Science Data Centre (ESDC), which is responsible for the development and operations of the scientific archives for the Astronomy, Planetary and Heliophysics missions of ESA. The SAS is focused on the needs of the scientific community and is intended to provide access to the most valuable scientific metadata from the Euclid mission. In this paper we describe the architectural design of the system, implementation progress and the main challenges from the data management point of view in the building of the SAS.

Hercules Single-Stage Reusable Vehicle (HSRV) Operating Base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moon, Michael J.; McCleskey, Carey M.

2017-01-01

Conceptual design for the layout of lunar-planetary surface support systems remains an important area needing further master planning. This paper explores a structured approach to organize the layout of a Mars-based site equipped for routinely flying a human-scale reusable taxi system. The proposed Hercules Transportation System requires a surface support capability to sustain its routine, affordable, and dependable operation. The approach organizes a conceptual Hercules operating base through functional station sets. The station set approach will allow follow-on work to trade design approaches and consider technologies for more efficient flow of material, energy, and information at future Mars bases and settlements. The station set requirements at a Mars site point to specific capabilities needed. By drawing from specific Hercules design characteristics, the technology requirements for surface-based systems will come into greater focus. This paper begins a comprehensive process for documenting functional needs, architectural design methods, and analysis techniques necessary for follow-on concept studies.

Reconfigurable L-Band Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rincon, Rafael F.

2008-01-01

The reconfigurable L-Band radar is an ongoing development at NASA/GSFC that exploits the capability inherently in phased array radar systems with a state-of-the-art data acquisition and real-time processor in order to enable multi-mode measurement techniques in a single radar architecture. The development leverages on the L-Band Imaging Scatterometer, a radar system designed for the development and testing of new radar techniques; and the custom-built DBSAR processor, a highly reconfigurable, high speed data acquisition and processing system. The radar modes currently implemented include scatterometer, synthetic aperture radar, and altimetry; and plans to add new modes such as radiometry and bi-static GNSS signals are being formulated. This development is aimed at enhancing the radar remote sensing capabilities for airborne and spaceborne applications in support of Earth Science and planetary exploration This paper describes the design of the radar and processor systems, explains the operational modes, and discusses preliminary measurements and future plans.

Survey of current and emerging technologies for biological contamination control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frick, Andreas; Mogul, Rakesh

2012-07-01

This study will survey current and emerging technologies for biological contamination control within the context of planetary protection. Using a systems analysis approach, our objective is to compare various implementation variables across tasks ranging from surface cleaning to full-system sterilization for spacecraft and spacecraft components. Methods reviewed include vapor-phase hydrogen peroxide, plasma-phase sterilants such as oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, dry heat, laser-based techniques, supercritical carbon dioxide-based methods, and advanced bio-barriers. These methods will be evaluated in relation to relevant mission architectures and will address aspects of sample return missions. Results from this study, therefore, will offer new insights into the present-day engineering capabilities and future developmental concerns for missions targeting icy satellites, Mars, and other locations of astrochemical and astrobiological significance.

Development of NASA's Next Generation L-Band Digital Beamforming Synthetic Aperture Radar (DBSAR-2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rincon, Rafael; Fatoyinbo, Temilola; Osmanoglu, Batuhan; Lee, Seung-Kuk; Ranson, K. Jon; Marrero, Victor; Yeary, Mark

2014-01-01

NASA's Next generation Digital Beamforming SAR (DBSAR-2) is a state-of-the-art airborne L-band radar developed at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The instrument builds upon the advanced architectures in NASA's DBSAR-1 and EcoSAR instruments. The new instrument employs a 16-channel radar architecture characterized by multi-mode operation, software defined waveform generation, digital beamforming, and configurable radar parameters. The instrument has been design to support several disciplines in Earth and Planetary sciences. The instrument was recently completed, and tested and calibrated in a anechoic chamber.

Path planning and execution monitoring for a planetary rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gat, Erann; Slack, Marc G.; Miller, David P.; Firby, R. James

1990-01-01

A path planner and an execution monitoring planner that will enable the rover to navigate to its various destinations safely and correctly while detecting and avoiding hazards are described. An overview of the complete architecture is given. Implementation and testbeds are described. The robot can detect unforseen obstacles and take appropriate action. This includes having the rover back away from the hazard and mark the area as untraversable in the in the rover's internal map. The experiments have consisted of paths roughly 20 m in length. The architecture works with a large variety of rover configurations with different kinematic constraints.

Developing the Planetary Science Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erard, Stéphane; Cecconi, Baptiste; Le Sidaner, Pierre; Henry, Florence; Chauvin, Cyril; Berthier, Jérôme; André, Nicolas; Génot, Vincent; Schmitt, Bernard; Capria, Teresa; Chanteur, Gérard

2015-08-01

In the frame of the Europlanet-RI program, a prototype Virtual Observatory dedicated to Planetary Science has been set up. Most of the activity was dedicated to the definition of standards to handle data in this field. The aim was to facilitate searches in big archives as well as sparse databases, to make on-line data access and visualization possible, and to allow small data providers to make their data available in an interoperable environment with minimum effort. This system makes intensive use of studies and developments led in Astronomy (IVOA), Solar Science (HELIO), and space archive services (IPDA).The current architecture connects existing data services with IVOA or IPDA protocols whenever relevant. However, a more general standard has been devised to handle the specific complexity of Planetary Science, e.g. in terms of measurement types and coordinate frames. This protocol, named EPN-TAP, is based on TAP and includes precise requirements to describe the contents of a data service (Erard et al Astron & Comp 2014). A light framework (DaCHS/GAVO) and a procedure have been identified to install small data services, and several hands-on sessions have been organized already. The data services are declared in standard IVOA registries. Support to new data services in Europe will be provided during the proposed Europlanet H2020 program, with a focus on planetary mission support (Rosetta, Cassini…).A specific client (VESPA) has been developed at VO-Paris (http://vespa.obspm.fr). It is able to use all the mandatory parameters in EPN-TAP, plus extra parameters from individual services. A resolver for target names is also available. Selected data can be sent to VO visualization tools such as TOPCAT or Aladin though the SAMP protocol.Future steps will include the development of a connection between the VO world and GIS tools, and integration of heliophysics, planetary plasma and reference spectroscopic data.The EuroPlaNet-RI project was funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Program, grant 228319 "Capacities Specific Programme".

Concurrent planning and execution for a walking robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, Reid

1990-07-01

The Planetary Rover project is developing the Ambler, a novel legged robot, and an autonomous software system for walking the Ambler over rough terrain. As part of the project, we have developed a system that integrates perception, planning, and real-time control to navigate a single leg of the robot through complex obstacle courses. The system is integrated using the Task Control Architecture (TCA), a general-purpose set of utilities for building and controlling distributed mobile robot systems. The walking system, as originally implemented, utilized a sequential sense-plan-act control cycle. This report describes efforts to improve the performance of the system by concurrently planning and executing steps. Concurrency was achieved by modifying the existing sequential system to utilize TCA features such as resource management, monitors, temporal constraints, and hierarchical task trees. Performance was increased in excess of 30 percent with only a relatively modest effort to convert and test the system. The results lend support to the utility of using TCA to develop complex mobile robot systems.

Thermal Protection System Development, Testing and Qualification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatapathy, Ethiraj; Arnold, James; Laub, B.; Hartman, G. J.

The science community currently has interest in planetary entry probe missions to improve our understanding of the atmospheres of Saturn and Venus [1,2]. As in the case of the Galileo entry probe, such data are critical to the understanding of not only the individual planets but also to further knowledge regarding the formation of the solar system. It is believed that Saturn probes to depths corresponding to 10 bars will be sufficient [1] to provide the desired scientific data. The heating rates for the "shallow" Saturn probes and Venus are in the range of 2 - 5KW/cm2 . It is clear that new, mid-density Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials for such probes can be mission-enabling for mass efficiency [3] and also make the use of smaller vehicles possible from advancements in scientific instrumentation [4]. Past consideration of new Jovian multiprobe missions has been considered problematic without the Giant Planet Arcjet Facility that was used to qualify Carbon Phenolic for the Galileo Probe. This paper describes emerging TPS technology and the proposed use of an affordable, small 5 MW arc jet that can be used for TPS development in test gases appropriate for the aforementioned, new planetary probe applications. Emerging TPS technologies of interest include a mid-density, chopped molded carbon phenolic (CMCP) material around 0.8g/cc and a densified variant of phenolic impregnated carbon ablator (PICA) around 0.5g/cc. The small 5 MW arc jet facility, called the Development Arcjet Facility (DAF) and the methodology of testing TPS, both based on previous work, are discussed. Finally, the applications to Earth entry appropriate to speeds greater than lunar return (11km/s) are discussed as will facility-to-facility validation using air as a test gas. The use of other facilities for development, qualification and certification of TPS for Saturn and Venus is also discussed. [1] Atreya, S. K., et. al. Formation of Giant Planets and Their Atmospheres: Entry Probes for Saturn and Beyond; 5 th International Planetary Probe Workshop, June 25-29, Bordeaux, France. [2] Baines, K. H, et. al, Exploring Venus with Balloons: Science Objectives and Mission Architectures. 5 th International Planetary Probe Workshop, June 25-29 Bordeaux, France.

The Influence of Planetary Mass on the Dynamical Lifetime of Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, J. J.; Duncan, M. J.; Young, Richard E. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

Recent numerical and analytic studies of planetary orbits have demonstrated the importance of resonances and chaos in destabilizing planetary systems. Newton's "clockwork" description of regular, predictable planetary orbits has been replaced by a view in which many systems can have long but finite lifetimes. This new knowledge has altered our perceptions of the later stages of planetary growth and of the stability of planetary systems. Stability criteria are inexact and time dependent. Most previous studies have focused on the effects in initial planetary orbits on the stability of the system. We are conducting an investigation which focuses on the dependence of stability criteria on planetary mass. Synthetic systems are created by increasing the masses of the planets in our Solar System or of the moons of a particular planet; these systems are then integrated until orbit crossing occurs. We have found that over some ranges, the time until orbit crossing varies to a good approximation as a power clothe factor by which the masses of the secondaries arc increased; some scatter occurs as a consequence of vie chaotic nature of orbital evolution. The slope of this power law varies substantially from system to system, and for moons it is mildly dependent on the inclusion of the planet's quadrupole moment in the gravitational potential.

The Global Perspective on the Evolution of Solids in a Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stepinski, T. F.; Valageas, P.

1996-01-01

It is currently thought that planets around solar-type stars form by the accumulation of solid matter entrained in a gaseous, turbulent protoplanetary disk. We have developed a model designed to simulate the part of this process that starts from small particles suspended in the gaseous disk at the end of the formation stage, and ends up with most of the solid material aggregated into 1-10-km planetesimals. The major novelty of our approach is its emphasis on the global, comprehensive treatment of the problem, as our model simultaneously keeps track of the evolution of gas and solid particles due to gas-solid coupling, coagulation, sedimentation, and evaporation/condensation. The result of our calculations is the radial distribution of solid material circumnavigating a star in the form of a planetesimal swarm. Such a distribution should well approximate the radial apportionment of condensed components of the planets spread over the radial extent of the mature planetary system. Therefore we view our calculations as an attempt to predict the large-scale architecture of planetary systems and to assess their potential diversity. In particular, we have found that some initial conditions lead to all solids being lost to the star, but we can also identify initial conditions leading to a radial distribution of solid material quite reminiscent of what is found in our solar system.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Spitzer solar-type stars list (Meyer+, 2006)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, M. R.; Hillenbrand, L. A.; Backman, D.; Beckwith, S.; Bouwman, J.; Brooke, T.; Carpenter, J.; Cohen, M.; Cortes, S.; Crockett, N.; Gorti, U.; Henning, T.; Hines, D.; Hollenbach, D.; Kim, J. S.; Lunine, J.; Malhotra, R.; Mamajek, E.; Metchev, S.; Moro-Martin, A.; Morris, P.; Najita, J.; Padgett, D.; Pascucci, I.; Rodmann, J.; Schlingman, W.; Silverstone, M.; Soderblom, D.; Stauffer, J.; Stobie, E.; Strom, S.; Watson, D.; Weidenschilling, S.; Wolf, S.; Young, E.

2008-01-01

We provide an overview of the Spitzer Legacy Program, Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems, that was proposed in 2000, begun in 2001, and executed aboard the Spitzer Space Telescope between 2003 and 2006. This program exploits the sensitivity of Spitzer to carry out mid-infrared spectrophotometric observations of solar-type stars. With a sample of 328 stars ranging in age from 3Myr to 3Gyr, we trace the evolution of circumstellar gas and dust from primordial planet-building stages in young circumstellar disks through to older collisionally generated debris disks. When completed, our program will help define the timescales over which terrestrial and gas giant planets are built, constrain the frequency of planetesimal collisions as a function of time, and establish the diversity of mature planetary architectures. In addition to the observational program, we have coordinated a concomitant theoretical effort aimed at understanding the dynamics of circumstellar dust with and without the effects of embedded planets, dust spectral energy distributions, and atomic and molecular gas line emission. Together with the observations, these efforts will provide an astronomical context for understanding whether our solar system and its habitable planets a common or a rare circumstance. Additional information about the FEPS project can be found on the team Web site. (4 data files).

Configurable Aperture Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ennico, Kimberly; Vassigh, Kenny; Bendek, Selman; Young, Zion W; Lynch, Dana H.

2015-01-01

In December 2014, we were awarded Center Innovation Fund to evaluate an optical and mechanical concept for a novel implementation of a segmented telescope based on modular, interconnected small sats (satlets). The concept is called CAST, a Configurable Aperture Space Telescope. With a current TRL is 2 we will aim to reach TLR 3 in Sept 2015 by demonstrating a 2x2 mirror system to validate our optical model and error budget, provide strawman mechanical architecture and structural damping analyses, and derive future satlet-based observatory performance requirements. CAST provides an alternative access to visible andor UV wavelength space telescope with 1-meter or larger aperture for NASA SMD Astrophysics and Planetary Science community after the retirement of HST.

Configurable Aperture Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ennico, Kimberly; Bendek, Eduardo

2015-01-01

In December 2014, we were awarded Center Innovation Fund to evaluate an optical and mechanical concept for a novel implementation of a segmented telescope based on modular, interconnected small sats (satlets). The concept is called CAST, a Configurable Aperture Space Telescope. With a current TRL is 2 we will aim to reach TLR 3 in Sept 2015 by demonstrating a 2x2 mirror system to validate our optical model and error budget, provide straw man mechanical architecture and structural damping analyses, and derive future satlet-based observatory performance requirements. CAST provides an alternative access to visible and/or UV wavelength space telescope with 1-meter or larger aperture for NASA SMD Astrophysics and Planetary Science community after the retirement of HST

Concurrent Image Processing Executive (CIPE). Volume 1: Design overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Meemong; Groom, Steven L.; Mazer, Alan S.; Williams, Winifred I.

1990-01-01

The design and implementation of a Concurrent Image Processing Executive (CIPE), which is intended to become the support system software for a prototype high performance science analysis workstation are described. The target machine for this software is a JPL/Caltech Mark 3fp Hypercube hosted by either a MASSCOMP 5600 or a Sun-3, Sun-4 workstation; however, the design will accommodate other concurrent machines of similar architecture, i.e., local memory, multiple-instruction-multiple-data (MIMD) machines. The CIPE system provides both a multimode user interface and an applications programmer interface, and has been designed around four loosely coupled modules: user interface, host-resident executive, hypercube-resident executive, and application functions. The loose coupling between modules allows modification of a particular module without significantly affecting the other modules in the system. In order to enhance hypercube memory utilization and to allow expansion of image processing capabilities, a specialized program management method, incremental loading, was devised. To minimize data transfer between host and hypercube, a data management method which distributes, redistributes, and tracks data set information was implemented. The data management also allows data sharing among application programs. The CIPE software architecture provides a flexible environment for scientific analysis of complex remote sensing image data, such as planetary data and imaging spectrometry, utilizing state-of-the-art concurrent computation capabilities.

Stability and self-organization of planetary systems.

PubMed

Pakter, Renato; Levin, Yan

2018-04-01

We show that stability of planetary systems is intimately connected with their internal order. An arbitrary initial distribution of planets is susceptible to catastrophic events in which planets either collide or are ejected from the planetary system. These instabilities are a fundamental consequence of chaotic dynamics and of Arnold diffusion characteristic of many body gravitational interactions. To ensure stability over astronomical time scale of a realistic planetary system-in which planets have masses comparable to those of planets in the solar system-the motion must be quasiperiodic. A dynamical mechanism is proposed which naturally evolves a planetary system to a quasiperiodic state from an arbitrary initial condition. A planetary self-organization predicted by the theory is similar to the one found in our solar system.

Near-infrared Spectroscopy of 2M0441+2301 AabBab: A Quadruple System Spanning the Stellar to Planetary Mass Regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowler, Brendan P.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.

2015-10-01

We present Keck/NIRC2 and OSIRIS near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy of 2M0441+2301 AabBab, a young (1-3 Myr) hierarchical quadruple system comprising a low-mass star, two brown dwarfs, and a planetary-mass companion in Taurus. All four components show spectroscopic signs of low surface gravity, and both 2M0441+2301 Aa and Ab possess Paβ emission indicating they each harbor accretion subdisks. Astrometry spanning 2008-2014 reveals orbital motion in both the Aab (0.″23 separation) and Bab (0.″095 separation) pairs, although the implied orbital periods of >300 years mean dynamical masses will not be possible in the near future. The faintest component (2M0441+2301 Bb) has an angular H-band shape, strong molecular absorption (VO, CO, H2O, and FeH), and shallow alkali lines, confirming its young age, late spectral type (L1 ± 1), and low temperature (≈1800 K). With individual masses of {200}-50+100 MJup, 35 ± 5 MJup, 19 ± 3 MJup, and 9.8 ± 1.8 MJup, 2M0441+2301 AabBab is the lowest-mass quadruple system known. Its hierarchical orbital architecture and mass ratios imply that it formed from the collapse and fragmentation of a molecular cloud core, demonstrating that planetary-mass companions can originate from a stellar-like pathway analogous to higher-mass quadruple star systems as first speculated by Todorov et al. More generally, cloud fragmentation may be an important formation pathway for the massive exoplanets that are now regularly being imaged on wide orbits. The data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

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.

The signatures of the parental cluster on field planetary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Maxwell Xu; Portegies Zwart, Simon; van Elteren, Arjen

2018-03-01

Due to the high stellar densities in young clusters, planetary systems formed in these environments are likely to have experienced perturbations from encounters with other stars. We carry out direct N-body simulations of multiplanet systems in star clusters to study the combined effects of stellar encounters and internal planetary dynamics. These planetary systems eventually become part of the Galactic field population as the parental cluster dissolves, which is where most presently known exoplanets are observed. We show that perturbations induced by stellar encounters lead to distinct signatures in the field planetary systems, most prominently, the excited orbital inclinations and eccentricities. Planetary systems that form within the cluster's half-mass radius are more prone to such perturbations. The orbital elements are most strongly excited in the outermost orbit, but the effect propagates to the entire planetary system through secular evolution. Planet ejections may occur long after a stellar encounter. The surviving planets in these reduced systems tend to have, on average, higher inclinations and larger eccentricities compared to systems that were perturbed less strongly. As soon as the parental star cluster dissolves, external perturbations stop affecting the escaped planetary systems, and further evolution proceeds on a relaxation time-scale. The outer regions of these ejected planetary systems tend to relax so slowly that their state carries the memory of their last strong encounter in the star cluster. Regardless of the stellar density, we observe a robust anticorrelation between multiplicity and mean inclination/eccentricity. We speculate that the `Kepler dichotomy' observed in field planetary systems is a natural consequence of their early evolution in the parental cluster.

Mission Simulation Facility: Simulation Support for Autonomy Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pisanich, Greg; Plice, Laura; Neukom, Christian; Flueckiger, Lorenzo; Wagner, Michael

2003-01-01

The Mission Simulation Facility (MSF) supports research in autonomy technology for planetary exploration vehicles. Using HLA (High Level Architecture) across distributed computers, the MSF connects users autonomy algorithms with provided or third-party simulations of robotic vehicles and planetary surface environments, including onboard components and scientific instruments. Simulation fidelity is variable to meet changing needs as autonomy technology advances in Technical Readiness Level (TRL). A virtual robot operating in a virtual environment offers numerous advantages over actual hardware, including availability, simplicity, and risk mitigation. The MSF is in use by researchers at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) and has demonstrated basic functionality. Continuing work will support the needs of a broader user base.

Novel processor architecture for onboard infrared sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hihara, Hiroki; Iwasaki, Akira; Tamagawa, Nobuo; Kuribayashi, Mitsunobu; Hashimoto, Masanori; Mitsuyama, Yukio; Ochi, Hiroyuki; Onodera, Hidetoshi; Kanbara, Hiroyuki; Wakabayashi, Kazutoshi; Tada, Munehiro

2016-09-01

Infrared sensor system is a major concern for inter-planetary missions that investigate the nature and the formation processes of planets and asteroids. The infrared sensor system requires signal preprocessing functions that compensate for the intensity of infrared image sensors to get high quality data and high compression ratio through the limited capacity of transmission channels towards ground stations. For those implementations, combinations of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and microprocessors are employed by AKATSUKI, the Venus Climate Orbiter, and HAYABUSA2, the asteroid probe. On the other hand, much smaller size and lower power consumption are demanded for future missions to accommodate more sensors. To fulfill this future demand, we developed a novel processor architecture which consists of reconfigurable cluster cores and programmable-logic cells with complementary atom switches. The complementary atom switches enable hardware programming without configuration memories, and thus soft-error on logic circuit connection is completely eliminated. This is a noteworthy advantage for space applications which cannot be found in conventional re-writable FPGAs. Almost one-tenth of lower power consumption is expected compared to conventional re-writable FPGAs because of the elimination of configuration memories. The proposed processor architecture can be reconfigured by behavioral synthesis with higher level language specification. Consequently, compensation functions are implemented in a single chip without accommodating program memories, which is accompanied with conventional microprocessors, while maintaining the comparable performance. This enables us to embed a processor element on each infrared signal detector output channel.

Power Systems Evaluated for Solar Electric Propulsion Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerslake, Thomas W.; Gefert, Leon P.

2000-01-01

Solar electric propulsion (SEP) mission architectures are applicable to a wide range NASA missions including the robotic exploration of the outer planets in the next decade and the human exploration of Mars within the next 2 decades. SEP enables architectures that are very mass efficient with reasonable power levels (1-MW class) aerobrake and cryogenic upper-stage transportation technologies are utilized. In this architecture, the efficient SEP stage transfers the payload from low Earth orbit (LEO) High Energy Elliptical Parking Orbit (HEEPO) within a period of 6 to 12 months. highthrust, cryogenic upper stage and payload then separate from the SEP vehicle for injection to the planetary target, allowing for fast heliocentric trip times. This mission architecture offers a potential reduction in mass to LEO in comparison to alternative all-chemical nuclear propulsion schemes. Mass reductions may allow launch vehicle downsizing enable missions that would have been grounded because of cost constraints. The preceding figure illustrates a conceptual SEP stage design for a human Mars mission. Researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field designed conceptual SEP vehicle, conceived the mission architecture to use this vehicle, and analyzed the vehicle s performance. This SEP stage has a dry mass of 35 metric tons (MT), 40 MT of xenon propellant, and a photovoltaic array that spans 110 m, providing power to a cluster of eight 100-kW Hall thrusters. The stage can transfer an 80-MT payload and upper stage to the desired HEEPO. Preliminary packaging studies show this space-station-class SEP vehicle meets the proposed "Magnum" launch vehicle and volume requirements with considerable margin. An SEP vehicle for outer planetary missions, such as the Europa Mapper Mission, would be dramatically smaller than human Mars mission SEP stage. In this mission architecture, the SEP power system with the payload to provide spacecraft power throughout the mission. Several photovoltaic array design concepts were considered for the SEP vehicle power system for the human mission to Mars. These include a space station derivative, a SCARLET (Solar Concentrator Arrays with Refractive Linear Element Technology) derivative, and a hybrid inflatable-deployable thin polymer membrane array with thin-film solar cells (as shown in the concept illustration). This concept is based on a design developed for the Next Generation Space Telescope Sun shield. The array is divided into 16 independent electrical sections with 500-V, negative-grounded solar cell strings. The power system employs a channelized, 500-Vdc power management and distribution (PMAD) architecture with lithium ion batteries for energy storage for vehicle and payload secondary loads (the high-power Hall thrusters do not operate in eclipse periods). The 500-V PMAD voltage permits "direct-drive" thruster operation, greatly reducing the power processing unit size, complexity, and power loss. Similar power system architecture, designs, and technology are assumed for the Europa Mapper Mission SEP vehicle. The primary exceptions are that the photovoltaic array is assumed to consist of two rectangular wings and that the power system rating is 15 kW in Earth orbit and 200 W at Europa. To size the SEP vehicle power system, a dedicated Fortran code was developed to predict detailed power system performance, mass, and thermal control requirements. This code also modeled all the relevant Earth orbit environments; that is, the particulate radiation, plasma, meteoroids and debris, ultraviolet radiation, contamination, and thermal conditions. Analysis results for the Human Mars Mission SEP vehicle show a power system mass of 9-MT and photovoltaic array area of 5800-square meters for the thin-membrane design concept with CuInS2 thin-film cells. Power processing unit input power for a thin-membrane array design with three-junction, amorphous SiGe solar cells is shown in the graph. Power falls off rapidly inhe first weeks of the mission because of light-induced (Staebler-Wronksi) solar cell losses. During the next 200 days, power decreases steadily as the SEP stage spirals through the proton belts and sustains the bulk of the mission radiation damage. Once the vehicle apogee is above approximately four Earth radii, little additional degradation is incurred. From 400 to 800 days, a 1100-km "parking" orbit is maintained to await the next payload transfer opportunity. This orbit is below the main proton belt, and thus, little radiation dose is accumulated during this time period. During the second LEO-to-HEEPO transfer, power degrades somewhat further, but power requirements are still met. In comparison, the Europa Mapper SEP vehicle power system had a mass of 150 kg and a thin membrane array area of 100 square meters.

Impact of planet-planet scattering on the formation and survival of debris discs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzari, F.

2014-10-01

Planet-planet scattering is a major dynamical mechanism able to significantly alter the architecture of a planetary system. In addition to that, it may also affect the formation and retention of a debris disc by the system. A violent chaotic evolution of the planets can easily clear leftover planetesimal belts preventing the ignition of a substantial collisional cascade that can give origin to a debris disc. On the other end, a mild evolution with limited steps in eccentricity and semimajor axis can trigger the formation of a debris disc by stirring an initially quiet planetesimal belt. The variety of possible effects that planet-planet scattering can have on the formation of debris discs is analysed and the statistical probability of the different outcomes is evaluated. This leads to the prediction that systems which underwent an episode of chaotic evolution might have a lower probability of harbouring a debris disc.

Exploration of Planetary Terrains with a Legged Robot as a Scout Adjunct to a Rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colombano, Silvano; Kirchner, Frank; Spenneberg, Dirk; Hanratty, James

2004-01-01

The Scorpion robot is an innovative, biologically inspired 8-legged walking robot. It currently runs a novel approach to control which utilizes a central pattern generator (CPG) and local reflex action for each leg. From this starting point we are proposing to both extend the system's individual capabilities and its capacity to function as a "scout", cooperating with a larger wheeled rover. For this purpose we propose to develop a distributed system architecture that extends the system's capabilities both in the direction of high level planning and execution in collaboration with a rover, and in the direction of force-feedback based low level behaviors that will greatly enhance its ability to walk and climb in rough varied terrains. The final test of this improved ability will be a rappelling experiment where the Scorpion explores a steep cliff side in cooperation with a rover that serves as both anchor and planner/executive.

CALISTO - A Novel Architecture for the Single Aperture Far Infrared Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lester, Daniel F.; Goldsmith, P.; Benford, D.

2007-12-01

Following the success of Spitzer, and in expectation of success with JWST and Herschel, the astronomical community is looking ahead to a large aperture far infrared mission that can build on the scientific results of these missions. This expectation was formalized by the 2000 Decadal recommendation for design studies on a SAFIR - a single aperture far infrared observatory. A JWST-inspired architecture for SAFIR was considered in a Vision Mission study several years ago. We present here a exciting new architecture for this important mission that offers several advantages. This CALISTO (Cryogenic Far-Infrared/Submillimeter Observatory) architecture, originally developed by JPL, builds on the thermally optimized passive cooling design of the Vision Mission version of SAFIR, and focal plane instrument strategies as well, but is based on a 4x6m ellipsoidal primary that greatly simplifies deployment out of an ELV launch shroud. Used off-axis, this design is much less affected by scattered (e.g. galactic plane and ZODI) emission than previous architectures, providing astronomical background-limited facility over much of the sky. Technologies for such a large mirror, diffraction-limited at 20µm, are now becoming credible. Using the large focal plane to host envisioned large format sensor arrays operating with high spatial resolution, CALISTO will resolve the far infrared extragalactic background, and trace the chemical evolution of galaxies. Simple models suggest that detection of the first structure in the universe, marked by cooling primordial clouds of molecular hydrogen at high z, may be achievable with such a telescope. Further building on the work of Spitzer, CALISTO will trace the development of planetary systems, probing the inner structure of star forming disks, and reveal the structure of nearby solar systems using the structure of debris disks that surround them. We review in this paper the science goals and engineering challenges for this mission.

Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drake, Bret G.

2009-01-01

This document reviews the Design Reference Architecture (DRA) for human exploration of Mars. The DRA represents the current best strategy for human missions. The DRA is not a formal plan, but provides a vision and context to tie current systems and technology developments to potential missions to Mars, and it also serves as a benchmark against which alternative architectures can be measured. The document also reviews the objectives and products of the 2007 study that was to update NASA's human Mars mission reference architecture, assess strategic linkages between lunar and Mars strategies, develop an understanding of methods for reducing cost/risk of human missions through investment in research, technology development and synergy with other exploration plans. There is also a review of the process by which the DRA will continue to be refined. The unique capacities of human exploration is reviewed. The possible goals and objectives of the first three human missions are presented, along with the recommendation that the mission involve a long stay visiting multiple sites.The deployment strategy is outlined and diagrammed including the pre-deployment of the many of the material requirements, and a six crew travel to Mars on a six month trajectory. The predeployment and the Orion crew vehicle are shown. The ground operations requirements are also explained. Also the use of resources found on the surface of Mars is postulated. The Mars surface exploration strategy is reviewed, including the planetary protection processes that are planned. Finally a listing of the key decisions and tenets is posed.

Stability and self-organization of planetary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pakter, Renato; Levin, Yan

2018-04-01

We show that stability of planetary systems is intimately connected with their internal order. An arbitrary initial distribution of planets is susceptible to catastrophic events in which planets either collide or are ejected from the planetary system. These instabilities are a fundamental consequence of chaotic dynamics and of Arnold diffusion characteristic of many body gravitational interactions. To ensure stability over astronomical time scale of a realistic planetary system—in which planets have masses comparable to those of planets in the solar system—the motion must be quasiperiodic. A dynamical mechanism is proposed which naturally evolves a planetary system to a quasiperiodic state from an arbitrary initial condition. A planetary self-organization predicted by the theory is similar to the one found in our solar system.

Report on the COSPAR Workshop on Refining Planetary Protection Requirements for Human Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spry, James Andrew; Rummel, John; Conley, Catharine; Race, Margaret; Kminek, Gerhard; Siegel, Bette

2016-07-01

A human mission to Mars has been the driving long-term goal for the development of the Global Exploration Roadmap by the International Space Exploration Coordination Group. Additionally, multiple national space agencies and commercial organizations have published similar plans and aspirations for human missions beyond LEO. The current COSPAR planetary protection "Guidelines for Human Missions to Mars" were developed in a series of workshops in the early 2000s and adopted into COSPAR policy at the Montreal Assembly in 2008. With changes and maturation in mission architecture concepts and hardware capabilities, the holding of a workshop provided an opportunity for timely review of these guidelines and their interpretation within current frameworks provided by ISECG and others. The COSPAR Workshop on Refining Planetary Protection Requirements for Human Missions was held in the US in spring 2016 to evaluate recent efforts and activities in the context of current COSPAR policy, as well as collect inputs from the various organizations considering crewed exploration missions to Mars and precursor robotic missions focused on surface material properties and environmental challenges. The workshop also considered potential updates to the COSPAR policy for human missions across a range of planetary destinations. This paper will report on those deliberations.

Data Compression Algorithm Architecture for Large Depth-of-Field Particle Image Velocimeters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bos, Brent; Memarsadeghi, Nargess; Kizhner, Semion; Antonille, Scott

2013-01-01

A large depth-of-field particle image velocimeter (PIV) is designed to characterize dynamic dust environments on planetary surfaces. This instrument detects lofted dust particles, and senses the number of particles per unit volume, measuring their sizes, velocities (both speed and direction), and shape factors when the particles are large. To measure these particle characteristics in-flight, the instrument gathers two-dimensional image data at a high frame rate, typically >4,000 Hz, generating large amounts of data for every second of operation, approximately 6 GB/s. To characterize a planetary dust environment that is dynamic, the instrument would have to operate for at least several minutes during an observation period, easily producing more than a terabyte of data per observation. Given current technology, this amount of data would be very difficult to store onboard a spacecraft, and downlink to Earth. Since 2007, innovators have been developing an autonomous image analysis algorithm architecture for the PIV instrument to greatly reduce the amount of data that it has to store and downlink. The algorithm analyzes PIV images and automatically reduces the image information down to only the particle measurement data that is of interest, reducing the amount of data that is handled by more than 10(exp 3). The state of development for this innovation is now fairly mature, with a functional algorithm architecture, along with several key pieces of algorithm logic, that has been proven through field test data acquired with a proof-of-concept PIV instrument.

ALI (Autonomous Lunar Investigator): Revolutionary Approach to Exploring the Moon with Addressable Reconfigurable Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, P. E.; Curtis, S. A.; Rilee, M. L.; Floyd, S. R.

2005-01-01

Addressable Reconfigurable Technology (ART) based structures: Mission Concepts based on Addressable Reconfigurable Technology (ART), originally studied for future ANTS (Autonomous Nanotechnology Swarm) Space Architectures, are now being developed as rovers for nearer term use in lunar and planetary surface exploration. The architecture is based on the reconfigurable tetrahedron as a building block. Tetrahedra are combined to form space-filling networks, shaped for the required function. Basic structural components are highly modular, addressable arrays of robust nodes (tetrahedral apices) from which highly reconfigurable struts (tetrahedral edges), acting as supports or tethers, are efficiently reversibly deployed/stowed, transforming and reshaping the structures as required.

The Anglo-Australian Planet Search Legacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Tinney, Christopher G.; Butler, Paul; Horner, Jonathan; Carter, Brad; Wright, Duncan; Jones, H. R. A.

2017-01-01

Radial velocity searches for exoplanets have undergone a revolution in recent years: now precisions of 1 m/s or better are being demonstrated by many instruments, and new purpose-built spectrographs hold the promise of bringing Earth-mass planets into the realm of secure detectability. In the "race to the bottom," it is critical not to overlook the impact of long-running planet search programs that continue to hold the advantage of time. We highlight the continuing impact of the 18-year Anglo-Australian Planet Search: the characterisation of long-period giant planets, and the insights into the occurrence rate of Jupiter and Saturn analogs. To fully understand the origins of planetary systems and the fundamental question of how common (or rare) the architecture of the Solar system is in the Galaxy, we must continue these "legacy" surveys to probe ever-larger orbital separations.

A report on SHARP (Spacecraft Health Automated Reasoning Prototype) and the Voyager Neptune encounter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, R. G. (Editor); Atkinson, D. J.; James, M. L.; Lawson, D. L.; Porta, H. J.

1990-01-01

The development and application of the Spacecraft Health Automated Reasoning Prototype (SHARP) for the operations of the telecommunications systems and link analysis functions in Voyager mission operations are presented. An overview is provided of the design and functional description of the SHARP system as it was applied to Voyager. Some of the current problems and motivations for automation in real-time mission operations are discussed, as are the specific solutions that SHARP provides. The application of SHARP to Voyager telecommunications had the goal of being a proof-of-capability demonstration of artificial intelligence as applied to the problem of real-time monitoring functions in planetary mission operations. AS part of achieving this central goal, the SHARP application effort was also required to address the issue of the design of an appropriate software system architecture for a ground-based, highly automated spacecraft monitoring system for mission operations, including methods for: (1) embedding a knowledge-based expert system for fault detection, isolation, and recovery within this architecture; (2) acquiring, managing, and fusing the multiple sources of information used by operations personnel; and (3) providing information-rich displays to human operators who need to exercise the capabilities of the automated system. In this regard, SHARP has provided an excellent example of how advanced artificial intelligence techniques can be smoothly integrated with a variety of conventionally programmed software modules, as well as guidance and solutions for many questions about automation in mission operations.

Characterization of the planetary system Kepler-101 with HARPS-N. A hot super-Neptune with an Earth-sized low-mass companion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonomo, A. S.; Sozzetti, A.; Lovis, C.; Malavolta, L.; Rice, K.; Buchhave, L. A.; Sasselov, D.; Cameron, A. C.; Latham, D. W.; Molinari, E.; Pepe, F.; Udry, S.; Affer, L.; Charbonneau, D.; Cosentino, R.; Dressing, C. D.; Dumusque, X.; Figueira, P.; Fiorenzano, A. F. M.; Gettel, S.; Harutyunyan, A.; Haywood, R. D.; Horne, K.; Lopez-Morales, M.; Mayor, M.; Micela, G.; Motalebi, F.; Nascimbeni, V.; Phillips, D. F.; Piotto, G.; Pollacco, D.; Queloz, D.; Ségransan, D.; Szentgyorgyi, A.; Watson, C.

2014-12-01

We characterize the planetary system Kepler-101 by performing a combined differential evolution Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis of Kepler data and forty radial velocities obtained with the HARPS-N spectrograph. This system was previously validated and is composed of a hot super-Neptune, Kepler-101b, and an Earth-sized planet, Kepler-101c. These two planets orbit the slightly evolved and metal-rich G-type star in 3.49 and 6.03 days, respectively. With mass Mp = 51.1-4.7+ 5.1 M⊕, radius Rp = 5.77-0.79+ 0.85 R⊕, and density ρp = 1.45-0.48+ 0.83 g cm-3, Kepler-101b is the first fully characterized super-Neptune, and its density suggests that heavy elements make up a significant fraction of its interior; more than 60% of its total mass. Kepler-101c has a radius of 1.25-0.17+ 0.19 R⊕, which implies the absence of any H/He envelope, but its mass could not be determined because of the relative faintness of the parent star for highly precise radial-velocity measurements (Kp = 13.8) and the limited number of radial velocities. The 1σ upper limit, Mp< 3.8 M⊕, excludes a pure iron composition with a probability of 68.3%. The architecture of the planetary system Kepler-101 - containing a close-in giant planet and an outer Earth-sized planet with a period ratio slightly larger than the 3:2 resonance - is certainly of interest for scenarios of planet formation and evolution. This system does not follow thepreviously reported trend that the larger planet has the longer period in the majority of Kepler systems of planet pairs with at least one Neptune-sized or larger planet. Based on observations made with the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) operated on the island of La Palma by the Fundación Galileo Galilei of the INAF (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica) at the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias.Table 2 is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Mobile Agents: A Distributed Voice-Commanded Sensory and Robotic System for Surface EVA Assistance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clancey, William J.; Sierhuis, Maarten; Alena, Rick; Crawford, Sekou; Dowding, John; Graham, Jeff; Kaskiris, Charis; Tyree, Kim S.; vanHoof, Ronnie

2003-01-01

A model-based, distributed architecture integrates diverse components in a system designed for lunar and planetary surface operations: spacesuit biosensors, cameras, GPS, and a robotic assistant. The system transmits data and assists communication between the extra-vehicular activity (EVA) astronauts, the crew in a local habitat, and a remote mission support team. Software processes ("agents"), implemented in a system called Brahms, run on multiple, mobile platforms, including the spacesuit backpacks, all-terrain vehicles, and robot. These "mobile agents" interpret and transform available data to help people and robotic systems coordinate their actions to make operations more safe and efficient. Different types of agents relate platforms to each other ("proxy agents"), devices to software ("comm agents"), and people to the system ("personal agents"). A state-of-the-art spoken dialogue interface enables people to communicate with their personal agents, supporting a speech-driven navigation and scheduling tool, field observation record, and rover command system. An important aspect of the engineering methodology involves first simulating the entire hardware and software system in Brahms, and then configuring the agents into a runtime system. Design of mobile agent functionality has been based on ethnographic observation of scientists working in Mars analog settings in the High Canadian Arctic on Devon Island and the southeast Utah desert. The Mobile Agents system is developed iteratively in the context of use, with people doing authentic work. This paper provides a brief introduction to the architecture and emphasizes the method of empirical requirements analysis, through which observation, modeling, design, and testing are integrated in simulated EVA operations.

Boomerang Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hesselbrock, Andrew; Minton, David A.

2017-10-01

We recently reported that the orbital architecture of the Martian environment allows for material in orbit around the planet to ``cycle'' between orbiting the planet as a ring, or as coherent satellites. Here we generalize our previous analysis to examine several factors that determine whether satellites accreting at the edge of planetary rings will cycle. In order for the orbiting material to cycle, tidal evolution must decrease the semi-major axis of any accreting satellites. In some systems, the density of the ring/satellite material, the surface mass density of the ring, the tidal parameters of the system, and the rotation rate of the primary body contribute to a competition between resonant ring torques and tidal dissipation that prevent this from occurring, either permanently or temporarily. Analyzing these criteria, we examine various bodies in our solar system (such as Saturn, Uranus, and Eris) to identify systems where cycling may occur. We find that a ring-satellite cycle may give rise to the current Uranian ring-satellite system, and suggest that Miranda may have formed from an early, more massive Uranian ring.

A Subjective Assessment of Alternative Mission Architecture Operations Concepts for the Human Exploration of Mars at NASA Using a Three-Dimensional Multi-Criteria Decision Making Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tavana, Madjid

2003-01-01

The primary driver for developing missions to send humans to other planets is to generate significant scientific return. NASA plans human planetary explorations with an acceptable level of risk consistent with other manned operations. Space exploration risks can not be completely eliminated. Therefore, an acceptable level of cost, technical, safety, schedule, and political risks and benefits must be established for exploratory missions. This study uses a three-dimensional multi-criteria decision making model to identify the risks and benefits associated with three alternative mission architecture operations concepts for the human exploration of Mars identified by the Mission Operations Directorate at Johnson Space Center. The three alternatives considered in this study include split, combo lander, and dual scenarios. The model considers the seven phases of the mission including: 1) Earth Vicinity/Departure; 2) Mars Transfer; 3) Mars Arrival; 4) Planetary Surface; 5) Mars Vicinity/Departure; 6) Earth Transfer; and 7) Earth Arrival. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and subjective probability estimation are used to captures the experts belief concerning the risks and benefits of the three alternative scenarios through a series of sequential, rational, and analytical processes.

Trends in Planetary Data Analysis. Executive summary of the Planetary Data Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, N.

1984-01-01

Planetary data include non-imaging remote sensing data, which includes spectrometric, radiometric, and polarimetric remote sensing observations. Also included are in-situ, radio/radar data, and Earth based observation. Also discussed is development of a planetary data system. A catalog to identify observations will be the initial entry point for all levels of users into the data system. There are seven distinct data support services: encyclopedia, data index, data inventory, browse, search, sample, and acquire. Data systems for planetary science users must provide access to data, process, store, and display data. Two standards will be incorporated into the planetary data system: Standard communications protocol and Standard format data unit. The data system configuration must combine a distributed system with those of a centralized system. Fiscal constraints have made prioritization important. Activities include saving previous mission data, planning/cost analysis, and publishing of proceedings.

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.

Preliminary study of the space adaptation of the MELiSSA life support system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mas-Albaigès, Joan L.; Duatis, Jordi; Podhajsky, Sandra; Guirado, Víctor; Poughon, Laurent

MELiSSA (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative) is an European Space Agency (ESA) project focused on the development of a closed regenerative life support system to aid the development of technologies for future life support systems for long term manned planetary missions, e.g. a lunar base or missions to Mars. In order to understand the potential evolution of the MELiSSA concept towards its future use in the referred manned planetary mission context the MELiSSA Space Adaptation (MSA) activity has been undertaken. MSA's main objective is to model the different MELiSSA compartments using EcosimPro R , a specialized simulation tool for life support applications, in order to define a preliminary MELiSSA implementation for service in a man-tended lunar base scenario, with a four-member crew rotating in six-month increments, and performing the basic LSS functions of air revitalization, food production, and waste and water recycling. The MELiSSA EcosimPro R Model features a dedicated library for the different MELiSSA elements (bioreactors, greenhouse, crew, interconnecting elements, etc.). It is used to dimension the MELiSSA system in terms of major parameters like mass, volume and energy needs, evaluate the accuracy of the results and define the strategy for a progressive loop closure from the initial required performance (approx.100 The MELiSSA configuration(s) obtained through the EcosimPro R simulation are further analysed using the Advanced Life Support System Evaluation (ALISSE) metric, relying on mass, energy, efficiency, human risk, system reliability and crew time, for trade-off and optimization of results. The outcome of the MSA activity is, thus, a potential Life Support System architecture description, based on combined MELiSSA and other physico-chemical technologies, defining its expected performance, associated operational conditions and logistic needs.

A review of the scientific rationale and methods used in the search for other planetary systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, D. C.

1985-01-01

Planetary systems appear to be one of the crucial links in the chain leading from simple molecules to living systems, particularly complex (intelligent?) living systems. Although there is currently no observational proof of the existence of any planetary system other than our own, techniques are now being developed which will permit a comprehensive search for other planetary systems. The scientific rationale for and methods used in such a search effort are reviewed here.

MRSR: Rationale for a Mars Rover/Sample Return mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carr, Michael H.

1992-01-01

The Solar System Exploration Committee of the NASA Advisory Council has recommended that a Mars Rover/Sample Return mission be launched before the year 2000. The recommendation is consistent with the science objectives as outlined by the National Academy of Sciences committees on Planetary and Lunar Exploration, and Planetary Biology and Chemical Evolution. Interest has also focused on Mars Rover/Sample Return (MRSR) missions, because of their crucial role as precursors for human exploration. As a result of this consensus among the advisory groups, a study of an MRSR mission began early in 1987. The study has the following goals: (1) to assess the technical feasibility of the mission; (2) to converge on two or three options for the general architecture of the mission; (3) to determine what new technologies need to be developed in order to implement the mission; (4) to define the different options sufficiently well that preliminary cost estimates can be made; and (5) to better define the science requirements. This chapter briefly describes Mars Rover/Sample Return missions that were examined in the late 1980s. These missions generally include a large (1000 kg) rover and return of over 5 kg of sample.

Passage of a ''Nemesis''-like object through the planetary system

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

Hills, J.G.

1985-09-01

The probability that passing stars could have perturbed the hypothetical stellar companion, Nemesis, into an orbit that penetrates the planetary system is about 15%. The planetary orbits crossed by Nemesis would become highly eccentric, and some would even become hyperbolic. If Nemesis ejects Jupiter from the solar system, the semimajor axis of the orbit of Nemesis would shrink down to a few hundred AU. The probability of any object in the inner edge of the Oort cloud at a semimajor axis of 2 x 10/sup 4/ AU having passed inside the orbit of Saturn is about 80%. The apparent lackmore » of damage to the planetary orbits implies a low probability of there being any objects more massive than 0.02 M/sub sun/ in the inner edge of the Oort comet cloud. However, several objects less massive than 0.01 M/sub sun/ or 10 Jupiter masses could pass through the planetary system from the Oort cloud without causing any significant damage to the planetary orbits. The lack of damage to the planetary system also requires that no black dwarf more massive than 0.05 M/sub sun/ has entered the planetary system from interstellar space.« less

Hot Jupiters with relatives: discovery of additional planets in orbit around WASP-41 and WASP-47

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neveu-VanMalle, M.; Queloz, D.; Anderson, D. R.; Brown, D. J. A.; Collier Cameron, A.; Delrez, L.; Díaz, R. F.; Gillon, M.; Hellier, C.; Jehin, E.; Lister, T.; Pepe, F.; Rojo, P.; Ségransan, D.; Triaud, A. H. M. J.; Turner, O. D.; Udry, S.

2016-02-01

We report the discovery of two additional planetary companions to WASP-41 and WASP-47. WASP-41 c is a planet of minimum mass 3.18 ± 0.20 MJup and eccentricity 0.29 ± 0.02, and it orbits in 421 ± 2 days. WASP-47 c is a planet of minimum mass 1.24 ± 0.22 MJup and eccentricity 0.13 ± 0.10, and it orbits in 572 ± 7 days. Unlike most of the planetary systems that include a hot Jupiter, these two systems with a hot Jupiter have a long-period planet located at only ~1 au from their host star. WASP-41 is a rather young star known to be chromospherically active. To differentiate its magnetic cycle from the radial velocity effect induced by the second planet, we used the emission in the Hα line and find this indicator well suited to detecting the stellar activity pattern and the magnetic cycle. The analysis of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect induced by WASP-41 b suggests that the planet could be misaligned, though an aligned orbit cannot be excluded. WASP-47 has recently been found to host two additional transiting super Earths. With such an unprecedented architecture, the WASP-47 system will be very important for understanding planetary migration. Using data collected at ESO's La Silla Observatory, Chile: HARPS on the ESO 3.6 m (Prog ID 087.C-0649 & 089.C-0151), the Swiss Euler Telescope, TRAPPIST, the 1.54-m Danish telescope (Prog CN2013A-159), and at the LCOGT's Faulkes Telescope South.Photometric lightcurve and RV tables are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/586/A93

James Webb Space Telescope Project (JWST) Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dutta, Mitra

2008-01-01

This presentation provides an overview of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Project. The JWST is an infrared telescope designed to collect data in the cosmic dark zone. Specifically, the mission of the JWST is to study the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars and planetary systems. It is a deployable telescope with a 6.5 m diameter, segmented, adjustable primary mirror. outfitted with cryogenic temperature telescope and instruments for infrared performance. The JWST is several times more sensitive than previous telescope and other photographic and electronic detection methods. It hosts a near infrared camera, near infrared spectrometer, mid-infrared instrument and a fine guidance sensor. The JWST mission objection and architecture, integrated science payload, instrument overview, and operational orbit are described.

Subaru SEEDS Survey of Exoplanets and Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McElwain, Michael W.; SEEDS Collaboration

2012-01-01

The Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks at Subaru (SEEDS) is the first strategic observing program (SSOPs) awarded by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). SEEDS targets a broad sample of stars that span a wide range of masses and ages to explore the formation and evolution of planetary systems. This survey has been awarded 120 nights over five years time to observe nearly 500 stars. Currently in the second year, SEEDS has already uncovered exciting new results for the protoplanetary disk AB Aur, transitional disk LkCa15, and nearby companion to GJ 758. We present the survey architecture, performance, recent results, and the projected sample. Finally, we will discuss planned upgrades to the high contrast instrumentation at the Subaru Telescope.

Signposts of Planets Observed by SEEDS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McElwain, Michael

2011-01-01

The Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks at Subaru (SEEDS) is the first strategic observing program (SSOPs) awarded by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). SEEDS targets a broad sample of stars that span a wide range of masses and ages to explore the formation and evolution of planetary systems. This survey has been awarded 120 nights over five years time to observe nearly 500 stars. Currently in the second year, SEEDS has already produced exciting new results for the protoplanetary disk AB AUf, transitional disk LkCa15, and nearby companion to GJ 758. We present the survey architecture, performance, recent results, and the projected sample. Finally, we will discuss planned upgrades to the high contrast instrumentation at the Subaru

Subaru SEEDS Survey of Exoplanets and Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McElwain, Michael W.

2012-01-01

The Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks at Subaru (SEEDS) is the first strategic observing program (SSOPs) awarded by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). SEEDS targets a broad sample of stars that span a wide range of masses and ages to explore the formation and evolution of planetary systems. This survey has been awarded 120 nights over five years time to observe nearly 500 stars. Currently in the second year, SEEDS has already produced exciting new results for the protoplanetary disk AB Aur, transitional disk LkCa15, and nearby companion to GJ 758. We present the survey architecture, performance, recent results, and the projected sample. Finally, we will discuss planned upgrades to the high contrast instrumentation at the Subaru Telescope

Interplanetary laser ranging - an emerging technology for planetary science missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dirkx, D.; Vermeersen, L. L. A.

2012-09-01

Interplanetary laser ranging (ILR) is an emerging technology for very high accuracy distance determination between Earth-based stations and spacecraft or landers at interplanetary distances. It has evolved from laser ranging to Earth-orbiting satellites, modified with active laser transceiver systems at both ends of the link instead of the passive space-based retroreflectors. It has been estimated that this technology can be used for mm- to cm-level accuracy range determination at interplanetary distances [2, 7]. Work is being performed in the ESPaCE project [6] to evaluate in detail the potential and limitations of this technology by means of bottom-up laser link simulation, allowing for a reliable performance estimate from mission architecture and hardware characteristics.

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.

Honey I Shrunk the Planetary System Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-11

This artist conception compares the KOI-961 planetary system to Jupiter and the largest four of its many moons. The KOI-961 planetary system hosts the three smallest planets known to orbit a star beyond our sun.

Intelligent systems for the autonomous exploration of Titan and Enceladus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furfaro, Roberto; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Kargel, Jeffrey S.; Fink, Wolfgang

2008-04-01

Future planetary exploration of the outer satellites of the Solar System will require higher levels of onboard automation, including autonomous determination of sites where the probability of significant scientific findings is highest. Generally, the level of needed automation is heavily influenced by the distance between Earth and the robotic explorer(s) (e.g. spacecraft(s), rover(s), and balloon(s)). Therefore, planning missions to the outer satellites mandates the analysis, design and integration within the mission architecture of semi- and/or completely autonomous intelligence systems. Such systems should (1) include software packages that enable fully automated and comprehensive identification, characterization, and quantification of feature information within an operational region with subsequent target prioritization and selection for close-up reexamination; and (2) integrate existing information with acquired, "in transit" spatial and temporal sensor data to automatically perform intelligent planetary reconnaissance, which includes identification of sites with the highest potential to yield significant geological and astrobiological information. In this paper we review and compare some of the available Artificial Intelligence (AI) schemes and their adaptation to the problem of designing expert systems for onboard-based, autonomous science to be performed in the course of outer satellites exploration. More specifically, the fuzzy-logic framework proposed is analyzed in some details to show the effectiveness of such a scheme when applied to the problem of designing expert systems capable of identifying and further exploring regions on Titan and/or Enceladus that have the highest potential to yield evidence for past or present life. Based on available information (e.g., Cassini data), the current knowledge and understanding of Titan and Enceladus environments is evaluated to define a path for the design of a fuzzy-based system capable of reasoning over collected data and capable of providing the inference required to autonomously optimize future outer satellites explorations.

The Mobile Agents Integrated Field Test: Mars Desert Research Station April 2003

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clancey, William J.; Sierhuis, Maarten; Alena, Rick; Crawford, Sekou; Dowding, John; Graham, Jeff; Kaskiris, Charis; Tyree, Kim S.; vanHoof, Ron

2003-01-01

The Mobile Agents model-based, distributed architecture, which integrates diverse components in a system for lunar and planetary surface operations, was extensively tested in a two-week field "technology retreat" at the Mars Society s Desert Research Station (MDRS) during April 2003. More than twenty scientists and engineers from three NASA centers and two universities refined and tested the system through a series of incremental scenarios. Agent software, implemented in runtime Brahms, processed GPS, health data, and voice commands-monitoring, controlling and logging science data throughout simulated EVAs with two geologists. Predefined EVA plans, modified on the fly by voice command, enabled the Mobile Agents system to provide navigation and timing advice. Communications were maintained over five wireless nodes distributed over hills and into canyons for 5 km; data, including photographs and status was transmitted automatically to the desktop at mission control in Houston. This paper describes the system configurations, communication protocols, scenarios, and test results.

A Personnel Launch System for safe and efficient manned operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petro, Andrew J.; Andrews, Dana G.; Wetzel, Eric D.

1990-10-01

Several Conceptual designs for a simple, rugged Personnel Launch System (PLS) are presented. This system could transport people to and from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) starting in the late 1990's using a new modular Advanced Launch System (ALS) developed for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). The PLS is designed to be one element of a new space transportation architecture including heavy-lift cargo vehicles, lunar transfer vehicles, and multiple-role spcecraft such as the current Space Shuttle. The primary role of the PLS would be to deliver crews embarking on lunar or planetary missions to the Space Station, but it would also be used for earth-orbit sortie missions, space rescue missions, and some satellite servicing missions. The PLS design takes advantage of emerging electronic and structures technologies to offer a robust vehicle with autonomous operating and quick turnaround capabilities. Key features include an intact abort capability anywhere in the operating envelope, and elimination of all toxic propellants to streamline ground operations.

MWIR imaging spectrometer with digital time delay integration for remote sensing and characterization of solar system objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendrick, Stephen E.; Harwit, Alex; Kaplan, Michael; Smythe, William D.

2007-09-01

An MWIR TDI (Time Delay and Integration) Imager and Spectrometer (MTIS) instrument for characterizing from orbit the moons of Jupiter and Saturn is proposed. Novel to this instrument is the planned implementation of a digital TDI detector array and an innovative imaging/spectroscopic architecture. Digital TDI enables a higher SNR for high spatial resolution surface mapping of Titan and Enceladus and for improved spectral discrimination and resolution at Europa. The MTIS imaging/spectroscopic architecture combines a high spatial resolution coarse wavelength resolution imaging spectrometer with a hyperspectral sensor to spectrally decompose a portion of the data adjacent to the data sampled in the imaging spectrometer. The MTIS instrument thus maps with high spatial resolution a planetary object while spectrally decomposing enough of the data that identification of the constituent materials is highly likely. Additionally, digital TDI systems have the ability to enable the rejection of radiation induced spikes in high radiation environments (Europa) and the ability to image in low light levels (Titan and Enceladus). The ability to image moving objects that might be missed utilizing a conventional TDI system is an added advantage and is particularly important for characterizing atmospheric effects and separating atmospheric and surface components. This can be accomplished with on-orbit processing or collecting and returning individual non co-added frames.

Zero Launch Mass Three Dimensional Print Head

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, Robert P.; Gelino, Nathan J.; Smith, Jonathan D.; Buckles, Brad C.; Lippitt, Thomas; Schuler, Jason M.; Nick, Andrew J.; Nugent, Matt W.; Townsend, Ivan I.

2018-01-01

NASA's strategic goal is to put humans on Mars in the 2030's. The NASA Human Spaceflight Architecture Team (HAT) and NASA Mars Design Reference Architecture (DRA) 5.0 has determined that in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is an essential technology to accomplish this mission. Additive construction technology using in-situ materials from planetary surfaces will reduce launch mass, allow structures to be three dimensionally (3D) printed on demand, and will allow building designs to be transmitted digitally from Earth and printed in space. This will ultimately lead to elimination of reliance on structural materials launched from Earth (zero launch mass of construction consumables). The zero launch mass (ZLM) 3D print head project addressed this need by developing a system that 3D prints using a mixture of in-situ regolith and polymer as feedstock, determining the optimum mixture ratio and regolith particle size distribution, developing software to convert g-code into motion instructions for a FANUC robotic arm, printing test samples, performing materials testing, and printing a reduced scale habitable structure concept. This paper will focus on the ZLM 3D Print Head design, materials selection, software development, and lessons learned from operating the system in the NASA KSC Swamp Works Granular Mechanics & Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory.

Robo-AO Kepler Survey. IV. The Effect of Nearby Stars on 3857 Planetary Candidate Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziegler, Carl; Law, Nicholas M.; Baranec, Christoph; Riddle, Reed; Duev, Dmitry A.; Howard, Ward; Jensen-Clem, Rebecca; Kulkarni, S. R.; Morton, Tim; Salama, Maïssa

2018-04-01

We present the overall statistical results from the Robo-AO Kepler planetary candidate survey, comprising of 3857 high-angular resolution observations of planetary candidate systems with Robo-AO, an automated laser adaptive optics system. These observations reveal previously unknown nearby stars blended with the planetary candidate host stars that alter the derived planetary radii or may be the source of an astrophysical false positive transit signal. In the first three papers in the survey, we detected 440 nearby stars around 3313 planetary candidate host stars. In this paper, we present observations of 532 planetary candidate host stars, detecting 94 companions around 88 stars; 84 of these companions have not previously been observed in high resolution. We also report 50 more-widely separated companions near 715 targets previously observed by Robo-AO. We derive corrected planetary radius estimates for the 814 planetary candidates in systems with a detected nearby star. If planetary candidates are equally likely to orbit the primary or secondary star, the radius estimates for planetary candidates in systems with likely bound nearby stars increase by a factor of 1.54, on average. We find that 35 previously believed rocky planet candidates are likely not rocky due to the presence of nearby stars. From the combined data sets from the complete Robo-AO KOI survey, we find that 14.5 ± 0.5% of planetary candidate hosts have a nearby star with 4″, while 1.2% have two nearby stars, and 0.08% have three. We find that 16% of Earth-sized, 13% of Neptune-sized, 14% of Saturn-sized, and 19% of Jupiter-sized planet candidates have detected nearby stars.

Customizing the JPL Multimission Ground Data System: Lessons learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Susan C.; Louie, John J.; Guerrero, Ana Maria; Hurley, Daniel; Flora-Adams, Dana

1994-01-01

The Multimission Ground Data System (MGDS) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has brought improvements and new technologies to mission operations. It was designed as a generic data system to meet the needs of multiple missions and avoid re-inventing capabilities for each new mission and thus reduce costs. It is based on adaptable tools that can be customized to support different missions and operations scenarios. The MGDS is based on a distributed client/server architecture, with powerful Unix workstations, incorporating standards and open system architectures. The distributed architecture allows remote operations and user science data exchange, while also providing capabilities for centralized ground system monitor and control. The MGDS has proved its capabilities in supporting multiple large-class missions simultaneously, including the Voyager, Galileo, Magellan, Ulysses, and Mars Observer missions. The Operations Engineering Lab (OEL) at JPL has been leading Customer Adaptation Training (CAT) teams for adapting and customizing MGDS for the various operations and engineering teams. These CAT teams have typically consisted of only a few engineers who are familiar with operations and with the MGDS software and architecture. Our experience has provided a unique opportunity to work directly with the spacecraft and instrument operations teams and understand their requirements and how the MGDS can be adapted and customized to minimize their operations costs. As part of this work, we have developed workstation configurations, automation tools, and integrated user interfaces at minimal cost that have significantly improved productivity. We have also proved that these customized data systems are most successful if they are focused on the people and the tasks they perform and if they are based upon user confidence in the development team resulting from daily interactions. This paper will describe lessons learned in adapting JPL's MGDS to fly the Voyager, Galileo, and Mars Observer missions. We will explain how powerful, existing ground data systems can be adapted and packaged in a cost effective way for operations of small and large planetary missions. We will also describe how the MGDS was adapted to support operations within the Galileo Spacecraft Testbed. The Galileo testbed provided a unique opportunity to adapt MGDS to support command and control operations for a small autonomous operations team of a handful of engineers flying the Galileo Spacecraft flight system model.

The Planetary Data System Web Catalog Interface--Another Use of the Planetary Data System Data Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, S.; Bernath, A.

1995-01-01

The Planetary Data System Data Model consists of a set of standardized descriptions of entities within the Planetary Science Community. These can be real entities in the space exploration domain such as spacecraft, instruments, and targets; conceptual entities such as data sets, archive volumes, and data dictionaries; or the archive data products such as individual images, spectrum, series, and qubes.

The NASA Planetary Data System's Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node and the Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure (PSDI) Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaddis, L. R.; Laura, J.; Hare, T.; Hagerty, J.

2017-06-01

Here we address the role of the PSDI initiative in the context of work to archive and deliver planetary data by NASA’s Planetary Data System, and in particular by the PDS Cartography and Imaging Sciences Discipline Node (aka “Imaging” or IMG).

On the Diversity of Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Young, Richard E. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

Models of planet formation and of the orbital stability of planetary systems are described and used to discuss possible characteristics of undiscovered planetary systems. Modern theories of star and planet formation, which are based upon observations of the Solar System and of young stars and their environments, predict that rocky planets should form in orbit about most single stars. It is uncertain whether or not gas giant planet formation is common, because most protoplanetary disks may dissipate before solid planetary cores can grow large enough to gravitationally trap substantial quantities of gas. A potential hazard to planetary systems is radial decay of planetary orbits resulting from interactions with material within the disk. Planets more massive than Earth have the potential to decay the fastest, and may be able to sweep up smaller planets in their path. The implications of the giant planets found in recent radial velocity searches for the abundances of habitable planets are discussed.

The Birth of Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.

1997-01-01

Models of planet formation and of the orbital stability of planetary systems are described and used to discuss possible characteristics of undiscovered planetary systems. Modern theories of star and planet formation, which are based upon observations of the Solar System and of young stars and their environments, predict that rocky planets should form in orbit about most single stars. It is uncertain whether or not gas giant planet formation is common, because most protoplanetary disks may dissipate before solid planetary cores can grow large- enough to gravitationally trap substantial quantities of gas. Another potential hazard to planetary systems is radial decay of planetary orbits resulting from interactions with material within the disk. Planets more massive than Earth have the potential to decay the fastest, and may be able to sweep up smaller planets in their path. The implications of the giant planets found in recent radial velocity searches for the abundances of habitable planets are discussed.

Aerospace Power Systems Design and Analysis (APSDA) Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Truong, Long V.

1998-01-01

The conceptual design of space and/or planetary electrical power systems has required considerable effort. Traditionally, in the early stages of the design cycle (conceptual design), the researchers have had to thoroughly study and analyze tradeoffs between system components, hardware architectures, and operating parameters (such as frequencies) to optimize system mass, efficiency, reliability, and cost. This process could take anywhere from several months to several years (as for the former Space Station Freedom), depending on the scale of the system. Although there are many sophisticated commercial software design tools for personal computers (PC's), none of them can support or provide total system design. To meet this need, researchers at the NASA Lewis Research Center cooperated with Professor George Kusic from the University of Pittsburgh to develop a new tool to help project managers and design engineers choose the best system parameters as quickly as possible in the early design stages (in days instead of months). It is called the Aerospace Power Systems Design and Analysis (APSDA) Tool. By using this tool, users can obtain desirable system design and operating parameters such as system weight, electrical distribution efficiency, bus power, and electrical load schedule. With APSDA, a large-scale specific power system was designed in a matter of days. It is an excellent tool to help designers make tradeoffs between system components, hardware architectures, and operation parameters in the early stages of the design cycle. user interface. It operates on any PC running the MS-DOS (Microsoft Corp.) operating system, version 5.0 or later. A color monitor (EGA or VGA) and two-button mouse are required. The APSDA tool was presented at the 30th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC) and is being beta tested at several NASA centers. Beta test packages are available for evaluation by contacting the author.

Transiting Planets from Kepler, K2 & TESS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack

2018-01-01

NASA's Kepler spacecraft, launched in 2009, has been a resounding success. More than 4000 planet candidates have been identified using data from Kepler primary mission, which ended in 2013, and greater than 2000 of these candidates have been verified as bona fide exoplanets. After the loss of two reaction wheels ended the primary mission, the Kepler spacecraft was repurposed in 2014 to observe many fields on the sky for short periods. This new mission, dubbed K2, has led to the discovery of greater than 600 planet candidates, approximately 200 of which have been verified to date; most of these exoplanets are closer to us than the majority of exoplanets discovered by the primary Kepler mission. TESS, launching in 2018, will survey most of the sky for exoplanets, with emphasis on those orbiting nearby and/or bright host stars, making these planets especially well-suited for follow-up observations with other observatories to characterize atmospheric compositions and other properties. More than one-third of the planet candidates found by NASA's are associated with target stars that have more than one planet candidate, and such 'multis' account for the majority of candidates that have been verified as true planets. The large number of multis tells us that flat multiplanet systems like our Solar System are common. Virtually all of the candidate planetary systems are stable, as tested by numerical integrations that assume a physically motivated mass-radius relationship. Statistical studies performed on these candidate systems reveal a great deal about the architecture of planetary systems, including the typical spacing of orbits and flatness. The characteristics of several of the most interesting confirmed Kepler & K2 multi-planet systems will also be discussed.

A Framework to Manage Information Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, J. S.; King, T.; Crichton, D.; Walker, R.; Roberts, A.; Thieman, J.

2008-05-01

The Information Model is the foundation on which an Information System is built. It defines the entities to be processed, their attributes, and the relationships that add meaning. The development and subsequent management of the Information Model is the single most significant factor for the development of a successful information system. A framework of tools has been developed that supports the management of an information model with the rigor typically afforded to software development. This framework provides for evolutionary and collaborative development independent of system implementation choices. Once captured, the modeling information can be exported to common languages for the generation of documentation, application databases, and software code that supports both traditional and semantic web applications. This framework is being successfully used for several science information modeling projects including those for the Planetary Data System (PDS), the International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA), the National Cancer Institute's Early Detection Research Network (EDRN), and several Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) projects. The objective of the Space Physics Archive Search and Exchange (SPASE) program is to promote collaboration and coordination of archiving activity for the Space Plasma Physics community and ensure the compatibility of the architectures used for a global distributed system and the individual data centers. Over the past several years, the SPASE data model working group has made great progress in developing the SPASE Data Model and supporting artifacts including a data dictionary, XML Schema, and two ontologies. The authors have captured the SPASE Information Model in this framework. This allows the generation of documentation that presents the SPASE Information Model in object-oriented notation including UML class diagrams and class hierarchies. The modeling information can also be exported to semantic web languages such as OWL and RDF and written to XML Metadata Interchange (XMI) files for import into UML tools.

Space Resources Roundtable 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ignatiev, A.

2000-01-01

Contents include following: Developing Technologies for Space Resource Utilization - Concept for a Planetary Engineering Research Institute. Results of a Conceptual Systems Analysis of Systems for 200 m Deep Sampling of the Martian Subsurface. The Role of Near-Earth Asteroids in Long-Term Platinum Supply. Core Drilling for Extra-Terrestrial Mining. Recommendations by the "LSP and Manufacturing" Group to the NSF-NASA Workshop on Autonomous Construction and Manufacturing for Space Electrical Power Systems. Plasma Processing of Lunar and Planetary Materials. Percussive Force Magnitude in Permafrost. Summary of the Issues Regarding the Martian Subsurface Explorer. A Costing Strategy for Manufacturing in Orbit Using Extraterrestrial Resources. Mine Planning for Asteroid Orebodies. Organic-based Dissolution of Silicates: A New Approach to Element Extraction from LunarRegohth. Historic Frontier Processes Active in Future Space-based Mineral Extraction. The Near-Earth Space Surveillance (NIESS) Mission: Discovery, Tracking, and Characterization of Asteroids, Comets, and Artificial Satellites with a microsatellite. Privatized Space Resource Property Ownership. The Fabrication of Silicon Solar Cells on the Moon Using In-Situ Resources. A New Strategy for Exploration Technology Development: The Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Exploratiori/Commercialization Technology Initiative. Space Resources for Space Tourism. Recovery of Volatiles from the Moon and Associated Issues. Preliminary Analysis of a Small Robot for Martian Regolith Excavation. The Registration of Space-based Property. Continuous Processing with Mars Gases. Drilling and Logging in Space; An Oil-Well Perspective. LORPEX for Power Surges: Drilling, Rock Crushing. An End-To-End Near-Earth Asteroid Resource Exploitation Plan. An Engineering and Cost Model for Human Space Settlement Architectures: Focus on Space Hotels and Moon/Mars Exploration. The Development and Realization of a Silicon-60-based Economy in CisLunar Space. Our Lunar Destiny: Creating a Lunar Economy. Cost-Effective Approaches to Lunar Passenger Transportation. Lunar Mineral Resources: Extraction and Application. Space Resources Development - The Link Between Human Exploration and the Long-term Commercialization of Space. Toward a More Comprehensive Evaluation of Space Information. Development of Metal Casting Molds by Sol-Gel Technology Using Planetary Resources. A New Concept in Planetary Exploration: ISRU with Power Bursts. Bold Space Ventures Require Fervent Public Support. Hot-pressed Iron from Lunar Soil. The Lunar Dust Problem: A Possible Remedy. Considerations on Use of Lunar Regolith in Lunar Constructions. Experimental Study on Water Production by Hydrogen Reduction of Lunar Soil Simulant in a Fixed Bed Reactor.

Design Aspects of the Rayleigh Convection Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Featherstone, N. A.

2017-12-01

Understanding the long-term generation of planetary or stellar magnetic field requires complementary knowledge of the large-scale fluid dynamics pervading large fractions of the object's interior. Such large-scale motions are sensitive to the system's geometry which, in planets and stars, is spherical to a good approximation. As a result, computational models designed to study such systems often solve the MHD equations in spherical geometry, frequently employing a spectral approach involving spherical harmonics. We present computational and user-interface design aspects of one such modeling tool, the Rayleigh convection code, which is suitable for deployment on desktop and petascale-hpc architectures alike. In this poster, we will present an overview of this code's parallel design and its built-in diagnostics-output package. Rayleigh has been developed with NSF support through the Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics and is expected to be released as open-source software in winter 2017/2018.

EarthCube: A Community-Driven Cyberinfrastructure for the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koskela, Rebecca; Ramamurthy, Mohan; Pearlman, Jay; Lehnert, Kerstin; Ahern, Tim; Fredericks, Janet; Goring, Simon; Peckham, Scott; Powers, Lindsay; Kamalabdi, Farzad; Rubin, Ken; Yarmey, Lynn

2017-04-01

EarthCube is creating a dynamic, System of Systems (SoS) infrastructure and data tools to collect, access, analyze, share, and visualize all forms of geoscience data and resources, using advanced collaboration, technological, and computational capabilities. EarthCube, as a joint effort between the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Geosciences and the Division of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, is a quickly growing community of scientists across all geoscience domains, as well as geoinformatics researchers and data scientists. EarthCube has attracted an evolving, dynamic virtual community of more than 2,500 contributors, including earth, ocean, polar, planetary, atmospheric, geospace, computer and social scientists, educators, and data and information professionals. During 2017, EarthCube will transition to the implementation phase. The implementation will balance "innovation" and "production" to advance cross-disciplinary science goals as well as the development of future data scientists. This presentation will describe the current architecture design for the EarthCube cyberinfrastructure and implementation plan.

Mars Sample Return Using Commercial Capabilities: Mission Architecture Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzales, Andrew A.; Lemke, Lawrence G.; Stoker, Carol R.; Faber, Nicolas T.; Race, Margaret S.

2014-01-01

Mars Sample Return (MSR) is the highest priority science mission for the next decade as recommended by the recent Decadal Survey of Planetary Science. This paper presents an overview of a feasibility study for an MSR mission. The objective of the study was to determine whether emerging commercial capabilities can be used to reduce the number of mission systems and launches required to return the samples, with the goal of reducing mission cost. We report the feasibility of a complete and closed MSR mission design using the following scenario that covers three synodic launch opportunities, beginning with the 2022 opportunity: A Falcon Heavy injects a SpaceX Red Dragon capsule and trunk onto a Trans Mars Injection (TMI) trajectory. The capsule is modified to carry all the hardware needed to return samples collected on Mars including a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), an Earth Return Vehicle (ERV), and hardware to transfer a sample collected in a previously landed rover mission to the ERV. The Red Dragon descends to land on the surface of Mars using Super Sonic Retro Propulsion (SSRP). After previously collected samples are transferred to the ERV, the single-stage MAV launches the ERV from the surface of Mars. The MAV uses a storable liquid bi-propellant propulsion system to deliver the ERV to a Mars phasing orbit. After a brief phasing period, the ERV, which also uses a storable bi-propellant system, performs a Trans Earth Injection (TEI) burn. Upon arrival at Earth, the ERV performs Earth and lunar swing-bys and is placed into a lunar trailing circular orbit - an Earth orbit, at lunar distance. A later mission, using Dragon and launched by a Falcon Heavy, performs a rendezvous with the ERV in the lunar trailing orbit, retrieves the sample container and breaks the chain of contact with Mars by transferring the sample into a sterile and secure container. With the sample contained, the retrieving spacecraft makes a controlled Earth re-entry preventing any unintended release of pristine martian materials into the Earth's biosphere. The analysis methods employed standard and specialized aerospace engineering tools. Mission system elements were analyzed with either direct techniques or by using parametric mass estimating relationships (MERs). The architecture was iterated until overall mission convergence was achieved on at least one path. Subsystems analyzed in this study include support structures, power system, nose fairing, thermal insulation, actuation devices, MAV exhaust venting, and GN&C. Best practice application of loads, mass growth contingencies, and resource margins were used. For Falcon Heavy capabilities and Dragon subsystems we utilized publically available data from SpaceX, published analyses from other sources, as well as our own engineering and aerodynamic estimates. Earth Launch mass is under 11 mt, which is within the estimated capability of a Falcon Heavy, with margin. Total entry masses between 7 and 10 mt were considered with closure occurring between 9 and 10 mt. Propellant mass fractions for each major phase of the EDL - Entry, Terminal Descent, and Hazard Avoidance - have been derived. An assessment of the effect of the entry conditions on the thermal protection system (TPS), currently in use for Dragon missions, shows no significant stressors. A useful payload mass of 2.0 mt is provided and includes mass growth allowances for the MAV, the ERV, and mission unique equipment. We also report options for the MAV and ERV, including propulsion systems, crewed versus robotic retrieval mission, as well as direct Earth entry. International planetary protection policies as well as verifiable means of compliance will have a large impact on any MSR mission design. We identify areas within our architecture where such impacts occur. We also describe preliminary compliance measures that will be the subject of future work. This work shows that emerging commercial capabilities as well as new methodologies can be used to efficiently support an important planetary science objective. The work also has applications for human exploration missions that use propulsive EDL techniques

Urey prize lecture: On the diversity of plausible planetary systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, J. J.

1995-01-01

Models of planet formation and of the orbital stability of planetary systems are used to predict the variety of planetary and satellite systems that may be present within our galaxy. A new approximate global criterion for orbital stability of planetary systems based on an extension of the local resonance overlap criterion is proposed. This criterion implies that at least some of Uranus' small inner moons are significantly less massive than predicted by estimates based on Voyager volumes and densities assumed to equal that of Miranda. Simple calculations (neglecting planetary gravity) suggest that giant planets which acrete substantial amounts of gas while their envelopes are extremely distended ultimately rotate rapidly in the prgrade direction.

Mapping planetary caves with an autonomous, heterogeneous robot team

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husain, Ammar; Jones, Heather; Kannan, Balajee; Wong, Uland; Pimentel, Tiago; Tang, Sarah; Daftry, Shreyansh; Huber, Steven; Whittaker, William L.

Caves on other planetary bodies offer sheltered habitat for future human explorers and numerous clues to a planet's past for scientists. While recent orbital imagery provides exciting new details about cave entrances on the Moon and Mars, the interiors of these caves are still unknown and not observable from orbit. Multi-robot teams offer unique solutions for exploration and modeling subsurface voids during precursor missions. Robot teams that are diverse in terms of size, mobility, sensing, and capability can provide great advantages, but this diversity, coupled with inherently distinct low-level behavior architectures, makes coordination a challenge. This paper presents a framework that consists of an autonomous frontier and capability-based task generator, a distributed market-based strategy for coordinating and allocating tasks to the different team members, and a communication paradigm for seamless interaction between the different robots in the system. Robots have different sensors, (in the representative robot team used for testing: 2D mapping sensors, 3D modeling sensors, or no exteroceptive sensors), and varying levels of mobility. Tasks are generated to explore, model, and take science samples. Based on an individual robot's capability and associated cost for executing a generated task, a robot is autonomously selected for task execution. The robots create coarse online maps and store collected data for high resolution offline modeling. The coordination approach has been field tested at a mock cave site with highly-unstructured natural terrain, as well as an outdoor patio area. Initial results are promising for applicability of the proposed multi-robot framework to exploration and modeling of planetary caves.

Advantage of Animal Models with Metabolic Flexibility for Space Research Beyond Low Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griko, Yuri V.; Rask, Jon C.; Raychev, Raycho

2017-01-01

As the world's space agencies and commercial entities continue to expand beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), novel approaches to carry out biomedical experiments with animals are required to address the challenge of adaptation to space flight and new planetary environments. The extended time and distance of space travel along with reduced involvement of Earth-based mission support increases the cumulative impact of the risks encountered in space. To respond to these challenges, it becomes increasingly important to develop the capability to manage an organism's self-regulatory control system, which would enable survival in extraterrestrial environments. To significantly reduce the risk to animals on future long duration space missions, we propose the use of metabolically flexible animal models as "pathfinders," which are capable of tolerating the environmental extremes exhibited in spaceflight, including altered gravity, exposure to space radiation, chemically reactive planetary environments and temperature extremes. In this report we survey several of the pivotal metabolic flexibility studies and discuss the importance of utilizing animal models with metabolic flexibility with particular attention given to the ability to suppress the organism's metabolism in spaceflight experiments beyond LEO. The presented analysis demonstrates the adjuvant benefits of these factors to minimize damage caused by exposure to spaceflight and extreme planetary environments. Examples of microorganisms and animal models with dormancy capabilities suitable for space research are considered in the context of their survivability under hostile or deadly environments outside of Earth. Potential steps toward implementation of metabolic control technology in spaceflight architecture and its benefits for animal experiments and manned space exploration missions are discussed.

Advantage of Animal Models with Metabolic Flexibility for Space Research Beyond Low Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griko, Yuri V.; Rask, Jon C.; Raychev, Raycho

2017-01-01

As the worlds space agencies and commercial entities continue to expand beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), novel approaches to carry out biomedical experiments with animals are required to address the challenge of adaptation to space flight and new planetary environments. The extended time and distance of space travel along with reduced involvement of Earth-based mission support increases the cumulative impact of the risks encountered in space. To respond to these challenges, it becomes increasingly important to develop the capability to manage an organisms self-regulatory control system, which would enable survival in extraterrestrial environments. To significantly reduce the risk to animals on future long duration space missions, we propose the use of metabolically flexible animal models as pathfinders, which are capable of tolerating the environmental extremes exhibited in spaceflight, including altered gravity, exposure to space radiation, chemically reactive planetary environments and temperature extremes.In this report we survey several of the pivotal metabolic flexibility studies and discuss the importance of utilizing animal models with metabolic flexibility with particular attention given to the ability to suppress the organism's metabolism in spaceflight experiments beyond LEO. The presented analysis demonstrates the adjuvant benefits of these factors to minimize damage caused by exposure to spaceflight and extreme planetary environments. Examples of microorganisms and animal models with dormancy capabilities suitable for space research are considered in the context of their survivability under hostile or deadly environments outside of Earth. Potential steps toward implementation of metabolic control technology in spaceflight architecture and its benefits for animal experiments and manned space exploration missions are discussed.

Planetary Regolith Delivery Systems for ISRU

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mantovani, James G.; Townsend, Ivan I., III

2012-01-01

The challenges associated with collecting regolith on a planetary surface and delivering it to an in-situ resource utilization system differ significantly from similar activities conducted on Earth. Since system maintenance on a planetary body can be difficult or impossible to do, high reliability and service life are expected of a regolith delivery system. Mission costs impose upper limits on power and mass. The regolith delivery system must provide a leak-tight interface between the near-vacuum planetary surface and the pressurized ISRU system. Regolith delivery in amounts ranging from a few grams to tens of kilograms may be required. Finally, the spent regolith must be removed from the ISRU chamber and returned to the planetary environment via dust tolerant valves capable of operating and sealing over a large temperature range. This paper will describe pneumatic and auger regolith transfer systems that have already been field tested for ISRU, and discuss other systems that await future field testing.

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.

Compact Micromachined Infrared Bandpass Filters for Planetary Spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merrell, Willie C., II; Aslam, Shahid; Brown, Ari D.; Chervenak, James A.; Huang, Wei-Chung; Quijada, Manuel; Wollack, Edward

2011-01-01

The future needs of space based observational planetary and astronomy missions include low mass and small volume radiometric instruments that can operate in high radiation and low temperature environments. Here we focus on a central spectroscopic component, the bandpass filter. We model the bandpass response of the filters to target the wavelength of the resonance peaks at 20, 40, and 60 micrometers and report good agreement between the modeled and measured response. We present a technique of using common micromachining processes for semiconductor fabrication to make compact, free standing resonant metal mesh filter arrays with silicon support frames. The process can accommodate multiple detector array architectures and the silicon frame provides lightweight mechanical support with low form factor. We also present a conceptual hybridization of the filters with a detector array.

Formation and Detection of Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; DeVincenzi, Donald (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

Modern theories of star and planet formation and of the orbital stability of planetary systems are described and used to discuss possible characteristics of undiscovered planetary systems. The most detailed models of planetary growth are based upon observations of planets and smaller bodies within our own Solar System and of young stars and their environments. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth as do terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates. These models predict that rocky planets should form in orbit about most single stars. It is uncertain whether or not gas giant planet formation is common, because most protoplanetary disks may dissipate before solid planetary cores can grow large enough to gravitationally trap substantial quantities of gas. A potential hazard to planetary systems is radial decay of planetary orbits resulting from interactions with material within the disk. Planets more massive than Earth have the potential to decay the fastest, and may be able to sweep up smaller planets in their path. The implications of the giant planets found in recent radial velocity searches for the abundances of habitable planets are discussed, and the methods that are being used and planned for detecting and characterizing extrasolar planets are reviewed.

Orbits and Interiors of Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batygin, Konstantin

2012-05-01

The focus of this thesis is a collection of problems of timely interest in orbital dynamics and interior structure of planetary bodies. The first three chapters are dedicated to understanding the interior structure of close-in, gaseous extrasolar planets (hot Jupiters). In order to resolve a long-standing problem of anomalously large hot Jupiter radii, we proposed a novel magnetohydrodynamic mechanism responsible for inflation. The mechanism relies on the electro-magnetic interactions between fast atmospheric flows and the planetary magnetic field in a thermally ionized atmosphere, to induce electrical currents that flow throughout the planet. The resulting Ohmic dissipation acts to maintain the interior entropies, and by extension the radii of hot Jupiters at an enhanced level. Using self-consistent calculations of thermal evolution of hot Jupiters under Ohmic dissipation, we demonstrated a clear tendency towards inflated radii for effective temperatures that give rise to significant ionization of K and Na in the atmosphere, a trend fully consistent with the observational data. Furthermore, we found that in absence of massive cores, low-mass hot Jupiters can over-flow their Roche-lobes and evaporate on Gyr time-scales, possibly leaving behind small rocky cores. Chapters four through six focus on the improvement and implications of a model for orbital evolution of the solar system, driven by dynamical instability (termed the "Nice" model). Hydrodynamical studies of the orbital evolution of planets embedded in protoplanetary disks suggest that giant planets have a tendency to assemble into multi-resonant configurations. Following this argument, we used analytical methods as well as self-consistent numerical N-body simulations to identify fully-resonant primordial states of the outer solar system, whose dynamical evolutions give rise to orbital architectures that resemble the current solar system. We found a total of only eight such initial conditions, providing independent constraints for the solar system's birth environment. Next, we addressed a significant drawback of the original Nice model, namely its inability to create the physically unique, cold classical population of the Kuiper Belt. Specifically, we showed that a locally-formed cold belt can survive the transient instability, and its relatively calm dynamical structure can be reproduced. The last four chapters of this thesis address various aspects and consequences of dynamical relaxation of planetary orbits through dissipative effects as well as the formation of planets in binary stellar systems. Using octopole-order secular perturbation theory, we demonstrated that in multi-planet systems, tidal dissipation often drives orbits onto dynamical "fixed points," characterized by apsidal alignment and lack of periodic variations in eccentricities. We applied this formalism towards investigating the possibility that the large orbital eccentricity of the transiting Neptune-mass planet Gliese 436b is maintained in the face of tidal dissipation by a second planet in the system and computed a locus of possible orbits for the putative perturber. Following up along similar lines, we used various permutations of secular theory to show that when applied specifically to close-in low-mass planetary systems, various terms in the perturbation equations become separable, and the true masses of the planets can be solved for algebraically. In practice, this means that precise knowledge of the system's orbital state can resolve the sin( i) degeneracy inherent to non-transiting planets. Subsequently, we investigated the onset of chaotic motion in dissipative planetary systems. We worked in the context of classical secular perturbation theory, and showed that planetary systems approach chaos via the so-called period-doubling route. Furthermore, we demonstrated that chaotic strange attractors can exist in mildly damped systems, such as photo-evaporating nebulae that host multiple planets. Finally, we considered planetary formation in highly inclined binary systems, where orbital excitation due to the Kozai resonance apparently implies destructive collisions among planetesimals. Through a proper account of gravitational interactions within the protoplanetary disk, we showed that fast apsidal recession induced by disk self-gravity tends to erase the Kozai effect, and ensure that the disk's unwarped, rigid structure is maintained, resolving the difficulty in planet-formation. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Impact of a counter-rotating planetary rotation system on thin-film thickness and uniformity

DOE PAGES

Oliver, J. B.

2017-06-12

Planetary rotation systems incorporating forward- and counter-rotating planets are used as a means of increasing coating-system capacity for large oblong substrates. Comparisons of planetary motion for the two types of rotating systems are presented based on point tracking for multiple revolutions, as well as comparisons of quantitative thickness and uniformity. Counter-rotation system geometry is shown to result in differences in thin-film thickness relative to standard planetary rotation for precision optical coatings. As a result, this systematic error in thin-film thickness will reduce deposition yields for sensitive coating designs.

Impact of a counter-rotating planetary rotation system on thin-film thickness and uniformity.

PubMed

Oliver, J B

2017-06-20

Planetary rotation systems incorporating forward- and counter-rotating planets are used as a means of increasing coating-system capacity for large oblong substrates. Comparisons of planetary motion for the two types of rotating systems are presented based on point tracking for multiple revolutions as well as comparisons of quantitative thickness and uniformity. Counter-rotation system geometry is shown to result in differences in thin-film thickness relative to standard planetary rotation for precision optical coatings. This systematic error in thin-film thickness will reduce deposition yields for sensitive coating designs.

Impact of a counter-rotating planetary rotation system on thin-film thickness and uniformity

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

Oliver, J. B.

Planetary rotation systems incorporating forward- and counter-rotating planets are used as a means of increasing coating-system capacity for large oblong substrates. Comparisons of planetary motion for the two types of rotating systems are presented based on point tracking for multiple revolutions, as well as comparisons of quantitative thickness and uniformity. Counter-rotation system geometry is shown to result in differences in thin-film thickness relative to standard planetary rotation for precision optical coatings. As a result, this systematic error in thin-film thickness will reduce deposition yields for sensitive coating designs.

Deep Space Control Challenges of the New Millennium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bayard, David S.; Burdick, Garry M.

1999-01-01

The exploration of deep space presents a variety of significant control challenges. Long communication delays coupled with challenging new science objectives require high levels of system autonomy and increasingly demanding pointing and control capabilities. Historically, missions based on the use of a large single spacecraft have been successful and popular since the early days of NASA. However, these large spacecraft missions are currently being displaced by more frequent and more focused missions based on the use of smaller and less expensive spacecraft designs. This trend drives the need to design smart software and good algorithms which together with the miniaturization of control components will improve performance while replacing the heavier and more expensive hardware used in the past. NASA's future space exploration will also include mission types that have never been attempted before, posing significant challenges to the underlying control system. This includes controlled landing on small bodies (e.g., asteroids and comets), sample return missions (where samples are brought back from other planets), robotic exploration of planetary surfaces (e.g., intelligent rovers), high precision formation flying, and deep space optical interferometry, While the control of planetary spacecraft for traditional flyby and orbiter missions are based on well-understood methodologies, control approaches for many future missions will be fundamentally different. This paradigm shift will require completely new control system development approaches, system architectures, and much greater levels of system autonomy to meet expected performance in the presence of significant environmental disturbances, and plant uncertainties. This paper will trace the motivation for these changes and will layout the approach taken to meet the new challenges. Emerging missions will be used to explain and illustrate the need for these changes.

SmallSat Missions Traveling to Planetary Targets from Near-Earth-Space: Applications for Space Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espley, J. R.; Folta, D.

2017-12-01

Recent advances in propulsion technology and interplanetary navigation theoretically allow very small spacecraft to travel directly to planetary destinations from near-Earth-space. Because there are currently many launches with excess mass capability (NASA, military, and even commercial), we anticipate a dramatic increase in the number of opportunities for missions to planetary targets. Spacecraft as small as 12U CubeSats can use solar electric propulsion to travel from Earth-orbit to Mars-orbit in approximately 2-3 years. Space physics missions are particularly well suited for such mission architectures since state-of-the-art instrumentation to answer fundamental science questions can be accommodated in relatively small payload packages. For example, multi-point measurements of the martian magnetosphere, ionosphere, and crustal magnetic fields would yield important new science results regarding atmospheric escape and the geophysical history of the martian surface. These measurements could be accomplished by a pair of 12U CubeSats with world-class instruments that require only modest mass, power, and telemetry resources (e.g. Goddard's mini-fluxgate vector magnetometer).

Application of Intel Many Integrated Core (MIC) architecture to the Yonsei University planetary boundary layer scheme in Weather Research and Forecasting model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Melin; Huang, Bormin; Huang, Allen H.

2014-10-01

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model provided operational services worldwide in many areas and has linked to our daily activity, in particular during severe weather events. The scheme of Yonsei University (YSU) is one of planetary boundary layer (PBL) models in WRF. The PBL is responsible for vertical sub-grid-scale fluxes due to eddy transports in the whole atmospheric column, determines the flux profiles within the well-mixed boundary layer and the stable layer, and thus provide atmospheric tendencies of temperature, moisture (including clouds), and horizontal momentum in the entire atmospheric column. The YSU scheme is very suitable for massively parallel computation as there are no interactions among horizontal grid points. To accelerate the computation process of the YSU scheme, we employ Intel Many Integrated Core (MIC) Architecture as it is a multiprocessor computer structure with merits of efficient parallelization and vectorization essentials. Our results show that the MIC-based optimization improved the performance of the first version of multi-threaded code on Xeon Phi 5110P by a factor of 2.4x. Furthermore, the same CPU-based optimizations improved the performance on Intel Xeon E5-2603 by a factor of 1.6x as compared to the first version of multi-threaded code.

From Disks to Planets: The Making of Planets and Their Early Atmospheres. An Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lammer, Helmut; Blanc, Michel

2018-03-01

This paper is an introduction to volume 56 of the Space Science Series of ISSI, "From disks to planets—the making of planets and their proto-atmospheres", a key subject in our quest for the origins and evolutionary paths of planets, and for the causes of their diversity. Indeed, as exoplanet discoveries progressively accumulated and their characterization made spectacular progress, it became evident that the diversity of observed exoplanets can in no way be reduced to the two classes of planets that we are used to identify in the solar system, namely terrestrial planets and gas or ice giants: the exoplanet reality is just much broader. This fact is no doubt the result of the exceptional diversity of the evolutionary paths linking planetary systems as a whole as well as individual exoplanets and their proto-atmospheres to their parent circumstellar disks: this diversity and its causes are exactly what this paper explores. For each of the main phases of the formation and evolution of planetary systems and of individual planets, we summarize what we believe we understand and what are the important open questions needing further in-depth examination, and offer some suggestions on ways towards solutions. We start with the formation mechanisms of circumstellar disks, with their gas and disk components in which chemical composition plays a very important role in planet formation. We summarize how dust accretion within the disk generates planet cores, while gas accretion on these cores can lead to the diversity of their fluid envelopes. The temporal evolution of the parent disk itself, and its final dissipation, put strong constraints on how and how far planetary formation can proceed. The radiation output of the central star also plays an important role in this whole story. This early phase of planet evolution, from disk formation to dissipation, is characterized by a co-evolution of the disk and its daughter planets. During this co-evolution, planets and their protoatmospheres not only grow, but they also migrate radially as a result of their interaction with the disk, thus moving progressively from their distance of formation to their final location. The formation of planetary fluid envelopes (proto-atmospheres and oceans), is an essential product of this planet formation scenario which strongly constrains their possible evolution towards habitability. We discuss the effects of the initial conditions in the disk, of the location, size and mass of the planetary core, of the disk lifetime and of the radiation output and activity of the central star, on the formation of these envelopes and on their relative extensions with respect to the planet core. Overall, a fraction of the planets retain the primary proto-atmosphere they initially accreted from the gas disk. For those which lose it in this early evolution, outgassing of volatiles from the planetary core and mantle, together with some contributions of volatiles from colliding bodies, give them a chance to form a "secondary" atmosphere, like that of our own Earth. When the disk finally dissipates, usually before 10 Million years of age, it leaves us with the combination of a planetary system and a debris disk, each with a specific radial distribution with respect to their parent star(s). Whereas the dynamics of protoplanetary disks is dominated by gas-solid dynamical coupling, debris disks are dominated by gravitational dynamics acting on diverse families of planetesimals. Solid-body collisions between them and giant impacts on young planetary surfaces generate a new population of gas and dust in those disks. Synergies between solar system and exoplanet studies are particularly fruitful and need to be stimulated even more, because they give access to different and complementary components of debris disks: whereas the different families of planetesimals can be extensively studied in the solar system, they remain unobserved in exoplanet systems. But, in those systems, long-wavelength telescopic observations of dust provide a wealth of indirect information about the unobserved population of planetesimals. Promising progress is being currently made to observe the gas component as well, using millimetre and sub-millimetre giant radio interferometers. Within planetary systems themselves, individual planets are the assembly of a solid body and a fluid envelope, including their planetary atmosphere when there is one. Their characteristics range from terrestrial planets through sub-Neptunes and Neptunes and to gas giants, each type covering most of the orbital distances probed by present-day techniques. With the continuous progress in detection and characterization techniques and the advent of major providers of new data like the Kepler mission, the architecture of these planetary systems can be studied more and more accurately in a statistically meaningful sense and compared to the one of our own solar system, which does not appear to be an exceptional case. Finally, our understanding of exoplanets atmospheres has made spectacular advances recently using the occultation spectroscopy techniques implemented on the currently operating space and ground-based observing facilities. The powerful new observing facilities planned for the near and more distant future will make it possible to address many of the most challenging current questions of the science of exoplanets and their systems. There is little doubt that, using this new generation of facilities, we will be able to reconstruct more and more accurately the complex evolutionary paths which link stellar genesis to the possible emergence of habitable worlds.

The Second Conference on Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mendell, Wendell W. (Editor); Alred, John W. (Editor); Bell, Larry S. (Editor); Cintala, Mark J. (Editor); Crabb, Thomas M. (Editor); Durrett, Robert H. (Editor); Finney, Ben R. (Editor); Franklin, H. Andrew (Editor); French, James R. (Editor); Greenberg, Joel S. (Editor)

1992-01-01

These papers comprise a peer-review selection of presentations by authors from NASA, LPI industry, and academia at the Second Conference (April 1988) on Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century, sponsored by the NASA Office of Exploration and the Lunar Planetary Institute. These papers go into more technical depth than did those published from the first NASA-sponsored symposium on the topic, held in 1984. Session topics covered by this volume include (1) design and operation of transportation systems to, in orbit around, and on the Moon, (2) lunar base site selection, (3) design, architecture, construction, and operation of lunar bases and human habitats, and (4) lunar-based scientific research and experimentation in astronomy, exobiology, and lunar geology.

New Direction of NASA Exploration Life Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambliss, Joe; Lawson, B. Michael; Barta, Daniel J.

2006-01-01

NASA's activities in life support Research and Technology Development (R&TD) have changed in both focus and scope following implementation of recommendations from the Exploration System Architecture Study (ESAS). The limited resources available and the compressed schedule to conduct life support R&TD have required that future efforts address the needs of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM) and Lunar Outpost (LO). Advanced Life Support (ALS) efforts related to long duration planetary bases have been deferred or canceled. This paper describes the scope of the new Exploration Life Support (ELS) project; how it differs from ALS, and how it supports critical needs for the CEV, LSAM and LO. In addition, this paper provides rationale for changes in the scope and focus of technical content within ongoing life support R&TD activities.

Asteroid, Lunar and Planetary Regolith Management A Layered Engineering Defense

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, Sandra

2014-01-01

During missions on asteroid and lunar and planetary surfaces, space systems and crew health may be degraded by exposure to dust and dirt. Furthermore, for missions outside the Earth-Moon system, planetary protection must be considered in efforts to minimize forward and backward contamination. This paper presents an end-to-end approach to ensure system reliability, crew health, and planetary protection in regolith environments. It also recommends technology investments that would be required to implement this layered engineering defense.

Significant achievements in the Planetary Geology Program. [geologic processes, comparative planetology, and solar system evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Head, J. W. (Editor)

1978-01-01

Developments reported at a meeting of principal investigators for NASA's planetology geology program are summarized. Topics covered include: constraints on solar system formation; asteriods, comets, and satellites; constraints on planetary interiors; volatiles and regoliths; instrument development techniques; planetary cartography; geological and geochemical constraints on planetary evolution; fluvial processes and channel formation; volcanic processes; Eolian processes; radar studies of planetary surfaces; cratering as a process, landform, and dating method; and the Tharsis region of Mars. Activities at a planetary geology field conference on Eolian processes are reported and techniques recommended for the presentation and analysis of crater size-frequency data are included.

Architectural Strategies for Enabling Data-Driven Science at Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crichton, D. J.; Law, E. S.; Doyle, R. J.; Little, M. M.

2017-12-01

The analysis of large data collections from NASA or other agencies is often executed through traditional computational and data analysis approaches, which require users to bring data to their desktops and perform local data analysis. Alternatively, data are hauled to large computational environments that provide centralized data analysis via traditional High Performance Computing (HPC). Scientific data archives, however, are not only growing massive, but are also becoming highly distributed. Neither traditional approach provides a good solution for optimizing analysis into the future. Assumptions across the NASA mission and science data lifecycle, which historically assume that all data can be collected, transmitted, processed, and archived, will not scale as more capable instruments stress legacy-based systems. New paradigms are needed to increase the productivity and effectiveness of scientific data analysis. This paradigm must recognize that architectural and analytical choices are interrelated, and must be carefully coordinated in any system that aims to allow efficient, interactive scientific exploration and discovery to exploit massive data collections, from point of collection (e.g., onboard) to analysis and decision support. The most effective approach to analyzing a distributed set of massive data may involve some exploration and iteration, putting a premium on the flexibility afforded by the architectural framework. The framework should enable scientist users to assemble workflows efficiently, manage the uncertainties related to data analysis and inference, and optimize deep-dive analytics to enhance scalability. In many cases, this "data ecosystem" needs to be able to integrate multiple observing assets, ground environments, archives, and analytics, evolving from stewardship of measurements of data to using computational methodologies to better derive insight from the data that may be fused with other sets of data. This presentation will discuss architectural strategies, including a 2015-2016 NASA AIST Study on Big Data, for evolving scientific research towards massively distributed data-driven discovery. It will include example use cases across earth science, planetary science, and other disciplines.

NASA planetary data: applying planetary satellite remote sensing data in the classroom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liggett, P.; Dobinson, E.; Sword, B.; Hughes, D.; Martin, M.; Martin, D.

2002-01-01

NASA supports several data archiving and distribution mechanisms that provide a means whereby scientists can participate in education and outreach through the use of technology for data and information dissemination. The Planetary Data System (PDS) is sponsored by NASA's Office of Space Science. Its purpose is to ensure the long-term usability of NASA data and to stimulate advanced research. In addition, the NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility (RPIF), an international system of planetary image libraries, maintains photographic and digital data as well as mission documentation and cartographic data.

Planetary Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neish, Catherine D.; Carter, Lynn M.

2015-01-01

This chapter describes the principles of planetary radar, and the primary scientific discoveries that have been made using this technique. The chapter starts by describing the different types of radar systems and how they are used to acquire images and accurate topography of planetary surfaces and probe their subsurface structure. It then explains how these products can be used to understand the properties of the target being investigated. Several examples of discoveries made with planetary radar are then summarized, covering solar system objects from Mercury to Saturn. Finally, opportunities for future discoveries in planetary radar are outlined and discussed.

PDS4: Developing the Next Generation Planetary Data System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crichton, D.; Beebe, R.; Hughes, S.; Stein, T.; Grayzeck, E.

2011-01-01

The Planetary Data System (PDS) is in the midst of a major upgrade to its system. This upgrade is a critical modernization of the PDS as it prepares to support the future needs of both the mission and scientific community. It entails improvements to the software system and the data standards, capitalizing on newer, data system approaches. The upgrade is important not only for the purpose of capturing results from NASA planetary science missions, but also for improving standards and interoperability among international planetary science data archives. As the demands of the missions and science community increase, PDS is positioning itself to evolve and meet those demands.

Radioisotope Reduction Using Solar Power for Outer Planetary Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fincannon, James

2008-01-01

Radioisotope power systems have historically been (and still are) the power system of choice from a mass and size perspective for outer planetary missions. High demand for and limited availability of radioisotope fuel has made it necessary to investigate alternatives to this option. Low mass, high efficiency solar power systems have the potential for use at low outer planetary temperatures and illumination levels. This paper documents the impacts of using solar power systems instead of radioisotope power for all or part of the power needs of outer planetary spacecraft and illustrates the potential fuel savings of such an approach.

Photochemical Phenomenology Model for the New Millenium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, James; Evans, J. Scott

2000-01-01

This project tackles the problem of conversion of validated a priori physics-based modeling capabilities, specifically those relevant to the analysis and interpretation of planetary atmosphere observations, to application-oriented software for use in science and science-support activities. The software package under development, named the Photochemical Phenomenology Modeling Tool (PPMT), has particular focus on the atmospheric remote sensing data to be acquired by the CIRS instrument during the CASSINI Jupiter flyby and orbital tour of the Saturnian system. Overall, the project has followed the development outline given in the original proposal, and the Year 1 design and architecture goals have been met. Specific accomplishments and the difficulties encountered are summarized in this report. Most of the effort has gone into complete definition of the PPMT interfaces within the context of today's IT arena: adoption and adherence to the CORBA Component Model (CCM) has yielded a solid architecture basis, and CORBA-related issues (services, specification options, development plans, etc.) have been largely resolved. Implementation goals have been redirected somewhat so as to be more relevant to the upcoming CASSINI flyby of Jupiter, with focus now being more on data analysis and remote sensing retrieval applications.

Teaching Planetary Science as Part of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margot, Jean-Luc; Greenberg, Adam H.

2017-10-01

In Spring 2016 and 2017, UCLA offered a course titled "EPSS C179/279 - Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and Applications". The course is designed for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students in the science, technical, engineering, and mathematical fields. Each year, students designed an observing sequence for the Green Bank telescope, observed known planetary systems remotely, wrote a sophisticated and modular data processing pipeline, analyzed the data, and presented their results. In 2016, 15 students participated in the course (9U, 5G; 11M, 3F) and observed 14 planetary systems in the Kepler field. In 2017, 17 students participated (15U, 2G; 10M, 7F) and observed 10 planetary systems in the Kepler field, TRAPPIST-1, and LHS 1140. In order to select suitable targets, students learned about planetary systems, planetary habitability, and planetary dynamics. In addition to planetary science fundamentals, students learned radio astronomy fundamentals, collaborative software development, signal processing techniques, and statistics. Evaluations indicate that the course is challenging but that students are eager to learn because of the engrossing nature of SETI. Students particularly value the teamwork approach, the observing experience, and working with their own data. The next offering of the course will be in Spring 2018. Additional information about our SETI work is available at seti.ucla.edu.

The Anthropocene Generalized: Evolution of Exo-Civilizations and Their Planetary Feedback.

PubMed

Frank, A; Carroll-Nellenback, Jonathan; Alberti, M; Kleidon, A

2018-05-01

We present a framework for studying generic behaviors possible in the interaction between a resource-harvesting technological civilization (an exo-civilization) and the planetary environment in which it evolves. Using methods from dynamical systems theory, we introduce and analyze a suite of simple equations modeling a population which consumes resources for the purpose of running a technological civilization and the feedback those resources drive on the state of the host planet. The feedbacks can drive the planet away from the initial state the civilization originated in and into domains that are detrimental to its sustainability. Our models conceptualize the problem primarily in terms of feedbacks from the resource use onto the coupled planetary systems. In addition, we also model the population growth advantages gained via the harvesting of these resources. We present three models of increasing complexity: (1) Civilization-planetary interaction with a single resource; (2) Civilization-planetary interaction with two resources each of which has a different level of planetary system feedback; (3) Civilization-planetary interaction with two resources and nonlinear planetary feedback (i.e., runaways). All three models show distinct classes of exo-civilization trajectories. We find smooth entries into long-term, "sustainable" steady states. We also find population booms followed by various levels of "die-off." Finally, we also observe rapid "collapse" trajectories for which the population approaches n = 0. Our results are part of a program for developing an "Astrobiology of the Anthropocene" in which questions of sustainability, centered on the coupled Earth-system, can be seen in their proper astronomical/planetary context. We conclude by discussing the implications of our results for both the coupled Earth system and for the consideration of exo-civilizations across cosmic history. Key Words: Anthropocene-Astrobiology-Civilization-Dynamical system theory-Exoplanets-Population dynamics. Astrobiology 18, 503-518.

Engineering a Solution to Jupiter Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Karla; Magner, Thomas; Lisano, Michael; Pappalardo, Robert

2010-01-01

The Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) would be an international mission with the overall theme of investigating the emergence of habitable worlds around gas giants. Its goals are to (1) explore Europa to investigate its habitability, (2) characterize Ganymede as a planetary object including its potential habitability and (3) explore the Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giants. NASA and ESA have concluded a detailed joint study of a mission to Europa, Ganymede, and the Jupiter system with conceptual orbiters developed by NASA and ESA. The baseline EJSM architecture consists of two primary elements operating simultaneously in the Jovian system: the NASA-led Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO), and the ESA-led Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter (JGO). JEO and JGO would execute an intricately choreographed exploration of the Jupiter System before settling into orbit around Europa and Ganymede, respectively. EJSM would directly address themes concerning the origin and evolution of satellite systems and water-rich environments in icy satellites. The potential habitability of the ocean-bearing moons Europa and Ganymede would be investigated, by characterizing the geophysical, compositional, geological, and external processes that affect these icy worlds. EJSM would also investigate Io and Callisto, Jupiter's atmosphere, and the Jovian magnetosphere. By understanding the Jupiter system and unraveling its history, the formation and evolution of gas giant planets and their satellites would be better known. Most importantly, EJSM would shed new light on the potential for the emergence of life in the celestial neighborhood and beyond. The EJSM baseline architecture would provide opportunities for coordinated synergistic observations by JEO and JGO of the Jupiter and Ganymede magnetospheres, the volcanoes and torus of Io, the atmosphere of Jupiter, and comparative planetology of icy satellites. Each spacecraft would conduct both synergistic dual-spacecraft investigations and stand-alone measurements toward the overall mission theme and goals.

Where Do Messy Planetary Nebulae Come From?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-03-01

If you examined images of planetary nebulae, you would find that many of them have an appearance that is too messy to be accounted for in the standard model of how planetary nebulae form. So what causes these structures?Examples of planetary nebulae that have a low probability of having beenshaped by a triple stellar system. They are mostly symmetric, with only slight departures (labeled) that can be explained by instabilities, interactions with the interstellar medium, etc. [Bear and Soker 2017]A Range of LooksAt the end of a stars lifetime, in the red-giant phase, strong stellar winds can expel the outer layers of the star. The hot, luminous core then radiates in ultraviolet, ionizing the gas of the ejected stellar layers and causing them to shine as a brightly colored planetary nebula for a few tens of thousands of years.Planetary nebulae come in a wide variety of morphologies. Some are approximately spherical, but others can be elliptical, bipolar, quadrupolar, or even more complex.Its been suggested that non-spherical planetary nebulae might be shaped by the presence of a second star in a binary system with the source of the nebula but even this scenario should still produce a structure with axial or mirror symmetry.A pair of scientists from Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Ealeal Bear and Noam Soker, argue that planetary nebulae with especially messy morphologies those without clear axial or point symmetries may have been shaped by an interacting triple stellar system instead.Examples of planetary nebulae that might have been shaped by a triple stellar system. They have some deviations from symmetry but also show signs of interacting with the interstellar medium. [Bear and Soker 2017]Departures from SymmetryTo examine this possibility more closely, Bear and Soker look at a sample of thousands planetary nebulae and qualitatively classify each of them into one of four categories, based on the degree to which they show signs of having been shaped by a triple stellar progenitor. The primary signs the authors look for are:SymmetriesIf a planetary nebula has a strong axisymmetric or point-symmetric structure (i.e., its bipolar, elliptical, spherical, etc.), it was likely not shaped by a triple progenitor. If clear symmetries are missing, however, or if there is a departure from symmetry in specific regions, the morphology of the planetary nebula may have been shaped by the presence of stars in a close triple system.Interaction with the interstellar mediumSome asymmetries, especially local ones, can be explained by interaction of the planetary nebula with the interstellar medium. The authors look for signs of such an interaction, which decreases the likelihood that a triple stellar system need be involved to produce the morphology we observe.Examples of planetary nebulae that are extremely likely to have been shaped by a triple stellar system. They have strong departures from symmetry and dont show signs of interacting with the interstellar medium. [Bear and Soker 2017]Influential TriosFrom the images in two planetary nebulae catalogs the Planetary Nebula Image Catelog and the HASH catalog Bear and Soker find that 275 and 372 planetary nebulae are categorizable, respectively. By assigning crude probabilities to their categories, the authors estimate that the total fraction of planetary nebulae shaped by three stars in a close system is around 1321%.The authors argue that in some cases, all three stars might survive. This means that we may be able to find direct evidence of these triple stellar systems lying in the hearts of especially messy planetary nebulae.CitationEaleal Bear and Noam Soker 2017 ApJL 837 L10. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa611c

Strategy of Planetary Data Archives in Japanese Missions for Planetary Data System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Y.; Ishihara, Y.; Murakami, S. Y.

2017-12-01

To preserve data acquired by Japanese planetary explorations for a long time, we need a data archiving strategy in a form suitable for resources. Planetary Data System(PDS) developed by NASA is an excellent system for saving data over a long period. Especially for the current version 4 (PDS4), it is possible to create a data archive with high completeness using information technology. Historically, the Japanese planetary missions have archived data by scientists in their ways, but in the past decade, JAXA has been aiming to conform data to PDS considering long term preservation. Hayabusa, Akatsuki are archived in PDS3. Kaguya(SELENE) data have been newly converted from the original format to PDS3. Hayabusa2 and BepiColombo, and future planetary explorations will release data in PDS4. The cooperation of engineers who are familiar with information technology is indispensable to create data archives for scientists. In addition, it is essential to have experience, information sharing, and a system to support it. There is a challenge in Japan about the system.

OT2_dardila_2: PACS Photometry of Transiting-Planet Systems with Warm Debris Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardila, D.

2011-09-01

Dust in debris disks is produced by colliding or evaporating planetesimals, the remnant of the planet formation process. Warm dust disks, known by their emission at =<24 mic, are rare (4% of FGK main-sequence stars), and specially interesting because they trace material in the region likely to host terrestrial planets, where the dust has very short dynamical lifetimes. Dust in this region comes from very recent asteroidal collisions, migrating Kuiper Belt planetesimals, or migrating dust. NASA's Kepler mission has just released a list of 1235 candidate transiting planets, and in parallel, the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has just completed a sensitive all-sky mapping in the 3.4, 4.6, 12, and 22 micron bands. By cross-identifying the WISE sources with Kepler candidates as well as with other transiting planetary systems we have identified 21 transiting planet hosts with previously unknown warm debris disks. We propose Herschel/PACS 100 and 160 micron photometry of this sample, to determine whether the warm dust in these systems represents stochastic outbursts of local dust production, or simply the Wien side of emission from a cold outer dust belt. These data will allow us to put constraints in the dust temperature and infrared luminosity of these systems, allowing them to be understood in the context of other debris disks and disk evolution theory. This program represents a unique opportunity to exploit the synergy between three great space facilities: Herschel, Kepler, and WISE. The transiting planet sample hosts will remain among the most studied group of stars for the years to come, and our knowledge of their planetary architecture will remain incomplete if we do not understand the characteristics of their debris disks.

Dynamical models to explain observations with SPHERE in planetary systems with double debris belts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazzoni, C.; Desidera, S.; Marzari, F.; Boccaletti, A.; Langlois, M.; Mesa, D.; Gratton, R.; Kral, Q.; Pawellek, N.; Olofsson, J.; Bonnefoy, M.; Chauvin, G.; Lagrange, A. M.; Vigan, A.; Sissa, E.; Antichi, J.; Avenhaus, H.; Baruffolo, A.; Baudino, J. L.; Bazzon, A.; Beuzit, J. L.; Biller, B.; Bonavita, M.; Brandner, W.; Bruno, P.; Buenzli, E.; Cantalloube, F.; Cascone, E.; Cheetham, A.; Claudi, R. U.; Cudel, M.; Daemgen, S.; De Caprio, V.; Delorme, P.; Fantinel, D.; Farisato, G.; Feldt, M.; Galicher, R.; Ginski, C.; Girard, J.; Giro, E.; Janson, M.; Hagelberg, J.; Henning, T.; Incorvaia, S.; Kasper, M.; Kopytova, T.; LeCoroller, H.; Lessio, L.; Ligi, R.; Maire, A. L.; Ménard, F.; Meyer, M.; Milli, J.; Mouillet, D.; Peretti, S.; Perrot, C.; Rouan, D.; Samland, M.; Salasnich, B.; Salter, G.; Schmidt, T.; Scuderi, S.; Sezestre, E.; Turatto, M.; Udry, S.; Wildi, F.; Zurlo, A.

2018-03-01

Context. A large number of systems harboring a debris disk show evidence for a double belt architecture. One hypothesis for explaining the gap between the debris belts in these disks is the presence of one or more planets dynamically carving it. For this reason these disks represent prime targets for searching planets using direct imaging instruments, like the Spectro-Polarimetric High-constrast Exoplanet Research (SPHERE) at the Very Large Telescope. Aim. The goal of this work is to investigate this scenario in systems harboring debris disks divided into two components, placed, respectively, in the inner and outer parts of the system. All the targets in the sample were observed with the SPHERE instrument, which performs high-contrast direct imaging, during the SHINE guaranteed time observations. Positions of the inner and outer belts were estimated by spectral energy distribution fitting of the infrared excesses or, when available, from resolved images of the disk. Very few planets have been observed so far in debris disks gaps and we intended to test if such non-detections depend on the observational limits of the present instruments. This aim is achieved by deriving theoretical predictions of masses, eccentricities, and semi-major axes of planets able to open the observed gaps and comparing such parameters with detection limits obtained with SPHERE. Methods: The relation between the gap and the planet is due to the chaotic zone neighboring the orbit of the planet. The radial extent of this zone depends on the mass ratio between the planet and the star, on the semi-major axis, and on the eccentricity of the planet, and it can be estimated analytically. We first tested the different analytical predictions using a numerical tool for the detection of chaotic behavior and then selected the best formula for estimating a planet's physical and dynamical properties required to open the observed gap. We then apply the formalism to the case of one single planet on a circular or eccentric orbit. We then consider multi-planetary systems: two and three equal-mass planets on circular orbits and two equal-mass planets on eccentric orbits in a packed configuration. As a final step, we compare each couple of values (Mp, ap), derived from the dynamical analysis of single and multiple planetary models, with the detection limits obtained with SPHERE. Results: For one single planet on a circular orbit we obtain conclusive results that allow us to exclude such a hypothesis since in most cases this configuration requires massive planets which should have been detected by our observations. Unsatisfactory is also the case of one single planet on an eccentric orbit for which we obtained high masses and/or eccentricities which are still at odds with observations. Introducing multi planetary architectures is encouraging because for the case of three packed equal-mass planets on circular orbits we obtain quite low masses for the perturbing planets which would remain undetected by our SPHERE observations. The case of two equal-mass planets on eccentric orbits is also of interest since it suggests the possible presence of planets with masses lower than the detection limits and with moderate eccentricity. Our results show that the apparent lack of planets in gaps between double belts could be explained by the presence of a system of two or more planets possibly of low mass and on eccentric orbits whose sizes are below the present detection limits. Based on observations collected at Paranal Observatory, ESO (Chile) Program ID: 095.C-0298, 096.C-0241, 097.C-0865, and 198.C-0209.

Simplified Architecture for Precise Aiming of a Deep-Space Communication Laser Transceiver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ortiz, Gerard G.; Farr, William H.; Charles, Jeffrey R.

2011-01-01

The simplified architecture is a minimal system for a deep-space optical communications transceiver. For a deepspace optical communications link the simplest form of the transceiver requires (1) an efficient modulated optical source, (2) a point-ahead mechanism (PAM) to compensate for two-way light travel, (3) an aperture to reduce the divergence of the transmit laser communication signal and also to collect the uplink communication signal, and (4) a receive detector to sense the uplink communication signal. Additional components are introduced to mitigate for spacecraft microvibrations and to improve the pointing accuracy. The Canonical Transceiver implements this simplified architecture (see figure). A single photon-counting smart focal plane sensor combines acquisition, tracking, and forward link data detection functionality. This improves optical efficiency by eliminating channel splits. A transmit laser blind sensor (e.g. silicon with 1,550-nm beam) provides transmit beam-pointing feedback via the two-photon absorption (TPA) process. This vastly improves the transmit/receive isolation because only the focused transmit beam is detected. A piezoelectric tiptilt actuator implements the required point-ahead angle. This point-ahead mechanism has been demonstrated to have near zero quiescent power and is flight qualified. This architecture also uses an innovative 100-mHz resonant frequency passive isolation platform to filter spacecraft vibrations with voice coil actuators for active tip-tilt correction below the resonant frequency. The canonical deep-space optical communications transceiver makes synergistic use of innovative technologies to reduce size, weight, power, and cost. This optical transceiver can be used to retire risks associated with deep-space optical communications on a planetary pathfinder mission and is complementary to ongoing lunar and access link developments.

LBT observations of the HR8799 planetary system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mesa, D.; Arcidiacono, C.; Claudi, R. U.; Desidera, S.; Esposito, S.; Gratton, R.; Masciadri, E.

2013-09-01

We present here observations of the HR8799 planetary system performed in H and Ks band exploiting the AO system at the Large Binocular Telescope and the PISCES camera. Thanks to the excellent performence of the instrument we were able to detect for the first time the inner known planet of the system (HR8799) in the H band. Precise photometric and astrometric measures have been taken for all the four planets. Further, exploiting ours and previous astrometric results, we were able to put some limits on the planetary orbits of the four planets. The analysis of the dinamical stability of the system seems to show lower planetary masses than the ones adopted until now.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Origin of Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session "Origin of Planetary Systems" included the following reports: (12753) Povenmire - Standard Comparison Small Main Belt Asteroid?; Gravitational Frequencies of Extra-Solar Planets; 'Jumping Jupiters' in Binary Star Systems; Hermes, Asteroid 2002 SY50 and the Northern Cetids - No Link Found!; What Kind of Accretion Model is Required for the Solar System; and Use of an Orbital Phase Curve of Extrasolar Planet for Specification of its Mass.

Planetary Geology: Goals, Future Directions, and Recommendations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Planetary exploration has provided a torrent of discoveries and a recognition that planets are not inert objects. This expanded view has led to the notion of comparative planetology, in which the differences and similarities among planetary objects are assessed. Solar system exploration is undergoing a change from an era of reconnaissance to one of intensive exploration and focused study. Analyses of planetary surfaces are playing a key role in this transition, especially as attention is focused on such exploration goals as returned samples from Mars. To assess how the science of planetary geology can best contribute to the goals of solar system exploration, a workshop was held at Arizona State University in January 1987. The participants discussed previous accomplishments of the planetary geology program, assessed the current studies in planetary geology, and considered the requirements to meet near-term and long-term exploration goals.

Extraterrestrial life in the universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graham, Robert W.

1990-01-01

The possibility that life exists elsewhere in the universe, even in our own planetary system, has intrigued scientists, philosophers, and theologians for centuries. The spaceflight programs of NASA have provided much new information about our planetary neighbors and have put to rest some speculations about the existence of life on those planets or their satellites. However, there are still undetermined questions about the possibility of some form of life existing in the far distant past in our planetary system. Beyond our planetary system, the astronomical quest for scientific clues about life continues, largely via the radio telescope. Thus far there is no conclusive evidence. Here, some of the recent findings about our planetary neighbors are reviewed and the question about life elsewhere in the universe is addressed.

Planetary Science Training for NASA's Astronauts: Preparing for Future Human Planetary Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bleacher, J. E.; Evans, C. A.; Graff, T. G.; Young, K. E.; Zeigler, R.

2017-02-01

Astronauts selected in 2017 and in future years will carry out in situ planetary science research during exploration of the solar system. Training to enable this goal is underway and is flexible to accommodate an evolving planetary science vision.

A bibliography of planetary geology principal investigators and their associates, 1976-1978

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

This bibliography cites publications submitted by 484 principal investigators and their associates who were supported through NASA's Office of Space Sciences Planetary Geology Program. Subject classifications include: solar system formation, comets, and asteroids; planetary satellites, planetary interiors, geological and geochemical constraints on planetary evolution; impact crater studies, volcanism, eolian studies, fluvian studies, Mars geological mapping; Mercury geological mapping; planetary cartography; and instrument development and techniques. An author/editor index is provided.

The Stability of Orbital Configurations and the Ultimate Configurations of Planetary and Satellite Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Duncan, Martin J.

2004-01-01

The contents include the following: 1) Dynamical Evolution of the Earth-Moon Progenitors. 2) Dynamical Connections between Giant and Terrestrial Planets. 3) Dynamics of the Upsilon Andromedae Planetary System. 4) Dynamics of the Planets Orbiting GJ 876. and 5) Integrators for Planetary Accretion in Binaries.

Direct Energy Conversion for Low Specific Mass In-Space Power and Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, John H.; George, Jeffrey A.; Tarditi, Alfonso G.

2013-01-01

"Changing the game" in space exploration involves changing the paradigm for the human exploration of the Solar System, e.g, changing the human exploration of Mars from a three-year epic event to an annual expedition. For the purposes of this assessment an "annual expedition" capability is defined as an in-space power & propulsion system which, with launch mass limits as defined in NASA s Mars Architecture 5.0, enables sending a crew to Mars and returning them after a 30-day surface stay within one year, irrespective of planetary alignment. In this work the authors intend to show that obtaining this capability requires the development of an in-space power & propulsion system with an end-to-end specific mass considerably less than 3 kg/kWe. A first order energy balance analysis reveals that the technologies required to create a system with this specific mass include direct energy conversion and nuclear sources that release energy in the form of charged particle beams. This paper lays out this first order approximation and details these conclusions.

Passive vs. Parachute System Architecture for Robotic Sample Return Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maddock, Robert W.; Henning, Allen B.; Samareh, Jamshid A.

2016-01-01

The Multi-Mission Earth Entry Vehicle (MMEEV) is a flexible vehicle concept based on the Mars Sample Return (MSR) EEV design which can be used in the preliminary sample return mission study phase to parametrically investigate any trade space of interest to determine the best entry vehicle design approach for that particular mission concept. In addition to the trade space dimensions often considered (e.g. entry conditions, payload size and mass, vehicle size, etc.), the MMEEV trade space considers whether it might be more beneficial for the vehicle to utilize a parachute system during descent/landing or to be fully passive (i.e. not use a parachute). In order to evaluate this trade space dimension, a simplified parachute system model has been developed based on inputs such as vehicle size/mass, payload size/mass and landing requirements. This model works in conjunction with analytical approximations of a mission trade space dataset provided by the MMEEV System Analysis for Planetary EDL (M-SAPE) tool to help quantify the differences between an active (with parachute) and a passive (no parachute) vehicle concept.

Cassini Archive Tracking System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conner, Diane; Sayfi, Elias; Tinio, Adrian

2006-01-01

The Cassini Archive Tracking System (CATS) is a computer program that enables tracking of scientific data transfers from originators to the Planetary Data System (PDS) archives. Without CATS, there is no systematic means of locating products in the archive process or ensuring their completeness. By keeping a database of transfer communications and status, CATS enables the Cassini Project and the PDS to efficiently and accurately report on archive status. More importantly, problem areas are easily identified through customized reports that can be generated on the fly from any Web-enabled computer. A Web-browser interface and clearly defined authorization scheme provide safe distributed access to the system, where users can perform functions such as create customized reports, record a transfer, and respond to a transfer. CATS ensures that Cassini provides complete science archives to the PDS on schedule and that those archives are available to the science community by the PDS. The three-tier architecture is loosely coupled and designed for simple adaptation to multimission use. Written in the Java programming language, it is portable and can be run on any Java-enabled Web server.

A SEARCH FOR MULTI-PLANET SYSTEMS USING THE HOBBY-EBERLY TELESCOPE

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

Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Endl, Michael; Cochran, William D.

Extrasolar multiple-planet systems provide valuable opportunities for testing theories of planet formation and evolution. The architectures of the known multiple-planet systems demonstrate a fascinating level of diversity, which motivates the search for additional examples of such systems in order to better constrain their formation and dynamical histories. Here we describe a comprehensive investigation of 22 planetary systems in an effort to answer three questions: (1) are there additional planets? (2) where could additional planets reside in stable orbits? and (3) what limits can these observations place on such objects? We find no evidence for additional bodies in any of thesemore » systems; indeed, these new data do not support three previously announced planets (HD 20367 b: Udry et al.; HD 74156 d: Bean et al.; and 47 UMa c: Fischer et al.). The dynamical simulations show that nearly all of the 22 systems have large regions in which additional planets could exist in stable orbits. The detection-limit computations indicate that this study is sensitive to close-in Neptune-mass planets for most of the systems targeted. We conclude with a discussion on the implications of these nondetections.« less

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

Post-main-sequence planetary system evolution.

PubMed

Veras, Dimitri

2016-02-01

The fates of planetary systems provide unassailable insights into their formation and represent rich cross-disciplinary dynamical laboratories. Mounting observations of post-main-sequence planetary systems necessitate a complementary level of theoretical scrutiny. Here, I review the diverse dynamical processes which affect planets, asteroids, comets and pebbles as their parent stars evolve into giant branch, white dwarf and neutron stars. This reference provides a foundation for the interpretation and modelling of currently known systems and upcoming discoveries.

A method based on multi-sensor data fusion for fault detection of planetary gearboxes.

PubMed

Lei, Yaguo; Lin, Jing; He, Zhengjia; Kong, Detong

2012-01-01

Studies on fault detection and diagnosis of planetary gearboxes are quite limited compared with those of fixed-axis gearboxes. Different from fixed-axis gearboxes, planetary gearboxes exhibit unique behaviors, which invalidate fault diagnosis methods that work well for fixed-axis gearboxes. It is a fact that for systems as complex as planetary gearboxes, multiple sensors mounted on different locations provide complementary information on the health condition of the systems. On this basis, a fault detection method based on multi-sensor data fusion is introduced in this paper. In this method, two features developed for planetary gearboxes are used to characterize the gear health conditions, and an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is utilized to fuse all features from different sensors. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, experiments are carried out on a planetary gearbox test rig, on which multiple accelerometers are mounted for data collection. The comparisons between the proposed method and the methods based on individual sensors show that the former achieves much higher accuracies in detecting planetary gearbox faults.

The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT): Mission Study Results

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

how planetary systems form it is essential to obtain spatially-resolved far-IR observations of protostars and protoplanetary disks . At the distance...accomplish three primary scientific objectives: (1) Learn how planetary systems form from protostellar disks , and how they acquire their chemical...organization; (2) Characterize the family of extrasolar planetary systems by imaging the structure in debris disks to understand how and where planets

Mission analysis for the Martian Moons Explorer (MMX) mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campagnola, Stefano; Yam, Chit Hong; Tsuda, Yuichi; Ogawa, Naoko; Kawakatsu, Yasuhiro

2018-05-01

Mars Moon eXplorer (MMX) is JAXA's next candidate flagship mission to be launched in the early 2020s. MMX will explore the Martian moons and return a sample from Phobos. This paper presents the mission analysis work, focusing on the transfer legs and comparing several architectures, such as hybrid options with chemical and electric propulsion modules. The selected baseline is a chemical-propulsion Phobos sample return, which is discussed in detail with the launch- and return-window analysis. The trajectories are optimized with the jTOP software, using planetary ephemerides for Mars and the Earth; Earth re-entry constraints are modeled with simple analytical equations. Finally, we introduce an analytical approximation of the three-burn capture strategy used in the Mars system. The approximation can be used together with a Lambert solver to quickly determine the transfer Δ v costs.

Autonomous Deep-Space Optical Navigation Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

D'Souza, Christopher

2014-01-01

This project will advance the Autonomous Deep-space navigation capability applied to Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking (AR&D) Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) system by testing it on hardware, particularly in a flight processor, with a goal of limited testing in the Integrated Power, Avionics and Software (IPAS) with the ARCM (Asteroid Retrieval Crewed Mission) DRO (Distant Retrograde Orbit) Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking (AR&D) scenario. The technology, which will be harnessed, is called 'optical flow', also known as 'visual odometry'. It is being matured in the automotive and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) applications but has yet to be applied to spacecraft navigation. In light of the tremendous potential of this technique, we believe that NASA needs to design a optical navigation architecture that will use this technique. It is flexible enough to be applicable to navigating around planetary bodies, such as asteroids.

Planetary Protection Technologies: Technical Challenges for Mars Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buxbaum, Karen L.

2005-01-01

The search for life in the solar system, using either in situ analysis or sample return, brings with it special technical challenges in the area of planetary protection. Planetary protection (PP) requires planetary explorers to preserve biological and organic conditions for future exploration and to protect the Earth from potential extraterrestrial contamination that could occur as a result of sample return to the Earth-Moon system. In view of the exploration plans before us, the NASA Solar System Exploration Program Roadmap published in May 2003 identified planetary protection as one of 13 technologies for "high priority technology investments." Recent discoveries at Mars and Jupiter, coupled with new policies, have made this planning for planetary protection technology particularly challenging and relevant.New missions to Mars have been formulated, which present significantly greater forward contamination potential. New policies, including the introduction by COSPAR of a Category IVc for planetary protection, have been adopted by COSPAR in response. Some missions may not be feasible without the introduction of new planetary protection technologies. Other missions may be technically possible but planetary protection requirements may be so costly to implement with current technology that they are not affordable. A strategic investment strategy will be needed to focus on technology investments designed to enable future missions and reduce the costs of future missions. This presentation will describe some of the potential technological pathways that may be most protective.

Mars Technology Program Planetary Protection Technology Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Ying

2006-01-01

The objectives of the NASA Planetary Protection program are to preserve biological and organic conditions of solar-system bodies for future scientific exploration and to protect the Earth from potential hazardous extraterrestrial contamination. As the exploration of solar system continues, NASA remains committed to the implementation of planetary protection policy and regulations. To fulfill this commitment, the Mars Technology Program (MTP) has invested in a portfolio of tasks for developing necessary technologies to meet planetary protection requirements for the next decade missions.

Planet Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Fonda, Mark (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Modern theories of star and planet formation and of the orbital stability of planetary systems are described and used to discuss possible characteristics of undiscovered planetary systems. The most detailed models of planetary growth are based upon observations of planets and smaller bodies within our own Solar System and of young stars and their environments. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth as do terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates. These models predict that rocky planets should form in orbit about most single stars. It is uncertain whether or not gas giant planet formation is common, because most protoplanetary disks may dissipate before solid planetary cores can grow large enough to gravitationally trap substantial quantities of gas. A potential hazard to planetary systems is radial decay of planetary orbits resulting from interactions with material within the disk. Planets more massive than Earth have the potential to decay the fastest, and may be able to sweep up smaller planets in their path. The implications of the giant planets found in recent radial velocity searches for the abundances of habitable planets are discussed, and the methods that are being used and planned for detecting and characterizing extrasolar planets are reviewed.

Trajectory Options for a Potential Mars Mission Combining Orbiting Science, Relay and a Sample Return Rendezvous Demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guinn, Joseph R.; Kerridge, Stuart J.; Wilson, Roby S.

2012-01-01

Mars sample return is a major scientific goal of the 2011 US National Research Council Decadal Survey for Planetary Science. Toward achievement of this goal, recent architecture studies have focused on several mission concept options for the 2018/2020 Mars launch opportunities. Mars orbiters play multiple roles in these architectures such as: relay, landing site identification/selection/certification, collection of on-going or new measurements to fill knowledge gaps, and in-orbit collection and transportation of samples from Mars to Earth. This paper reviews orbiter concepts that combine these roles and describes a novel family of relay orbits optimized for surface operations support. Additionally, these roles provide an intersection of objectives for long term NASA science, human exploration, technology development and international collaboration.

Dual-Band Optical Bench for Terahertz Radiometer for Outer Planet Atmospheres (TROPA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlecht, Erich; Jamnejad, Vahraz

2012-01-01

We have developed a wide-band dual frequency spectrometer for use in deep space planetary atmospheric spectroscopy. The instrument uses a dual-band architecture, both to be able to observe spectral lines from a wide range of atmospheric species, and to allow a higher precision retrieval of temperature/pressure/partial pressure and wind profiles. This dual-band approach requires a new design for the optical bench to couple both frequencies into their respective receivers.

The Role of NASA's Planetary Data System in the Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arvidson, R. E.; Gaddis, L. R.

2017-12-01

An effort underway in NASA's planetary science community is the Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team (MAPSIT, http://www.lpi.usra.edu/mapsit/). MAPSIT is a community assessment group organized to address a lack of strategic spatial data planning for space science and exploration. Working with MAPSIT, a new initiative of NASA and USGS is the development of a Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure (PSDI) that builds on extensive knowledge on storing, accessing, and working with terrestrial spatial data. PSDI is a knowledge and technology framework that enables the efficient discovery, access, and exploitation of planetary spatial data to facilitate data analysis, knowledge synthesis, and decision-making. NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) archives >1.2 petabytes of digital data resulting from decades of planetary exploration and research. The PDS charter focuses on the efficient collection, archiving, and accessibility of these data. The PDS emphasis on data preservation and archiving is complementary to that of the PSDI initiative because the latter utilizes and extends available data to address user needs in the areas of emerging technologies, rapid development of tailored delivery systems, and development of online collaborative research environments. The PDS plays an essential PSDI role because it provides expertise to help NASA missions and other data providers to organize and document their planetary data, to collect and maintain the archives with complete, well-documented and peer-reviewed planetary data, to make planetary data accessible by providing online data delivery tools and search services, and ultimately to ensure the long-term preservation and usability of planetary data. The current PDS4 information model extends and expands PDS metadata and relationships between and among elements of the collections. The PDS supports data delivery through several node services, including the Planetary Image Atlas (https://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/search/), the Orbital Data Explorers (http://ode.rsl.wustl.edu/), and the Planetary Image Locator Tool (PILOT, https://pilot.wr.usgs.gov/); the latter offers ties to the Integrated Software for Imagers and Spectrometers (ISIS), the premier planetary cartographic software package from USGS's Astrogeology Science Team.

Post-main-sequence planetary system evolution

PubMed Central

Veras, Dimitri

2016-01-01

The fates of planetary systems provide unassailable insights into their formation and represent rich cross-disciplinary dynamical laboratories. Mounting observations of post-main-sequence planetary systems necessitate a complementary level of theoretical scrutiny. Here, I review the diverse dynamical processes which affect planets, asteroids, comets and pebbles as their parent stars evolve into giant branch, white dwarf and neutron stars. This reference provides a foundation for the interpretation and modelling of currently known systems and upcoming discoveries. PMID:26998326

Ways that our Solar System helps us understand the formation of other planetary systems and ways that it doesn't

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wetherill, G. W.

1996-01-01

Models of planetary formation can be tested by comparison of their ability to predict features of our Solar System in a consistent way, and then extrapolated to other hypothetical planetary systems by different choice of parameters. When this is done, it is found that the resulting systems are insensitive to direct effects of the mass of the star, but do strongly depend on the properties of the disk, principally its surface density. Major uncertainty results from lack of an adequate theoretical model that predicts the existence, size, and distribution of analogs of our Solar System, particularly the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. Nevertheless, reasons can be found for expecting that planetary systems, including those containing biologically habitable planets similar to Earth, may be abundant in the Galaxy and Universe.

Ways that our Solar System helps us understand the formation of other planetary systems and ways that it doesn't.

PubMed

Wetherill, G W

1996-01-01

Models of planetary formation can be tested by comparison of their ability to predict features of our Solar System in a consistent way, and then extrapolated to other hypothetical planetary systems by different choice of parameters. When this is done, it is found that the resulting systems are insensitive to direct effects of the mass of the star, but do strongly depend on the properties of the disk, principally its surface density. Major uncertainty results from lack of an adequate theoretical model that predicts the existence, size, and distribution of analogs of our Solar System, particularly the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. Nevertheless, reasons can be found for expecting that planetary systems, including those containing biologically habitable planets similar to Earth, may be abundant in the Galaxy and Universe.

TOPS: Toward Other Planetary Systems. A report by the solar system exploration division

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This report describes a general plan and the pertinent technological requirements for TOPS (Toward Other Planetary Systems), a staged program to ascertain the prevalence and character of other planetary systems and to construct a definitive picture of the formation of stars and their planets. The first stages focus on discovering and studying a significant number of fully formed planetary systems, as well as expanding current studies of protoplanetary systems. As the TOPS Program evolves, emphasis will shift toward intensive study of the discovered systems and of individual planets. Early stages of the TOPS Program can be undertaken with ground-based observations and space missions comparable in scale to those now being performed. In the long term, however, TOPS will become an ambitious program that challenges our capabilities and provides impetus for major space initiatives and new technologies.

Photon Sail History, Engineering, and Mission Analysis. Appendix

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matloff, Gregory L.; Taylor, Travis; Powell, Conley

2004-01-01

This Appendix summarizes the results of a Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. report to the In-Space propulsion research group of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) that was authored by Taylor et al. in 2003. The subject of this report is the technological maturity, readiness, and capability of the photon solar sail to support space-exploration missions. Technological maturity for solar photon sail concepts is extremely high high for rectangular (or square) solar sail configurations due to the historical development of the rectangular design by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). L'Garde Inc., ILC Dover Inc., DLR, and many other corporations and agencies. However, future missions and mission analysis may prove that the rectangular sail design is not the best architecture for achieving mission goals. Due to the historical focus on rectangular solar sail spacecraft designs, the maturity of other architectures such as hoop-supported disks, multiple small disk arrays, parachute sails, heliogyro sails, perforated sails, multiple vane sails (such as the Planetary Society's Cosmos 1), inflated pillow sails, etc., have not reached a high level of technological readiness. (Some sail architectures are shown in Fig. A.1.) The possibilities of different sail architectures and some possible mission concepts are discussed in this Appendix.

Enabling Data-Driven Methodologies Across the Data Lifecycle and Ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doyle, R. J.; Crichton, D.

2017-12-01

NASA has unlocked unprecedented scientific knowledge through exploration of the Earth, our solar system, and the larger universe. NASA is generating enormous amounts of data that are challenging traditional approaches to capturing, managing, analyzing and ultimately gaining scientific understanding from science data. New architectures, capabilities and methodologies are needed to span the entire observing system, from spacecraft to archive, while integrating data-driven discovery and analytic capabilities. NASA data have a definable lifecycle, from remote collection point to validated accessibility in multiple archives. Data challenges must be addressed across this lifecycle, to capture opportunities and avoid decisions that may limit or compromise what is achievable once data arrives at the archive. Data triage may be necessary when the collection capacity of the sensor or instrument overwhelms data transport or storage capacity. By migrating computational and analytic capability to the point of data collection, informed decisions can be made about which data to keep; in some cases, to close observational decision loops onboard, to enable attending to unexpected or transient phenomena. Along a different dimension than the data lifecycle, scientists and other end-users must work across an increasingly complex data ecosystem, where the range of relevant data is rarely owned by a single institution. To operate effectively, scalable data architectures and community-owned information models become essential. NASA's Planetary Data System is having success with this approach. Finally, there is the difficult challenge of reproducibility and trust. While data provenance techniques will be part of the solution, future interactive analytics environments must support an ability to provide a basis for a result: relevant data source and algorithms, uncertainty tracking, etc., to assure scientific integrity and to enable confident decision making. Advances in data science offer opportunities to gain new insights from space missions and their vast data collections. We are working to innovate new architectures, exploit emerging technologies, develop new data-driven methodologies, and transfer them across disciplines, while working across the dual dimensions of the data lifecycle and the data ecosystem.

The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT): High-Resolution Imaging and Spectroscopy in the Far-Infrared (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

primary scientific objectives: (1) Learn how planetary systems form from protostellar disks , and how they acquire their inhomogeneous composition; (2...characterize the family of extrasolar planetary systems by imaging the structure in debris disks to understand how and where planets of different...scientific objectives: (1) Learn how planetary systems form from protostellar disks , and how they acquire their inhomogeneous composition; (2

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2012-01-01

This NIAC project investigated an innovative 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. Such in situ developed heat shields have been suggested before by Lewis. Prior research efforts have shown that regolith properties can be compatible with very-high temperature resistance. Our project team is highly experienced in regolith processing and thermal protection systems (TPS). Routine access to space and return from any planetary surface requires dealing with heat loads experienced by the spacecraft during reentry. Our team addresses some of the key issues with the EDL of human-scale missions through a highly innovative investigation of heat shields that can be fabricated in space by using local resources on asteroids and moons. Most space missions are one-way trips, dedicated to placing an asset in space for economical or scientific gain. However, for human missions, a very-reliable heat-shield system is necessary to protect the crew from the intense heat experienced at very high entry velocities of approximately 11 km/s at approximately Mach 33 (Apollo). For a human mission to Mars, the return problem is even more difficult, with predicted velocities of up to 14 km/s, at approximately Mach 42 at the Earth-atmosphere entry. In addition to human return, it is very likely that future space-travel architecture will include returning cargo to the Earth, either for scientific purposes or for commercial reasons. Platinum, titanium, helium 3, and other metals, elements and minerals are all high-value commodities in limited supply on Earth, and it may be profitable to mine these substances throughout the Solar System and return them to Earth, if an economical method can be found. To date, several private corporations have been launched to pursue these goals. Because the heat shield is the last element to be used in an Earth-return mission, a high penalty is paid in the propellant mass required to carry the heat shield to the destination and back. If the heat shield could be manufactured in space, and then outfitted on the spacecraft prior to the reentry at Earth, then significant propellant and mass savings could be achieved during launch and space operations. Preliminary mission architecture scenarios are described, which explain the potential benefits that may be derived from using an in-situ fabricated regolith heat shield. In order to prove that this is a feasible technology concept, this project successfully fabricated heat shield materials from mineral simulant materials of lunar and Martian regolith by two methods: 1) Sintering and 2) Binding the simulant with a "room-temperature vulcanizing" (RTV) silicone formulated to withstand high temperatures. Initially a third type of fabrication was planned using the hot waste stream from regolith ISRU processes. This fabrication method was discarded since the resulting samples would be too dense and brittle for heat shields. High temperature flame tests at KSC and subsequent arc jet tests at Ames Research Center (ARC) have proved promising. These coupon tests show favorable materials properties and have the potential to be a new way of fabricating heat shields for space entry into planetary atmospheres.

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.

2013-01-01

This NIAC project investigated an innovative 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. Such in situ developed heat shields have been suggested before by Lewis. Prior research efforts have shown that regolith properties can be compatible with very-high temperature resistance. Our project team is highly experienced in regolith processing and thermal protection systems (TPS). Routine access to space and return from any planetary surface requires dealing with heat loads experienced by the spacecraft during reentry. Our team addresses some of the key issues with the EDL of human-scale missions through a highly innovative investigation of heat shields that can be fabricated in space by using local resources on asteroids and moons. Most space missions are one-way trips, dedicated to placing an asset in space for economical or scientific gain. However, for human missions, a very-reliable heat-shield system is necessary to protect the crew from the intense heat experienced at very high entry velocities of approximately 11 km/s at approximately Mach 33 (Apollo). For a human mission to Mars, the return problem is even more difficult, with predicted velocities of up to 14 km/s, at approximately Mach 42 at the Earth-atmosphere entry. In addition to human return, it is very likely that future space-travel architecture will include returning cargo to the Earth, either for scientific purposes or for commercial reasons. Platinum, titanium, helium 3, and other metals, elements and minerals are all high-value commodities in limited supply on Earth, and it may be profitable to mine these substances throughout the Solar System and return them to Earth, if an economical method can be found. To date, several private corporations have been launched to pursue these goals. Because the heat shield is the last element to be used in an Earth-return mission, a high penalty is paid in the propellant mass required to carry the heat shield to the destination and back. If the heat shield could be manufactured in space, and then outfitted on the spacecraft prior to the reentry at Earth, then significant propellant and mass savings could be achieved during launch and space operations. Preliminary mission architecture scenarios are described, which explain the potential benefits that may be derived from using an in-situ fabricated regolith heat shield. In order to prove that this is a feasible technology concept, this project successfully fabricated heat shield materials from mineral simulant materials of lunar and Martian regolith by two methods: 1) Sintering and 2) Binding the simulant with a "room-temperature vulcanizing" (RTV) silicone formulated to withstand high temperatures. Initially a third type of fabrication was planned using the hot waste stream from regolith ISRU processes. This fabrication method was discarded since the resulting samples would be too dense and brittle for heat shields. High temperature flame tests at KSC and subsequent arc jet tests at Ames Research Center (ARC) have proved promising. These coupon tests show favorable materials properties and have the potential to be a new way of fabricating heat shields for space entry into planetary atmospheres.

Building Better Planet Populations for EXOSIMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garrett, Daniel; Savransky, Dmitry

2018-01-01

The Exoplanet Open-Source Imaging Mission Simulator (EXOSIMS) software package simulates ensembles of space-based direct imaging surveys to provide a variety of science and engineering yield distributions for proposed mission designs. These mission simulations rely heavily on assumed distributions of planetary population parameters including semi-major axis, planetary radius, eccentricity, albedo, and orbital orientation to provide heuristics for target selection and to simulate planetary systems for detection and characterization. The distributions are encoded in PlanetPopulation modules within EXOSIMS which are selected by the user in the input JSON script when a simulation is run. The earliest written PlanetPopulation modules available in EXOSIMS are based on planet population models where the planetary parameters are considered to be independent from one another. While independent parameters allow for quick computation of heuristics and sampling for simulated planetary systems, results from planet-finding surveys have shown that many parameters (e.g., semi-major axis/orbital period and planetary radius) are not independent. We present new PlanetPopulation modules for EXOSIMS which are built on models based on planet-finding survey results where semi-major axis and planetary radius are not independent and provide methods for sampling their joint distribution. These new modules enhance the ability of EXOSIMS to simulate realistic planetary systems and give more realistic science yield distributions.

The PDS4 Metadata Management System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raugh, A. C.; Hughes, J. S.

2018-04-01

We present the key features of the Planetary Data System (PDS) PDS4 Information Model as an extendable metadata management system for planetary metadata related to data structure, analysis/interpretation, and provenance.

Origins of Inner Solar Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Rebekah Ilene

2017-06-01

Over the past couple decades, thousands of extra-solar planetshave been discovered orbiting other stars. The exoplanets discovered to date exhibit a wide variety of orbital and compositional properties; most are dramatically different from the planets in our own Solar System. Our classical theories for the origins of planetary systems were crafted to account for the Solar System and fail to account for the diversity of planets now known. We are working to establish a new blueprint for the origin of planetary systems and identify the key parameters of planet formation and evolution that establish the distribution of planetary properties observed today. The new blueprint must account for the properties of planets in inner solar systems, regions of planetary systems closer to their star than Earth’s separation from the Sun and home to most exoplanets detected to data. I present work combining simulations and theory with data analysis and statistics of observed planets to test theories of the origins of inner solars, including hot Jupiters, warm Jupiters, and tightly-packed systems of super-Earths. Ultimately a comprehensive blueprint for planetary systems will allow us to better situate discovered planets in the context of their system’s formation and evolution, important factors in whether the planets may harbor life.

Framework for the Integration of Multi-Instrument Pipelines in the BepiColombo Science Operations Control System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-López, F.; Vallejo, J. C.; Martínez, S.; Ortiz, I.; Macfarlane, A.; Osuna, P.; Gill, R.; Casale, M.

2015-09-01

BepiColombo is an interdisciplinary ESA mission to explore the planet Mercury in cooperation with JAXA. The mission consists of two separate orbiters: ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), which are dedicated to the detailed study of the planet and its magnetosphere. The MPO scientific payload comprises eleven instruments packages covering different disciplines developed by several European teams. This paper describes the design and development approach of the framework required to support the operation of the distributed BepiColombo MPO instruments pipelines, developed and operated from different locations, but designed as a single entity. An architecture based on primary-redundant configuration, fully integrated into the BepiColombo Science Operations Control System (BSCS), has been selected, where some instrument pipelines will be operated from the instrument team's data processing centres, having a pipeline replica that can be run from the Science Ground Segment (SGS), while others will be executed as primary pipelines from the SGS, adopting the SGS the pipeline orchestration role.

Immersive Interaction, Manipulation and Analysis of Large 3D Datasets for Planetary and Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pariser, O.; Calef, F.; Manning, E. M.; Ardulov, V.

2017-12-01

We will present implementation and study of several use-cases of utilizing Virtual Reality (VR) for immersive display, interaction and analysis of large and complex 3D datasets. These datasets have been acquired by the instruments across several Earth, Planetary and Solar Space Robotics Missions. First, we will describe the architecture of the common application framework that was developed to input data, interface with VR display devices and program input controllers in various computing environments. Tethered and portable VR technologies will be contrasted and advantages of each highlighted. We'll proceed to presenting experimental immersive analytics visual constructs that enable augmentation of 3D datasets with 2D ones such as images and statistical and abstract data. We will conclude by presenting comparative analysis with traditional visualization applications and share the feedback provided by our users: scientists and engineers.

NASA Tech Briefs, June 2013

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2013-01-01

Topics include: Cloud Absorption Radiometer Autonomous Navigation System - CANS, Software Method for Computed Tomography Cylinder Data Unwrapping, Re-slicing, and Analysis, Discrete Data Qualification System and Method Comprising Noise Series Fault Detection, Simple Laser Communications Terminal for Downlink from Earth Orbit at Rates Exceeding 10 Gb/s, Application Program Interface for the Orion Aerodynamics Database, Hyperspectral Imager-Tracker, Web Application Software for Ground Operations Planning Database (GOPDb) Management, Software Defined Radio with Parallelized Software Architecture, Compact Radar Transceiver with Included Calibration, Software Defined Radio with Parallelized Software Architecture, Phase Change Material Thermal Power Generator, The Thermal Hogan - A Means of Surviving the Lunar Night, Micromachined Active Magnetic Regenerator for Low-Temperature Magnetic Coolers, Nano-Ceramic Coated Plastics, Preparation of a Bimetal Using Mechanical Alloying for Environmental or Industrial Use, Phase Change Material for Temperature Control of Imager or Sounder on GOES Type Satellites in GEO, Dual-Compartment Inflatable Suitlock, Modular Connector Keying Concept, Genesis Ultrapure Water Megasonic Wafer Spin Cleaner, Piezoelectrically Initiated Pyrotechnic Igniter, Folding Elastic Thermal Surface - FETS, Multi-Pass Quadrupole Mass Analyzer, Lunar Sulfur Capture System, Environmental Qualification of a Single-Crystal Silicon Mirror for Spaceflight Use, Planar Superconducting Millimeter-Wave/Terahertz Channelizing Filter, Qualification of UHF Antenna for Extreme Martian Thermal Environments, Ensemble Eclipse: A Process for Prefab Development Environment for the Ensemble Project, ISS Live!, Space Operations Learning Center (SOLC) iPhone/iPad Application, Software to Compare NPP HDF5 Data Files, Planetary Data Systems (PDS) Imaging Node Atlas II, Automatic Calibration of an Airborne Imaging System to an Inertial Navigation Unit, Translating MAPGEN to ASPEN for MER, Support Routines for In Situ Image Processing, and Semi-Supervised Eigenbasis Novelty Detection.

A bibliography of planetary geology and geophysics principal investigators and their associates, 1983 - 1984

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witbeck, N. E. (Editor)

1984-01-01

A compilation is given of selected bibliographic data specifically relating to recent publications submitted by principle investigators and their associates, supported through NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications, Solar System Exploration Division, Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program. Topics include the solar system, asteroids, volcanoes, stratigraphy, remote sensing, and planetary craters.

Extrasolar planetary systems.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, S.-S.

1973-01-01

The terms 'planet' and 'planet-like objects' are defined. The observational search for extrasolar planetary systems is described, as performable by earthbound optical telescopes, by space probes, by long baseline radio interferometry, and finally by inference from the reception of signals sent by intelligent beings in other worlds. It is shown that any planetary system must be preceded by a rotating disk of gas and dust around a central mass. A brief review of the theories of the formation of the solar system is given, along with a proposed scheme for classification of these theories. The evidence for magnetic activity in the early stages of stellar evolution is presented. The magnetic braking theories of solar and stellar rotation are discussed, and an estimate is made for the frequency of occurrence of planetary systems in the universe.

Planetary system formation: Effects of planet-disk tidal interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryden, Geoffrey

The standard theory of planet formation begins with the coagulation of solid planetesimals (Safronov 1969, Wetherill & Stewart 1989) followed by the accretion of disk gas once the solid core reaches a critical mass >~10M⊕ (Perri & Cameron 1974, Mizuno 1980, Bodenheimer & Pollack 1986). The classic picture of planet formation, in which each planet's position in the nebula remain fixed, is challenged by the observed distribution of extra-solar planets (e.g. Mayor & Queloz 1995, Butler et al. 1999). The majority of these planets are on short-period orbits ( P<~10 days) very close to their central stars ( ap<~0.1 AU), suggesting that orbital migration plays an important role in the formation of planetary systems. The intent of this thesis is to explore the inclusion of protoplanetary tidal forces into the classical theory of planetary system formation. Protoplanetary interaction with the surrounding gaseous nebulae directly determines giant planets' semi-major axes, masses, gas/solid ratio, and relative spacing. In essence, the process of gap formation determines the primary observational characteristics of both individual planets and their composite systems. Detailed simulations of gap formation produce a range of planetary masses consistent with the observed distribution. Fully self-interacting models of planetary system formation can be used to create a wide variety of planetary systems, ranging from the solar system to Upsilon Andromeda (Butler et al. 1999).

The Magnetic INduction Ocean Sounder (MINOS) Concept Mission: Exploring Small Ocean Worlds With Nanosatellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steuer, C. J.

2016-12-01

Nanosatellite capabilities continue to steadily increase, showcasing ongoing advancement in key systems including GNC, communications, and power utilization. With focused high impact payloads, these small spacecraft can produce extraordinarily valuable planetary science datasets previously only retrievable by large, expensive, flagship science missions. The new capabilities provided by these nano-class spacecraft, in conjunction with, or even in lieu of, more traditional large monolithic spacecraft, can clear the way for a paradigm shift in the logistics and architecture of planetary science missions. Key near term targets for this technology are the icy moons of the outer solar system where advances in propulsion technology coupled with the low mass of nanosatellites and the shallow gravity wells of the moons allow for orbital capture. As part of a JPL funded study, the authors investigated the feasibility of placing a nanosatellite with magnetometer payload in Europa orbit to enhance and compliment the upcoming flagship mission to Europa through multi-frequency magnetic induction sounding. The study concluded that the enhanced dataset provided by coordinated observation between flagship, in Jovian orbit, and nanosatellite, in Europa orbit, using a fluxgate magnetometer of Rosetta heritage, would enable a more complete understanding of Europa's induction response by providing synchronous datasets between the Jovian plasma torus and the induced magnetosphere of Europa. We propose that these Magnetic INduction Ocean Sounders or MINOS spacecraft can play a similar role for all of the icy moons of the Jovian and Saturnian systems, providing close proximity multi-period magnetic induction sounding to compliment plasma suites and ice penetrating radar while setting the stage for alternative payloads and enhanced exploration of these potentially habitable worlds.

The onset of dynamical instability and chaos in navigation satellite orbits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosengren, Aaron Jay; Daquin, Jérôme; Alessi, Elisa Maria; Valsecchi, Giovanni B.; Rossi, Alessandro; Deleflie, Florent

2015-05-01

Orbital resonances are ubiquitous in the Solar System and are harbingers for the onset of dynamical instability and chaos. It has long been suspected that the Global Navigation Satellite Systems exist in a background of complex resonances and chaotic motion; yet, the precise dynamical character of these phenomena remains elusive. Here we will show that the same underlying physical mechanism, the overlapping of secular resonances, responsible for the eventual destabilization of Mercury and recently proposed to explain the orbital architecture of extrasolar planetary systems (Lithwick Y., Wu Y., 2014, PNAS; Batygin K., Morbidelli A., Holman M.J., 2015, ApJ) is at the heart of the orbital instabilities of seemingly more mundane celestial bodies---the Earth's navigation satellites. We will demonstrate that the occurrence and nature of the secular resonances driving these dynamics depend chiefly on one aspect of the Moon's perturbed motion, the regression of the line of nodes. This talk will present analytical models that accurately reflect the true nature of the resonant interactions, and will show how chaotic diffusion is mediated by the web-like structure of secular resonances. We will also present an atlas of FLI stability maps, showing the extent of the chaotic regions of the phase space, computed through a hierarchy of more realistic, and more complicated, models, and compare the chaotic zones in these charts with the analytical estimation of the width of the chaotic layers from the heuristic Chirikov resonance-overlap criterion. The obtained results have remarkable practical applications for space debris mitigation and for satellite technology, and are both of essential dynamical and theoretical importance, with broad implications for planetary science.

Planetary boundaries for a blue planet.

PubMed

Nash, Kirsty L; Cvitanovic, Christopher; Fulton, Elizabeth A; Halpern, Benjamin S; Milner-Gulland, E J; Watson, Reg A; Blanchard, Julia L

2017-11-01

Concepts underpinning the planetary boundaries framework are being incorporated into multilateral discussions on sustainability, influencing international environmental policy development. Research underlying the boundaries has primarily focused on terrestrial systems, despite the fundamental role of marine biomes for Earth system function and societal wellbeing, seriously hindering the efficacy of the boundary approach. We explore boundaries from a marine perspective. For each boundary, we show how improved integration of marine systems influences our understanding of the risk of crossing these limits. Better integration of marine systems is essential if planetary boundaries are to inform Earth system governance.

Remote sensor support requirements for planetary missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weddell, J. B.; Wheeler, A. E.

1971-01-01

The study approach, methods, results, and conclusions of remote sensor support requirements for planetary missions are summarized. Major efforts were made to (1) establish the scientific and engineering knowledge and observation requirements for planetary exploration in the 1975 to 1985 period; (2) define the state of the art and expected development of instrument systems appropriate for sensing planetary environments; (3) establish scaling laws relating performance and support requirements of candidate remote sensor systems; (4) establish fundamental remote sensor system capabilities, limitations, and support requirements during encounter and other dynamical conditions for specific missions; and (5) construct families of candidate remote sensors compatible with selected missions. It was recommended that these data be integrated with earlier results to enhance utility, and that more restrictions be placed on the system.

BIO-Plex Information System Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Harry; Boulanger, Richard; Arnold, James O. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

This paper describes a suggested design for an integrated information system for the proposed BIO-Plex (Bioregenerative Planetary Life Support Systems Test Complex) at Johnson Space Center (JSC), including distributed control systems, central control, networks, database servers, personal computers and workstations, applications software, and external communications. The system will have an open commercial computing and networking, architecture. The network will provide automatic real-time transfer of information to database server computers which perform data collection and validation. This information system will support integrated, data sharing applications for everything, from system alarms to management summaries. Most existing complex process control systems have information gaps between the different real time subsystems, between these subsystems and central controller, between the central controller and system level planning and analysis application software, and between the system level applications and management overview reporting. An integrated information system is vitally necessary as the basis for the integration of planning, scheduling, modeling, monitoring, and control, which will allow improved monitoring and control based on timely, accurate and complete data. Data describing the system configuration and the real time processes can be collected, checked and reconciled, analyzed and stored in database servers that can be accessed by all applications. The required technology is available. The only opportunity to design a distributed, nonredundant, integrated system is before it is built. Retrofit is extremely difficult and costly.

NASA Propulsion Investments for Exploration and Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Bryan K.; Free, James M.; Klem, Mark D.; Priskos, Alex S.; Kynard, Michael H.

2008-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invests in chemical and electric propulsion systems to achieve future mission objectives for both human exploration and robotic science. Propulsion system requirements for human missions are derived from the exploration architecture being implemented in the Constellation Program. The Constellation Program first develops a system consisting of the Ares I launch vehicle and Orion spacecraft to access the Space Station, then builds on this initial system with the heavy-lift Ares V launch vehicle, Earth departure stage, and lunar module to enable missions to the lunar surface. A variety of chemical engines for all mission phases including primary propulsion, reaction control, abort, lunar ascent, and lunar descent are under development or are in early risk reduction to meet the specific requirements of the Ares I and V launch vehicles, Orion crew and service modules, and Altair lunar module. Exploration propulsion systems draw from Apollo, space shuttle, and commercial heritage and are applied across the Constellation architecture vehicles. Selection of these launch systems and engines is driven by numerous factors including development cost, existing infrastructure, operations cost, and reliability. Incorporation of green systems for sustained operations and extensibility into future systems is an additional consideration for system design. Science missions will directly benefit from the development of Constellation launch systems, and are making advancements in electric and chemical propulsion systems for challenging deep space, rendezvous, and sample return missions. Both Hall effect and ion electric propulsion systems are in development or qualification to address the range of NASA s Heliophysics, Planetary Science, and Astrophysics mission requirements. These address the spectrum of potential requirements from cost-capped missions to enabling challenging high delta-v, long-life missions. Additionally, a high specific impulse chemical engine is in development that will add additional capability to performance-demanding space science missions. In summary, the paper provides a survey of current NASA development and risk reduction propulsion investments for exploration and science.

Computer simulations of planetary accretion dynamics: Sensitivity to initial conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Isaacman, R.; Sagan, C.

1976-01-01

The implications and limitations of program ACRETE were tested. The program is a scheme based on Newtonian physics and accretion with unit sticking efficiency, devised to simulate the origin of the planets. The dependence of the results on a variety of radial and vertical density distribution laws, the ratio of gas to dust in the solar nebula, the total nebular mass, and the orbital eccentricity of the accreting grains was explored. Only for a small subset of conceivable cases are planetary systems closely like our own generated. Many models have tendencies towards one of two preferred configurations: multiple star systems, or planetary systems in which Jovian planets either have substantially smaller masses than in our system or are absent altogether. But for a wide range of cases recognizable planetary systems are generated - ranging from multiple star systems with accompanying planets, to systems with Jovian planets at several hundred AU, to single stars surrounded only by asteroids.

Impact of non-integer planetary revolutions on the distribution of evaporated optical coatings

DOE PAGES

Oliver, J. B.

2017-02-08

Planetary substrate rotation for optical-coating deposition is evaluated based on initial and final positions for a given layer with different numbers of revolutions and various deposition-source locations. The influence of partial revolutions of the rotation system is analyzed relative to the total number of planetary revolutions in that layer to determine the relative impact on film thickness and uniformity. Furthermore, guidance is provided on the necessary planetary revolutions that should take place in each layer versus the expected error level in the layer thickness for the modeled system.

The LEECH Exoplanet Imaging Survey. Further constraints on the planet architecture of the HR 8799 system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maire, A.-L.; Skemer, A. J.; Hinz, P. M.; Desidera, S.; Esposito, S.; Gratton, R.; Marzari, F.; Skrutskie, M. F.; Biller, B. A.; Defrère, D.; Bailey, V. P.; Leisenring, J. M.; Apai, D.; Bonnefoy, M.; Brandner, W.; Buenzli, E.; Claudi, R. U.; Close, L. M.; Crepp, J. R.; De Rosa, R. J.; Eisner, J. A.; Fortney, J. J.; Henning, T.; Hofmann, K.-H.; Kopytova, T. G.; Males, J. R.; Mesa, D.; Morzinski, K. M.; Oza, A.; Patience, J.; Pinna, E.; Rajan, A.; Schertl, D.; Schlieder, J. E.; Su, K. Y. L.; Vaz, A.; Ward-Duong, K.; Weigelt, G.; Woodward, C. E.

2015-04-01

Context. Astrometric monitoring of directly imaged exoplanets allows the study of their orbital parameters and system architectures. Because most directly imaged planets have long orbital periods (>20 AU), accurate astrometry is challenging when based on data acquired on timescales of a few years and usually with different instruments. The LMIRCam camera on the Large Binocular Telescope is being used for the LBT Exozodi Exoplanet Common Hunt (LEECH) survey to search for and characterize young and adolescent exoplanets in L' band (3.8 μm), including their system architectures. Aims: We first aim to provide a good astrometric calibration of LMIRCam. Then, we derive new astrometry, test the predictions of the orbital model of 8:4:2:1 mean motion resonance proposed for the system, and perform new orbital fitting of the HR 8799 bcde planets. We also present deep limits on a putative fifth planet inside the known planets. Methods: We use observations of HR 8799 and the Θ1 Ori C field obtained during the same run in October 2013. Results: We first characterize the distortion of LMIRCam. We determine a platescale and a true north orientation for the images of 10.707 ± 0.012 mas/pix and -0.430 ± 0.076°, respectively. The errors on the platescale and true north orientation translate into astrometric accuracies at a separation of 1'' of 1.1 mas and 1.3 mas, respectively. The measurements for all planets agree within 3σ with a predicted ephemeris. The orbital fitting based on the new astrometric measurements favors an architecture for the planetary system based on 8:4:2:1 mean motion resonance. The detection limits allow us to exclude a fifth planet slightly brighter or more massive than HR 8799 b at the location of the 2:1 resonance with HR 8799 e (~9.5 AU) and about twice as bright as HR 8799 cde at the location of the 3:1 resonance with HR 8799 e (~7.5 AU). The LBT is an international collaboration among institutions in the United States, Italy, and Germany. LBT Corporation partners are: The University of Arizona on behalf of the Arizona university system; Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Italy; LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Germany, representing the Max-Planck Society, the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, and Heidelberg University; The Ohio State University, and The Research Corporation, on behalf of The University of Notre Dame, University of Minnesota, and University of Virginia.

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.

Automation and robotics human performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mah, Robert W.

1990-01-01

The scope of this report is limited to the following: (1) assessing the feasibility of the assumptions for crew productivity during the intra-vehicular activities and extra-vehicular activities; (2) estimating the appropriate level of automation and robotics to accomplish balanced man-machine, cost-effective operations in space; (3) identifying areas where conceptually different approaches to the use of people and machines can leverage the benefits of the scenarios; and (4) recommending modifications to scenarios or developing new scenarios that will improve the expected benefits. The FY89 special assessments are grouped into the five categories shown in the report. The high level system analyses for Automation & Robotics (A&R) and Human Performance (HP) were performed under the Case Studies Technology Assessment category, whereas the detailed analyses for the critical systems and high leverage development areas were performed under the appropriate operations categories (In-Space Vehicle Operations or Planetary Surface Operations). The analysis activities planned for the Science Operations technology areas were deferred to FY90 studies. The remaining activities such as analytic tool development, graphics/video demonstrations and intelligent communicating systems software architecture were performed under the Simulation & Validations category.

BioNet Digital Communications Framework

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gifford, Kevin; Kuzminsky, Sebastian; Williams, Shea

2010-01-01

BioNet v2 is a peer-to-peer middleware that enables digital communication devices to talk to each other. It provides a software development framework, standardized application, network-transparent device integration services, a flexible messaging model, and network communications for distributed applications. BioNet is an implementation of the Constellation Program Command, Control, Communications and Information (C3I) Interoperability specification, given in CxP 70022-01. The system architecture provides the necessary infrastructure for the integration of heterogeneous wired and wireless sensing and control devices into a unified data system with a standardized application interface, providing plug-and-play operation for hardware and software systems. BioNet v2 features a naming schema for mobility and coarse-grained localization information, data normalization within a network-transparent device driver framework, enabling of network communications to non-IP devices, and fine-grained application control of data subscription band width usage. BioNet directly integrates Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) as a communications technology, enabling networked communications with assets that are only intermittently connected including orbiting relay satellites and planetary rover vehicles.

Nonlinear adaptive formation control for a class of autonomous holonomic planetary exploration rovers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganji, Farid

This dissertation presents novel nonlinear adaptive formation controllers for a heterogeneous group of holonomic planetary exploration rovers navigating over flat terrains with unknown soil types and surface conditions. A leader-follower formation control architecture is employed. In the first part, using a point-mass model for robots and a Coulomb-viscous friction model for terrain resistance, direct adaptive control laws and a formation speed-adaptation strategy are developed for formation navigation over unknown and changing terrain in the presence of actuator saturation. On-line estimates of terrain frictional parameters compensate for unknown terrain resistance and its variations. In saturation events over difficult terrain, the formation speed is reduced based on the speed of the slowest saturated robot, using internal fleet communication and a speed-adaptation strategy, so that the formation error stays bounded and small. A formal proof for asymptotic stability of the formation system in non-saturated conditions is given. The performance of robot controllers are verified using a modular 3-robot formation simulator. Simulations show that the formation errors reduce to zero asymptotically under non-saturated conditions as is guaranteed by the theoretical proof. In the second part, the proposed adaptive control methodology is extended for formation control of a class of omnidirectional rovers with three independently-driven universal holonomic rigid wheels, where the rovers' rigid-body dynamics, drive-system electromechanical characteristics, and wheel-ground interaction mechanics are incorporated. Holonomic rovers have the ability to move simultaneously and independently in translation and rotation, rendering great maneuverability and agility, which makes them suitable for formation navigation. Novel nonlinear adaptive control laws are designed for the input voltages of the three wheel-drive motors. The motion resistance, which is due to the sinkage of rover wheels in soft planetary terrain, is modeled using classical terramechanics theory. The unknown system parameters for adaptive estimation pertain to the rolling resistance forces and scrubbing resistance torques at the wheel-terrain interfaces. Novel terramechanical formulas for terrain resistance forces and torques are derived via considering the universal holonomic wheels as rigid toroidal wheels moving forward and/or sideways as well as turning on soft ground. The asymptotic stability of the formation control system is rigorously proved using Lyapunov's direct method.

Adaptable, Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT) Overview of FY15 Accomplishments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wercinski, P.; Brivkalns, C.; Cassell, A.; Chen, Y.-K.; Boghozian, T.; Chinnapongse, R.; Gasch, M.; Kruger, C.; Makino, A.; Milos, F.;

Development and Evaluation of a New Spectral Planetary Boundary-Layer Architecture for the MM5

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-08-07

I’m grateful to Dr. George Young for his suggestion to use the Bulk-Richardson technique for diagnosis of boundary-layer depth during convection, and...simulation (LES) (Wyngaard and Brost 1984). However, these profiles are not generally representative of all conditions. They are instead prescribed for...Wyngaard, J. C, and R. A. Brost , 1984: Top-down and bottom diffusion of a scalar in the convective boundary layer. J. Atmos. Sei., 44, 102-112. Zeman

On-Board Perception System For Planetary Aerobot Balloon Navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balaram, J.; Scheid, Robert E.; T. Salomon, Phil

1996-01-01

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is implementing the Planetary Aerobot Testbed to develop the technology needed to operate a robotic balloon aero-vehicle (Aerobot). This earth-based system would be the precursor for aerobots designed to explore Venus, Mars, Titan and other gaseous planetary bodies. The on-board perception system allows the aerobot to localize itself and navigate on a planet using information derived from a variety of celestial, inertial, ground-imaging, ranging, and radiometric sensors.

Reports of planetary geology program, 1976 - 1977. [abstracts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arvidson, R. (Compiler); Wahmann, R. (Compiler); Howard, J. H., III

1977-01-01

One hundred seventeen investigations undertaken in the NASA Planetary Geology Program in 1976-1977 are reported in abstract form. Topics discussed include solar system formation; planetary interiors; planetary evolution; asteroids, comets and moons; cratering; volcanic, eolian, fluvial and mass wasting processes; volatiles and the Martian regolith; mapping; and instrument development and techniques. An author index is provided.

Planetary geosciences, 1989-1990

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zuber, Maria T. (Editor); James, Odette B. (Editor); Lunine, Jonathan I. (Editor); Macpherson, Glenn J. (Editor); Phillips, Roger J. (Editor)

1992-01-01

NASA's Planetary Geosciences Programs (the Planetary Geology and Geophysics and the Planetary Material and Geochemistry Programs) provide support and an organizational framework for scientific research on solid bodies of the solar system. These research and analysis programs support scientific research aimed at increasing our understanding of the physical, chemical, and dynamic nature of the solid bodies of the solar system: the Moon, the terrestrial planets, the satellites of the outer planets, the rings, the asteroids, and the comets. This research is conducted using a variety of methods: laboratory experiments, theoretical approaches, data analysis, and Earth analog techniques. Through research supported by these programs, we are expanding our understanding of the origin and evolution of the solar system. This document is intended to provide an overview of the more significant scientific findings and discoveries made this year by scientists supported by the Planetary Geosciences Program. To a large degree, these results and discoveries are the measure of success of the programs.

Fabrication of Single, Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes in 3D Nanoscale Architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaul, Anupama B.; Megerian, Krikor G.; Von Allmen, Paul A.; Baron, Richard L.

2010-01-01

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and high-throughput manufacturing techniques for integrating single, aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into novel 3D nanoscale architectures have been developed. First, the PECVD growth technique ensures excellent alignment of the tubes, since the tubes align in the direction of the electric field in the plasma as they are growing. Second, the tubes generated with this technique are all metallic, so their chirality is predetermined, which is important for electronic applications. Third, a wafer-scale manufacturing process was developed that is high-throughput and low-cost, and yet enables the integration of just single, aligned tubes with nanoscale 3D architectures with unprecedented placement accuracy and does not rely on e-beam lithography. Such techniques should lend themselves to the integration of PECVD grown tubes for applications ranging from interconnects, nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), sensors, bioprobes, or other 3D electronic devices. Chemically amplified polyhydroxystyrene-resin-based deep UV resists were used in conjunction with excimer laser-based (lambda = 248 nm) step-and-repeat lithography to form Ni catalyst dots = 300 nm in diameter that nucleated single, vertically aligned tubes with high yield using dc PECVD growth. This is the first time such chemically amplified resists have been used, resulting in the nucleation of single, vertically aligned tubes. In addition, novel 3D nanoscale architectures have been created using topdown techniques that integrate single, vertically aligned tubes. These were enabled by implementing techniques that use deep-UV chemically amplified resists for small-feature-size resolution; optical lithography units that allow unprecedented control over layer-to-layer registration; and ICP (inductively coupled plasma) etching techniques that result in near-vertical, high-aspect-ratio, 3D nanoscale architectures, in conjunction with the use of materials that are structurally and chemically compatible with the high-temperature synthesis of the PECVD-grown tubes. The techniques offer a wafer-scale process solution for integrating single PECVD-grown nanotubes into novel architectures that should accelerate their integration in 3D electronics in general. NASA can directly benefit from this technology for its extreme-environment planetary missions. Current Si transistors are inherently more susceptible to high radiation, and do not tolerate extremes in temperature. These novel 3D nanoscale architectures can form the basis for NEMS switches that are inherently less susceptible to radiation or to thermal extremes.

HESS Opinions: A planetary boundary on freshwater use is misleading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heistermann, Maik

2017-07-01

In 2009, a group of prominent Earth scientists introduced the planetary boundaries (PB) framework: they suggested nine global control variables, and defined corresponding thresholds which, if crossed, could generate unacceptable environmental change. The concept builds on systems theory, and views Earth as a complex adaptive system in which anthropogenic disturbances may trigger non-linear, abrupt, and irreversible changes at the global scale, and push the Earth system outside the stable environmental state of the Holocene. While the idea has been remarkably successful in both science and policy circles, it has also raised fundamental concerns, as the majority of suggested processes and their corresponding planetary boundaries do not operate at the global scale, and thus apparently lack the potential to trigger abrupt planetary changes. This paper picks up the debate with specific regard to the planetary boundary on global freshwater use. While the bio-physical impacts of excessive water consumption are typically confined to the river basin scale, the PB proponents argue that water-induced environmental disasters could build up to planetary-scale feedbacks and system failures. So far, however, no evidence has been presented to corroborate that hypothesis. Furthermore, no coherent approach has been presented to what extent a planetary threshold value could reflect the risk of regional environmental disaster. To be sure, the PB framework was revised in 2015, extending the planetary freshwater boundary with a set of basin-level boundaries inferred from environmental water flow assumptions. Yet, no new evidence was presented, either with respect to the ability of those basin-level boundaries to reflect the risk of regional regime shifts or with respect to a potential mechanism linking river basins to the planetary scale. So while the idea of a planetary boundary on freshwater use appears intriguing, the line of arguments presented so far remains speculative and implicatory. As long as Earth system science does not present compelling evidence, the exercise of assigning actual numbers to such a boundary is arbitrary, premature, and misleading. Taken as a basis for water-related policy and management decisions, though, the idea transforms from misleading to dangerous, as it implies that we can globally offset water-related environmental impacts. A planetary boundary on freshwater use should thus be disapproved and actively refuted by the hydrological and water resources community.

Planetary CubeSats Come of Age

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherwood, Brent; Spangelo, Sara; Frick, Andreas; Castillo-Rogez, Julie; Klesh, Andrew; Wyatt, E. Jay; Reh, Kim; Baker, John

2015-01-01

Jet Propulsion Laboratory initiatives in developing and formulating planetary CubeSats are described. Six flight systems already complete or underway now at JPL for missions to interplanetary space, the Moon, a near-Earth asteroid, and Mars are described at the subsystem level. Key differences between interplanetary nanospacecraft and LEO CubeSats are explained, as well as JPL's adaptation of vendor components and development of system solutions to meet planetary-mission needs. Feasible technology-demonstration and science measurement objectives are described for multiple modes of planetary mission implementation. Seven planetary-science demonstration mission concepts, already proposed to NASA by Discovery-2014 PIs partnered with JPL, are described for investigations at Sun-Earth L5, Venus, NEA 1999 FG3, comet Tempel 2, Phobos, main-belt asteroid 24 Themis, and metal asteroid 16 Psyche. The JPL staff and facilities resources available to PIs for analysis, design, and development of planetary nanospacecraft are catalogued.

Analysis of a planetary-rotation system for evaporated optical coatings.

PubMed

Oliver, J B

2016-10-20

The impact of planetary design considerations for optical coating deposition is analyzed, including the ideal number of planets, variations in system performance, and the deviation of planet motion from the ideal. System capacity is maximized for four planets, although substrate size can significantly influence this result. Guidance is provided in the design of high-performance deposition systems based on the relative impact of different error modes. Errors in planet mounting such that the planet surface is not perpendicular to the axis of rotation are particularly problematic, suggesting planetary design modifications would be appropriate.

European Workshop on Planetary Sciences, Rome, Italy, April 23-27, 1979, Proceedings. Part 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1980-02-01

Papers are presented on the dynamics and evolution of the solar system and its components. Specific topics include the dynamic stability of the solar system, the tidal friction theory of the earth moon system, the stability and irregularity of extrasolar planetary systems, angular momentum and magnetic braking during star formation, the collisional growth of planetesimals, the dynamics, interrelations and evolution of the asteroids and comets, the formation and stability of Saturn's rings, and the importance of nearly tangent orbits in planetary close encounters.

Mars Sample Return Using Commercial Capabilities: Mission Architecture Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzales, Andrew A.; Stoker, Carol R.; Lemke, Lawrence G.; Faber, Nicholas T.; Race, Margaret S.

2013-01-01

Mars Sample Return (MSR) is the highest priority science mission for the next decade as recommended by the recent Decadal Survey of Planetary Science. This paper presents an overview of a feasibility study for a MSR mission. The objective of the study was to determine whether emerging commercial capabilities can be used to reduce the number of mission systems and launches required to return the samples, with the goal of reducing mission cost. The major element required for the MSR mission are described and include an integration of the emerging commercial capabilities with small spacecraft design techniques; new utilizations of traditional aerospace technologies; and recent technological developments. We report the feasibility of a complete and closed MSR mission design using the following scenario that covers three synodic launch opportunities, beginning with the 2022 opportunity: A Falcon Heavy injects a SpaceX Red Dragon capsule and trunk onto a Trans Mars Injection (TMI) trajectory. The capsule is modified to carry all the hardware needed to return samples collected on Mars including a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV); an Earth Return Vehicle (ERV); and hardware to transfer a sample collected in a previously landed rover mission to the ERV. The Red Dragon descends to land on the surface of Mars using Supersonic Retro Propulsion (SRP). After previously collected samples are transferred to the ERV, the single-stage MAV launches the ERV from the surface of Mars to a Mars phasing orbit. The MAV uses a storable liquid, pump fed bi-propellant propulsion system. After a brief phasing period, the ERV, which also uses a storable bi-propellant system, performs a Trans Earth Injection (TEI) burn. Once near Earth the ERV performs Earth and lunar swing-bys and is placed into a Lunar Trailing Orbit (LTO0 - an Earth orbit, at lunar distance. A later mission, using a Dragon and launched by a Falcon Heavy, performs a rendezvous with the ERV in the lunar trailing orbit, retrieves the sample container and breaks the chain of contact with Mars by transferring the sample into a sterile and secure container. With the sample contained, the retrieving spacecraft, makes a controlled Earth re-entry preventing any unintended release of pristine Martian materials into the Earth's biosphere. Other capsule type vehicles and associated launchers may be applicable. The analysis methods employed standard and specialized aerospace engineering tools. Mission system elements were analyzed with either direct techniques or by using parametric mass estimating relationships (MERs). The architecture was iterated until overall mission convergence was achieved on at least one path. Subsystems analyzed in this study include support structures, power system, nose fairing, thermal insulation, actuation devices, MAV exhaust venting, and GN&C. Best practice application of loads, mass growth contingencies, and resource margins were used. For Falcon Heavy capabilities and Dragon subsystems we utilized publically available data from SpaceX; published analyses from other sources; as well as our own engineering and aerodynamic estimates. Earth Launch mass is under 11 mt, which is within the estimated capability of a Falcon Heavy, with margin. Total entry masses between 7 and 10 mt were considered with closure occurring between 9 and 10 mt. Propellant mass fractions for each major phase of the EDL - Entry, Terminal Descent, and Hazard Avoidance - have been derived. An assessment of the entry conditions on the thermal protection system (TPS), currently in use for Dragon missions, has been made. And shows no significant stressors. A useful mass of 2.0 mt is provided and includes mass growth allowances for the MAV, the ERV, and mission unique equipment. We also report on alternate propellant options for the MAV and options for the ERV, including propulsion systems; crewed versus robotic retrieval mission; as well as direct Earth entry. International Planetary Protection Policies as well as verifiable means of compliance will have a large impact on any MSR mission design. We identify areas within our architecture where such impacts occur. This work shows that emerging commercial capabilities can be used to effectively integrated into a mission to achieve an important planetary science objective.

Long-Lived Venus Lander Conceptual Design: How To Keep It Cool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyson, Ridger W.; Schmitz, Paul C.; Penswick, L. Barry; Bruder, Geoffrey A.

2009-01-01

Surprisingly little is known about Venus, our neighboring sister planet in the solar system, due to the challenges of operating in its extremely hot, corrosive, and dense environment. For example, after over two dozen missions to the planet, the longest-lived lander was the Soviet Venera 13, and it only survived two hours on the surface. Several conceptual Venus mission studies have been formulated in the past two decades proposing lander architectures that potentially extend lander lifetime. Most recently, the Venus Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) was commissioned by NASA to study a Venus Flagship Mission potentially launching in the 2020- 2025 time-frame; the reference lander of this study is designed to survive for only a few hours more than Venera 13 launched back in 1981! Since Cytherean mission planners lack a viable approach to a long-lived surface architecture, specific scientific objectives outlined in the National Science Foundation Decadal Survey and Venus Exploration Advisory Group final report cannot be completed. These include: mapping the mineralogy and composition of the surface on a planetary scale determining the age of various rock samples on Venus, searching for evidence of changes in interior dynamics (seismometry) and its impact on climate and many other key observations that benefit with time scales of at least a full Venus day (Le. daylight/night cycle). This report reviews those studies and recommends a hybrid lander architecture that can survive for at least one Venus day (243 Earth days) by incorporating selective Stirling multi-stage active cooling and hybrid thermoacoustic power.

ANALYSIS OF TERRESTRIAL PLANET FORMATION BY THE GRAND TACK MODEL: SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND TACK LOCATION

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

Brasser, R.; Ida, S.; Matsumura, S.

2016-04-20

The Grand Tack model of terrestrial planet formation has emerged in recent years as the premier scenario used to account for several observed features of the inner solar system. It relies on the early migration of the giant planets to gravitationally sculpt and mix the planetesimal disk down to ∼1 au, after which the terrestrial planets accrete from material remaining in a narrow circumsolar annulus. Here, we investigate how the model fares under a range of initial conditions and migration course-change (“tack”) locations. We run a large number of N-body simulations with tack locations of 1.5 and 2 au andmore » test initial conditions using equal-mass planetary embryos and a semi-analytical approach to oligarchic growth. We make use of a recent model of the protosolar disk that takes into account viscous heating, includes the full effect of type 1 migration, and employs a realistic mass–radius relation for the growing terrestrial planets. Our results show that the canonical tack location of Jupiter at 1.5 au is inconsistent with the most massive planet residing at 1 au at greater than 95% confidence. This favors a tack farther out at 2 au for the disk model and parameters employed. Of the different initial conditions, we find that the oligarchic case is capable of statistically reproducing the orbital architecture and mass distribution of the terrestrial planets, while the equal-mass embryo case is not.« less

A Risk-Constrained Multi-Stage Decision Making Approach to the Architectural Analysis of Mars Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuwata, Yoshiaki; Pavone, Marco; Balaram, J. (Bob)

2012-01-01

This paper presents a novel risk-constrained multi-stage decision making approach to the architectural analysis of planetary rover missions. In particular, focusing on a 2018 Mars rover concept, which was considered as part of a potential Mars Sample Return campaign, we model the entry, descent, and landing (EDL) phase and the rover traverse phase as four sequential decision-making stages. The problem is to find a sequence of divert and driving maneuvers so that the rover drive is minimized and the probability of a mission failure (e.g., due to a failed landing) is below a user specified bound. By solving this problem for several different values of the model parameters (e.g., divert authority), this approach enables rigorous, accurate and systematic trade-offs for the EDL system vs. the mobility system, and, more in general, cross-domain trade-offs for the different phases of a space mission. The overall optimization problem can be seen as a chance-constrained dynamic programming problem, with the additional complexity that 1) in some stages the disturbances do not have any probabilistic characterization, and 2) the state space is extremely large (i.e, hundreds of millions of states for trade-offs with high-resolution Martian maps). To this purpose, we solve the problem by performing an unconventional combination of average and minimax cost analysis and by leveraging high efficient computation tools from the image processing community. Preliminary trade-off results are presented.

The Planetary Data System - A Case Study in the Development and Management of Meta-Data for a Scientific Digital Library

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, J.

1998-01-01

The Planetary Data System (PDS) is an active science data archive managed by scientists for NASA's planetary science community. With the advent of the World Wide Web the majority of the archive has been placed on-line as a science digital libraty for access by scientists, the educational community, and the general public.

The Second Conference on Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mendell, Wendell W. (Editor); Alred, John W. (Editor); Bell, Larry S. (Editor); Cintala, Mark J. (Editor); Crabb, Thomas M. (Editor); Durrett, Robert H. (Editor); Finney, Ben R. (Editor); Franklin, H. Andrew (Editor); French, James R. (Editor); Greenberg, Joel S. (Editor)

1992-01-01

These 92 papers comprise a peer-reviewed selection of presentations by authors from NASA, the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), industry, and academia at the Second Conference on Lunar Bases and Space Activities of the 21st Century. These papers go into more technical depth than did those published from the first NASA-sponsored symposium on the topic, held in 1984. Session topics included the following: (1) design and operation of transportation systems to, in orbit around, and on the Moon; (2) lunar base site selection; (3) design, architecture, construction, and operation of lunar bases and human habitats; (4) lunar-based scientific research and experimentation in astronomy, exobiology, and lunar geology; (5) recovery and use of lunar resources; (6) environmental and human factors of and life support technology for human presence on the Moon; and (7) program management of human exploration of the Moon and space.

Beacons for supporting lunar landing navigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theil, Stephan; Bora, Leonardo

2017-03-01

Current and future planetary exploration missions involve a landing on the target celestial body. Almost all of these landing missions are currently relying on a combination of inertial and optical sensor measurements to determine the current flight state with respect to the target body and the desired landing site. As soon as an infrastructure at the landing site exists, the requirements as well as conditions change for vehicles landing close to this existing infrastructure. This paper investigates the options for ground-based infrastructure supporting the onboard navigation system and analyzes the impact on the achievable navigation accuracy. For that purpose, the paper starts with an existing navigation architecture based on optical navigation and extends it with measurements to support navigation with ground infrastructure. A scenario of lunar landing is simulated and the provided functions of the ground infrastructure as well as the location with respect to the landing site are evaluated. The results are analyzed and discussed.

MoonMars Base in Poland: a Simulation Habitat and Laboratory for Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolodziejczyk, Agata; Gocyla, Michal; Harasymczuk, Matt; Krainski, Mateusz; Nawrot, Adam; Orzechowski, Leszek; Wszolek, Bogdan; Vos, Heleen; Foing, Bernard

2017-04-01

Analog simulation missions are notable steps of real space exploration missions, where the hardware, along with the psychological behavior, the scientific and geological experiments, and operations, are scrutinized and conducted in a simulated environment to prepare astronauts and space agencies for actual missions. Here we present the newly built MoonMars base in Poland to investigate human-robotic relations during long-term planetary missions. We apply novel tele-medicine solutions, novel architecture design, life-sustaining systems and novel methods of planning and working to simulate not only "the beginning of life" in the habitat but also "a need to transform". The aim of the project is to facilitate and to speed up development of space education in Europe. Particularly, we are interested to enroll students, engineers and PhD students for realization of their individual projects in the frame of their master and doctoral programmes.

The Solar System and Its Origin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dormand, J. R.

1973-01-01

Presents a brief explanation of the solar system, including planets, asteroids, satellites, comets, planetary orbits, as well as, old and recent cosmogonic theories. Indicates that man is nearer a solution to the origin of the planetary system than ever before.

Increasing Small Satellite Reliability- A Public-Private Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Michael A.; Beauchamp, Patricia; Schone, Harald; Sheldon, Doug; Fuhrman, Linda; Sullivan, Erica; Fairbanks, Tom; Moe, Miquel; Leitner, Jesse

2017-01-01

At present, CubeSat components and buses are generally not appropriate for missions where significant risk of failure, or the inability to quantify risk or confidence, is acceptable. However, in the future we anticipate that CubeSats will be used for missions requiring reliability of 1-3 years for Earth-observing missions and even longer for Planetary, Heliophysics, and Astrophysics missions. Their growing potential utility is driving an interagency effort to improve and quantify CubeSat reliability, and more generally, small satellite mission risk. The Small Satellite Reliability Initiative (SSRI)—an ongoing activity with broad collaborative participation from civil, DoD, and commercial space systems providers and stakeholders—targets this challenge. The Initiative seeks to define implementable and broadly-accepted approaches to achieve reliability and acceptable risk postures associated with several SmallSat mission risk classes—from “do no harm” missions, to those associated with missions whose failure would result in loss or delay of key national objectives. These approaches will maintain, to the extent practical, cost efficiencies associated with small satellite missions and consider constraints associated with supply chain elements, as appropriate. The SSRI addresses this challenge from two architectural levels—the mission- or system-level, and the component- or subsystem-level. The mission- or system-level scope targets assessment approaches that are efficient and effective, with mitigation strategies that facilitate resiliency to mission or system anomalies while the component- or subsystem-level scope addresses the challenge at lower architectural levels. The initiative does not limit strategies and approaches to proven and traditional methodologies, but is focused on fomenting thought on novel and innovative solutions. This paper discusses the genesis of and drivers for this initiative, how the public-private collaboration is being executed, findings and recommendations derived to date, and next steps towards broadening small satellite mission potential.

Scattering of exocomets by a planet chain: exozodi levels and the delivery of cometary material to inner planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marino, Sebastian; Bonsor, Amy; Wyatt, Mark C.; Kral, Quentin

2018-06-01

Exocomets scattered by planets have been invoked to explain observations in multiple contexts, including the frequently found near- and mid-infrared excess around nearby stars arising from exozodiacal dust. Here we investigate how the process of inward scattering of comets originating in an outer belt, is affected by the architecture of a planetary system, to determine whether this could lead to observable exozodi levels or deliver volatiles to inner planets. Using N-body simulations, we model systems with different planet mass and orbital spacing distributions in the 1-50 AU region. We find that tightly packed (Δap < 20RH, m) low mass planets are the most efficient at delivering material to exozodi regions (5-7% of scattered exocomets end up within 0.5 AU at some point), although the exozodi levels do not vary by more than a factor of ˜7 for the architectures studied here. We suggest that emission from scattered dusty material in between the planets could provide a potential test for this delivery mechanism. We show that the surface density of scattered material can vary by two orders of magnitude (being highest for systems of low mass planets with medium spacing), whilst the exozodi delivery rate stays roughly constant, and that future instruments such as JWST could detect it. In fact for η Corvi, the current Herschel upper limit rules our the scattering scenario by a chain of ≲30 M⊕ planets. Finally, we show that exocomets could be efficient at delivering cometary material to inner planets (0.1-1% of scattered comets are accreted per inner planet). Overall, the best systems at delivering comets to inner planets are the ones that have low mass outer planets and medium spacing (˜20RH, m).

The formation of planetary systems during the evolution of close binary stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tutukov, A. V.

1991-08-01

Modern scenarios of the formation of planetary systems around single stars and products of merging close binaries are described. The frequencies of the realization of different scenarios in the Galaxy are estimated. It is concluded that the modern theory of the early stages of the evolution of single stars and the theory of the evolution of close binaries offer several possible versions for the origin of planetary systems, while the scenario dating back to Kant and Laplace remains the likeliest.

Automated Planning and Scheduling for Planetary Rover Distributed Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Backes, Paul G.; Rabideau, Gregg; Tso, Kam S.; Chien, Steve

1999-01-01

Automated planning and Scheduling, including automated path planning, has been integrated with an Internet-based distributed operations system for planetary rover operations. The resulting prototype system enables faster generation of valid rover command sequences by a distributed planetary rover operations team. The Web Interface for Telescience (WITS) provides Internet-based distributed collaboration, the Automated Scheduling and Planning Environment (ASPEN) provides automated planning and scheduling, and an automated path planner provided path planning. The system was demonstrated on the Rocky 7 research rover at JPL.

Space telescopes planetary monitoring (PM) and Zvezdny (eng. star) patrol (ZP) for planetary science and exoplanets exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavrov, Alexander; Frolov, Pavel; Korablev, Oleg; Vedenkin, Nikolai; Barabanov, Sergey

2017-11-01

Solar System planetology requires a wide use of observing spectroscopy for surface geology to atmosphere climatology. A high-contrast imaging is required to study and to characterize extra-solar planetary systems among other faint astronomical targets observed in the vicinity of bright objects. Two middle class space telescopes projects aimed to observe Solar system planets by a long term monitoring via spectroscopy and polarimetry. Extra solar planets (exoplanets) engineering and scientific explorations are included in science program.

Utilizing a scale model solar system project to visualize important planetary science concepts and develop technology and spatial reasoning skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kortenkamp, Stephen J.; Brock, Laci

2016-10-01

Scale model solar systems have been used for centuries to help educate young students and the public about the vastness of space and the relative sizes of objects. We have adapted the classic scale model solar system activity into a student-driven project for an undergraduate general education astronomy course at the University of Arizona. Students are challenged to construct and use their three dimensional models to demonstrate an understanding of numerous concepts in planetary science, including: 1) planetary obliquities, eccentricities, inclinations; 2) phases and eclipses; 3) planetary transits; 4) asteroid sizes, numbers, and distributions; 5) giant planet satellite and ring systems; 6) the Pluto system and Kuiper belt; 7) the extent of space travel by humans and robotic spacecraft; 8) the diversity of extrasolar planetary systems. Secondary objectives of the project allow students to develop better spatial reasoning skills and gain familiarity with technology such as Excel formulas, smart-phone photography, and audio/video editing.During our presentation we will distribute a formal description of the project and discuss our expectations of the students as well as present selected highlights from preliminary submissions.

Cosmological Effects in Planetary Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blume, H. J.; Wilson, T. L.

2010-01-01

In an earlier discussion of the planetary flyby anomaly, a preliminary assessment of cosmological effects upon planetary orbits exhibiting the flyby anomaly was made. A more comprehensive investigation has since been published, although it was directed at the Pioneer anomaly and possible effects of universal rotation. The general subject of Solar System anomalies will be examined here from the point of view of planetary science.

Special issue on enabling open and interoperable access to Planetary Science and Heliophysics databases and tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-01-01

The large amount of data generated by modern space missions calls for a change of organization of data distribution and access procedures. Although long term archives exist for telescopic and space-borne observations, high-level functions need to be developed on top of these repositories to make Planetary Science and Heliophysics data more accessible and to favor interoperability. Results of simulations and reference laboratory data also need to be integrated to support and interpret the observations. Interoperable software and interfaces have recently been developed in many scientific domains. The Virtual Observatory (VO) interoperable standards developed for Astronomy by the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) can be adapted to Planetary Sciences, as demonstrated by the VESPA (Virtual European Solar and Planetary Access) team within the Europlanet-H2020-RI project. Other communities have developed their own standards: GIS (Geographic Information System) for Earth and planetary surfaces tools, SPASE (Space Physics Archive Search and Extract) for space plasma, PDS4 (NASA Planetary Data System, version 4) and IPDA (International Planetary Data Alliance) for planetary mission archives, etc, and an effort to make them interoperable altogether is starting, including automated workflows to process related data from different sources.

Calcium signals in planetary embryos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morbidelli, Alessandro

2018-03-01

The calcium-isotope composition of planetary bodies in the inner Solar System correlates with the masses of such objects. This finding could have implications for our understanding of how the Solar System formed.

Rocky Planetary Debris Around Young WDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaensicke, B.

2014-04-01

The vast majority of all known planet host stars, including the Sun, will eventually evolve into red giants and finally end their lives as white dwarfs: extremely dense Earth-sized stellar embers. Only close-in planets will be devoured during the red-giant phase. In the solar system, Mars, the asteroid belt, and all the giant planets will escape evaporation, and the same is true for many of the known exo-planets. It is hence certain that a significant fraction of the known white dwarfs were once host stars to planets, and it is very likely that many of them still have remnants of planetary systems. The detection of metals in the atmospheres of white dwarfs is the unmistakable signpost of such evolved planetary systems. The strong surface gravity of white dwarfs causes metals to sink out of the atmosphere on time-scales much shorter than their cooling ages, leading unavoidably to pristine H/He atmospheres. Therefore any metals detected in the atmosphere of a white dwarf imply recent or ongoing accretion of planetary debris. In fact, planetary debris is also detected as circumstellar dust and gas around a number of white dwarfs. These debris disks are formed from the tidal disruption of asteroids or Kuiper belt-like objects, stirred up by left-over planets, and are subsequently accreted onto the white dwarf, imprinting their abundance pattern into its atmosphere. Determining the photospheric abundances of debris-polluted white dwarfs is hence entirely analogue to the use of meteorites, "rocks that fell from the sky", for measuring the abundances of planetary material in the solar system. I will briefly review this new field of exo-planet science, and then focus on the results of a large, unbiased COS snapshot survey of relatively young ( 20-100Myr) white dwarfs that we carried out in Cycle 18/19. * At least 30% of all white dwarfs in our sample are accreting planetary debris, and that fraction may be as high as 50%. * In most cases where debris pollution is detected, the low C/Si ratio demonstrates that the planetary material is of rocky nature. * None of the 9 systems where we measure the C/O ratio shows evidence for carbon-dominated chemistry, implying that "carbon planets" are not common. * In the most polluted white dwarfs, we measure the debris abundances of up to 11 elements, enabling a detailed comparison between the chemistry of exo-planetary material with that of solar system meteorites. We find that the exo-planetary debris shares many characteristics of solar-system material, i.e. a wide spread in the relative abundances of Mg, Fe, Si, and O, a constant Al/Ca ratio, and evidence for differentiation in the form of Fe over-abundances All of the above is suggestive that thermal and collisional processing of planetary material in those systems might have been similar to that in the solar system.

Supporting Increased Autonomy for a Mars Rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estlin, Tara; Castano, Rebecca; Gaines, Dan; Bornstein, Ben; Judd, Michele; Anderson, Robert C.; Nesnas, Issa

2008-01-01

This paper presents an architecture and a set of technology for performing autonomous science and commanding for a planetary rover. The MER rovers have outperformed all expectations by lasting over 1100 sols (or Martian days), which is an order of magnitude longer than their original mission goal. The longevity of these vehicles will have significant effects on future mission goals, such as objectives for the Mars Science Laboratory rover mission (scheduled to fly in 2009) and the Astrobiology Field Lab rover mission (scheduled to potentially fly in 2016). Common objectives for future rover missions to Mars include the handling of opportunistic science, long-range or multi-sol driving, and onboard fault diagnosis and recovery. To handle these goals, a number of new technologies have been developed and integrated as part of the CLARAty architecture. CLARAty is a unified and reusable robotic architecture that was designed to simplify the integration, testing and maturation of robotic technologies for future missions. This paper focuses on technology comprising the CLARAty Decision Layer, which was designed to support and validate high-level autonomy technologies, such as automated planning and scheduling and onboard data analysis.

Mars Sample Return Using Commercial Capabilities: Propulsive Entry, Descent, and Landing of a Capsule Form Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzales, Andrew A.; Lemke, Lawrence G.; Huynh, Loc C.

2014-01-01

This paper describes a critical portion of the work that has been done at NASA, Ames Research Center regarding the use of the commercially developed Dragon capsule as a delivery vehicle for the elements of a high priority Mars Sample Return mission. The objective of the investigation was to determine entry and landed mass capabilities that cover anticipated mission conditions. The "Red Dragon", Mars configuration, uses supersonic retro-propulsion, with no required parachute system, to perform Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) maneuvers. The propulsive system proposed for use is the same system that will perform an abort, if necessary, for a human rated version of the Dragon capsule. Standard trajectory analysis tools are applied to publically available information about Dragon and other legacy capsule forms in order to perform the investigation. Trajectory simulation parameters include entry velocity, flight path angle, lift to drag Ratio (L/D), landing site elevation, atmosphere density, and total entry mass, in addition engineering assumptions for the performance of the propulsion system are stated. Mass estimates for major elements of the overall proposed architecture are coupled to this EDL analysis to close the overall architecture. Three synodic launch opportunities, beginning with the 2022 opportunity, define the arrival conditions. Results state the relations between the analysis parameters as well as sensitivities to those parameters. The EDL performance envelope includes landing altitudes between 0 and -4 km referenced to the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter datum as well as minimum and maximum atmosphere density. Total entry masses between 7 and 10 mt are considered with architecture closure occurring between 9.0 and 10 mt. Propellant mass fractions for each major phase of the EDL - Entry, Terminal Descent, and Hazard Avoidance - have been derived. An assessment of the effect of the entry conditions on the Thermal Protection System (TPS) currently in use for Dragon missions shows no significant stressors. A useful payload mass of 2.0 mt is provided and includes mass and grow allowance for a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), Earth Return Vehicle (ERV), and mission unique equipment. The useful payload supports an architecture that receives a sample from another surface asset and sends it directly back to Earth for recovery in a high Earth orbit. The work shows that emerging commercial capabilities as well as previously studied EDL methodologies can be used to efficiently support an important planetary science objective. The work also has applications for human exploration missions that will also use propulsive EDL techniques

The Past, Present, and Future of Planetary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanderburg, Andrew

2017-01-01

We are searching for planets using the Kepler spacecraft in its extended K2 mission. K2 data processing is more challenging than Kepler, but new techniques have permitted the discovery of hundreds of planet candidates. Our discoveries are yielding intriguing insights about the past, present, and future of planetary systems -- that is, the history of how planets might form and migrate, their present-day characteristics, and the ultimate fate of planetary systems. I will discuss what we have learned, in particular from the discovery of a hot Jupiter with close planetary companions, planets orbiting nearby bright stars, and a disintegrating minor planet transiting a white dwarf. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

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.

Dynamical Evolution of Planetary Embryos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wetherill, George W.

2002-01-01

During the past decade, progress has been made by relating the 'standard model' for the formation of planetary systems to computational and observational advances. A significant contribution to this has been provided by this grant. The consequence of this is that the rigor of the physical modeling has improved considerably. This has identified discrepancies between the predictions of the standard model and recent observations of extrasolar planets. In some cases, the discrepancies can be resolved by recognition of the stochastic nature of the planetary formation process, leading to variations in the final state of a planetary system. In other cases, it seems more likely that there are major deficiencies in the standard model, requiring our identifying variations to the model that are not so strongly constrained to our Solar System.

Planetary Exploration Rebooted! New Ways of Exploring the Moon, Mars and Beyond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fong, Terrence W.

2010-01-01

In this talk, I will summarize how the NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group has been developing and field testing planetary robots for human exploration, creating automated planetary mapping systems, and engaging the public as citizen scientists.

Planetary Protection Considerations for Life Support and Habitation Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.; Hogan, John A.

2010-01-01

Life support systems for future human missions beyond low Earth orbit may include a combination of existing hardware components and advanced technologies. Discipline areas for technology development include atmosphere revitalization, water recovery, solid waste management, crew accommodations, food production, thermal systems, environmental monitoring, fire protection and radiation protection. Life support systems will be influenced by in situ resource utilization (ISRU), crew mobility and the degree of extravehicular activity. Planetary protection represents an additional set of requirements that technology developers have generally not considered. Planetary protection guidelines will affect the kind of operations, processes, and functions that can take place during future exploration missions, including venting and discharge of liquids and solids, ejection of wastes, use of ISRU, requirements for cabin atmospheric trace contaminant concentrations, cabin leakage and restrictions on what materials, organisms, and technologies that may be brought on missions. Compliance with planetary protection requirements may drive development of new capabilities or processes (e.g. in situ sterilization, waste containment, contaminant measurement) and limit or prohibit certain kinds of operations or processes (e.g. unfiltered venting). Ultimately, there will be an effect on mission costs, including the mission trade space. Planetary protection requirements need to be considered early in technology development programs. It is expected that planetary protection will have a major impact on technology selection for future missions.

Channel coding and data compression system considerations for efficient communication of planetary imaging data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, R. F.

1974-01-01

End-to-end system considerations involving channel coding and data compression which could drastically improve the efficiency in communicating pictorial information from future planetary spacecraft are presented.

An ecological compass for planetary engineering.

PubMed

Haqq-Misra, Jacob

2012-10-01

Proposals to address present-day global warming through the large-scale application of technology to the climate system, known as geoengineering, raise questions of environmental ethics relevant to the broader issue of planetary engineering. These questions have also arisen in the scientific literature as discussions of how to terraform a planet such as Mars or Venus in order to make it more Earth-like and habitable. Here we draw on insights from terraforming and environmental ethics to develop a two-axis comparative tool for ethical frameworks that considers the intrinsic or instrumental value placed upon organisms, environments, planetary systems, or space. We apply this analysis to the realm of planetary engineering, such as terraforming on Mars or geoengineering on present-day Earth, as well as to questions of planetary protection and space exploration.

Robotic vehicles for planetary exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, Brian; Matthies, Larry; Gennery, Donald; Cooper, Brian; Nguyen, Tam; Litwin, Todd; Mishkin, Andrew; Stone, Henry

A program to develop planetary rover technology is underway at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) under sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Developmental systems with the necessary sensing, computing, power, and mobility resources to demonstrate realistic forms of control for various missions have been developed, and initial testing has been completed. These testbed systems and the associated navigation techniques used are described. Particular emphasis is placed on three technologies: Computer-Aided Remote Driving (CARD), Semiautonomous Navigation (SAN), and behavior control. It is concluded that, through the development and evaluation of such technologies, research at JPL has expanded the set of viable planetary rover mission possibilities beyond the limits of remotely teleoperated systems such as Lunakhod. These are potentially applicable to exploration of all the solid planetary surfaces in the solar system, including Mars, Venus, and the moons of the gas giant planets.

Robotic vehicles for planetary exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilcox, Brian; Matthies, Larry; Gennery, Donald; Cooper, Brian; Nguyen, Tam; Litwin, Todd; Mishkin, Andrew; Stone, Henry

1992-01-01

A program to develop planetary rover technology is underway at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) under sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Developmental systems with the necessary sensing, computing, power, and mobility resources to demonstrate realistic forms of control for various missions have been developed, and initial testing has been completed. These testbed systems and the associated navigation techniques used are described. Particular emphasis is placed on three technologies: Computer-Aided Remote Driving (CARD), Semiautonomous Navigation (SAN), and behavior control. It is concluded that, through the development and evaluation of such technologies, research at JPL has expanded the set of viable planetary rover mission possibilities beyond the limits of remotely teleoperated systems such as Lunakhod. These are potentially applicable to exploration of all the solid planetary surfaces in the solar system, including Mars, Venus, and the moons of the gas giant planets.

Planetary Data Systems (PDS) Imaging Node Atlas II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanboli, Alice; McAuley, James M.

2013-01-01

The Planetary Image Atlas (PIA) is a Rich Internet Application (RIA) that serves planetary imaging data to the science community and the general public. PIA also utilizes the USGS Unified Planetary Coordinate system (UPC) and the on-Mars map server. The Atlas was designed to provide the ability to search and filter through greater than 8 million planetary image files. This software is a three-tier Web application that contains a search engine backend (MySQL, JAVA), Web service interface (SOAP) between server and client, and a GWT Google Maps API client front end. This application allows for the search, retrieval, and download of planetary images and associated meta-data from the following missions: 2001 Mars Odyssey, Cassini, Galileo, LCROSS, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Exploration Rover, Mars Express, Magellan, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MESSENGER, Phoe nix, Viking Lander, Viking Orbiter, and Voyager. The Atlas utilizes the UPC to translate mission-specific coordinate systems into a unified coordinate system, allowing the end user to query across missions of similar targets. If desired, the end user can also use a mission-specific view of the Atlas. The mission-specific views rely on the same code base. This application is a major improvement over the initial version of the Planetary Image Atlas. It is a multi-mission search engine. This tool includes both basic and advanced search capabilities, providing a product search tool to interrogate the collection of planetary images. This tool lets the end user query information about each image, and ignores the data that the user has no interest in. Users can reduce the number of images to look at by defining an area of interest with latitude and longitude ranges.

Types of Information Expected from a Photometric Search for Extra-Solar Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borucki, William; Koch, David; Bell, James, III; Cuzzi, Jeffrey N. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

The current theory postulates that planets are a consequence of the formation of stars from viscous accretion disks. Condensation from the hotter, inner portion of the accretion disk favors the formation of small rocky planets in the inner portion and the formation of gas giants in the cuter, cooler part. Consequently, terrestrial-type planets in inner orbits must be commonplace (Wetheril 1991). From the geometry of the situation (Borucki and Summers 1984), it can be shown that 1% of those planetary systems that resemble our solar system should show transits for Earth-sized (or larger) planets. Thus a photometric satellite that uses a wide field of view telescope and a large CCD array to simultaneously monitor 5000 target stars should detect 50 planetary systems. To verify that regularly recurring transits are occurring rather than statistical fluctuations of the stellar flux, demands observations that extend over several orbital periods so that the constancy of the orbital period, signal amplitude, and duration can be measured. Therefore, to examine the region from Mercury's orbit to that of the Earth requires a duration of three years whereas a search out to the orbit of mars requires about six years. The results of the observations should provide estimates of the distributions of planetary size and orbital radius, and the frequency of planetary systems that have Earth-sized planets in inner orbits. Because approximately one half of the star systems observed will be binary systems, the frequency of planetary systems orbit ' ing either one or both of the stars can also be determined. Furthermore, the complexity of the photometric signature of a planet transiting a pair of stars provides enough information to estimate the eccentricities of the planetary orbits. In summary, the statistical evidence from a photometric search of solar-like stars should be able to either confirm or deny the applicability of the current theory of planet formation and provide new information about the stability of planetary orbits in binary star systems.

From Planetary Mapping to Map Production: Planetary Cartography as integral discipline in Planetary Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nass, Andrea; van Gasselt, Stephan; Hargitai, Hendrik; Hare, Trent; Manaud, Nicolas; Karachevtseva, Irina; Kersten, Elke; Roatsch, Thomas; Wählisch, Marita; Kereszturi, Akos

2016-04-01

Cartography is one of the most important communication channels between users of spatial information and laymen as well as the open public alike. This applies to all known real-world objects located either here on Earth or on any other object in our Solar System. In planetary sciences, however, the main use of cartography resides in a concept called planetary mapping with all its various attached meanings: it can be (1) systematic spacecraft observation from orbit, i.e. the retrieval of physical information, (2) the interpretation of discrete planetary surface units and their abstraction, or it can be (3) planetary cartography sensu strictu, i.e., the technical and artistic creation of map products. As the concept of planetary mapping covers a wide range of different information and knowledge levels, aims associated with the concept of mapping consequently range from a technical and engineering focus to a scientific distillation process. Among others, scientific centers focusing on planetary cartography are the United State Geological Survey (USGS, Flagstaff), the Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography (MIIGAiK, Moscow), Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE, Hungary), and the German Aerospace Center (DLR, Berlin). The International Astronomical Union (IAU), the Commission Planetary Cartography within International Cartographic Association (ICA), the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), the WG IV/8 Planetary Mapping and Spatial Databases within International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) and a range of other institutions contribute on definition frameworks in planetary cartography. Classical cartography is nowadays often (mis-)understood as a tool mainly rather than a scientific discipline and an art of communication. Consequently, concepts of information systems, mapping tools and cartographic frameworks are used interchangeably, and cartographic workflows and visualization of spatial information in thematic maps have often been neglected or were left to software systems to decide by some arbitrary default values. The diversity of cartography as a research discipline and its different contributions in geospatial sciences and communication of information and knowledge will be highlighted in this contribution. We invite colleagues from this and other discipline to discuss concepts and topics for joint future collaboration and research.

Nasa's Planetary Geologic Mapping Program: Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, D. A.

2016-06-01

NASA's Planetary Science Division supports the geologic mapping of planetary surfaces through a distinct organizational structure and a series of research and analysis (R&A) funding programs. Cartography and geologic mapping issues for NASA's planetary science programs are overseen by the Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team (MAPSIT), which is an assessment group for cartography similar to the Mars Exploration Program Assessment Group (MEPAG) for Mars exploration. MAPSIT's Steering Committee includes specialists in geological mapping, who make up the Geologic Mapping Subcommittee (GEMS). I am the GEMS Chair, and with a group of 3-4 community mappers we advise the U.S. Geological Survey Planetary Geologic Mapping Coordinator (Dr. James Skinner) and develop policy and procedures to aid the planetary geologic mapping community. GEMS meets twice a year, at the Annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in March, and at the Annual Planetary Mappers' Meeting in June (attendance is required by all NASA-funded geologic mappers). Funding programs under NASA's current R&A structure to propose geological mapping projects include Mars Data Analysis (Mars), Lunar Data Analysis (Moon), Discovery Data Analysis (Mercury, Vesta, Ceres), Cassini Data Analysis (Saturn moons), Solar System Workings (Venus or Jupiter moons), and the Planetary Data Archiving, Restoration, and Tools (PDART) program. Current NASA policy requires all funded geologic mapping projects to be done digitally using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. In this presentation we will discuss details on how geologic mapping is done consistent with current NASA policy and USGS guidelines.

The Robo-AO KOI survey: laser adaptive optics imaging of every Kepler exoplanet candidate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziegler, Carl; Law, Nicholas M.; Baranec, Christoph; Morton, Tim; Riddle, Reed; Atkinson, Dani; Nofi, Larissa

2016-07-01

The Robo-AO Kepler Planetary Candidate Survey is observing every Kepler planet candidate host star (KOI) with laser adaptive optics imaging to hunt for blended nearby stars which may be physically associated companions. With the unparalleled efficiency provided by the first fully robotic adaptive optics system, we perform the critical search for nearby stars (0.15" to 4.0" separation with contrasts up to 6 magnitudes) that dilute the observed planetary transit signal, contributing to inaccurate planetary characteristics or astrophysical false positives. We present 3313 high resolution observations of Kepler planetary hosts from 2012-2015, discovering 479 nearby stars. We measure an overall nearby star probability rate of 14.5+/-0.8%. With this large data set, we are uniquely able to explore broad correlations between multiple star systems and the properties of the planets which they host, providing insight into the formation and evolution of planetary systems in our galaxy. Several KOIs of particular interest will be discussed, including possible quadruple star systems hosting planets and updated properties for possible rocky planets orbiting with in their star's habitable zone.

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.

Analysis of a planetary-rotation system for evaporated optical coatings

DOE PAGES

Oliver, J. B.

2016-01-01

The impact of planetary-design considerations for optical coating deposition is analyzed, including the ideal number of planets, variations in system performance, and the deviation of planet motion from the ideal. System capacity is maximized for four planets, although substrate size can significantly influence this result. Guidance is provided in the design of high-performance deposition systems based on the relative impact of different error modes. As a result, errors in planet mounting such that the planet surface is not perpendicular to its axis of rotation are particularly problematic, suggesting planetary design modifications would be appropriate.

BTDI detector technology for reconnaissance application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilbert, Stefan; Eckardt, Andreas; Krutz, David

2017-11-01

The Institute of Optical Sensor Systems (OS) at the Robotics and Mechatronics Center of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has more than 30 years of experience with high-resolution imaging technology. This paper shows the institute's scientific results of the leading-edge detector design in a BTDI (Bidirectional Time Delay and Integration) architecture. This project demonstrates an approved technological design for high or multi-spectral resolution spaceborne instruments. DLR OS and BAE Systems were driving the technology of new detectors and the FPA design for future projects, new manufacturing accuracy in order to keep pace with ambitious scientific and user requirements. Resulting from customer requirements and available technologies the current generation of space borne sensor systems is focusing on VIS/NIR high spectral resolution to meet the requirements on earth and planetary observation systems. The combination of large swath and high-spectral resolution with intelligent control applications and new focal plane concepts opens the door to new remote sensing and smart deep space instruments. The paper gives an overview of the detector development and verification program at DLR on detector module level and key parameters like SNR, linearity, spectral response, quantum efficiency, PRNU, DSNU and MTF.

UltraSail - Ultra-Lightweight Solar Sail Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burton, Rodney L.; Coverstone, Victoria L.; Hargens-Rysanek, Jennifer; Ertmer, Kevin M.; Botter, Thierry; Benavides, Gabriel; Woo, Byoungsam; Carroll, David L.; Gierow, Paul A.; Farmer, Greg

2005-01-01

UltraSail is a next-generation high-risk, high-payoff sail system for the launch, deployment, stabilization and control of very large (sq km class) solar sails enabling high payload mass fractions for high (Delta)V. Ultrasail is an innovative, non-traditional approach to propulsion technology achieved by combining propulsion and control systems developed for formation-flying micro-satellites with an innovative solar sail architecture to achieve controllable sail areas approaching 1 sq km, sail subsystem area densities approaching 1 g/sq m, and thrust levels many times those of ion thrusters used for comparable deep space missions. Ultrasail can achieve outer planetary rendezvous, a deep space capability now reserved for high-mass nuclear and chemical systems. One of the primary innovations is the near-elimination of sail supporting structures by attaching each blade tip to a formation-flying micro-satellite which deploys the sail, and then articulates the sail to provide attitude control, including spin stabilization and precession of the spin axis. These tip micro-satellites are controlled by 3-axis micro-thruster propulsion and an on-board metrology system. It is shown that an optimum spin rate exists which maximizes payload mass.

Space and Ground Trades for Human Exploration and Wearable Computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lupisella, Mark; Donohue, John; Mandl, Dan; Ly, Vuong; Graves, Corey; Heimerdinger, Dan; Studor, George; Saiz, John; DeLaune, Paul; Clancey, William

2006-01-01

Human exploration of the Moon and Mars will present unique trade study challenges as ground system elements shift to planetary bodies and perhaps eventually to the bodies of human explorers in the form of wearable computing technologies. This presentation will highlight some of the key space and ground trade issues that will face the Exploration Initiative as NASA begins designing systems for the sustained human exploration of the Moon and Mars, with an emphasis on wearable computing. We will present some preliminary test results and scenarios that demonstrate how wearable computing might affect the trade space noted below. We will first present some background on wearable computing and its utility to NASA's Exploration Initiative. Next, we will discuss three broad architectural themes, some key ground and space trade issues within those themes and how they relate to wearable computing. Lastly, we will present some preliminary test results and suggest guidance for proceeding in the assessment and creation of a value-added role for wearable computing in the Exploration Initiative. The three broad ground-space architectural trade themes we will discuss are: 1. Functional Shift and Distribution: To what extent, if any, should traditional ground system functionality be shifted to, and distributed among, the Earth, Moon/Mars, and the human. explorer? 2. Situational Awareness and Autonomy: How much situational awareness (e.g. environmental conditions, biometrics, etc.) and autonomy is required and desired, and where should these capabilities reside? 3. Functional Redundancy: What functions (e.g. command, control, analysis) should exist simultaneously on Earth, the Moon/Mars, and the human explorer? These three themes can serve as the axes of a three-dimensional trade space, within which architectural solutions reside. We will show how wearable computers can fit into this trade space and what the possible implications could be for the rest of the ground and space architecture(s). We intend this to be an example of explorer-centric thinking in a fully integrated explorer paradigm, where integrated explorer refers to a human explorer having instant access to all relevant data, knowledge of the environment, science models, health and safety-related events, and other tools and information via wearable computing technologies. The trade study approach will include involvement from the relevant stakeholders (Constellation Systems, CCCI, EVA Project Office, Astronaut office, Mission Operations, Space Life Sciences, etc.) to develop operations concepts (and/or operations scenarios) from which a basic high-level set of requirements could be extracted. This set of requirements could serve as a foundation (along with stakeholder buy-in) that would help define the trade space and assist in identifying candidate technologies for further study and evolution to higher-level technology readiness levels.

Variety in planetary systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wetherill, George W.

1993-01-01

Observation of circumstellar disks, regular satellite systems of outer planets, and planet-size objects orbiting pulsars support the supposition that formation of planetary systems is a robust, rather than a fragile, byproduct of the formation and evolution of stars. The extent to which these systems may be expected to resemble one another and our Solar System, either in overall structure or in detail remains uncertain. When the full range of possible stellar masses, disk masses, and initial specific angular momenta are considered, the possible variety of planetary configurations is very large. Numerical modeling indicates a difference between the formation of small, inner, terrestrial planets and the outer planets.

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.

Mini Planetary System Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-01-11

This artist concept, based on data from NASA Kepler mission and ground-based telescopes, depicts an itsy bitsy planetary system -- so compact, in fact, that it more like Jupiter and its moons than a star and its planets.

Re-engineering the Multimission Command System at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, Scott; Biesiadecki, Jeff; Cox, Nagin; Murphy, Susan C.; Reeve, Tim

1994-01-01

The Operations Engineering Lab (OEL) at JPL has developed the multimission command system as part of JPL's Advanced Multimission Operations System. The command system provides an advanced multimission environment for secure, concurrent commanding of multiple spacecraft. The command functions include real-time command generation, command translation and radiation, status reporting, some remote control of Deep Space Network antenna functions, and command file management. The mission-independent architecture has allowed easy adaptation to new flight projects and the system currently supports all JPL planetary missions (Voyager, Galileo, Magellan, Ulysses, Mars Pathfinder, and CASSINI). This paper will discuss the design and implementation of the command software, especially trade-offs and lessons learned from practical operational use. The lessons learned have resulted in a re-engineering of the command system, especially in its user interface and new automation capabilities. The redesign has allowed streamlining of command operations with significant improvements in productivity and ease of use. In addition, the new system has provided a command capability that works equally well for real-time operations and within a spacecraft testbed. This paper will also discuss new development work including a multimission command database toolkit, a universal command translator for sequencing and real-time commands, and incorporation of telecommand capabilities for new missions.

The four hundred years of planetary science since Galileo and Kepler.

PubMed

Burns, Joseph A

2010-07-29

For 350 years after Galileo's discoveries, ground-based telescopes and theoretical modelling furnished everything we knew about the Sun's planetary retinue. Over the past five decades, however, spacecraft visits to many targets transformed these early notions, revealing the diversity of Solar System bodies and displaying active planetary processes at work. Violent events have punctuated the histories of many planets and satellites, changing them substantially since their birth. Contemporary knowledge has finally allowed testable models of the Solar System's origin to be developed and potential abodes for extraterrestrial life to be explored. Future planetary research should involve focused studies of selected targets, including exoplanets.

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.

Origin of the solar system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cameron, A. G. W.

1988-01-01

The current status of the classical model of solar-system formation is surveyed, reviewing the results of recent observational and theoretical investigations. Topics addressed include interstellar clouds, the collapse of interstellar gas, the primitive solar nebula, the formation of the sun, planetesimal accumulation, planetary accumulation, major planetary collisions, the development of planetary atmospheres, and comets. The relative merits of conflicting theories on many key problems are indicated, with reference to more detailed reviews in the literature.

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.

Kepler Planet Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.

2015-01-01

Kepler has vastly increased our knowledge of planets and planetary systems located close to stars. The new data shows surprising results for planetary abundances, planetary spacings and the distribution of planets on a mass-radius diagram. The implications of these results for theories of planet formation will be discussed.

Planetary sample rapid recovery and handling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

Methods for recovering and cost effectively handling planetary samples following return to the vicinity of Earth were designed for planetary mission planners. Three topics are addressed: (1) a rough cost estimate was produced for each of a series of options for the handling of planetary samples following their return to the vicinity of Earth; (2) the difficulty of quickly retrieving planetary samples from low circular and high elliptical Earth orbit is assessed; and (3) a conceptual design for a biological isolation and thermal control system for the returned sample and spacecraft is developed.

Development of a Planetary Web GIS at the ``Photothèque Planétaire'' in Orsay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marmo, C.

2012-09-01

The “Photothèque Planétaire d'Orsay” belongs to the Regional Planetary Image Facilities (RPIF) network started by NASA in 1984. The original purpose of the RPIF was mainly to provide easy access to data from US space missions throughout the world. The “Photothèque” itself specializes in planetary data processing and distribution for research and public outreach. Planetary data are heterogeneous, and combining different observations is particularly challenging, especially if they belong to different data-sets. A common description framework is needed, similar to the existing Geographical Information Systems (GIS) that have been developed for manipulating Earth data. In their present state, GIS software and standards cannot directly be applied to other planets because they still lack flexibility in managing coordinate systems. Yet, the GIS framework serves as an excellent starting point for the implementation of a Virtual Observatory for Planetary Sciences, provided it is made more generic and inter-operable. The “Photothèque Planétaire d'Orsay” has produced some planetary GIS examples using historical and public data-sets. Our main project is a Web-based visualization system for planetary data, which features direct point-and-click access to quantitative measurements. Thanks to being compatible with all recent web browsers, our interface can also be used for public outreach and to make data accessible for education and training.

A primordial origin for misalignments between stellar spin axes and planetary orbits.

PubMed

Batygin, Konstantin

2012-11-15

The existence of gaseous giant planets whose orbits lie close to their host stars ('hot Jupiters') can largely be accounted for by planetary migration associated with viscous evolution of proto-planetary nebulae. Recently, observations of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect during planetary transits have revealed that a considerable fraction of hot Jupiters are on orbits that are misaligned with respect to the spin axes of their host stars. This observation has cast doubt on the importance of disk-driven migration as a mechanism for producing hot Jupiters. Here I show that misaligned orbits can be a natural consequence of disk migration in binary systems whose orbital plane is uncorrelated with the spin axes of the individual stars. The gravitational torques arising from the dynamical evolution of idealized proto-planetary disks under perturbations from massive distant bodies act to misalign the orbital planes of the disks relative to the spin poles of their host stars. As a result, I suggest that in the absence of strong coupling between the angular momentum of the disk and that of the host star, or of sufficient dissipation that acts to realign the stellar spin axis and the planetary orbits, the fraction of planetary systems (including systems of 'hot Neptunes' and 'super-Earths') whose angular momentum vectors are misaligned with respect to their host stars will be commensurate with the rate of primordial stellar multiplicity.

Planetary cartography in the next decade: Digital cartography and emerging opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

Planetary maps being produced today will represent views of the solar system for many decades to come. The primary objective of the planetary cartography program is to produce the most complete and accurate maps from hundreds of thousands of planetary images in support of scientific studies and future missions. Here, the utilization of digital techniques and digital bases in response to recent advances in computer technology are emphasized.

The Possibility of Multiple Habitable Worlds Orbiting Binary Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, P. A.

2014-03-01

Are there planetary systems for which there is life on multiple worlds? Where are these fruitful planetary systems and how do we detect them? In order to address these questions; conditions which enable life and those that prevent or destroy it must be considered. Many constraints are specific to planetary systems, independent of the number of worlds in habitable zones. For instance, life on rocky planets or moons likely requires the right abundance of volatiles and radiogenic elements for prolonged geologic activity. Catastrophic sterilization events such as nearby supernovae and gamma-ray bursts affect entire planetary systems not just specific worlds. Giant planets may either enhance or disrupt the development of complex life within a given system. It might be rare for planetary systems to possess qualities that promote life and lucky enough to avoid cataclysm. However, multiple habitable planets may provide enhanced chances for advanced life to develop. The best predictor of life on one habitable zone planet might be the presence of life on its neighbor as panspermia may occur in planetary systems with several habitable worlds. Circumbinary habitability may go hand in hand with habitability of multiple worlds. The circumstances in which the Binary Habitability Mechanism (BHM) operates are reviewed. In some cases, the early synchronization of the primary's rotation with the binary period results in a reduction of XUV flux and stellar winds. Main sequence binaries with periods in the 10-50 days provide excellent habitable environments, within which multiple worlds may thrive. Planets and moons in these habitable zones need less magnetic protection than their single star counterparts. Exomoons orbiting a Neptune-like planet, within a BHM protected habitable zone, are expected to be habitable over a wide range of semimajor axes due to a larger planetary Hill radius. A result confirmed by numerical orbital calculations. Binaries containing a solar type star with a lower mass companion provide enhanced habitable zones as well as improved photosynthetic flux for habitable zone worlds.

The complex planetary synchronization structure of the solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scafetta, N.

2014-01-01

The complex planetary synchronization structure of the solar system, which since Pythagoras of Samos (ca. 570-495 BC) is known as the music of the spheres, is briefly reviewed from the Renaissance up to contemporary research. Copernicus' heliocentric model from 1543 suggested that the planets of our solar system form a kind of mutually ordered and quasi-synchronized system. From 1596 to 1619 Kepler formulated preliminary mathematical relations of approximate commensurabilities among the planets, which were later reformulated in the Titius-Bode rule (1766-1772), which successfully predicted the orbital position of Ceres and Uranus. Following the discovery of the ~ 11 yr sunspot cycle, in 1859 Wolf suggested that the observed solar variability could be approximately synchronized with the orbital movements of Venus, Earth, Jupiter and Saturn. Modern research has further confirmed that (1) the planetary orbital periods can be approximately deduced from a simple system of resonant frequencies; (2) the solar system oscillates with a specific set of gravitational frequencies, and many of them (e.g., within the range between 3 yr and 100 yr) can be approximately constructed as harmonics of a base period of ~ 178.38 yr; and (3) solar and climate records are also characterized by planetary harmonics from the monthly to the millennial timescales. This short review concludes with an emphasis on the contribution of the author's research on the empirical evidences and physical modeling of both solar and climate variability based on astronomical harmonics. The general conclusion is that the solar system works as a resonator characterized by a specific harmonic planetary structure that also synchronizes the Sun's activity and the Earth's climate. The special issue Pattern in solar variability, their planetary origin and terrestrial impacts (Mörner et al., 2013) further develops the ideas about the planetary-solar-terrestrial interaction with the personal contribution of 10 authors.

Get Involved in Planetary Discoveries through New Worlds, New Discoveries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shupla, Christine; Shipp, S. S.; Halligan, E.; Dalton, H.; Boonstra, D.; Buxner, S.; SMD Planetary Forum, NASA

2013-01-01

"New Worlds, New Discoveries" is a synthesis of NASA’s 50-year exploration history which provides an integrated picture of our new understanding of our solar system. As NASA spacecraft head to and arrive at key locations in our solar system, "New Worlds, New Discoveries" provides an integrated picture of our new understanding of the solar system to educators and the general public! The site combines the amazing discoveries of past NASA planetary missions with the most recent findings of ongoing missions, and connects them to the related planetary science topics. "New Worlds, New Discoveries," which includes the "Year of the Solar System" and the ongoing celebration of the "50 Years of Exploration," includes 20 topics that share thematic solar system educational resources and activities, tied to the national science standards. This online site and ongoing event offers numerous opportunities for the science community - including researchers and education and public outreach professionals - to raise awareness, build excitement, and make connections with educators, students, and the public about planetary science. Visitors to the site will find valuable hands-on science activities, resources and educational materials, as well as the latest news, to engage audiences in planetary science topics and their related mission discoveries. The topics are tied to the big questions of planetary science: how did the Sun’s family of planets and bodies originate and how have they evolved? How did life begin and evolve on Earth, and has it evolved elsewhere in our solar system? Scientists and educators are encouraged to get involved either directly or by sharing "New Worlds, New Discoveries" and its resources with educators, by conducting presentations and events, sharing their resources and events to add to the site, and adding their own public events to the site’s event calendar! Visit to find quality resources and ideas. Connect with educators, students and the public to share the exciting planetary science discoveries as they’re uncovered during this unprecedented period of solar system exploration!

Giant Planets in Open Clusters and Binaries: Observational Constraints on Migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinn, Samuel N.; White, Russel J.; Latham, David W.; Buchhave, Lars A.; Torres, Guillermo

2016-01-01

Some giant planets migrate from their birthplace beyond the ice line to short-period orbits just a fraction of an AU from their host stars. Though many theories have been proposed, it is not yet clear which mechanism is most important for migration, and by extension, in which types of planetary system we can expect a greater prevalence of disruptive gas giant migration. One way to constrain this process is to observe the orbital properties of migrating planets, which are expected to be shaped according to the mode of migration: in general, interaction with the gas disk should produce circular, coplanar orbits, while multi-body processes stir up eccentricities and inclinations. Unfortunately, tidal and magnetic interactions between hot Jupiters and their host stars can obscure these differences by damping eccentricities and inclinations over time, so the most direct constraints will come from difficult-to-observe young systems. Additional constraints on migration can be obtained by observing the architectures of systems containing short-period giant planets: if an outer companion is often responsible for driving migration, there should be a higher incidence of massive companions on wide orbits in hot Jupiter systems than in systems not hosting a short-period giant planet. Further, the properties of these outer companions can help differentiate between multi-body migration mechanisms. We describe two complementary surveys that we have carried out to address these problems. The first, a precise radial-velocity survey in nearby adolescent (100-600 Myr) open clusters, characterizes the orbits of giant planets soon after migration. The second, an adaptive optics imaging survey of hot Jupiter host stars, constrains the population of wide companions in hot Jupiter systems. We present the results from these two surveys and discuss the orbital properties and system architectures of our discoveries in the context of giant planet migration.

Averaging the Equations of a Planetary Problem in an Astrocentric Reference Frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikryukov, D. V.

2018-05-01

A system of averaged equations of planetary motion around a central star is constructed. An astrocentric coordinate system is used. The two-planet problem is considered, but all constructions are easily generalized to an arbitrary number N of planets. The motion is investigated in modified (complex) Poincarécanonical elements. The averaging is performed by the Hori-Deprit method over the fast mean longitudes to the second order relative to the planetary masses. An expansion of the disturbing function is constructed using the Laplace coefficients. Some terms of the expansion of the disturbing function and the first terms of the expansion of the averaged Hamiltonian are given. The results of this paper can be used to investigate the evolution of orbits with moderate eccentricities and inclinations in various planetary systems.

The Rocky World of Young Planetary Systems Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-10-18

This artist concept illustrates how planetary systems arise out of massive collisions between rocky bodies. NASA Spitzer Space Telescope show that these catastrophes continue to occur around stars even after they have developed full-sized planets.

Planet formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.

1993-01-01

Models of planetary formation are developed using the present single example of a planetary system, supplemented by limited astrophysical observations of star-forming regions and circumstellar disks. The solar nebula theory and the planetesimal hypothesis are discussed. The latter is found to provide a viable theory of the growth of the terrestrial planets, the cores of the giant planets, and the smaller bodies present in the solar system. The formation of solid bodies of planetary size should be a common event, at least around young stars which do not have binary companions orbiting at planetary distances. Stochastic impacts of large bodies provide sufficient angular momentum to produce the obliquities of the planets. The masses and bulk compositions of the planets can be understood in a gross sense as resulting from planetary growth within a disk whose temperature and surface density decreased with distance from the growing sun.

The Relations between Tycho Brahe and the Jesuits in Prague

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuppener, Georg

In the 16th and 17th centuries the Jesuits refused the planetary system of Copernicus and Kepler. Their role in the trial against Galileo Galilei is also well known. Religious objections made it impossible for them to agree with the idea of a planetary system, in which not the Earth is in the center, but the Sun. So the Jesuits tried to find out how to modify and to save the traditional model of a geocentric system. At the beginning of the 17th century the astronomical data have been improved rapidly by new observations, especially by those of Tycho Brahe, so that they became incompatible with the traditional geocentric planetary theory. It was especially Tycho Brahe, who developed a new modified geocentric planetary system on the basis of his observational data. The Jesuits adopted his theory and they integrated it in their scientific curriculum during the whole 17th century.

Science Hybrid Orbiter and Lunar Relay (SCHOLR) Architecture and Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trase, Kathryn K.; Barch, Rachel A.; Chaney, Ryan E.; Coulter, Rachel A.; Gao, Hui; Huynh, David P.; Iaconis, Nicholas A.; MacMillan, Todd S.; Pitner, Gregory M.; Schwab, Devin T.

2011-01-01

Considered both a stepping-stone to deep space and a key to unlocking the mysteries of planetary formation, the Moon offers a unique opportunity for scientific study. Robotic precursor missions are being developed to improve technology and enable new approaches to exploration. Robots, lunar landers, and satellites play significant roles in advancing science and technologies, offering close range and in-situ observations. Science and exploration data gathered from these nodes and a lunar science satellite is intended to support future human expeditions and facilitate future utilization of lunar resources. To attain a global view of lunar science, the nodes will be distributed over the lunar surface, including locations on the far side of the Moon. Given that nodes on the lunar far side do not have direct line-of-sight for Earth communications, the planned presence of such nodes creates the need for a lunar communications relay satellite. Since the communications relay capability would only be required for a small portion of the satellite s orbit, it may be possible to include communication relay components on a science spacecraft. Furthermore, an integrated satellite has the potential to reduce lunar surface mission costs. A SCience Hybrid Orbiter and Lunar Relay (SCHOLR) is proposed to accomplish scientific goals while also supporting the communications needs of landers on the far side of the Moon. User needs and design drivers for the system were derived from the anticipated needs of future robotic and lander missions. Based on these drivers and user requirements, accommodations for communications payload aboard a science spacecraft were developed. A team of interns identified and compared possible SCHOLR architectures. The final SCHOLR architecture was analyzed in terms of orbiter lifetime, lunar surface coverage, size, mass, power, and communications data rates. This paper presents the driving requirements, operational concept, and architecture views for SCHOLR within a lunar surface nodal network. Orbital and bidirectional link analysis, between lunar nodes, orbiter, and Earth, as well as a conceptual design for the spacecraft are also presented

Human health and performance considerations for near earth asteroids (NEA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinberg, Susan; Kundrot, Craig; Charles, John

2013-11-01

Humans are considered as a system in the design of any deep space exploration mission. The addition of many potential near asteroid (NEA) destinations to the existing multiple mission architecture for Lunar and Mars missions increases the complexity of human health and performance issues that are anticipated for exploration of space. We suggest that risks to human health and performance be analyzed in terms of the 4 major parameters related to multiple mission architecture: destination, duration, distance and vehicle design. Geological properties of the NEA will influence design of exploration tasks related to sample handling and containment, and extravehicular activity (EVA) capabilities including suit ports and tools. A robotic precursor mission that collects basic information on NEA surface properties would reduce uncertainty about these aspects of the mission as well as aid in mission architecture and exploration task design. Key mission parameters are strongly impacted by duration and distance. The most critical of these is deep-space radiation exposure without even the temporary shielding of a nearby large planetary body. The current space radiation permissible exposure limits (PEL) limits mission duration to 3-10 months depending on age, gender and stage of the solar cycle. Duration also impacts mission architectures including countermeasures for bone, muscle, and cardiovascular atrophy during continuous weightlessness; and behavioral and psychological issues resulting from isolation and confinement. Distance affects communications and limits abort and return options for a NEA mission. These factors are anticipated to have important effects on crew function and autonomous operations, as well as influence medical capability, supplies and training requirements of the crew. The design of a habitat volume that can maintain the physical and psychological health of the crew and support mission operations with limited intervention from earth will require an integrated research and development effort between NASA's Human Research Program (HRP), engineering and human factors groups. Packaging food to extend shelf life and waste management will be important components of vehicle subsystem design.

Teetering Stars: Resonant Excitation of Stellar Obliquities by Hot and Warm Jupiters with External Companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Kassandra; Lai, Dong

2018-04-01

Stellar spin-orbit misalignments (obliquities) in hot Jupiter systems have been extensively probed in recent years thanks to Rossiter-McLaughlin observations. Such obliquities may reveal clues about hot Jupiter dynamical and migration histories. Common explanations for generating stellar obliquities include high-eccentricity migration, or primordial disk misalignment. This talk investigates another mechanism for producing stellar spin-orbit misalignments in systems hosting a close-in giant planet with an external, inclined planetary companion. Spin-orbit misalignment may be excited due to a secular resonance, occurring when the precession rate of the stellar spin axis (due to the inner orbit) becomes comparable to the precession rate of the inner orbital axis (due to the outer companion). Due to the spin-down of the host star via magnetic braking, this resonance may be achieved at some point during the star's main sequence lifetime for a wide range of giant planet masses and orbital architectures. We focus on both hot Jupiters (with orbital periods less than ten days) and warm Jupiters (with orbital periods around tens of days), and identify the outer perburber properties needed to generate substantial obliquities via resonant excitation, in terms of mass, separation, and inclination. For hot Jupiters, the stellar spin axis is strongly coupled to the orbital axis, and resonant excitation of obliquity requires a close perturber, located within 1-2 AU. For warm Jupiters, the spin and orbital axes are more weakly coupled, and the resonance may be achieved for more distant perturbers (at several to tens of AU). Resonant excitation of the stellar obliquity is accompanied by a decrease in the planets' mutual orbital inclination, and can thus erase high mutual inclinations in two-planet systems. Since many warm Jupiters are known to have outer planetary companions at several AU or beyond, stellar obliquities in warm Jupiter systems may be common, regardless of the formation/migration mechanism. Future observations probing warm Jupiter obliquities may indicate the presence of a hitherto undetected outer companion.

Scalable Lunar Surface Networks and Adaptive Orbit Access

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Xudong

2015-01-01

Teranovi Technologies, Inc., has developed innovative network architecture, protocols, and algorithms for both lunar surface and orbit access networks. A key component of the overall architecture is a medium access control (MAC) protocol that includes a novel mechanism of overlaying time division multiple access (TDMA) and carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA), ensuring scalable throughput and quality of service. The new MAC protocol is compatible with legacy Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 networks. Advanced features include efficiency power management, adaptive channel width adjustment, and error control capability. A hybrid routing protocol combines the advantages of ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) routing and disruption/delay-tolerant network (DTN) routing. Performance is significantly better than AODV or DTN and will be particularly effective for wireless networks with intermittent links, such as lunar and planetary surface networks and orbit access networks.

Debris disks as signposts of terrestrial planet formation. II. Dependence of exoplanet architectures on giant planet and disk properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raymond, S. N.; Armitage, P. J.; Moro-Martín, A.; Booth, M.; Wyatt, M. C.; Armstrong, J. C.; Mandell, A. M.; Selsis, F.; West, A. A.

2012-05-01

We present models for the formation of terrestrial planets, and the collisional evolution of debris disks, in planetary systems that contain multiple marginally unstable gas giants. We previously showed that in such systems, the dynamics of the giant planets introduces a correlation between the presence of terrestrial planets and cold dust, i.e., debris disks, which is particularly pronounced at λ ~ 70 μm. Here we present new simulations that show that this connection is qualitatively robust to a range of parameters: the mass distribution of the giant planets, the width and mass distribution of the outer planetesimal disk, and the presence of gas in the disk when the giant planets become unstable. We discuss how variations in these parameters affect the evolution. We find that systems with equal-mass giant planets undergo the most violent instabilities, and that these destroy both terrestrial planets and the outer planetesimal disks that produce debris disks. In contrast, systems with low-mass giant planets efficiently produce both terrestrial planets and debris disks. A large fraction of systems with low-mass (M ≲ 30 M⊕) outermost giant planets have final planetary separations that, scaled to the planets' masses, are as large or larger than the Saturn-Uranus and Uranus-Neptune separations in the solar system. We find that the gaps between these planets are not only dynamically stable to test particles, but are frequently populated by planetesimals. The possibility of planetesimal belts between outer giant planets should be taken into account when interpreting debris disk SEDs. In addition, the presence of ~ Earth-mass "seeds" in outer planetesimal disks causes the disks to radially spread to colder temperatures, and leads to a slow depletion of the outer planetesimal disk from the inside out. We argue that this may explain the very low frequency of >1 Gyr-old solar-type stars with observed 24 μm excesses. Our simulations do not sample the full range of plausible initial conditions for planetary systems. However, among the configurations explored, the best candidates for hosting terrestrial planets at ~1 AU are stars older than 0.1-1 Gyr with bright debris disks at 70 μm but with no currently-known giant planets. These systems combine evidence for the presence of ample rocky building blocks, with giant planet properties that are least likely to undergo destructive dynamical evolution. Thus, we predict two correlations that should be detected by upcoming surveys: an anti-correlation between debris disks and eccentric giant planets and a positive correlation between debris disks and terrestrial planets. Three movies associated to Figs. 1, 3, and 7 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

A Path to Planetary Protection Requirements for Human Exploration: A Literature Review and Systems Engineering Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, James E.; Conley, Cassie; Siegel, Bette

2015-01-01

As systems, technologies, and plans for the human exploration of Mars and other destinations beyond low Earth orbit begin to coalesce, it is imperative that frequent and early consideration is given to how planetary protection practices and policy will be upheld. While the development of formal planetary protection requirements for future human space systems and operations may still be a few years from fruition, guidance to appropriately influence mission and system design will be needed soon to avoid costly design and operational changes. The path to constructing such requirements is a journey that espouses key systems engineering practices of understanding shared goals, objectives and concerns, identifying key stakeholders, and iterating a draft requirement set to gain community consensus. This paper traces through each of these practices, beginning with a literature review of nearly three decades of publications addressing planetary protection concerns with respect to human exploration. Key goals, objectives and concerns, particularly with respect to notional requirements, required studies and research, and technology development needs have been compiled and categorized to provide a current 'state of knowledge'. This information, combined with the identification of key stakeholders in upholding planetary protection concerns for human missions, has yielded a draft requirement set that might feed future iteration among space system designers, exploration scientists, and the mission operations community. Combining the information collected with a proposed forward path will hopefully yield a mutually agreeable set of timely, verifiable, and practical requirements for human space exploration that will uphold international commitment to planetary protection.

Planetary Crater Detection and Registration Using Marked Point Processes, Multiple Birth and Death Algorithms, and Region-Based Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solarna, David; Moser, Gabriele; Le Moigne-Stewart, Jacqueline; Serpico, Sebastiano B.

2017-01-01

Because of the large variety of sensors and spacecraft collecting data, planetary science needs to integrate various multi-sensor and multi-temporal images. These multiple data represent a precious asset, as they allow the study of targets spectral responses and of changes in the surface structure; because of their variety, they also require accurate and robust registration. A new crater detection algorithm, used to extract features that will be integrated in an image registration framework, is presented. A marked point process-based method has been developed to model the spatial distribution of elliptical objects (i.e. the craters) and a birth-death Markov chain Monte Carlo method, coupled with a region-based scheme aiming at computational efficiency, is used to find the optimal configuration fitting the image. The extracted features are exploited, together with a newly defined fitness function based on a modified Hausdorff distance, by an image registration algorithm whose architecture has been designed to minimize the computational time.

NASA Planetary Science Division's Instrument Development Programs, PICASSO and MatISSE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.

2016-01-01

The Planetary Science Division (PSD) has combined several legacy instrument development programs into just two. The Planetary Instrument Concepts Advancing Solar System Observations (PICASSO) program funds the development of low TRL instruments and components. The Maturation of Instruments for Solar System Observations (MatISSE) program funds the development of instruments in the mid-TRL range. The strategy of PSD instrument development is to develop instruments from PICASSO to MatISSE to proposing for mission development.

A 2-D Array of Superconducting Magnesium Diboride (MgB2) Far-IR Thermal Detectors for Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lakew, Brook

2009-01-01

A 2-D array of superconducting Magnesium Diboride(MgB2) far IR thermal detectors has been fabricated. Such an array is intended to be at the focal plane of future generation thermal imaging far-IR instruments that will investigate the outer planets and their icy moons. Fabrication and processing of the pixels of the array as well as noise characterization of architectured MgB2 thin films will be presented. Challenges and solutions for improving the performance of the array will be discussed.

Tidal effects on stellar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poppenhaeger, K.

2017-10-01

The architecture of many exoplanetary systems is different from the solar system, with exoplanets being in close orbits around their host stars and having orbital periods of only a few days. We can expect interactions between the star and the exoplanet for such systems that are similar to the tidal interactions observed in close stellar binary systems. For the exoplanet, tidal interaction can lead to circularization of its orbit and the synchronization of its rotational and orbital period. For the host star, it has long been speculated if significant angular momentum transfer can take place between the planetary orbit and the stellar rotation. In the case of the Earth-Moon system, such tidal interaction has led to an increasing distance between Earth and Moon. For stars with Hot Jupiters, where the orbital period of the exoplanet is typically shorter than the stellar rotation period, one expects a decreasing semimajor axis for the planet and enhanced stellar rotation, leading to increased stellar activity. Also excess turbulence in the stellar convective zone due to rising and subsiding tidal bulges may change the magnetic activity we observe for the host star. I will review recent observational results on stellar activity and tidal interaction in the presence of close-in exoplanets, and discuss the effects of enhanced stellar activity on the exoplanets in such systems.

Scientific Tools and Techniques: An Innovative Introduction to Planetary Science / Astronomy for 9th Grade Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albin, Edward F.

2014-11-01

Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta, GA (USA) offers instruction in planetary science and astronomy to gifted 9th grade students within a program called "Scientific Tools and Techniques" (STT). Although STT provides a semester long overview of all sciences, the planetary science / astronomy section is innovative since students have access to instruction in the Center's Zeiss planetarium and observatory, which includes a 0.9 m cassegrain telescope. The curriculum includes charting the positions of planets in planetarium the sky; telescopic observations of the Moon and planets; hands-on access to meteorites and tektites; and an introduction to planetary spectroscopy utilizing LPI furnished ALTA reflectance spectrometers. In addition, students have the opportunity to watch several full dome planetary themed planetarium presentations, including "Back to the Moon for Good" and "Ring World: Cassini at Saturn." An overview of NASA's planetary exploration efforts is also considered, with special emphasis on the new Orion / Space Launch System for human exploration of the solar system. A primary goal of our STT program is to not only engage but encourage students to pursue careers in the field of science, with the hope of inspiring future scientists / leaders in the field of planetary science.

New isotopic clues to solar system formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, T.

1979-01-01

The presence of two new extinct nuclides Al-26 and Pd-107 with half lives of approximately one million years in the early solar system implies that there were nucleosynthetic activities involving a great many elements almost at the instant of solar system formation. Rate gas and oxygen isotopic abundance variations ('anomalies') relative to the 'cosmic' composition were observed in a variety of planetary objects, which indicates that isotopic heterogeneities caused by the incomplete mixing of distinct nucleosynthesis components permeate the entire solar system. These new results have major implications for cosmochronology, nucleosynthesis theory, star formation, planetary heating, and the genetic relationship between different planetary bodies

Planetary Science Research Discoveries (PSRD): Effective Education and Outreach Website at http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/PSRdiscoveries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, G. J.; Martel, L. M. V.

2000-01-01

Planetary Science Research Discoveries (PSRD) website reports the latest research about planets, meteorites, and other solar system bodies being made by NASA-sponsored scientists. In-depth articles explain research results and give insights to contemporary questions in planetary science.

Laser Technology in Interplanetary Exploration: The Past and the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, David E.

2000-01-01

Laser technology has been used in planetary exploration for many years but it has only been in the last decade that laser altimeters and ranging systems have been selected as flight instruments alongside cameras, spectrometers, magnetometers, etc. Today we have an active laser system operating at Mars and another destined for the asteroid Eros. A few years ago a laser ranging system on the Clementine mission changed much of our thinking about the moon and in a few years laser altimeters will be on their way to Mercury, and also to Europa. Along with the increased capabilities and reliability of laser systems has came the realization that precision ranging to the surface of planetary bodies from orbiting spacecraft enables more scientific problems to be addressed, including many associated with planetary rotation, librations, and tides. In addition, new Earth-based laser ranging systems working with similar systems on other planetary bodies in an asynchronous transponder mode will be able to make interplanetary ranging measurements at the few cm level and will advance our understanding of solar system dynamics and relativistic physics.

The International Planetary Data Alliance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, T.; Arviset, C.; Crichton, D. J.

2017-12-01

The International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA) is an association of partners with the aim of improving the quality of planetary science data and services to the end users of space based instrumentation. The specific mission of the IPDA is to facilitate global access to, and exchange of, high quality scientific data products managed across international boundaries. Ensuring proper capture, accessibility and availability of the data is the task of the individual member space agencies. The IPDA was formed in 2006 with the purpose of adopting standards and developing collaborations across agencies to ensure data is captured in common formats. Member agencies include: Armenian Astronomical Society, China National Space Agency (CNSA), European Space Agency (ESA), German Aerospace Center (DLR), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Italian Space Agency (ASI), Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), National Air and Space Administration (NASA), National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), Space Research Institute (IKI), UAE Space Agency, and UK Space Agency. The IPDA Steering Committee oversees the execution of projects and coordinates international collaboration. The IPDA conducts a number of focused projects to enable interoperability, construction of compatible archives, and the operation of the IPDA as a whole. These projects have helped to establish the IPDA and to move the collaboration forward. A key project that is currently underway is the implementation of the PDS4 data standard. Given the international focus, it has been critical that the PDS and the IPDA collaborate on its development. Also, other projects have been conducted successfully, including developing the IPDA architecture and corresponding requirements, developing shared registries for data and tools across international boundaries, and common templates for supporting agreements for archiving and sharing data for international missions. Several projects demonstrating interoperability across systems have been applied to specific missions and data sets. IPDA membership is open to space agencies and scientific research institutes. Representatives who are interested in joining the IPDA should contact the author or use the contact form on the web page http://www.planetarydata.org.

Orbital Perturbations of the Galilean Satellites during Planetary Encounters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deienno, Rogerio; Nesvorný, David; Vokrouhlický, David; Yokoyama, Tadashi

2014-08-01

The Nice model of the dynamical instability and migration of the giant planets can explain many properties of the present solar system, and can be used to constrain its early architecture. In the jumping-Jupiter version of the Nice model, required from the terrestrial planet constraint and dynamical structure of the asteroid belt, Jupiter has encounters with an ice giant. Here, we study the survival of the Galilean satellites in the jumping-Jupiter model. This is an important concern because the ice-giant encounters, if deep enough, could dynamically perturb the orbits of the Galilean satellites and lead to implausible results. We performed numerical integrations where we tracked the effect of planetary encounters on the Galilean moons. We considered three instability cases from Nesvorný & Morbidelli that differed in the number and distribution of encounters. We found that in one case, where the number of close encounters was relatively small, the Galilean satellite orbits were not significantly affected. In the other two, the orbital eccentricities of all moons were excited by encounters, Callisto's semimajor axis changed, and, in a large fraction of trials, the Laplace resonance of the inner three moons was disrupted. The subsequent evolution by tides damps eccentricities and can recapture the moons in the Laplace resonance. A more important constraint is represented by the orbital inclinations of the moons, which can be excited during the encounters and not appreciably damped by tides. We find that one instability case taken from Nesvorný & Morbidelli clearly does not meet this constraint. This shows how the regular satellites of Jupiter can be used to set limits on the properties of encounters in the jumping-Jupiter model, and help us to better understand how the early solar system evolved.

Very Small Interstellar Spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peck, Mason A.

2007-02-01

This paper considers lower limits of length scale in spacecraft: interstellar vehicles consisting of little more material than found in a typical integrated-circuit chip. Some fundamental scaling principles are introduced to show how the dynamics of the very small can be used to realize interstellar travel with minimal advancements in technology. Our recent study for the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts provides an example: the use of the Lorentz force that acts on electrically charged spacecraft traveling through planetary and stellar magnetospheres. Schaffer and Burns, among others, have used Cassini and Voyager imagery to show that this interaction is responsible for some of the resonances in the orbital dynamics of dust in Jupiter's and Saturn's rings. The Lorentz force turns out to vary in inverse proportion to the square of this characteristic length scale, making it a more effective means of propelling tiny spacecraft than solar sailing. Performance estimates, some insight into plasma interactions, and some hardware concepts are offered. The mission architectures considered here involve the use of these propellantless propulsion techniques for acceleration within our solar system and deceleration near the destination. Performance estimates, some insight into plasma interactions, and some hardware concepts are offered. The mission architectures considered here involve the use of these propellantless propulsion techniques for acceleration within our solar system and deceleration near the destination. We might envision a large number of such satellites with intermittent, bursty communications set up as a one-dimensional network to relay signals across great distances using only the power likely from such small spacecraft. Conveying imagery in this fashion may require a long time because of limited power, but the prospect of imaging another star system close-up ought to be worth the wait.

Summary of the Second International Planetary Dunes Workshop: Planetary Analogs - Integrating Models, Remote Sensing, and Field Data, Alamosa, Colorado, USA, May 18-21, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fenton, L.K.; Bishop, M.A.; Bourke, M.C.; Bristow, C.S.; Hayward, R.K.; Horgan, B.H.; Lancaster, N.; Michaels, T.I.; Tirsch, D.; Titus, T.N.; Valdez, A.

2010-01-01

The Second International Planetary Dunes Workshop took place in Alamosa, Colorado, USA from May 18-21, 2010. The workshop brought together researchers from diverse backgrounds to foster discussion and collaboration regarding terrestrial and extra-terrestrial dunes and dune systems. Two and a half days were spent on five oral sessions and one poster session, a full-day field trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park, with a great deal of time purposefully left open for discussion. On the last day of the workshop, participants assembled a list of thirteen priorities for future research on planetary dune systems. ?? 2010.

Workshop on Advanced Technologies for Planetary Instruments, part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Appleby, John F. (Editor)

1993-01-01

This meeting was conceived in response to new challenges facing NASA's robotic solar system exploration program. This volume contains papers presented at the Workshop on Advanced Technologies for Planetary Instruments on 28-30 Apr. 1993. This meeting was conceived in response to new challenges facing NASA's robotic solar system exploration program. Over the past several years, SDIO has sponsored a significant technology development program aimed, in part, at the production of instruments with these characteristics. This workshop provided an opportunity for specialists from the planetary science and DoD communities to establish contacts, to explore common technical ground in an open forum, and more specifically, to discuss the applicability of SDIO's technology base to planetary science instruments.

Human Research Program: 2012 Fiscal Year Annual Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Effenhauser, Laura

2012-01-01

Crew health and performance are critical to successful human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Risks to health and performance include physiologic effects from radiation, hypogravity, and planetary environments, as well as unique challenges in medical treatment, human factors, and support of behavioral health. The scientists and engineers of the Human Research Program (HRP) investigate and reduce the greatest risks to human health and performance, and provide essential countermeasures and technologies for human space exploration. In its seventh year of operation, the HRP continued to refine its management architecture of evidence, risks, gaps, tasks, and deliverables. Experiments continued on the International Space Station (ISS), on the ground in analog environments that have features similar to those of spaceflight, and in laboratory environments. Data from these experiments furthered the understanding of how the space environment affects the human system. These research results contributed to scientific knowledge and technology developments that address the human health and performance risks. As shown in this report, HRP has made significant progress toward developing medical care and countermeasure systems for space exploration missions which will ultimately reduce risks to crew health and performance.

Planetary Rings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiscareno, Matthew S.

Planetary rings are the only nearby astrophysical disks and the only disks that have been investigated by spacecraft (especially the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn). Although there are significant differences between rings and other disks, chiefly the large planet/ring mass ratio that greatly enhances the flatness of rings (aspect ratios as small as 10- 7), understanding of disks in general can be enhanced by understanding the dynamical processes observed at close range and in real time in planetary rings.We review the known ring systems of the four giant planets, as well as the prospects for ring systems yet to be discovered. We then review planetary rings by type. The A, B, and C rings of Saturn, plus the Cassini Division, comprise our solar system's only dense broad disk and host many phenomena of general application to disks including spiral waves, gap formation, self-gravity wakes, viscous overstability and normal modes, impact clouds, and orbital evolution of embedded moons. Dense narrow rings are found both at Uranus (where they comprise the main rings entirely) and at Saturn (where they are embedded in the broad disk) and are the primary natural laboratory for understanding shepherding and self-stability. Narrow dusty rings, likely generated by embedded source bodies, are surprisingly found to sport azimuthally confined arcs at Neptune, Saturn, and Jupiter. Finally, every known ring system includes a substantial component of diffuse dusty rings.Planetary rings have shown themselves to be useful as detectors of planetary processes around them, including the planetary magnetic field and interplanetary impactors as well as the gravity of nearby perturbing moons. Experimental rings science has made great progress in recent decades, especially numerical simulations of self-gravity wakes and other processes but also laboratory investigations of coefficient of restitution and spectroscopic ground truth. The age of self-sustained ring systems is a matter of debate; formation scenarios are most plausible in the context of the early solar system, while signs of youthfulness indicate at least that rings have never been static phenomena.

The great escape - III. Placing post-main-sequence evolution of planetary and binary systems in a Galactic context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veras, Dimitri; Evans, N. Wyn; Wyatt, Mark C.; Tout, Christopher A.

2014-01-01

Our improving understanding of the life cycle of planetary systems prompts investigations of the role of the Galenvironment before, during and after asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stellar evolution. Here, we investigate the interplay between stellar mass-loss, Galactic tidal perturbations and stellar flybys for evolving stars which host one planet, smaller body or stellar binary companion and reside in the Milky Way's bulge or disc. We find that the potential evolutionary pathways from a main sequence (MS) to a white dwarf (WD) planetary system are a strong function of Galactocentric distance only with respect to the prevalence of stellar flybys. Planetary ejection and collision with the parent star should be more common towards the bulge. At a given location anywhere in the Galaxy, if the mass-loss is adiabatic, then the secondary is likely to avoid close flybys during AGB evolution, and cannot eventually escape the resulting WD because of Galactic tides alone. Partly because AGB mass-loss will shrink a planetary system's Hill ellipsoid axes by about 20 to 40 per cent, Oort clouds orbiting WDs are likely to be more depleted and dynamically excited than on the MS.

Design Considerations for Spacecraft Operations During Uncrewed Dormant Phases of Human Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams-Byrd, Julie; Antol, Jeff; Jefferies, Sharon; Goodliff, Kandyce; Williams, Phillip; Ambrose, Rob; Sylvester, Andre; Anderson, Molly; Dinsmore, Craig; Hoffman, Stephen;

Analysis of dynamic behavior of multiple-stage planetary gear train used in wind driven generator.

PubMed

Wang, Jungang; Wang, Yong; Huo, Zhipu

2014-01-01

A dynamic model of multiple-stage planetary gear train composed of a two-stage planetary gear train and a one-stage parallel axis gear is proposed to be used in wind driven generator to analyze the influence of revolution speed and mesh error on dynamic load sharing characteristic based on the lumped parameter theory. Dynamic equation of the model is solved using numerical method to analyze the uniform load distribution of the system. It is shown that the load sharing property of the system is significantly affected by mesh error and rotational speed; load sharing coefficient and change rate of internal and external meshing of the system are of obvious difference from each other. The study provides useful theoretical guideline for the design of the multiple-stage planetary gear train of wind driven generator.

Analysis of Dynamic Behavior of Multiple-Stage Planetary Gear Train Used in Wind Driven Generator

PubMed Central

Wang, Jungang; Wang, Yong; Huo, Zhipu

2014-01-01

A dynamic model of multiple-stage planetary gear train composed of a two-stage planetary gear train and a one-stage parallel axis gear is proposed to be used in wind driven generator to analyze the influence of revolution speed and mesh error on dynamic load sharing characteristic based on the lumped parameter theory. Dynamic equation of the model is solved using numerical method to analyze the uniform load distribution of the system. It is shown that the load sharing property of the system is significantly affected by mesh error and rotational speed; load sharing coefficient and change rate of internal and external meshing of the system are of obvious difference from each other. The study provides useful theoretical guideline for the design of the multiple-stage planetary gear train of wind driven generator. PMID:24511295

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.

Ultra-Compact Raman Spectrometer for Planetary Explorations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Derek; Hornef, James; Lucas, John; Elsayed-Ali, Hani; Abedin, M. Nurul

2016-01-01

To develop a compact Raman spectroscopy system with features that will make it suitable for future space missions which require surface landing. Specifically, this system will be appropriate for any mission in which planetary surface samples need to be measured and analyzed.

Geothermal Energy in Planetary Icy Large Objects via Cosmic Rays Muon–Catalyzed Fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Morais, A.

2018-05-01

We propose the possibility that muon-catalyzed fusion, produced by cosmic rays, might add energy to the interior of planetary icy large objects of the solar system, and other solar systems, interesting for astrobiological considerations.

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.

Blue Marble Matches: Using Earth for Planetary Comparisons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, Paige Valderrama

2009-01-01

Goal: This activity is designed to introduce students to geologic processes on Earth and model how scientists use Earth to gain a better understanding of other planetary bodies in the solar system. Objectives: Students will: 1. Identify common descriptor characteristics used by scientists to describe geologic features in images. 2. Identify geologic features and how they form on Earth. 3. Create a list of defining/distinguishing characteristics of geologic features 4. Identify geologic features in images of other planetary bodies. 5. List observations and interpretations about planetary body comparisons. 6. Create summary statements about planetary body comparisons.

Decadal Survey: Planetary Rings Panel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, M. K.; Cuzzi, J. N.; Lissauer, J. J.; Poulet, F.; Brahic, A.; Charnoz, S.; Ferrari, C.; Burns, J. A.; Nicholson, P. D.; Durisen, R. H.; Rappaport, N. J.; Spilker, L. J.; Yanamandra-Fisher, P.; Bosh, A. S.; Olkin, C.; Larson, S. M.; Graps, A. L.; Krueger, H.; Black, G. J.; Festou, M.; Karjalainen, R.; Salo, H. J.; Murray, C. D.; Showalter, M. R.; Dones, L.; Levison, H. F.; Namouni, F.; Araki, S.; Lewis, M. C.; Brooks, S.; Colwell, J. E.; Esposito, L. W.; Horanyi, M.; Stewart, G. R.; Krivov, A.; Schmidt, J.; Spahn, F.; Hamilton, D. P.; Giuliatti-Winter, S.; French, R. G.

2001-11-01

The National Research Council's Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration(COMPLEX) met earlier this year to begin the organization of a major activity, "A New Strategy for Solar System Exploration." Several members of the planetary rings community formed an ad hoc panel to discuss the current state and future prospects for the study of planetary rings. In this paper we summarize fundamental questions of ring science, list the key science questions expected to occupy the planetary rings community for the decade 2003-2013, outline the initiatives, missions, and other supporting activities needed to address those questions, and recommend priorities.

The Planetary Science Archive (PSA): Exploration and discovery of scientific datasets from ESA's planetary missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallat, C.; Besse, S.; Barbarisi, I.; Arviset, C.; De Marchi, G.; Barthelemy, M.; Coia, D.; Costa, M.; Docasal, R.; Fraga, D.; Heather, D. J.; Lim, T.; Macfarlane, A.; Martinez, S.; Rios, C.; Vallejo, F.; Said, J.

2017-09-01

The Planetary Science Archive (PSA) is the European Space Agency's (ESA) repository of science data from all planetary science and exploration missions. The PSA provides access to scientific datasets through various interfaces at http://psa.esa.int. All datasets are scientifically peer-reviewed by independent scientists, and are compliant with the Planetary Data System (PDS) standards. The PSA has started to implement a number of significant improvements, mostly driven by the evolution of the PDS standards, and the growing need for better interfaces and advanced applications to support science exploitation.

Fourier transform spectroscopy for future planetary missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brasunas, John; Kolasinski, John; Kostiuk, Ted; Hewagama, Tilak

2017-01-01

Thermal-emission infrared spectroscopy is a powerful tool for exploring the composition, temperature structure, and dynamics of planetary atmospheres; and the temperature of solid surfaces. A host of Fourier transform spectrometers (FTS) such as Mariner IRIS, Voyager IRIS, and Cassini CIRS from NASA Goddard have made and continue to make important new discoveries throughout the solar system. Future FTS instruments will have to be more sensitive (when we concentrate on the colder, outer reaches of the solar system), and less massive and less power-hungry as we cope with decreasing resource allotments for future planetary science instruments. With this in mind, we have developed CIRS-lite, a smaller version of the CIRS FTS for future planetary missions. We discuss the roadmap for making CIRS-lite a viable candidate for future planetary missions, including the recent increased emphasis on ocean worlds (Europa, Encelatus, Titan) and also on smaller payloads such as CubeSats and SmallSats.

Evaluating The Global Inventory of Planetary Analog Environments on Earth: An Ontological Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conrad, P. G.

2010-12-01

Introduction: Field sites on Earth are routinely used to simulate planetary environments so that we can try to understand the evidence of processes such as sedimentary deposition, weathering, evolution of habitable environments, and behavior of spacecraft and instrumentation prior to selection of mission architectures, payload investigations and landing sites for in situ exploration of other planets. The rapid evolution of astrobiology science drivers for space exploration as well as increasing capability to explore planetary surfaces in situ has led to a proliferation of declarations that various Earth environments are analogs for less accessible planetary environments. We have not yet progressed to standardized measures of analog fidelity, and the analog value of field sites can be variable de-pending upon a variety of factors. Here we present a method of evaluating the fidelity and hence utility of analog environments by using an ontological approach to evaluating how well the analogs work. The use of ontologies as specification constructs is now quite common in artificial intelligence, systems engineering, business development and various informatics systems. We borrow from these developments just as they derive from the original use of ontology in philosophy, where it was meant as a systematic approach to describing the fundamental elements that define “being,” or existence [1]. An ontology is a framework for the specification of a concept or domain of interest. The knowledge regarding that domain, eg., inventory of objects, hierarchical classes, relationships and functions is what describes and defines the domain as a declarative formalism [2]. In the case of planetary environments, one can define a list of fundamen-tal attributes without which the domain (environment) in question must be defined (classified) otherwise. In particu-lar this is problematic when looking at ancient environments because of their alteration over time. In other words, their fundamental attributes may no longer exist and have to be reconstructed. In the case of Earth analogs for Mars, there are important distinctions that cannot be duplicated in contemporary Earth environments—we cannot produce the same surface conditions with respect to thermal fluctuation, ionizing radiation and extremely oxidizing chemistry. Mars analogs on Earth: We have studied the habitability of several desert environments on Earth by measuring their chemical, physical and biological features. These locations, which include Battleship Promontory in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica; several sites in Svalbard, the arctic; the Imperial Dunes in southern California and Amboy Crater in the Mojave Desert, CA, form the basis for a trial ontology of analog environments which have varying degrees of analogy to potential environments of interest on Mars for exploration of its habitability potential. We present a trial taxonomy for Mars analog environments to which we can add the attributes of other environments advocated as Earth analogs for Mars. References: [1] Bunge,M.,Treatise on Basic Philosophy: Ontology I, The Furniture of the World, Reidel, 1977. [2] Gruber, T. R., (1993). Knowledge Acquisition, 5(2):199-220.

Planetary Space Weather Services for the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

André, Nicolas; Grande, Manuel

2016-04-01

Under Horizon 2020, the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure (EPN2020-RI) will include an entirely new Virtual Access Service, WP5 VA1 "Planetary Space Weather Services" (PSWS) that will extend the concepts of space weather and space situational awareness to other planets in our Solar System and in particular to spacecraft that voyage through it. VA1 will make five entirely new 'toolkits' accessible to the research community and to industrial partners planning for space missions: a general planetary space weather toolkit, as well as three toolkits dedicated to the following key planetary environments: Mars (in support ExoMars), comets (building on the expected success of the ESA Rosetta mission), and outer planets (in preparation for the ESA JUICE mission to be launched in 2022). This will give the European planetary science community new methods, interfaces, functionalities and/or plugins dedicated to planetary space weather in the tools and models available within the partner institutes. It will also create a novel event-diary toolkit aiming at predicting and detecting planetary events like meteor showers and impacts. A variety of tools (in the form of web applications, standalone software, or numerical models in various degrees of implementation) are available for tracing propagation of planetary and/or solar events through the Solar System and modelling the response of the planetary environment (surfaces, atmospheres, ionospheres, and magnetospheres) to those events. But these tools were not originally designed for planetary event prediction and space weather applications. So WP10 JRA4 "Planetary Space Weather Services" (PSWS) will provide the additional research and tailoring required to apply them for these purposes. The overall objectives of this Joint Research Aactivities will be to review, test, improve and adapt methods and tools available within the partner institutes in order to make prototype planetary event and space weather services operational in Europe at the end of the programme. Europlanet 2020 RI has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654208.

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

Oliver, J. B.

Planetary substrate rotation for optical-coating deposition is evaluated based on initial and final positions for a given layer with different numbers of revolutions and various deposition-source locations. The influence of partial revolutions of the rotation system is analyzed relative to the total number of planetary revolutions in that layer to determine the relative impact on film thickness and uniformity. Furthermore, guidance is provided on the necessary planetary revolutions that should take place in each layer versus the expected error level in the layer thickness for the modeled system.