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.

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.

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.

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.

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 diversity of planetary system architectures: contrasting theory with observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miguel, Y.; Guilera, O. M.; Brunini, A.

2011-10-01

In order to explain the observed diversity of planetary system architectures and relate this primordial diversity to the initial properties of the discs where they were born, we develop a semi-analytical model for computing planetary system formation. The model is based on the core instability model for the gas accretion of the embryos and the oligarchic growth regime for the accretion of the solid cores. Two regimes of planetary migration are also included. With this model, we consider different initial conditions based on recent results of protoplanetary disc observations to generate a variety of planetary systems. These systems are analysed statistically, exploring the importance of several factors that define the planetary system birth environment. We explore the relevance of the mass and size of the disc, metallicity, mass of the central star and time-scale of gaseous disc dissipation in defining the architecture of the planetary system. We also test different values of some key parameters of our model to find out which factors best reproduce the diverse sample of observed planetary systems. We assume different migration rates and initial disc profiles, in the context of a surface density profile motivated by similarity solutions. According to this, and based on recent protoplanetary disc observational data, we predict which systems are the most common in the solar neighbourhood. We intend to unveil whether our Solar system is a rarity or whether more planetary systems like our own are expected to be found in the near future. We also analyse which is the more favourable environment for the formation of habitable planets. Our results show that planetary systems with only terrestrial planets are the most common, being the only planetary systems formed when considering low-metallicity discs, which also represent the best environment for the development of rocky, potentially habitable planets. We also found that planetary systems like our own are not rare in the solar neighbourhood, its formation being favoured in massive discs where there is not a large accumulation of solids in the inner region of the disc. Regarding the planetary systems that harbour hot and warm Jupiter planets, we found that these systems are born in very massive, metal-rich discs. Also a fast migration rate is required in order to form these systems. According to our results, most of the hot and warm Jupiter systems are composed of only one giant planet, which is also shown by the current observational data.

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.

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.

Overview of Innovative Aircraft Power and Propulsion Systems and Their Applications for Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colozza, Anthony; Landis, Geoffrey; Lyons, Valerie

2003-01-01

Planetary exploration may be enhanced by the use of aircraft for mobility. This paper reviews the development of aircraft for planetary exploration missions at NASA and reviews the power and propulsion options for planetary aircraft. Several advanced concepts for aircraft exploration, including the use of in situ resources, the possibility of a flexible all-solid-state aircraft, the use of entomopters on Mars, and the possibility of aerostat exploration of Titan, are presented.

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.

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.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session "Education" includes the following topics: 1) Convection, Magnetism, Orbital Resonances, Impacts, and Volcanism: Energies and Processes in the Solar System: Didactic Activities; 2) Knowledge Management in Aerospace-Education and Training Issues; 3) Creating Easy-to-Understand Planetary Maps; 4) Planetary Environment comparison in the Education of Astrobiology; and 5) Design and Construction of a Mechanism for the Orbital Resonances Simulation.

The Now Frontier. Linking Earth and Planets. Issue No. 1-4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA.

This publication includes four pamphlets providing background material for understanding the NASA program of planetary flights. Each issue presents student involvement activities as well as suggested reading lists. Issue 1 describes the innermost planets of the solar system. Issue 2 gives information about the evolution of the planetary system as…

The Planetary Data System Information Model for Geometry Metadata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guinness, E. A.; Gordon, M. K.

2014-12-01

The NASA Planetary Data System (PDS) has recently developed a new set of archiving standards based on a rigorously defined information model. An important part of the new PDS information model is the model for geometry metadata, which includes, for example, attributes of the lighting and viewing angles of observations, position and velocity vectors of a spacecraft relative to Sun and observing body at the time of observation and the location and orientation of an observation on the target. The PDS geometry model is based on requirements gathered from the planetary research community, data producers, and software engineers who build search tools. A key requirement for the model is that it fully supports the breadth of PDS archives that include a wide range of data types from missions and instruments observing many types of solar system bodies such as planets, ring systems, and smaller bodies (moons, comets, and asteroids). Thus, important design aspects of the geometry model are that it standardizes the definition of the geometry attributes and provides consistency of geometry metadata across planetary science disciplines. The model specification also includes parameters so that the context of values can be unambiguously interpreted. For example, the reference frame used for specifying geographic locations on a planetary body is explicitly included with the other geometry metadata parameters. The structure and content of the new PDS geometry model is designed to enable both science analysis and efficient development of search tools. The geometry model is implemented in XML, as is the main PDS information model, and uses XML schema for validation. The initial version of the geometry model is focused on geometry for remote sensing observations conducted by flyby and orbiting spacecraft. Future releases of the PDS geometry model will be expanded to include metadata for landed and rover spacecraft.

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.

Environmental Control and Life Support Systems for Mars Exploration: Issues and Concerns for Planetary Protection and the Protection of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barta, Daniel J.; Lange, Kevin; Anderson, Molly; Vonau, Walter

2016-07-01

Planetary protection represents an additional set of requirements that generally have not been considered by developers of technologies for Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS). Forward contamination concerns will affect release of gases and discharge of liquids and solids, including what may be left behind after planetary vehicles are abandoned upon return to Earth. A crew of four using a state of the art ECLSS could generate as much as 4.3 metric tons of gaseous, liquid and solid wastes and trash during a 500-day surface stay. These may present issues and concerns for both planetary protection and planetary science. Certainly, further closure of ECLSS systems will be of benefit by greater reuse of consumable products and reduced generation of waste products. It can be presumed that planetary protection will affect technology development by constraining how technologies can operate: limiting or prohibiting certain kinds of operations or processes (e.g. venting); necessitating that other kinds of operations be performed (e.g. sterilization; filtration of vent lines); prohibiting what can be brought on a mission (e.g. extremophiles); creating needs for new capabilities/ technologies (e.g. containment). Although any planned venting could include filtration to eliminate micro-organisms from inadvertently exiting the spacecraft, it may be impossible to eliminate or filter habitat structural leakage. Filtration will add pressure drops impacting size of lines and ducts, affect fan size and energy requirements, and add consumable mass. Technologies that may be employed to remove biomarkers and microbial contamination from liquid and solid wastes prior to storage or release may include mineralization technologies such as incineration, super critical wet oxidation and pyrolysis. These technologies, however, come with significant penalties for mass, power and consumables. This paper will estimate the nature and amounts of materials generated during Mars transit and surface stays that may be impacted by planetary protection requirements or be controlled for the protection of planetary science.

Planetary Ions at Mercury: Unanswered Questions After MESSENGER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raines, J. M.

2018-05-01

We will discuss the key open questions relating to planetary ions, including the behavior of recently created photoions, the near absence of Ca+ / K+ in MESSENGER ion measurements, and the role of ion sputtering in the system.

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.

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.

Planetary Nomenclature: An Overview and Update for 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaither, Tenielle; Hayward, Rose; IAU Working GroupPlanetary System Nomenclature

2017-10-01

The task of naming planetary surface features, rings, and natural satellites is managed by the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). There are currently 15,361 IAU-approved surface feature names on 41 planetary bodies, including moons and asteroids. The members of the WGPSN and its task groups have worked since the early 1970s to provide a clear, unambiguous system of planetary nomenclature that represents cultures and countries from all regions of Earth. WGPSN members include Rita Schulz (Chair) and 9 other members representing countries around the globe. The participation of knowledgeable scientists and experts in this process is vital to its success of the IAU WGPSN . Planetary nomenclature is a tool used to uniquely identify features on the surfaces of planets or satellites so they can be located, described, and discussed in publications, including peer-review journals, maps and conference presentations. Approved names are listed in the Transactions of the IAU and on the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature website. Any names currently in use that are not listed the Gazetteer are not official. Planetary names must adhere to rules and conventions established by the IAU WGPSN (see http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Page/Rules for the complete list). The gazetteer includes an online Name Request Form (http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/FeatureNameRequest) that can be used by members of the professional science community. Name requests are first reviewed by one of six task groups (Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars, Outer Solar System, and Small Bodies). After a task group has reviewed a proposal, it is submitted to the WGPSN. Allow four to six weeks for the review and approval process. Upon WGPSN approval, names are considered formally approved and it is then appropriate to use them in publications. Approved names are immediately entered into the database and shown on the website. Questions about the nomenclature database and the naming process can be sent to Rosalyn Hayward, USGS Astrogeology Science Center, 2255 N. Gemini Dr., Flagstaff, AZ 86001, or by email to rhayward@usgs.gov.

Formation of Planetary Satellites and Prospects for Exomoons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barr, A.

2014-04-01

The formation of planetary satellites is thought to be a natural by-product of terrestrial and giant planet formation. I will discuss the proposed methods of satellite formation including fission, co-accretion, giant impact, and capture and where these modes of formation might operate in extrasolar planetary systems. Giant impacts like the event that formed Earth's Moon are thought to be common during the late stages of terrestrial planet formation; it is currently thought that Mercury, Mars, and the Earth were hit by objects of planetary size during their early history. I will discuss the effects that large impacts may have on rocky exoplanets, including moon formation and compositional changes, which can affect prospects for habitability on these worlds. The giant planets in our solar system harbor dozens of planet-size rocky and icy moons, some of which have habitats that may be dissimilar to Earth but could still be suitable for life. Because the accretion of regular satellites is thought to be a by-product of gas inflow to growing gas giants, it seems likely that many extrasolar planets may have created regular satellite systems as well. I will discuss the types of satellite systems we have in our solar system and whether those are likely to occur elsewhere. I will also discuss the conditions on the "front-runners" for habitable giant planet moons in our solar system including Europa, Enceladus, and Titan.

Reports of planetary geology program, 1983

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holt, H. E. (Compiler)

1984-01-01

Several areas of the Planetary Geology Program were addressed including outer solar system satellites, asteroids, comets, Venus, cratering processes and landform development, volcanic processes, aeolian processes, fluvial processes, periglacial and permafrost processes, geomorphology, remote sensing, tectonics and stratigraphy, and mapping.

My Martian Moment - Episode 02 - Chris McKay and Perchlorates

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-10-06

NASA Ames' Chris McKay is a planetary scientist, whose research includes planetary atmospheres and on the origins and evolution of life in the Solar System and the Universe. His work also includes planning the next generation of science instruments needed to better understand the chemicals and composition of the dirt on the surface of Mars.

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.

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.

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.

System concepts and design examples for optical communication with planetary spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesh, James R.

Systems concepts for optical communication with future deep-space (planetary) spacecraft are described. These include not only the optical transceiver package aboard the distant spacecraft, but the earth-vicinity optical-communications receiving station as well. Both ground-based, and earth-orbiting receivers are considered. Design examples for a number of proposed or potential deep-space missions are then presented. These include an orbital mission to Saturn, a Lander and Rover mission to Mars, and an astronomical mission to a distance of 1000 astronomical units.

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.

Applying Multiagent Simulation to Planetary Surface Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sierhuis, Maarten; Sims, Michael H.; Clancey, William J.; Lee, Pascal; Swanson, Keith (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

This paper describes a multiagent modeling and simulation approach for designing cooperative systems. Issues addressed include the use of multiagent modeling and simulation for the design of human and robotic operations, as a theory for human/robot cooperation on planetary surface missions. We describe a design process for cooperative systems centered around the Brahms modeling and simulation environment being developed at NASA Ames.

Planetary astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, David; Hunten, Donald; Ahearn, Michael F.; Belton, Michael J. S.; Black, David; Brown, Robert A.; Brown, Robert Hamilton; Cochran, Anita L.; Cruikshank, Dale P.; Depater, Imke

1991-01-01

The authors profile the field of astronomy, identify some of the key scientific questions that can be addressed during the decade of the 1990's, and recommend several facilities that are critically important for answering these questions. Scientific opportunities for the 1990' are discussed. Areas discussed include protoplanetary disks, an inventory of the solar system, primitive material in the solar system, the dynamics of planetary atmospheres, planetary rings and ring dynamics, the composition and structure of the atmospheres of giant planets, the volcanoes of IO, and the mineralogy of the Martian surface. Critical technology developments, proposed projects and facilities, and recommendations for research and facilities are discussed.

Quarantine provisions for unmanned extra-terrestrial missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

This document sets forth requirements applicable to unmanned planetary flight programs which are necessary to enable the Associate Administrator for Space Science to fulfill those responsibilities pertaining to planetary quarantine as stated in NPD 8020.7 and NPD 8020.10A. This document is specifically directed to the control of terrestrial microbial contamination associated with unmanned space vehicles intended to encounter, orbit, flyby, or otherwise be in the vicinity of extra-terrestrial solar system bodies. The requirements of this document apply to all unmanned planetary flight programs. This includes solar system exploratory missions to the major planets as well as missions to planet satellites, or to other solar system objects that may be of scientific interest. This document is not applicable to terrestrial (including lunar) missions and manned missions. NASA officials having cognizance of applicable flight programs will invoke these requirements in such directives or contractual instruments as may be necessary to assure their implementation.

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.

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astornomy and Planetary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reach, William T.; SOFIA Sciece Mission Operations

2016-10-01

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy enables observations at far-infrared wavelengths, including the range 30-300 microns that is nearly completely obscured from the ground. By flying in the stratosphere above 95% of atmospheric water vapor, access is opened to photometric, spectroscopic, and polarimetric observations of Solar System targets spanning small bodies through major planets. Extrasolar planetary systems can be observed through their debris disks or transits, and forming planetary systems through protoplanetary disks, protostellar envelopes, and molecular cloud cores. SOFIA operates out of Southern California most of the year. For the summer of 2016, we deployed to New Zealand with 3 scientific instruments. The HAWC+ far-infrared photopolarimeter was recently flown and is in commissioning, and two projects are in Phase A study to downselect to one new facility instrument. The Cycle 5 observing proposal results are anticipated to be be released by the time of this DPS meeting, and successful planetary proposals will be advertised.

Impact of Space Transportation System on planetary spacecraft and missions design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnett, P. M.

1975-01-01

Results of Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) activities to define and understand alternatives for planetary spacecraft operations with the Space Transportation System (STS) are summarized. The STS presents a set of interfaces, operational alternatives, and constraints in the prelaunch, launch, and near-earth flight phases of a mission. Shuttle-unique features are defined and coupled with JPL's existing program experience to begin development of operationally efficient alternatives, concepts, and methods for STS-launched missions. The time frame considered begins with the arrival of the planetary spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center and includes prelaunch ground operations, Shuttle-powered flight, and near-earth operations, up to acquisition of the spacecraft signal by the Deep Space Network. The areas selected for study within this time frame were generally chosen because they represent the 'driving conditions' on planetary-mission as well as system design and operations.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Education Programs Demonstrations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Reports from the session on Education Programs Demonstration include:Hands-On Activities for Exploring the Solar System in K-14; Formal Education and Informal Settings;Making Earth and Space Science and Exploration Accessible; New Thematic Solar System Exploration Products for Scientists and Educators Engaging Students of All Ages with Research-related Activities: Using the Levers of Museum Reach and Media Attention to Current Events; Astronomy Village: Use of Planetary Images in Educational Multimedia; ACUMEN: Astronomy Classes Unleashed: Meaningful Experiences for Neophytes; Unusual Guidebook to Terrestrial Field Work Studies: Microenvironmental Studies by Landers on Planetary Surfaces (New Atlas in the Series of the Solar System Notebooks on E tv s University, Hungary); and The NASA ADS: Searching, Linking and More.

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.

Planetary/DOD entry technology flight experiments. Volume 2: Planetary entry flight experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, H. E.; Krieger, R. J.; Mcneilly, W. R.; Vetter, H. C.

1976-01-01

The technical feasibility of launching a high speed, earth entry vehicle from the space shuttle to advance technology for the exploration of the outer planets' atmospheres was established. Disciplines of thermodynamics, orbital mechanics, aerodynamics propulsion, structures, design, electronics and system integration focused on the goal of producing outer planet environments on a probe shaped vehicle during an earth entry. Major aspects of analysis and vehicle design studied include: planetary environments, earth entry environment capability, mission maneuvers, capabilities of shuttle upper stages, a comparison of earth entry planetary environments, experiment design and vehicle design.

Investigation of small solar system objects with the space telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, D.

1979-01-01

The application of the space telescope (ST) to study small objects in the solar system in order to understand the birth and the early evolution of the solar system is discussed. The upper size limit of the small bodies is defined as approximately 5000 km and includes planetary satellites, planetary rings, asteroids, and comets.The use of the astronomical instruments aboard the ST, such as the faint object camera, ultraviolet and infrared spectrometers, and spectrophotometers, to study the small solar system objects is discussed.

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.

A Dedicated Space Observatory For Time-domain Solar System Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Michael H.; Ádámkovics, M.; Benecchi, S.; Bjoraker, G.; Clarke, J. T.; de Pater, I.; Hendrix, A. R.; Marchis, F.; McGrath, M.; Noll, K.; Rages, K. A.; Retherford, K.; Smith, E. H.; Strange, N. J.

2009-09-01

Time-variable phenomena with scales ranging from minutes to decades have led to a large fraction of recent advances in many aspects of solar system science. We present the scientific motivation for a dedicated space observatory for solar system science. This facility will ideally conduct repeated imaging and spectroscopic observations over a period of 10 years or more. It will execute a selection of long-term projects with interleaved scheduling, resulting in the acquisition of data sets with consistent calibration, long baselines, and optimized sampling intervals. A sparse aperture telescope would be an ideal configuration for the mission, trading decreased sensitivity for reduced payload mass, while preserving spatial resolution. Ultraviolet capability is essential, especially once the Hubble Space Telescope retires. Specific investigations will include volcanism and cryovolcanism (on targets including Io, Titan, Venus, Mars, and Enceladus); zonal flow, vortices, and storm evolution on the giant planets; seasonal cycles in planetary atmospheres; mutual events and orbit determination of multiple small solar system bodies; auroral activity and solar wind interactions; and cometary evolution. The mission will produce a wealth of data products--such as multi-year time-lapse movies of planetary atmospheres--with significant education and public outreach potential. Existing and planned ground- and space-based facilities are not suitable for these time-domain optimized planetary dynamics studies for numerous reasons, including: oversubscription by astrophysical users, field-of-regard limitations, sensitive detector saturation limits that preclude bright planetary targets, and limited mission duration. The abstract author list is a preliminary group of scientists who have shown interest in prior presentations on this topic; interested parties may contact the lead author by 1 September to sign the associated Planetary Science Decadal Survey white paper or by 1 October to co-author the printed DPS poster.

BINARY CENTRAL STARS OF PLANETARY NEBULAE DISCOVERED THROUGH PHOTOMETRIC VARIABILITY. IV. THE CENTRAL STARS OF HaTr 4 AND Hf 2-2

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

Hillwig, Todd C.; Schaub, S. C.; Bond, Howard E.

We explore the photometrically variable central stars of the planetary nebulae HaTr 4 and Hf 2-2. Both have been classified as close binary star systems previously based on their light curves alone. Here, we present additional arguments and data confirming the identification of both as close binaries with an irradiated cool companion to the hot central star. We include updated light curves, orbital periods, and preliminary binary modeling for both systems. We also identify for the first time the central star of HaTr 4 as an eclipsing binary. Neither system has been well studied in the past, but we utilizemore » the small amount of existing data to limit possible binary parameters, including system inclination. These parameters are then compared to nebular parameters to further our knowledge of the relationship between binary central stars of planetary nebulae and nebular shaping and ejection.« less

Rings Research in the Next Decade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiscareno, Matthew S.; Albers, N.; Brahic, A.; Brooks, S. M.; Burns, J. A.; Chavez, C.; Colwell, J. E.; Cuzzi, J. N.; de Pater, I.; Dones, L.; Durisen, R. H.; Filacchione, G.; Giuliatti Winter, S. M.; Gordon, M. K.; Graps, A.; Hamilton, D. P.; Hedman, M. M.; Horanyi, M.; Kempf, S.; Krueger, H.; Lewis, M. C.; Lissauer, J. J.; Murray, C. D.; Nicholson, P. D.; Olkin, C. B.; Pappalardo, R. T.; Salo, H.; Schmidt, J.; Showalter, M. R.; Spahn, F.; Spilker, L. J.; Srama, R.; Sremcevic, M.; Stewart, G. R.; Yanamandra-Fisher, P.

2009-12-01

The study of planetary ring systems is a key component of planetary science for several reasons: 1) The evolution and current states of planets and their satellites are affected in many ways by rings, while 2) conversely, properties of planets and moons and other solar system populations are revealed by their effects on rings; 3) highly structured and apparently delicate ring systems may be bellwethers, constraining various theories of the origin and evolution of their entire planetary system; and finally, 4) planetary rings provide an easily observable analogue to other astrophysical disk systems, enabling real "ground truth” results applicable to disks much more remote in space and/or time, including proto-planetary disks, circum-stellar disks, and even galaxies. Significant advances have been made in rings science in the past decade. The highest-priority rings research recommendations of the last Planetary Science Decadal Survey were to operate and extend the Cassini orbiter mission at Saturn; this has been done with tremendous success, accounting for much of the progress made on key science questions, as we will describe. Important progress in understanding the rings of Saturn and other planets has also come from Earth-based observational and theoretical work, again as prioritized by the last Decadal Survey. However, much important work remains to be done. At Saturn, the Cassini Solstice Mission must be brought to a successful completion. Priority should also be placed on sending spacecraft to Neptune and/or Uranus, now unvisited for more than 20 years. At Jupiter and Pluto, opportunities afforded by visiting spacecraft capable of studying rings should be exploited. On Earth, the need for continued research and analysis remains strong, including in-depth analysis of rings data already obtained, numerical and theoretical modeling work, laboratory analysis of materials and processes analogous to those found in the outer solar system, and continued Earth-based observations.

Benefit assessment of NASA space technology goals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The socio-economic benefits to be derived from system applications of space technology goals developed by NASA were assessed. Specific studies include: electronic mail; personal telephone communications; weather and climate monitoring, prediction, and control; crop production forecasting and water availability; planetary engineering of the planet Venus; and planetary exploration.

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.

The Planetary Data System— Archiving Planetary Data for the use of the Planetary Science Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, Thomas H.; McLaughlin, Stephanie A.; Grayzeck, Edwin J.; Vilas, Faith; Knopf, William P.; Crichton, Daniel J.

2014-11-01

NASA’s Planetary Data System (PDS) archives, curates, and distributes digital data from NASA’s planetary missions. PDS provides the planetary science community convenient online access to data from NASA’s missions so that they can continue to mine these rich data sets for new discoveries. The PDS is a federated system consisting of nodes for specific discipline areas ranging from planetary geology to space physics. Our federation includes an engineering node that provides systems engineering support to the entire PDS.In order to adequately capture complete mission data sets containing not only raw and reduced instrument data, but also calibration and documentation and geometry data required to interpret and use these data sets both singly and together (data from multiple instruments, or from multiple missions), PDS personnel work with NASA missions from the initial AO through the end of mission to define, organize, and document the data. This process includes peer-review of data sets by members of the science community to ensure that the data sets are scientifically useful, effectively organized, and well documented. PDS makes the data in PDS easily searchable so that members of the planetary community can both query the archive to find data relevant to specific scientific investigations and easily retrieve the data for analysis. To ensure long-term preservation of data and to make data sets more easily searchable with the new capabilities in Information Technology now available (and as existing technologies become obsolete), the PDS (together with the COSPAR sponsored IPDA) developed and deployed a new data archiving system known as PDS4, released in 2013. The LADEE, MAVEN, OSIRIS REx, InSight, and Mars2020 missions are using PDS4. ESA has adopted PDS4 for the upcoming BepiColumbo mission. The PDS is actively migrating existing data records into PDS4 and developing tools to aid data providers and users. The PDS is also incorporating challenge-based competitions to rapidly and economically develop new tools for both users and data providers.Please visit our User Support Area at the meeting (Booth #114) if you have questions accessing our data sets or providing data to the PDS.

Conceptual design of a 1-MW CW X-band transmitter for planetary radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhanji, A. M.; Hoppe, D. J.; Conroy, B. L.; Freiley, A. J.

1990-01-01

A proposed conceptual design to increase the output power of an existing X-band planetary radar transmitter used for planetary radar exploration from 365 kW to 1 MW CW is presented. The basic transmitter system requirements as dictated by the specifications for the radar are covered. The characteristics and expected performance of the high-power klystrons are considered, and the transmitter power amplifier system is discussed. Also included is the design of all of the associated high-power microwave components, the feed system, and the phase-stable exciter. The expected performance of the beam supply, heat exchanger, and monitor and control devices is also presented. Finally, an assessment of the state-of-the-art technology needed to meet system requirements is given and possible areas of difficulty are summarized.

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.

Connecting the Astrophysics Data System and Planetary Data System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichhorn, G.; Kurtz, M. J.; Accomazzi, A.; Grant, C. S.; Murray, S. S.; Hughes, J. S.; Mortellaro, J.; McMahon, S. K.

1997-07-01

The Astrophysics Data System (ADS) provides access to astronomical literature through a sophisticated search engine. Over 10,000 users retrieve almost 5 million references and read more than 25,000 full text articles per month. ADS cooperates closely with all the main astronomical journals and data centers to create and maintain a state-of-the-art digital library. The Planetary Data System (PDS) publishes high quality peer reviewed planetary science data products, defines planetary archiving standards to make products usable, and provides science expertise to users in data product preparation and use. Data products are available to users on CD media, with more than 600 CD-ROM titles in the inventory from past missions as well as the recent releases from active planetary missions and observations. The ADS and PDS serve overlapping communities and offer complementary functions. The ADS and PDS are both part of the NASA Space Science Data System, sponsored by the Office of Space Science, which curates science data products for researchers and the general public. We are in the process of connecting these two data systems. As a first step we have included entries for PDS data sets in the ADS abstract service. This allows ADS users to find PDS data sets by searching for their descriptions through the ADS search system. The information returned from the ADS links directly to the data set's entry in the PDS data set catalog. After linking to this catalog, the user will have access to more comprehensive data set information, related ancillary information, and on-line data products. The PDS on the other hand will use the ADS to provide access to bibliographic information. This includes links from PDS data set catalog bibliographic citations to ADS abstracts and on-line articles. The cross-linking between these data systems allows each system to concentrate on its main objectives and utilize the other system to provide more and improved services to the users of both systems.

Selecting and implementing scientific objectives. [for Voyager 1 and 2 planetary encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miner, E. D.; Stembridge, C. H.; Doms, P. E.

1985-01-01

The procedures used to select and implement scientific objectives for the Voyager 1 and 2 planetary encounters are described. Attention is given to the scientific tradeoffs and engineering considerations must be addressed at various stages in the mission planning process, including: the limitations of ground and spacecraft communications systems, ageing of instruments in flight, and instrument calibration over long distances. The contribution of planetary science workshops to the definition of scientific objectives for deep space missions is emphasized.

An integrated strategy for the planetary sciences: 1995 - 2010

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

In 1992, the National Research Council's Space Studies Board charged its Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX) to: (1) summarize current understanding of the planets and the solar system; (2) pose the most significant scientific questions that remain; and (3) establish the priorities for scientific exploration of the planets for the period from 1995 to 2010. The broad scientific goals of solar system exploration include: (1) understanding how physical and chemical processes determine the major characteristics of the planets, and thereby help us to understand the operation of Earth; (2) learning about how planetary systems originate and evolve; (3) determining how life developed in the solar system, particularly on Earth, and in what ways life modifies planetary environments; and (4) discovering how relatively simple, basic laws of physics and chemistry can lead to the diverse phenomena observed in complex systems. COMPLEX maintains that the most useful new programs to emphasize in the period from 1995 to 2010 are detailed investigations of comets, Mars, and Jupiter and an intensive search for, and characterization of, extrasolar planets.

Planetary maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1992-01-01

An important goal of the USGS planetary mapping program is to systematically map the geology of the Moon, Mars, Venus, and Mercury, and the satellites of the outer planets. These geologic maps are published in the USGS Miscellaneous Investigations (I) Series. Planetary maps on sale at the USGS include shaded-relief maps, topographic maps, geologic maps, and controlled photomosaics. Controlled photomosaics are assembled from two or more photographs or images using a network of points of known latitude and longitude. The images used for most of these planetary maps are electronic images, obtained from orbiting television cameras, various optical-mechanical systems. Photographic film was only used to map Earth's Moon.

Cubesat Application for Planetary Entry (CAPE) Missions: Micro-Reentry Capsule (MIRCA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esper, Jaime

2014-01-01

The Cubesat Application for Planetary Entry Missions (CAPE) concept describes a high-performing Cubesat system which includes a propulsion module and miniaturized technologies capable of surviving atmospheric entry heating, while reliably transmitting scientific and engineering data. The Micro Return Capsule (MIRCA) is CAPEs first planetary entry probe flight prototype. Within this context, this paper briefly describes CAPEs configuration and typical operational scenario, and summarizes ongoing work on the design and basic aerodynamic characteristics of the prototype MIRCA vehicle. CAPE not only opens the door to new planetary mission capabilities, it also offers relatively low-cost opportunities especially suitable to university participation.

SPICE: A Geometry Information System Supporting Planetary Mapping, Remote Sensing and Data Mining

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acton, C.; Bachman, N.; Semenov, B.; Wright, E.

2013-01-01

SPICE is an information system providing space scientists ready access to a wide assortment of space geometry useful in planning science observations and analyzing the instrument data returned therefrom. The system includes software used to compute many derived parameters such as altitude, LAT/LON and lighting angles, and software able to find when user-specified geometric conditions are obtained. While not a formal standard, it has achieved widespread use in the worldwide planetary science community

Motorized control for mirror mount apparatus

DOEpatents

Cutburth, Ronald W.

1989-01-01

A motorized control and automatic braking system for adjusting mirror mount apparatus is disclosed. The motor control includes a planetary gear arrangement to provide improved pitch adjustment capability while permitting a small packaged design. The motor control for mirror mount adjustment is suitable for laser beam propagation applications. The brake is a system of constant contact, floating detents which engage the planetary gear at selected between-teeth increments to stop rotation instantaneously when the drive motor stops.

You wouldn't go into the field with dirty sampling gear, would you?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rummel, J. D.; Voytek, M. A.; Hipkin, V.

2014-12-01

Planetary protection is a precautionary principle that brought together Western and Soviet interests at the height of the Cold War. Scientists on both sides lobbied for a guiding principle in the design of planetary missions that included how to prevent biological contamination of target planetary bodies to preserve their pristine nature until they could be studied in detail. Planetary protection policies today remain as relevant because the pace of exploration has been far slower than their expectation, which was to have completed the search for life in our solar system within 50 years. Today Planetary Protection Policy rides on our definitions of terran life and what we know of its limits on Earth and our limited knowledge of extraterrestrial environments. A brief history of planetary protection is presented with a reminder that the harmful contamination it protects against for Mars is the inability to detect biosignatures should they exist. For illustration, an imaginary life detection mission without planetary protection requirements is discussed. Finally, a brief review is given of current planetary protection implementation methods and new areas of research in this field.

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

Fourier transform spectroscopy for future planetary missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brasunas, John C.; Hewagama, Tilak; Kolasinski, John R.; Kostiuk, Theodor

2015-11-01

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, NASA Goddard was funded via the Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Progrem (PIDDP) to develop CIRS-lite, a smaller version of the CIRS FTS for future planetary missions. Following the initial validation of CIRS-lite operation in the laboratory, we have been acquiring atmospheric data in the 8-12 micron window at the 1.2 m telescope at the Goddard Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory (GGAO) in Greenbelt, MD. Targets so far have included Earth's atmosphere (in emission, and in absorption against the moon), and Venus.We will present the roadmap for making CIRS-lite a viable candidate for future planetary missions.

Addressing challenges to human health in the Anthropocene epoch-an overview of the findings of the Rockefeller/Lancet Commission on Planetary Health.

PubMed

Haines, Andy

The report of the Rockefeller Foundation/Lancet Commission on Planetary Health described how human health directly depends upon the environment. It takes a broad perspective not only acknowledging climate change as the most important global environmental threat to health but also recognizing other impacts, including dramatic loss of tropical forests, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, declining freshwater resources, ocean acidification, and over-exploitation of fisheries. All pose challenges to human health gains, leading to the concept of planetary health-that the human condition is tied to natural systems. The Planetary Health Commission report highlights several major concerns arising from environmental change including impacts on food availability and quality, increases in natural disasters and population displacement, and newly emerging diseases, e.g. from zoonotic infections. Three challenges emerge from the report: the first is imagination, or conceptual challenges-better metrics are needed to assess human progress within the context of environmental change; the second is a lack of relevant knowledge, requiring more research on the inter-linkages between environmental change and health and on the effectiveness of potential solutions; and the third is implementation of solutions, ensuring that the science is translated into policy and practice. There are many opportunities to promote planetary health including developing sustainable and healthy cities, encouraging more resilient health systems and disaster preparedness, reducing food waste, preserving ecosystems, and redirecting harmful subsidies in food, agriculture, fishery and energy sectors. Many current trends are driven by inequitable, inefficient, and unsustainable patterns of resource consumption and technological development, coupled with population growth, but solutions lie within reach. Prosperity must be redefined as an enhancement of the quality of life and the delivery of improved health for all, together with respect for natural systems.

The influence of the great inequality on the secular disturbing function of the planetary system.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Musen, P.

1971-01-01

This paper derives the contribution by the great inequality to the secular disturbing function of the principal planets. Andoyer's expansion of the planetary disturbing function and von Zeipel's method of eliminating the periodic terms is employed; thereby, the corrected secular disturbing function for the planetary system is derived. The conclusion is drawn that the canonicity of the equations for the secular variation of the heliocentric elements can be preserved if there be retained, in the secular disturbing function, terms only of the second and fourth order relative to the eccentricity and inclinations. The Krylov-Bogoliubov method is suggested for eliminating periodic terms, if it is desired to include the secular perturbations of the fifth and higher order in the heliocentric elements. The additional part of the secular disturbing function derived in this paper can be included in existing theories of the secular effects of principal planets.

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 L.

2016-01-01

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 pollute the observed planetary transit signal, contributing to inaccurate planetary characteristics or astrophysical false positives. We present approximately 3300 high resolution observations of Kepler planetary hosts from 2012-2015, with ~500 observed nearby stars. We measure an overall nearby star probability rate of 16.2±0.8%. With this large dataset, we are uniquely able to explore broad correlations between multiple star systems and the properties of the planets which they host. We then use these clues for insight into the formation and evolution of these exotic systems. Several KOIs of particular interest will be discussed, including possible quadruple star systems hosting planets and updated properties for possible rocky planets orbiting in the habitable zone.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Origin of Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session titled Origin of Planetary Systems" included the following reports:Convective Cooling of Protoplanetary Disks and Rapid Giant Planet Formation; When Push Comes to Shove: Gap-opening, Disk Clearing and the In Situ Formation of Giant Planets; Late Injection of Radionuclides into Solar Nebula Analogs in Orion; Growth of Dust Particles and Accumulation of Centimeter-sized Objects in the Vicinity of a Pressure enhanced Region of a Solar Nebula; Fast, Repeatable Clumping of Solid Particles in Microgravity ; Chondrule Formation by Current Sheets in Protoplanetary Disks; Radial Migration of Phyllosilicates in the Solar Nebula; Accretion of the Outer Planets: Oligarchy or Monarchy?; Resonant Capture of Irregular Satellites by a Protoplanet ; On the Final Mass of Giant Planets ; Predicting the Atmospheric Composition of Extrasolar Giant Planets; Overturn of Unstably Stratified Fluids: Implications for the Early Evolution of Planetary Mantles; and The Evolution of an Impact-generated Partially-vaporized Circumplanetary Disk.

Advances in planetary geology, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

This publication is a continuation of volume 1; it is a compilation of reports focusing on research into the origin and evolution of the solar system with emphasis on planetary geology. Specific reports include a multispectral and geomorphic investigation of the surface of Europa and a geologic interpretation of remote sensing data for the Martian volcano Ascreaus Mons.

Results from the Science Instrument Definition Team for the Gondola for High Altitude Planetary Science Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chanover, Nancy J.; Aslam, Shahid; DiSanti, Michael A.; Hibbitts, Charles A.; Honniball, Casey I.; Paganini, Lucas; Parker, Alex; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Young, Eliot F.

2016-10-01

The Gondola for High Altitude Planetary Science (GHAPS) is an observing asset under development by NASA's Planetary Science Division that will be hosted on stratospheric balloon missions intended for use by the broad planetary science community. GHAPS is being designed in a modular fashion to interface to a suite of instruments as called for by science needs. It will operate at an altitude of 30+ km and will include an optical telescope assembly with a 1-meter aperture and a pointing stability of approximately 1 arcsecond with a flight duration of ~100 days. The spectral grasp of the system is envisaged to include wavelengths spanning the near-ultraviolet to near/mid-infrared (~0.3-5 µm) and possibly to longer wavelengths.The GHAPS Science Instrument Definition Team (SIDT) was convened in May 2016 to define the scope of science investigations, derive the science requirements and instrument concepts for GHAPS, prioritize the instruments according to science priorities that address Planetary Science Decadal Survey questions, and generate a report that is broadly disseminated to the planetary science community. The SIDT examined a wide range of solar system targets and science questions, focusing on unique measurements that could be made from a balloon-borne platform to address high-priority planetary science questions for a fraction of the cost of space missions. The resulting instrument concepts reflect unique capabilities offered by a balloon-borne platform (e.g., observations at spectral regions inaccessible from the ground due to telluric absorption, diffraction-limited imaging, and long duration uninterrupted observations of a target). We discuss example science cases that can be addressed with GHAPS and describe a notional instrument suite that can be used by guest observers to pursue decadal-level science questions.

The Resilience of Kepler 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 members, but a large fraction possess only a single transiting example. This overabundance of singles has led to the suggestion that up to half of Kepler systems might possess significant mutual inclinations between orbits, reducing the transiting number (the so-called “Kepler Dichotomy”). In a recent paper, Spalding & Batygin demonstrated that the quadrupole moment arising from a young, oblate star is capable of misaligning the constituent orbits of a close-in planetary system enough to reduce their transit number, provided that the stellar spin axis is sufficiently misaligned with respect to the planetary orbital plane. Moreover, tightly packed planetary systems were shown to be susceptible to becoming destabilized during this process. Here, we investigate the ubiquity of the stellar obliquity-driven instability within systems with a range of multiplicities. We find that most planetary systems analyzed, including those possessing only two planets, underwent instability for stellar spin periods below ∼3 days and stellar tilts of order 30°. Moreover, we are able to place upper limits on the stellar obliquity in systems such as K2-38 (obliquity ≲20°), where other methods of measuring the spin–orbit misalignment are not currently available. Given the known parameters of T-Tauri stars, we predict that up to one-half of super-Earth-mass systems may encounter the instability, in general agreement with the fraction typically proposed to explain the observed abundance of single-transiting systems.

Ordinary planetary systems - Architecture and formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levy, E. H.

1993-01-01

Today we believe ordinary planetary systems to be an unremarkable consequence of star formation. The solar system, so far the only confidently known example in the universe of a planetary system, displays a set of striking structural regularities. These structural regularities provide fossil clues about the conditions and mechanisms that gave rise to the planets. The formation of our planetary system, as well as its general characteristics, resulted from the physical environment in the disk-shaped nebula that accompanied the birth of the sun. Observations of contemporary star formation indicate that the very conditions and mechanisms thought to have produced our own planetary system are widely associated with the birth of stars elsewhere. Consequently, it is reasonable to believe that planetary systems occur commonly, at least in association with single, sunlike stars. Moreover, it is reasonable to believe that many planetary systems have gross characteristics resembling those of our own solar system.

A Science Rationale for Mobility in Planetary Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

For the last several decades, the Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX) has advocated a systematic approach to exploration of the solar system; that is, the information and understanding resulting from one mission provide the scientific foundations that motivate subsequent, more elaborate investigations. COMPLEX's 1994 report, An Integrated Strategy for the Planetary Sciences: 1995-2010,1 advocated an approach to planetary studies emphasizing "hypothesizing and comprehending" rather than "cataloging and categorizing." More recently, NASA reports, including The Space Science Enterprise Strategic Plan2 and, in particular, Mission to the Solar System: Exploration and Discovery-A Mission and Technology Roadmap,3 have outlined comprehensive plans for planetary exploration during the next several decades. The missions outlined in these plans are both generally consistent with the priorities outlined in the Integrated Strategy and other NRC reports,4-5 and are replete with examples of devices embodying some degree of mobility in the form of rovers, robotic arms, and the like. Because the change in focus of planetary studies called for in the Integrated Strategy appears to require an evolutionary change in the technical means by which solar system exploration missions are conducted, the Space Studies Board charged COMPLEX to review the science that can be uniquely addressed by mobility in planetary environments. In particular, COMPLEX was asked to address the following questions: (1) What are the practical methods for achieving mobility? (2) For surface missions, what are the associated needs for sample acquisition? (3) What is the state of technology for planetary mobility in the United States and elsewhere, and what are the key requirements for technology development? (4) What terrestrial field demonstrations are required prior to spaceflight missions?

A Scientific Rationale for Mobility in Planetary Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1999-01-01

For the last several decades, the COMmittee on Planetary and Lunar EXploration (COMPLEX) has advocated a systematic approach to exploration of the solar system; that is, the information and understanding resulting from one mission provide the scientific foundations that motivate subsequent, more elaborate investigations. COMPLEX's 1994 report, An Integrated Strategy for the Planetary Sciences: 1995-2010,1 advocated an approach to planetary studies emphasizing "hypothesizing and comprehending" rather than "cataloging and categorizing." More recently, NASA reports, including The Space Science Enterprise Strategic Plan' and, in particular, Mission to the Solar System: Exploration and Discovery-A Mission and Technology Roadmap, 3 have outlined comprehensive plans for planetary exploration during the next several decades. The missions outlined in these plans are both generally consistent with the priorities outlined in the Integrated Strategy and other NRC reports,4,5 and are replete with examples of devices embodying some degree of mobility in the form of rovers, robotic arms, and the like. Because the change in focus of planetary studies called for in the Integrated Strategy appears to require an evolutionary change in the technical means by which solar system exploration missions are conducted, the Space Studies Board charged COMPLEX to review the science that can be uniquely addressed by mobility in planetary environments. In particular, COMPLEX was asked to address the following questions: 1. What are the practical methods for achieving mobility? 2. For surface missions, what are the associated needs for sample acquisition? 3. What is the state of technology for planetary mobility in the United States and elsewhere, and what are the key requirements for technology development? 4. What terrestrial field demonstrations are required prior to spaceflight missions?

Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vondrak, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics (LEP) performs experimental and theoretical research on the heliosphere, the interstellar medium, and the magnetospheres and upper atmospheres of the planets, including Earth. LEP space scientists investigate the structure and dynamics of the magnetospheres of the planets including Earth. Their research programs encompass the magnetic fields intrinsic to many planetary bodies as well as their charged-particle environments and plasma-wave emissions. The LEP also conducts research into the nature of planetary ionospheres and their coupling to both the upper atmospheres and their magnetospheres. Finally, the LEP carries out a broad-based research program in heliospheric physics covering the origins of the solar wind, its propagation outward through the solar system all the way to its termination where it encounters the local interstellar medium. Special emphasis is placed on the study of solar coronal mass ejections (CME's), shock waves, and the structure and properties of the fast and slow solar wind. LEP planetary scientists study the chemistry and physics of planetary stratospheres and tropospheres and of solar system bodies including meteorites, asteroids, comets, and planets. The LEP conducts a focused program in astronomy, particularly in the infrared and in short as well as very long radio wavelengths. We also perform an extensive program of laboratory research, including spectroscopy and physical chemistry related to astronomical objects. The Laboratory proposes, develops, fabricates, and integrates experiments on Earth-orbiting, planetary, and heliospheric spacecraft to measure the characteristics of planetary atmospheres and magnetic fields, and electromagnetic fields and plasmas in space. We design and develop spectrometric instrumentation for continuum and spectral line observations in the x-ray, gamma-ray, infrared, and radio regimes; these are flown on spacecraft to study the interplanetary medium, asteroids, comets, and planets. Suborbital sounding rockets and groundbased observing platforms form an integral part of these research activities. This report covers the period from approximately October 1999 through September 2000.

Other Planetary Systems: The View From Our Neighborhood

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruikshank, Dale P.; Witteborn, Fred C. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

The structure and contents of the Solar System offer an initial model for other planetary systems in this and other galaxies. Our knowledge of the bodies in the Solar System and their physical conditions has grown enormously in the three decades of planetary exploration. Parallel to the uncovering of new facts has been a great expansion of our understanding of just how these conditions came to be. Telescopic studies and missions to all the planets (except Pluto) have shown spectacular and unexpected diversity among those planets, their satellites, the asteroids, and the comets. Highlights include the organic-rich crust of comets, volcanic activity on planetary satellites, randomly oriented magnetic fields of the major planets, the existence of a huge population of planetesimals just beyond Neptune, dramatic combinations of exogenic and endogenic forces shaping the solid bodies throughout the Solar System, and much more. Simultaneously, computational, laboratory, and conceptual advances have shown that the Solar System is not fully evolved either dynamically or chemically. The discovery of clearly identified interstellar (presolar) material in the meteorites and comets connects us directly with the matter in the molecular cloud from which the Solar System originated. At the same time, an increased understanding of the chemistry of comets and the impact history of the planets has demonstrated the dependence of the origin and evolution of life on Earth on powerful exogenic factors. This presentation summarizes some of the new knowledge of the Solar System and proposes specific character ist ics that may be observed in (or used as criteria for identification of) extrasolar planetary systems.

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.

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.

Characterizing the Physical and Thermal Properties of Planetary Regolith at Low Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mantovani, James G.; Swanger, Adam; Townsend, Ivan I., III; Sibille, Laurent; Galloway, Gregory

2014-01-01

The success or failure of in-situ resource utilization for planetary surface exploration-whether for science, colonization, or commercialization-relies heavily on the design and implementation of systems that can effectively process planetary regolith and exploit its potential benefits. In most cases, this challenge necessarily includes the characterization of regolith properties at low temperatures (cryogenic). None of the nearby solar system destinations of interest, such as the moon, Mars and asteroids, possess a sufficient atmosphere to sustain the consistently "high" surface temperatures found on Earth. Therefore, they can experience permanent cryogenic temperatures or dramatic cyclical changes in surface temperature. Characterization of physical properties (e.g., specific heat, thermal and electrical conductivity) over the entire temperature profile is important when planning a mission to a planetary surface; however, the impact on mechanical properties due to the introduction of icy deposits must also be explored in order to devise effective and robust excavation technologies. The Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory and the Cryogenics Test Laboratory at NASA Kennedy Space Center are developing technologies and experimental methods to address these challenges and to aid in the characterization of the physical and mechanical properties of regolith at cryogenic temperatures. This paper will review the current state of knowledge concerning planetary regolith at low temperature, including that of icy regolith, and describe efforts to manipulate icy regolith through novel penetration and excavation techniques.

Planets and satellites: A survey of fundamental facts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kopal, Z.

1972-01-01

An account of the fundamental properties of the planets of the solar system and of their satellites including their masses, dimensions and distances is presented. The observational uncertainty in present knowledge of planetary masses and dimensions (or mean densities) is discussed critically. The fact is pointed out that the initial scale of the solar system may have differed appreciably from the present one. Observed phenomena which can furnish empirical information on the internal structure of the planetary globes will also be reviewed.

Visualizing planetary data by using 3D engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elgner, S.; Adeli, S.; Gwinner, K.; Preusker, F.; Kersten, E.; Matz, K.-D.; Roatsch, T.; Jaumann, R.; Oberst, J.

2017-09-01

We examined 3D gaming engines for their usefulness in visualizing large planetary image data sets. These tools allow us to include recent developments in the field of computer graphics in our scientific visualization systems and present data products interactively and in higher quality than before. We started to set up the first applications which will take use of virtual reality (VR) equipment.

Solar System Exploration, 1995-2000

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Squyres, S.; Varsi, G.; Veverka, J.; Soderblom, L.; Black, D.; Stern, A.; Stetson, D.; Brown, R. A.; Niehoff, J.; Squibb, G.

1994-01-01

Goals for planetary exploration during the next decade include: (1) determine how our solar system formed, and understand whether planetary systems are a common phenomenon through out the cosmos; (2) explore the diverse changes that planets have undergone throughout their history and that take place at present, including those that distinguish Earth as a planet; (3) understand how life might have formed on Earth, whether life began anywhere else in the solar system, and whether life (including intelligent beings) might be a common cosmic phenomenon; (4) discover and investigate natural phenomena that occur under conditions not realizable in laboratories; (5) discover and inventory resources in the solar system that could be used by human civilizations in the future; and (6) make the solar system a part of the human experience in the same way that Earth is, and hence lay the groundwork for human expansion into the solar system in the coming century. The plan for solar system exploration is motivated by these goals as well as the following principle: The solar system exploration program will conduct flight programs and supporting data analysis and scientific research commensurate with United States leadership in space exploration. These programs and research must be of the highest scientific merit, they must be responsive to public excitement regarding planetary exploration, and they must contribute to larger national goals in technology and education. The result will be new information, which is accessible to the public, creates new knowledge, and stimulates programs of education to increase the base of scientific knowledge in the general public.

The Explorer's Guide to Impact Craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chuang, F.; Pierazzo, E.; Osinski, G.

2005-01-01

Impact cratering is a fundamental geologic process of our solar system. It competes with other processes, such as plate tectonics, volcanism, fluvial, glacial and eolian activity, in shaping the surfaces of planetary bodies. In some cases, like the Moon and Mercury, impact craters are the dominant landform. On other planetary bodies impact craters are being continuously erased by the action of other geological processes, like volcanism on Io, erosion and plate tectonics on the Earth, tectonic and volcanic resurfacing on Venus, or ancient erosion periods on Mars. The study of crater populations is one of the principal tools for understanding the geologic history of a planetary surface. Among the general public, impact cratering has drawn wide attention through its portrayal in several Hollywood movies. Questions that are raised after watching these movies include: How do scientists learn about impact cratering? , and What information do impact craters provide in understanding the evolution of a planetary surface? Fundamental approaches used by scientists to learn about impact cratering include field work at known terrestrial craters, remote sensing studies of craters on various solid surfaces of solar system bodies, and theoretical and laboratory studies using the known physics of impact cratering.

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.

Planetary programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mills, R. A.; Bourke, R. D.

1985-01-01

The goals of the NASA planetary exploration program are to understand the origin and evolution of the solar system and the earth, and the extent and nature of near-earth space resources. To accomplish this, a number of missions have been flown to the planets, and more are in active preparation or in the planning stage. This paper describes the current and planned planetary exploration program starting with the spacecraft now in flight (Pioneers and Voyagers), those in preparation for launch this decade (Galileo, Magellan, and Mars Observer), and those recommended by the Solar System Exploration Committee for the future. The latter include a series of modest objective Observer missions, a more ambitious set of Mariner Mark IIs, and the very challenging but scientifically rewarding sample returns.

Radial Velocity Detection of Extra-Solar Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cochran, William D.

2004-01-01

This NASA Origins Program grant supported four closely related research programs at The University of Texas at Austin: 1) The McDonald Observatory Planetary Search (MOPS) Program, using the McDonald Observatory 2.7m Harlan Smith telescope and its 2dcoude spectrometer, 2) A high-precision radial-velocity survey of Hyades dwarfs, using the Keck telescope and its HIRES spectrograph, 3) A program at McDonald Observatory to obtain spectra of the parent stars of planetary systems at R = 210,000, and 4) the start of high precision radial velocity surveys using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The most important results from NASA support of these research programs are described. A list of all papers published under support of this grant is included at the end.

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.

New vision solar system mission study: Use of space reactor bimodal system with microspacecraft to determine origin and evolution of the outer plants in the solar system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mondt, Jack F.; Zubrin, Robert M.

1996-01-01

The vision for the future of the planetary exploration program includes the capability to deliver 'constellations' or 'fleets' of microspacecraft to a planetary destination. These fleets will act in a coordinated manner to gather science data from a variety of locations on or around the target body, thus providing detailed, global coverage without requiring development of a single large, complex and costly spacecraft. Such constellations of spacecraft, coupled with advanced information processing and visualization techniques and high-rate communications, could provide the basis for development of a 'virtual presence' in the solar system. A goal could be the near real-time delivery of planetary images and video to a wide variety of users in the general public and the science community. This will be a major step in making the solar system accessible to the public and will help make solar system exploration a part of the human experience on Earth.

United States planetary rover status: 1989

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pivirotto, Donna L. S.; Dias, William C.

1990-01-01

A spectrum of concepts for planetary rovers and rover missions, is covered. Rovers studied range from tiny micro rovers to large and highly automated vehicles capable of traveling hundreds of kilometers and performing complex tasks. Rover concepts are addressed both for the Moon and Mars, including a Lunar/Mars common rover capable of supporting either program with relatively small modifications. Mission requirements considered include both Science and Human Exploration. Studies include a range of autonomy in rovers, from interactive teleoperated systems to those requiring and onboard System Executive making very high level decisions. Both high and low technology rover options are addressed. Subsystems are described for a representative selection of these rovers, including: Mobility, Sample Acquisition, Science, Vehicle Control, Thermal Control, Local Navigation, Computation and Communications. System descriptions of rover concepts include diagrams, technology levels, system characteristics, and performance measurement in terms of distance covered, samples collected, and area surveyed for specific representative missions. Rover development schedules and costs are addressed for Lunar and Mars exploration initiatives.

Stratospheric Balloons for Planetary Science and the Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS) Mission Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kremic, Tibor; Cheng, Andrew F.; Hibbitts, Karl; Young, Eliot F.; Ansari, Rafat R.; Dolloff, Matthew D.; Landis, Rob R.

2015-01-01

NASA and the planetary science community have been exploring the potential contributions approximately 200 questions raised in the Decadal Survey have identified about 45 topics that are potentially suitable for addressing by stratospheric balloon platforms. A stratospheric balloon mission was flown in the fall of 2014 called BOPPS, Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science. This mission observed a number of planetary targets including two Oort cloud comets. The optical system and instrumentation payload was able to provide unique measurements of the intended targets and increase our understanding of these primitive bodies and their implications for us here on Earth. This paper will discuss the mission, instrumentation and initial results and how these may contribute to the broader planetary science objectives of NASA and the scientific community. This paper will also identify how the instrument platform on BOPPS may be able to contribute to future balloon-based science. Finally the paper will address potential future enhancements and the expected science impacts should those enhancements be implemented.

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.

Energy Balance Models and Planetary Dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Domagal-Goldman, Shawn

2012-01-01

We know that planetary dynamics can have a significant affect on the climate of planets. Planetary dynamics dominate the glacial-interglacial periods on Earth, leaving a significant imprint on the geological record. They have also been demonstrated to have a driving influence on the climates of other planets in our solar system. We should therefore expect th.ere to be similar relationships on extrasolar planets. Here we describe a simple energy balance model that can predict the growth and thickness of glaciers, and their feedbacks on climate. We will also describe model changes that we have made to include planetary dynamics effects. This is the model we will use at the start of our collaboration to handle the influence of dynamics on climate.

Formation of solar system analogues - I. Looking for initial conditions through a population synthesis analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ronco, M. P.; Guilera, O. M.; de Elía, G. C.

2017-11-01

Population synthesis models of planetary systems developed during the last ˜15 yr could reproduce several of the observables of the exoplanet population, and also allowed us to constrain planetary formation models. We present our planet formation model, which calculates the evolution of a planetary system during the gaseous phase. The code incorporates relevant physical phenomena for the formation of a planetary system, like photoevaporation, planet migration, gas accretion, water delivery in embryos and planetesimals, a detailed study of the orbital evolution of the planetesimal population, and the treatment of the fusion between embryos, considering their atmospheres. The main goal of this work, unlike other works of planetary population synthesis, is to find suitable scenarios and physical parameters of the disc to form Solar system analogues. We are specially interested in the final planet distributions, and in the final surface density, eccentricity and inclination profiles for the planetesimal population. These final distributions will be used as initial conditions for N-body simulations to study the post-oligarchic formation in a second work. We then consider different formation scenarios, with different planetesimal sizes and different type I migration rates. We find that Solar system analogues are favoured in massive discs, with low type I migration rates, and small planetesimal sizes. Besides, those rocky planets within their habitables zones are dry when discs dissipate. At last, the final configurations of Solar system analogues include information about the mass and semimajor axis of the planets, water contents, and the properties of the planetesimal remnants.

A Subject Matter Expert View of Curriculum Development.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milazzo, M. P.; Anderson, R. B.; Edgar, L. A.; Gaither, T. A.; Vaughan, R. G.

2017-12-01

In 2015, NASA selected for funding the PLANETS project: Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of Engineering, Technology, and Science. The PLANETS partnership develops planetary science and engineering curricula for out of classroom time (OST) education settings. This partnership is between planetary science Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) at the US Geological Survey (USGS), curriculum developers at the Boston Museum of Science (MOS) Engineering is Everywhere (EiE), science and engineering teacher professional development experts at Northern Arizona University (NAU) Center for Science Teaching and Learning (CSTL), and OST teacher networks across the world. For the 2016 and 2017 Fiscal Years, our focus was on creating science material for two OST modules designed for middle school students. We have begun development of a third module for elementary school students. The first model teaches about the science and engineering of the availability of water in the Solar System, finding accessible water, evaluating it for quality, treating it for impurities, initial use, a cycle of greywater treatment and re-use, and final treatment of blackwater. This module is described in more detail in the abstract by L. Edgar et al., Water in the Solar System: The Development of Science Education Curriculum Focused on Planetary Exploration (233008) The second module involves the science and engineering of remote sensing in planetary exploration. This includes discussion and activities related to the electromagnetic spectrum, spectroscopy and various remote sensing systems and techniques. In these activities and discussions, we include observation and measurement techniques and tools as well as collection and use of specific data of interest to scientists. This module is described in more detail in the abstract by R. Anderson et al., Remote Sensing Mars Landing Sites: An Out-of-School Time Planetary Science Education Activity for Middle School Students (232683) The third module, described by R.G. Vaughan, Hazards in the Solar System: Out-of-School Time Student Activities Focused on Engineering Protective Space Gloves (262143), focuses on hazards in the Solar System and the engineering approach to designing space gloves to protect against those hazards.

Lunar and Planetary Bases, Habitats, and Colonies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This special bibliography includes the design and construction of lunar and Mars bases, habitats, and settlements; construction materials and equipment; life support systems; base operations and logistics; thermal management and power systems; and robotic systems.

Towards a sustainable modular robot system for planetary exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hossain, S. G. M.

This thesis investigates multiple perspectives of developing an unmanned robotic system suited for planetary terrains. In this case, the unmanned system consists of unit-modular robots. This type of robot has potential to be developed and maintained as a sustainable multi-robot system while located far from direct human intervention. Some characteristics that make this possible are: the cooperation, communication and connectivity among the robot modules, flexibility of individual robot modules, capability of self-healing in the case of a failed module and the ability to generate multiple gaits by means of reconfiguration. To demonstrate the effects of high flexibility of an individual robot module, multiple modules of a four-degree-of-freedom unit-modular robot were developed. The robot was equipped with a novel connector mechanism that made self-healing possible. Also, design strategies included the use of series elastic actuators for better robot-terrain interaction. In addition, various locomotion gaits were generated and explored using the robot modules, which is essential for a modular robot system to achieve robustness and thus successfully navigate and function in a planetary environment. To investigate multi-robot task completion, a biomimetic cooperative load transportation algorithm was developed and simulated. Also, a liquid motion-inspired theory was developed consisting of a large number of robot modules. This can be used to traverse obstacles that inevitably occur in maneuvering over rough terrains such as in a planetary exploration. Keywords: Modular robot, cooperative robots, biomimetics, planetary exploration, sustainability.

Discovering the 50 Years of Solar System Exploration: Sharing Your Science with the Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxner, Sanlyn; Dalton, H.; Shipp, S.; Shupla, C.; Halligan, E.; Boonstra, D.; Wessen, A.; Baerg, G.; Davis, P.; Burdick, A.; Zimmerman Brachman, R.

2012-10-01

The Year of the Solar System (YSS) offers ways for scientists to bring NASA’s science discoveries to their audiences! YSS and the continuing salute to the 50-year history of solar system exploration provide an integrated picture of our new understanding of the solar system for educators and the general public. During the last five decades, NASA has launched a variety of robotic spacecraft to study our solar system. Over that time, our understanding of planets has been revolutionized, as has the technology that has made these discoveries possible.Looking forward, the numerous ongoing and future robotic missions are returning new discoveries of our solar system at an unprecedented rate. YSS combines the discoveries of past NASA planetary missions with the most recent findings of the ongoing missions and connects them to related topics based on the big questions of planetary science, including solar system formation, volcanism, ice, and possible life elsewhere. Planetary scientists are encouraged to get involved in YSS in a variety of ways: - Give a talk at a local museum, planetarium, library, or school to share YSS and your research - Partner with a local educational institution to organize a night sky viewing or mission milestone community event - Work with a classroom teacher to explore one of the topics with students - Connect with a planetary science E/PO professional to identify ways to participate, like creating podcasts,vodcasts, or contributing to monthly topics - Share your ideas for events and activities with the planetaryE/PO community to identify partners and pathways for distribution - And more! Promotional and educational materials, updates, a calendar of activities, and a space to share experiences are available at NASA’s Solar System website: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss. This is an exciting time in planetary sciences as we learn about New Worlds and make New Discoveries!

Fluvial geomorphology on Earth-like planetary surfaces: A review.

PubMed

Baker, Victor R; Hamilton, Christopher W; Burr, Devon M; Gulick, Virginia C; Komatsu, Goro; Luo, Wei; Rice, James W; Rodriguez, J A P

2015-09-15

Morphological evidence for ancient channelized flows (fluvial and fluvial-like landforms) exists on the surfaces of all of the inner planets and on some of the satellites of the Solar System. In some cases, the relevant fluid flows are related to a planetary evolution that involves the global cycling of a volatile component (water for Earth and Mars; methane for Saturn's moon Titan). In other cases, as on Mercury, Venus, Earth's moon, and Jupiter's moon Io, the flows were of highly fluid lava. The discovery, in 1972, of what are now known to be fluvial channels and valleys on Mars sparked a major controversy over the role of water in shaping the surface of that planet. The recognition of the fluvial character of these features has opened unresolved fundamental questions about the geological history of water on Mars, including the presence of an ancient ocean and the operation of a hydrological cycle during the earliest phases of planetary history. Other fundamental questions posed by fluvial and fluvial-like features on planetary bodies include the possible erosive action of large-scale outpourings of very fluid lavas, such as those that may have produced the remarkable canali forms on Venus; the ability of exotic fluids, such as methane, to create fluvial-like landforms, as observed on Saturn's moon, Titan; and the nature of sedimentation and erosion under different conditions of planetary surface gravity. Planetary fluvial geomorphology also illustrates fundamental epistemological and methodological issues, including the role of analogy in geomorphological/geological inquiry.

Test Before You Fly - High Fidelity Planetary Environment Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craven, Paul; Ramachandran, Narayanan; Vaughn, Jason; Schneider, Todd; Nehls, Mary

2012-01-01

The lunar surface environment will present many challenges to the survivability of systems developed for long duration lunar habitation and exploration of the lunar, or any other planetary, surface. Obstacles will include issues pertaining especially to the radiation environment (solar plasma and electromagnetic radiation) and lunar regolith dust. The Planetary Environments Chamber is one piece of the MSFC capability in Space Environmental Effects Test and Analysis. Comprised of many unique test systems, MSFC has the most complete set of SEE test capabilities in one location allowing examination of combined space environmental effects without transporting already degraded, potentially fragile samples over long distances between tests. With this system, the individual and combined effects of the lunar radiation and regolith environment on materials, sub-systems, and small systems developed for the lunar return can be investigated. This combined environments facility represents a unique capability to NASA, in which tests can be tailored to any one aspect of the lunar environment (radiation, temperature, vacuum, regolith) or to several of them combined in a single test.

Influence of Planetary Protection Guidelines on Waste Management Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogan, John A.; Fisher, John W.; Levri, Julie A.; Wignarajah, Kanapathipi; Race, Margaret S.; Stabekis, Perry D.; Rummel, John D.

2005-01-01

Newly outlined missions in the Space Exploration Initiative include extended human habitation on Mars. During these missions, large amounts of waste materials will be generated in solid, liquid and gaseous form. Returning these wastes to Earth will be extremely costly, and will therefore likely remain on Mars. Untreated, these wastes are a reservoir of live/dead organisms and molecules considered to be "biomarkers" i.e., indicators of life). If released to the planetary surface, these materials can potentially confound exobiology experiments and disrupt Martian ecology indefinitely (if existent). Waste management systems must therefore be specifically designed to control release of problematic materials both during the active phase of the mission, and for any specified post-mission duration. To effectively develop waste management requirements for Mars missions, planetary protection guidelines must first be established. While previous policies for Apollo lunar missions exist, it is anticipated that the increased probability of finding evidence of life on Mars, as well as the lengthy mission durations will initially lead to more conservative planetary protection measures. To facilitate the development of overall requirements for both waste management and planetary protection for future missions, a workshop was conducted to identify how these two areas interface, and to establish a preliminary set of planetary protection guidelines that address waste management operations. This paper provides background regarding past and current planetary protection and waste management issues, and their interactions. A summary of the recommended planetary protection guidelines, anticipated ramifications and research needs for waste management system design for both forward (Mars) and backward (Earth) contamination is also provided.

The search for other planetary systems - Progress to date and future prospects (The Rudolph Pesek Lecture)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, David C.

1991-01-01

The notion is addressed which links the formation of stars and the existence of planets, and the lack of supporting observational data is discussed in relation to a NASA astrometric project. The program cited is called Towards Other Planetary Systems (TOPS) and includes ground-based astrometric and radial-velocity studies for both direct and indirect scrutiny of unknown planets. The TOPS program also envisages space-based astrometric systems that can operate with an accuracy of not less than 10 microarcseconds, and the possibility is mentioned of a moon-based astrometric platform.

Virtual Planetary Space Weather Services offered by the Europlanet H2020 Research Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

André, N.; Grande, M.; Achilleos, N.; Barthélémy, M.; Bouchemit, M.; Benson, K.; Blelly, P.-L.; Budnik, E.; Caussarieu, S.; Cecconi, B.; Cook, T.; Génot, V.; Guio, P.; Goutenoir, A.; Grison, B.; Hueso, R.; Indurain, M.; Jones, G. H.; Lilensten, J.; Marchaudon, A.; Matthiä, D.; Opitz, A.; Rouillard, A.; Stanislawska, I.; Soucek, J.; Tao, C.; Tomasik, L.; Vaubaillon, J.

2018-01-01

Under Horizon 2020, the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure (EPN2020-RI) will include an entirely new Virtual Access Service, "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. PSWS will make twelve new services accessible to the research community, space agencies, and industrial partners planning for space missions. These services will in particular be dedicated to the following key planetary environments: Mars (in support of the NASA MAVEN and European Space Agency (ESA) Mars Express and ExoMars missions), comets (building on the outstanding success of the ESA Rosetta mission), and outer planets (in preparation for the ESA JUpiter ICy moon Explorer mission), and one of these services will aim at predicting and detecting planetary events like meteor showers and impacts in the Solar System. This will give the European planetary science community new methods, interfaces, functionalities and/or plugins dedicated to planetary space weather as well as to space situational awareness in the tools and models available within the partner institutes. 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. PSWS will provide the additional research and tailoring required to apply them for these purposes. PSWS 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 2017. To achieve its objectives PSWS will use a few tools and standards developed for the Astronomy Virtual Observatory (VO). This paper gives an overview of the project together with a few illustrations of prototype services based on VO standards and protocols.

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.

Asteroid Exploration and Exploitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, John S.

2006-01-01

John S. Lewis is Professor of Planetary Sciences and Co-Director of the Space Engineering Research Center at the University of Arizona. He was previously a Professor of Planetary Sciences at MIT and Visiting Professor at the California Institute of Technology. Most recently, he was a Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing for the 2005-2006 academic year. His research interests are related to the application of chemistry to astronomical problems, including the origin of the Solar System, the evolution of planetary atmospheres, the origin of organic matter in planetary environments, the chemical structure and history of icy satellites, the hazards of comet and asteroid bombardment of Earth, and the extraction, processing, and use of the energy and material resources of nearby space. He has served as member or Chairman of a wide variety of NASA and NAS advisory committees and review panels. He has written 17 books, including undergraduate and graduate level texts and popular science books, and has authored over 150 scientific publications.

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.

Thermionic reactor ion propulsion system /TRIPS/ - Its multi-mission capability.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peelgren, M. L.

1972-01-01

The unmanned planetary exploration to be conducted in the last two decades of this century includes many higher energy missions which tax all presently available propulsion systems beyond their limit. One candidate with the versatility and performance to meet these mission objectives is nuclear electric propulsion (NEP). Additionally, the NEP System is feasible in orbit raising operations with the Shuttle or Shuttle/Tug combination. A representative planetary mission is described (Uranus-Neptune flyby with probe), and geocentric performance and tradeoffs are discussed. The NEP System is described in more detail with particular emphasis on the power subsystem consisting of the thermionic reactor, heat rejection subsystem, and neutron shield.

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.

Multi-Mission System Analysis for Planetary Entry (M-SAPE) Version 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samareh, Jamshid; Glaab, Louis; Winski, Richard G.; Maddock, Robert W.; Emmett, Anjie L.; Munk, Michelle M.; Agrawal, Parul; Sepka, Steve; Aliaga, Jose; Zarchi, Kerry;

Science Case for Planetary Exploration with Planetary CubeSats and SmallSats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castillo-Rogez, Julie; Raymond, Carol; Jaumann, Ralf; Vane, Gregg; Baker, John

2016-07-01

Nano-spacecraft and especially CubeSats are emerging as viable low cost platforms for planetary exploration. Increasing miniaturization of instruments and processing performance enable smart and small packages capable of performing full investigations. While these platforms are limited in terms of payload and lifetime, their form factor and agility enable novel mission architectures and a refreshed relationship to risk. Leveraging a ride with a mothership to access far away destinations can significantly augment the mission science return at relatively low cost. Depending on resources, the mothership may carry several platforms and act as telecom relay for a distributed network or other forms of fractionated architectures. In Summer 2014 an international group of scientists, engineers, and technologists started a study to define investigations to be carried out by nano-spacecrafts. These applications flow down from key science priorities of interest across space agencies: understanding the origin and organization of the Solar system; characterization of planetary processes; assessment of the astrobiological significance of planetary bodies across the Solar system; and retirement of strategic knowledge gaps (SKGs) for Human exploration. This presentation will highlight applications that make the most of the novel architectures introduced by nano-spacecraft. Examples include the low cost reconnaissance of NEOs for science, planetary defense, resource assessment, and SKGs; in situ chemistry measurements (e.g., airless bodies and planetary atmospheres), geophysical network (e.g., magnetic field measurements), coordinated physical and chemical characterization of multiple icy satellites in a giant planet system; and scouting, i.e., risk assessment and site reconnaissance to prepare for close proximity observations of a mothership (e.g., prior to sampling). Acknowledgements: This study is sponsored by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). Part of this work is being carried out at the Jet Propulsion Lab, California Institute of Technology, under contract to NASA.

Planning for execution monitoring on a planetary rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gat, Erann; Firby, R. James; Miller, David P.

1990-01-01

A planetary rover will be traversing largely unknown and often unknowable terrain. In addition to geometric obstacles such as cliffs, rocks, and holes, it may also have to deal with non-geometric hazards such as soft soil and surface breakthroughs which often cannot be detected until rover is in imminent danger. Therefore, the rover must monitor its progress throughout a traverse, making sure to stay on course and to detect and act on any previously unseen hazards. Its onboard planning system must decide what sensors to monitor, what landmarks to take position readings from, and what actions to take if something should go wrong. The planning systems being developed for the Pathfinder Planetary Rover to perform these execution monitoring tasks are discussed. This system includes a network of planners to perform path planning, expectation generation, path analysis, sensor and reaction selection, and resource allocation.

Extreme Environment Simulation - Current and New Capabilities to Simulate Venus and Other Planetary Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kremic, Tibor; Vento, Dan; Lalli, Nick; Palinski, Timothy

2014-01-01

Science, technology, and planetary mission communities have a growing interest in components and systems that are capable of working in extreme (high) temperature and pressure conditions. Terrestrial applications range from scientific research, aerospace, defense, automotive systems, energy storage and power distribution, deep mining and others. As the target environments get increasingly extreme, capabilities to develop and test the sensors and systems designed to operate in such environments will be required. An application of particular importance to the planetary science community is the ability for a robotic lander to survive on the Venus surface where pressures are nearly 100 times that of Earth and temperatures approach 500C. The scientific importance and relevance of Venus missions are stated in the current Planetary Decadal Survey. Further, several missions to Venus were proposed in the most recent Discovery call. Despite this interest, the ability to accurately simulate Venus conditions at a scale that can test and validate instruments and spacecraft systems and accurately simulate the Venus atmosphere has been lacking. This paper discusses and compares the capabilities that are known to exist within and outside the United States to simulate the extreme environmental conditions found in terrestrial or planetary surfaces including the Venus atmosphere and surface. The paper then focuses on discussing the recent additional capability found in the NASA Glenn Extreme Environment Rig (GEER). The GEER, located at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is designed to simulate not only the temperature and pressure extremes described, but can also accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system including those with acidic and hazardous elements. GEER capabilities and characteristics are described along with operational considerations relevant to potential users. The paper presents initial operating results and concludes with a sampling of investigations or tests that have been requested or expected.

Radial Velocity Detection of Extra-Solar Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cochran, William D.

2004-01-01

This NASA Origins Program grant supported four closely related research programs at The University of Texas at Austin: 1) The McDonald Observatory Planetary Search (MOPS) Program, using the McDonald Observatory 2.7m Harlan Smith telescope and its 2dcoud6 spectrometer, 2) A high-precision radial-velocity survey of Hyades dwarfs, using the Keck telescope and its HIRES spectrograph, 3) A program at McDonald Observatory to obtain spectra of the parent stars of planetary systems at R = 210,000, and 4) the start of high precision radial velocity surveys using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The most important results from NASA support of these research programs are described below. A list of all papers published under support of this grant is included at the end.

Lessons learned from planetary science archiving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zender, J.; Grayzeck, E.

2006-01-01

The need for scientific archiving of past, current, and future planetary scientific missions, laboratory data, and modeling efforts is indisputable. To quote from a message by G. Santayama carved over the entrance of the US Archive in Washington DC “Those who can not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” The design, implementation, maintenance, and validation of planetary science archives are however disputed by the involved parties. The inclusion of the archives into the scientific heritage is problematic. For example, there is the imbalance between space agency requirements and institutional and national interests. The disparity of long-term archive requirements and immediate data analysis requests are significant. The discrepancy between the space missions archive budget and the effort required to design and build the data archive is large. An imbalance exists between new instrument development and existing, well-proven archive standards. The authors present their view on the problems and risk areas in the archiving concepts based on their experience acquired within NASA’s Planetary Data System (PDS) and ESA’s Planetary Science Archive (PSA). Individual risks and potential problem areas are discussed based on a model derived from a system analysis done upfront. The major risk for a planetary mission science archive is seen in the combination of minimal involvement by Mission Scientists and inadequate funding. The authors outline how the risks can be reduced. The paper ends with the authors view on future planetary archive implementations including the archive interoperability aspect.

Strategic approaches to planetary base development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Barney B.

1992-01-01

The evolutionary development of a planetary expansionary outpost is considered in the light of both technical and economic issues. The outline of a partnering taxonomy is set forth which encompasses both institutional and temporal issues related to establishing shared interests and investments. The purely technical issues are discussed in terms of the program components which include nonaerospace technologies such as construction engineering. Five models are proposed in which partnership and autonomy for participants are approached in different ways including: (1) the standard customer/provider relationship; (2) a service-provider scenario; (3) the joint venture; (4) a technology joint-development model; and (5) a redundancy model for reduced costs. Based on the assumed characteristics of planetary surface systems the cooperative private/public models are championed with coordinated design by NASA to facilitate outside cooperation.

Summary of the Third International Planetary Dunes Workshop: remote sensing and image analysis of planetary dunes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fenton, Lori K.; Hayward, Rosalyn K.; Horgan, Briony H.N.; Rubin, David M.; Titus, Timothy N.; Bishop, Mark A.; Burr, Devon M.; Chojnacki, Matthew; Dinwiddie, Cynthia L.; Kerber, Laura; Gall, Alice Le; Michaels, Timothy I.; Neakrase, Lynn D.V.; Newman, Claire E.; Tirsch, Daniela; Yizhaq, Hezi; Zimbelman, James R.

2013-01-01

The Third International Planetary Dunes Workshop took place in Flagstaff, AZ, USA during June 12–15, 2012. This meeting brought together a diverse group of researchers to discuss recent advances in terrestrial and planetary research on aeolian bedforms. The workshop included two and a half days of oral and poster presentations, as well as one formal (and one informal) full-day field trip. Similar to its predecessors, the presented work provided new insight on the morphology, dynamics, composition, and origin of aeolian bedforms on Venus, Earth, Mars, and Titan, with some intriguing speculation about potential aeolian processes on Triton (a satellite of Neptune) and Pluto. Major advancements since the previous International Planetary Dunes Workshop include the introduction of several new data analysis and numerical tools and utilization of low-cost field instruments (most notably the time-lapse camera). Most presentations represented advancement towards research priorities identified in both of the prior two workshops, although some previously recommended research approaches were not discussed. In addition, this workshop provided a forum for participants to discuss the uncertain future of the Planetary Aeolian Laboratory; subsequent actions taken as a result of the decisions made during the workshop may lead to an expansion of funding opportunities to use the facilities, as well as other improvements. The interactions during this workshop contributed to the success of the Third International Planetary Dunes Workshop, further developing our understanding of aeolian processes on the aeolian worlds of the Solar System.

Magnetised winds and their influence in the escaping upper atmosphere of HD 209458b

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Angelo, Carolina Villarreal; Esquivel, Alejandro; Schneiter, Matías; Sgró, Mario Agustín

2018-06-01

Lyman α observations during an exoplanet transit have proved to be very useful to study the interaction between the stellar wind and the planetary atmosphere. They have been extensively used to constrain planetary system parameters that are not directly observed, such as the planetary mass loss rate. In this way, Ly α observations can be a powerful tool to infer the existence of a planetary magnetic field, since it is expected that the latter will affect the escaping planetary material. To explore the effect that magnetic fields have on the Ly α absorption of HD 209458b, we run a set of 3D MHD simulations including dipolar magnetic fields for the planet and the star. We assume values for the surface magnetic field at the poles of the planet in the range of [0-5] G, and from 1 to 5 G at the poles of the star. Our models also include collisional and photo-ionisation, radiative recombination, and an approximation for the radiation pressure. Our results show that the magnetic field of the planet and the star change the shape of the Ly α absorption profile, since it controls the extent of the planetary magnetosphere and the amount of neutral material inside it. The model that best reproduces the absorption observed in HD 209458b (with canonical values for the stellar wind parameters) corresponds to a dipole planetary field of ≲ 1 gauss at the poles.

Continued Development of in Situ Geochronology for Planetary Using KArLE (Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devismes, D.; Cohen, B. A.

2016-01-01

Geochronology is a fundamental measurement for planetary samples, providing the ability to establish an absolute chronology for geological events, including crystallization history, magmatic evolution, and alteration events, and providing global and solar system context for such events. The capability for in situ geochronology will open up the ability for geochronology to be accomplished as part of lander or rover complement, on multiple samples rather than just those returned. An in situ geochronology package can also complement sample return missions by identifying the most interesting rocks to cache or return to Earth. The K-Ar radiometric dating approach to in situ dating has been validated by the Curiosity rover on Mars as well as several laboratories on Earth. Several independent projects developing in situ rock dating for planetary samples, based on the K-Ar method, are giving promising results. Among them, the Potassium (K)-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE) at MSFC is based on techniques already in use for in planetary exploration, specifically, Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS, used on the Curiosity Chemcam), mass spectroscopy (used on multiple planetary missions, including Curiosity, ExoMars, and Rosetta), and optical imaging (used on most missions).

Current Status of a NASA High-Altitude Balloon-Based Observatory for Planetary Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Varga, Denise M.; Dischner, Zach

2015-01-01

Recent studies have shown that progress can be made on over 20% of the key questions called out in the current Planetary Science Decadal Survey by a high-altitude balloon-borne observatory. Therefore, NASA has been assessing concepts for a gondola-based observatory that would achieve the greatest possible science return in a low-risk and cost-effective manner. This paper addresses results from the 2014 Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS) mission, namely successes in the design and performance of the Fine Pointing System. The paper also addresses technical challenges facing the new Gondola for High Altitude Planetary Science (GHAPS) reusable platform, including thermal control for the Optical Telescope Assembly, power generation and management, and weight-saving considerations that the team will be assessing in 2015 and beyond.

Observational studies of the clearing phase in proto-planetary disk systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grady, Carol A.

1994-01-01

A summary of the work completed during the first year of a 5 year program to observationally study the clearing phase of proto-planetary disks is presented. Analysis of archival and current IUE data, together with supporting optical observations has resulted in the identification of 6 new proto-planetary disk systems associated with Herbig Ae/Be stars, the evolutionary precursors of the beta Pictoris system. These systems exhibit large amplitude light and optical color variations which enable us to identify additional systems which are viewed through their circumstellar disks including a number of classical T Tauri stars. On-going IUE observations of Herbig Ae/Be and T Tauri stars with this orientation have enabled us to detect bipolar emission plausibly associated with disk winds. Preliminary circumstellar extinction studies were completed for one star, UX Ori. Intercomparison of the available sample of edge-on systems, with stars ranging from 1-6 solar masses, suggests that the signatures of accreting gas, disk winds, and bipolar flows and the prominence of a dust-scattered light contribution to the integrated light of the system decreases with decreasing IR excess.

A perception system for a planetary explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hebert, M.; Krotkov, E.; Kanade, T.

1989-01-01

To perform planetary exploration without human supervision, a complete autonomous robot must be able to model its environment and to locate itself while exploring its surroundings. For that purpose, the authors propose a modular perception system for an autonomous explorer. The perception system maintains a consistent internal representation of the observed terrain from multiple sensor views. The representation can be accessed from other modules through queries. The perception system is intended to be used by the Ambler, a six-legged vehicle being built at CMU. A partial implementation of the system using a range scanner is presented as well as experimental results on a testbed that includes the sensor, one computer-controlled leg, and obstacles on a sandy surface.

The Solar Connections Observatory for Planetary Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliversen, R. J.; Harris, W. M.

2002-05-01

The NASA Sun-Earth Connection theme roadmap calls for comparative studies of planetary, cometary, and local interstellar medium (LISM) interaction with the Sun and solar variability. Through such studies, we advance our understanding of basic physical plasma and gas dynamic processes, thus increasing our predictive capabilities for the terrestrial, planetary, and interplanetary environments where future remote and human exploration will occur. Because the other planets have lacked study initiatives comparable to the STP, LWS, and EOS programs, our understanding of the upper atmospheres and near space environments on these worlds is far less detailed than our knowledge of the Earth. To close this gap, we propose a mission to study the solar interaction with bodies throughout our solar system and the heliopause with a single remote sensing space observatory, the Solar Connections Observatory for Planetary Environments (SCOPE). SCOPE consists of a binocular EUV/UV telescope operating from a heliocentric, Earth-trailing orbit that provides high observing efficiency, sub-arcsecond imaging and broadband medium resolution spectro-imaging over the 55-290 nm bandpass, and high resolution (R>105) H Ly-α emission line profile measurements of small scale planetary and wide field diffuse solar system structures. A key to the SCOPE approach is to include Earth as a primary science target. The other planets and comets will be monitored in long duration campaigns centered, when possible, on solar opposition when interleaved terrestrial-planet observations can be used to directly compare the response of both worlds to the same solar wind stream and UV radiation field. Using the combination of SCOPE observations and models including MHD, general circulation, and radiative transfer, we will isolate the different controlling parameters in each planet system and gain insight into the underlying physical processes that define the solar connection.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Day, Brian

2017-01-01

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

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, B. H.; Law, E.

2017-12-01

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

Earth analog image digitization of field, aerial, and lab experiment studies for Planetary Data System archiving.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, D. A.; Nelson, D. M.

2017-12-01

A portion of the earth analog image archive at the Ronald Greeley Center for Planetary Studies (RGCPS)-the NASA Regional Planetary Information Facility at Arizona State University-is being digitized and will be added to the Planetary Data System (PDS) for public use. This will be a first addition of terrestrial data to the PDS specifically for comparative planetology studies. Digitization is separated into four tasks. First is the scanning of aerial photographs of volcanic and aeolian structures and flows. The second task is to scan field site images taken from ground and low-altitude aircraft of volcanic structures, lava flows, lava tubes, dunes, and wind streaks. The third image set to be scanned includes photographs of lab experiments from the NASA Planetary Aeolian Laboratory wind tunnels, vortex generator, and of wax models. Finally, rare NASA documents are being scanned and formatted as PDF files. Thousands of images are to be scanned for this project. Archiving of the data will follow the PDS4 standard, where the entire project is classified as a single bundle, with individual subjects (i.e., the Amboy Crater volcanic structure in the Mojave Desert of California) as collections. Within the collections, each image is considered a product, with a unique ID and associated XML document. Documents describing the image data, including the subject and context, will be included with each collection. Once complete, the data will be hosted by a PDS data node and available for public search and download. As one of the first earth analog datasets to be archived by the PDS, this project could prompt the digitizing and making available of historic datasets from other facilities for the scientific community.

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.

Planetary Science with Balloon-Borne Telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kremic, Tibor; Cheng, Andy; Hibbitts, Karl; Young, Eliot

2015-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the planetary science community have recently been exploring the potential contributions of stratospheric balloons to the planetary science field. A study that was recently concluded explored the roughly 200 or so science questions raised in the Planetary Decadal Survey report and found that about 45 of those questions are suited to stratospheric balloon based observations. In September of 2014, a stratospheric balloon mission called BOPPS (which stands for Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science) was flown out of Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The mission had two main objectives, first, to observe a number of planetary targets including one or more Oort cloud comets and second, to demonstrate the applicability and performance of the platform, instruments, and subsystems for making scientific measurements in support planetary science objectives. BOPPS carried two science instruments, BIRC and UVVis. BIRC is a cryogenic infrared multispectral imager which can image in the.6-5 m range using an HgCdTe detector. Narrow band filters were used to allow detection of water and CO2 emission features of the observed targets. The UVVis is an imager with the science range of 300 to 600 nm. A main feature of the UVVis instrument is the incorporation of a guide camera and a Fine Steering Mirror (FSM) system to reduce image jitter to less than 100 milliarcseconds. The BIRC instrument was used to image targets including Oort cloud comets Siding Spring and Jacques, and the dwarf planet 1 Ceres. BOPPS achieved the first ever earth based CO2 observation of a comet and the first images of water and CO2 of an Oort cloud comet (Jacques). It also made the first ever measurement of 1Ceres at 2.73 m to refine the shape of the infrared water absorption feature on that body. The UVVis instrument, mounted on its own optics bench, demonstrated the capability for image correction both from atmospheric disturbances as well as some of the residual motion from the gondola that was not addressed by the gondolas coarse pointing systems. The mission met its primary science and engineering objectives. The results of the BOPPS mission will feed into the body of science knowledge but also feed into future planning for more science from balloon-borne platforms. A notional platform called Gondola for High-Altitude Planetary Science (GHAPS) has been explored and this concept platform can address a number of important decadal questions. This paper provides a summary of the assessment of potential balloon borne observations for planetary science purposes including where potential science contributions can be expected, the necessary performance characteristics of the platform, and other features required or desired. The BOPPS mission is summarized including descriptions of the main elements and key science and engineering results. The paper then briefly describes GHAPS, and the salient features that can make it a valuable tool for future planetary observations.

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.

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

Applied Information Systems Research Program Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bredekamp, Joe

1991-01-01

Viewgraphs on Applied Information Systems Research Program Workshop are presented. Topics covered include: the Earth Observing System Data and Information System; the planetary data system; Astrophysics Data System project review; OAET Computer Science and Data Systems Programs; the Center of Excellence in Space Data and Information Sciences; and CASIS background.

Mission operations systems for planetary exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclaughlin, William I.; Wolff, Donna M.

1988-01-01

The purpose of the paper is twofold: (1) to present an overview of the processes comprising planetary mission operations as conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and (2) to present a project-specific and historical context within which this evolving process functions. In order to accomplish these objectives, the generic uplink and downlink functions are described along with their specialization to current flight projects. Also, new multimission capabilities are outlined, including prototyping of advanced-capability software for subsequent incorporation into more automated future operations. Finally, a specific historical ground is provided by listing some major operations software plus a genealogy of planetary missions beginning with Mariner 2 in 1962.

The Twenty-Fifth Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Part 1: A-G

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Papers from the conference are presented, and the topics covered include the following: planetary geology, meteorites, planetary composition, meteoritic composition, planetary craters, lunar craters, meteorite craters, petrology, petrography, volcanology, planetary crusts, geochronology, geomorphism, mineralogy, lithology, planetary atmospheres, impact melts, volcanoes, planetary evolution, tectonics, planetary mapping, asteroids, comets, lunar soil, lunar rocks, lunar geology, metamorphism, chemical composition, meteorite craters, and planetary mantles.

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.

Fluvial geomorphology on Earth-like planetary surfaces: A review

PubMed Central

Baker, Victor R.; Hamilton, Christopher W.; Burr, Devon M.; Gulick, Virginia C.; Komatsu, Goro; Luo, Wei; Rice, James W.; Rodriguez, J.A.P.

2017-01-01

Morphological evidence for ancient channelized flows (fluvial and fluvial-like landforms) exists on the surfaces of all of the inner planets and on some of the satellites of the Solar System. In some cases, the relevant fluid flows are related to a planetary evolution that involves the global cycling of a volatile component (water for Earth and Mars; methane for Saturn’s moon Titan). In other cases, as on Mercury, Venus, Earth’s moon, and Jupiter’s moon Io, the flows were of highly fluid lava. The discovery, in 1972, of what are now known to be fluvial channels and valleys on Mars sparked a major controversy over the role of water in shaping the surface of that planet. The recognition of the fluvial character of these features has opened unresolved fundamental questions about the geological history of water on Mars, including the presence of an ancient ocean and the operation of a hydrological cycle during the earliest phases of planetary history. Other fundamental questions posed by fluvial and fluvial-like features on planetary bodies include the possible erosive action of large-scale outpourings of very fluid lavas, such as those that may have produced the remarkable canali forms on Venus; the ability of exotic fluids, such as methane, to create fluvial-like landforms, as observed on Saturn’s moon, Titan; and the nature of sedimentation and erosion under different conditions of planetary surface gravity. Planetary fluvial geomorphology also illustrates fundamental epistemological and methodological issues, including the role of analogy in geomorphological/geological inquiry. PMID:29176917

Microvax-based data management and reduction system for the regional planetary image facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arvidson, R.; Guinness, E.; Slavney, S.; Weiss, B.

1987-01-01

Presented is a progress report for the Regional Planetary Image Facilities (RPIF) prototype image data management and reduction system being jointly implemented by Washington University and the USGS, Flagstaff. The system will consist of a MicroVAX with a high capacity (approx 300 megabyte) disk drive, a compact disk player, an image display buffer, a videodisk player, USGS image processing software, and SYSTEM 1032 - a commercial relational database management package. The USGS, Flagstaff, will transfer their image processing software including radiometric and geometric calibration routines, to the MicroVAX environment. Washington University will have primary responsibility for developing the database management aspects of the system and for integrating the various aspects into a working system.

The Analysis, Numerical Simulation, and Diagnosis of Extratropical Weather Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-09-30

The Analysis, Numerical Simulation, and Diagnosis of Extratropical Weather Systems Dr. Melvyn A. Shapiro NOAA/Environmental Technology Laboratory...formulation, and numerical prediction of the life cycles of synoptic-scale and mesoscale extratropical weather systems, including the influence of planetary...scale inter-annual and intra-seasonal variability on their evolution. These weather systems include: extratropical oceanic and land-falling cyclones

Johnson Space Center's Regenerative Life Support Systems Test Bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, D. J.; Henninger, D. L.

1996-01-01

The Regenerative Life Support Systems (RLSS) Test Bed at NASA's Johnson Space Center is an atmospherically closed, controlled environment facility for human testing of regenerative life support systems using higher plants in conjunction with physicochemical life support systems. The facility supports NASA's Advanced Life Support (ALS) Program. The facility is comprised of two large scale plant growth chambers, each with approximately 11 m2 growing area. The root zone in each chamber is configurable for hydroponic or solid media plant culture systems. One of the two chambers, the Variable Pressure Growth Chamber (VPGC), is capable of operating at lower atmospheric pressures to evaluate a range of environments that may be used in a planetary surface habitat; the other chamber, the Ambient Pressure Growth Chamber (APGC) operates at ambient atmospheric pressure. The air lock of the VPGC is currently being outfitted for short duration (1 to 15 day) human habitation at ambient pressures. Testing with and without human subjects will focus on 1) integration of biological and physicochemical air and water revitalization systems; 2) effect of atmospheric pressure on system performance; 3) planetary resource utilization for ALS systems, in which solid substrates (simulated planetary soils or manufactured soils) are used in selected crop growth studies; 4) environmental microbiology and toxicology; 5) monitoring and control strategies; and 6) plant growth systems design. Included are descriptions of the overall design of the test facility, including discussions of the atmospheric conditioning, thermal control, lighting, and nutrient delivery systems.

Johnson Space Center's Regenerative Life Support Systems Test Bed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barta, D. J.; Henninger, D. L.

1996-01-01

The Regenerative Life Support Systems (RLSS) Test Bed at NASA's Johnson Space Center is an atmospherically closed, controlled environment facility for human testing of regenerative life support systems using higher plants in conjunction with physicochemical life support systems. The facility supports NASA's Advanced Life Support (ALS) Program. The facility is comprised of two large scale plant growth chambers, each with approximately 11 m^2 growing area. The root zone in each chamber is configurable for hydroponic or solid media plant culture systems. One of the two chambers, the Variable Pressure Growth Chamber (VPGC), is capable of operating at lower atmospheric pressures to evaluate a range of environments that may be used in a planetary surface habitat; the other chamber, the Ambient Pressure Growth Chamber (APGC) operates at ambient atmospheric pressure. The air lock of the VPGC is currently being outfitted for short duration (1 to 15 day) human habitation at ambient pressures. Testing with and without human subjects will focus on 1) integration of biological and physicochemical air and water revitalization systems; 2) effect of atmospheric pressure on system performance; 3) planetary resource utilization for ALS systems, in which solid substrates (simulated planetary soils or manufactured soils) are used in selected crop growth studies; 4) environmental microbiology and toxicology; 5) monitoring and control strategies; and 6) plant growth systems design. Included are descriptions of the overall design of the test facility, including discussions of the atmospheric conditioning, thermal control, lighting, and nutrient delivery systems.

The Devil in the Dark: A Fully Self-Consistent Seismic Model for Venus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unterborn, C. T.; Schmerr, N. C.; Irving, J. C. E.

2017-12-01

The bulk composition and structure of Venus is unknown despite accounting for 40% of the mass of all the terrestrial planets in our Solar System. As we expand the scope of planetary science to include those planets around other stars, the lack of measurements of basic planetary properties such as moment of inertia, core-size and thermal profile for Venus hinders our ability to compare the potential uniqueness of the Earth and our Solar System to other planetary systems. Here we present fully self-consistent, whole-planet density and seismic velocity profiles calculated using the ExoPlex and BurnMan software packages for various potential Venusian compositions. Using these models, we explore the seismological implications of the different thermal and compositional initial conditions, taking into account phase transitions due to changes in pressure, temperature as well as composition. Using mass-radius constraints, we examine both the centre frequencies of normal mode oscillations and the waveforms and travel times of body waves. Seismic phases which interact with the core, phase transitions in the mantle, and shallower parts of Venus are considered. We also consider the detectability and transmission of these seismic waves from within the dense atmosphere of Venus. Our work provides coupled compositional-seismological reference models for the terrestrial planet in our Solar System of which we know the least. Furthermore, these results point to the potential wealth of fundamental scientific insights into Venus and Earth, as well as exoplanets, which could be gained by including a seismometer on future planetary exploration missions to Venus, the devil in the dark.

Printed Spacecraft Separation System

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

Holmans, Walter; Dehoff, Ryan

In this project Planetary Systems Corporation proposed utilizing additive manufacturing (3D printing) to manufacture a titanium spacecraft separation system for commercial and US government customers to realize a 90% reduction in the cost and energy. These savings were demonstrated via “printing-in” many of the parts and sub-assemblies into one part, thus greatly reducing the labor associated with design, procurement, assembly and calibration of mechanisms. Planetary Systems Corporation redesigned several of the components of the separation system based on additive manufacturing principles including geometric flexibility and the ability to fabricate complex designs, ability to combine multiple parts of an assembly intomore » a single component, and the ability to optimize design for specific mechanical property targets. Shock absorption was specifically targeted and requirements were established to attenuate damage to the Lightband system from shock of initiation. Planetary Systems Corporation redesigned components based on these requirements and sent the designs to Oak Ridge National Laboratory to be printed. ORNL printed the parts using the Arcam electron beam melting technology based on the desire for the parts to be fabricated from Ti-6Al-4V based on the weight and mechanical performance of the material. A second set of components was fabricated from stainless steel material on the Renishaw laser powder bed technology due to the improved geometric accuracy, surface finish, and wear resistance of the material. Planetary Systems Corporation evaluated these components and determined that 3D printing is potentially a viable method for achieving significant cost and savings metrics.« less

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

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

Twenty-Fourth Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Part 3: N-Z

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Papers from the conference are presented, and the topics covered include the following: planetary geology, meteorites, planetary composition, meteoritic composition, planetary craters, lunar craters, meteorite craters, petrology, petrography, volcanology, planetary crusts, geochronology, geomorphism, mineralogy, lithology, planetary atmospheres, impact melts, K-T Boundary Layer, volcanoes, planetary evolution, tectonics, planetary mapping, asteroids, comets, lunar soil, lunar rocks, lunar geology, metamorphism, chemical composition, meteorite craters, planetary mantles, and space exploration.

Multidisciplinary Tool for Systems Analysis of Planetary Entry, Descent, and Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samareh, Jamshid A.

2011-01-01

Systems analysis of a planetary entry (SAPE), descent, and landing (EDL) is a multidisciplinary activity in nature. SAPE improves the performance of the systems analysis team by automating and streamlining the process, and this improvement can reduce the errors that stem from manual data transfer among discipline experts. SAPE is a multidisciplinary tool for systems analysis of planetary EDL for Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Titan. It performs EDL systems analysis for any planet, operates cross-platform (i.e., Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems), uses existing software components and open-source software to avoid software licensing issues, performs low-fidelity systems analysis in one hour on a computer that is comparable to an average laptop, and keeps discipline experts in the analysis loop. SAPE uses Python, a platform-independent, open-source language, for integration and for the user interface. Development has relied heavily on the object-oriented programming capabilities that are available in Python. Modules are provided to interface with commercial and government off-the-shelf software components (e.g., thermal protection systems and finite-element analysis). SAPE currently includes the following analysis modules: geometry, trajectory, aerodynamics, aerothermal, thermal protection system, and interface for structural sizing.

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.

The new Planetary Science Archive (PSA): Exploration and discovery of scientific datasets from ESA's planetary missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, Santa; Besse, Sebastien; Heather, Dave; Barbarisi, Isa; Arviset, Christophe; De Marchi, Guido; Barthelemy, Maud; Docasal, Ruben; Fraga, Diego; Grotheer, Emmanuel; Lim, Tanya; Macfarlane, Alan; Rios, Carlos; Vallejo, Fran; Saiz, Jaime; ESDC (European Space Data Centre) Team

2016-10-01

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://archives.esac.esa.int/psa. All datasets are scientifically peer-reviewed by independent scientists, and are compliant with the Planetary Data System (PDS) standards. The PSA is currently implementing a number of significant improvements, mostly driven by the evolution of the PDS standard, and the growing need for better interfaces and advanced applications to support science exploitation. The newly designed PSA will enhance the user experience and will significantly reduce the complexity for users to find their data promoting one-click access to the scientific datasets with more specialised views when needed. This includes a better integration with Planetary GIS analysis tools and Planetary interoperability services (search and retrieve data, supporting e.g. PDAP, EPN-TAP). It will be also up-to-date with versions 3 and 4 of the PDS standards, as PDS4 will be used for ESA's ExoMars and upcoming BepiColombo missions. Users will have direct access to documentation, information and tools that are relevant to the scientific use of the dataset, including ancillary datasets, Software Interface Specification (SIS) documents, and any tools/help that the PSA team can provide. A login mechanism will provide additional functionalities to the users to aid / ease their searches (e.g. saving queries, managing default views). This contribution will introduce the new PSA, its key features and access interfaces.

Summary of the Third International Planetary Dunes Workshop: Remote Sensing and Image Analysis of Planetary Dunes, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, June 12-15, 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fenton, Lori K.; Hayward, Rosalyn K.; Horgan, Briony H. N.; Rubin, David M.; Titus, Timothy N.; Bishop, Mark A.; Burr, Devon M.; Chojnacki, Matthew; Dinwiddie, Cynthia L.; Kerber, Laura; Le Gall, Alice; Michaels, Timothy I.; Neakrase, Lynn D. V.; Newman, Claire E.; Tirsch, Daniela; Yizhaq, Hezi; Zimbelman, James R.

2013-03-01

The Third International Planetary Dunes Workshop took place in Flagstaff, AZ, USA during June 12-15, 2012. This meeting brought together a diverse group of researchers to discuss recent advances in terrestrial and planetary research on aeolian bedforms. The workshop included two and a half days of oral and poster presentations, as well as one formal (and one informal) full-day field trip. Similar to its predecessors, the presented work provided new insight on the morphology, dynamics, composition, and origin of aeolian bedforms on Venus, Earth, Mars, and Titan, with some intriguing speculation about potential aeolian processes on Triton (a satellite of Neptune) and Pluto. Major advancements since the previous International Planetary Dunes Workshop include the introduction of several new data analysis and numerical tools and utilization of low-cost field instruments (most notably the time-lapse camera). Most presentations represented advancement towards research priorities identified in both of the prior two workshops, although some previously recommended research approaches were not discussed. In addition, this workshop provided a forum for participants to discuss the uncertain future of the Planetary Aeolian Laboratory; subsequent actions taken as a result of the decisions made during the workshop may lead to an expansion of funding opportunities to use the facilities, as well as other improvements. The interactions during this workshop contributed to the success of the Third International Planetary Dunes Workshop, further developing our understanding of aeolian processes on the aeolian worlds of the Solar System.

The NASA Planetary Data System Roadmap Study for 2017 - 2026

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNutt, R. L., Jr.; Gaddis, L. R.; Law, E.; Beyer, R. A.; Crombie, M. K.; Ebel, D. S. S.; Ghosh, A.; Grayzeck, E.; Morgan, T. H.; Paganelli, F.; Raugh, A.; Stein, T.; Tiscareno, M. S.; Weber, R. C.; Banks, M.; Powell, K.

2017-12-01

NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) is the formal archive of >1.2 petabytes of data from planetary exploration, science, and research. Initiated in 1989 to address an overall lack of attention to mission data documentation, access, and archiving, the PDS has evolved into an online collection of digital data managed and served by a federation of six science discipline nodes and two technical support nodes. Several ad hoc mission-oriented data nodes also provide complex data interfaces and access for the duration of their missions. The recent Planetary Data System Roadmap Study for 2017 to 2026 involved 15 planetary science community members who collectively prepared a report summarizing the results of an intensive examination of the current state of the PDS and its organization, management, practices, and data holdings (https://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/roadmap/PlanetaryDataSystemRMS17-26_20jun17.pdf). The report summarizes the history of the PDS, its functions and characteristics, and how it has evolved to its present form; also included are extensive references and documentary appendices. The report recognizes that as a complex, evolving, archive system, the PDS must constantly respond to new pressures and opportunities. The report provides details on the challenges now facing the PDS, 19 detailed findings, suggested remediations, and a summary of what the future may hold for planetary data archiving. The findings cover topics such as user needs and expectations, data usability and discoverability (i.e., metadata, data access, documentation, and training), tools and file formats, use of current information technologies, and responses to increases in data volume, variety, complexity, and number of data providers. In addition, the study addresses the possibility of archiving software, laboratory data, and measurements of physical samples. Finally, the report discusses the current structure and governance of the PDS and its impact on how archive growth, technology, and new developments are enabled and managed within the PDS. The report, with its findings, acknowledges the ongoing and expected challenges to be faced in the future, the need for maintaining an edge in the use of emerging technologies, and represents a guide for evolution of the PDS for the next decade.

Scientists Needed! The Year of the Solar System: Opportunities for Scientist Involvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shipp, S. S.; Buxner, S.; Cobabe-Ammann, E. A.; Scalice, D.; Bleacher, L.

2011-12-01

Spanning a Martian Year - 23 months from October 2010 through August 2012 - the Year of the Solar System (YSS) celebrates the amazing discoveries of numerous new and ongoing NASA missions and research efforts as they explore our near and distant neighbors and probe the outer edges of our solar system. The science revealed by these endeavors is dramatically revising our understanding of the formation and evolution of our solar system. YSS offers opportunities for planetary scientists to become involved in education and public outreach (E/PO) in meaningful ways. By getting involved in YSS E/PO activities, scientists can help to raise awareness of, build excitement in, and make connections with educators, students and the public about current planetary science research and exploration. Each month during YSS a different compelling aspect of the solar system - its formation, volcanism, ice, life - is explored. The monthly topics, tied to the big questions of planetary science, include online resources that can be used by scientists to engage their audiences: hands-on learning activities, demonstrations, connections to solar system and mission events, ideas for partnering with other organizations, and other programming ideas. Resources for past, present, and future YSS monthly topics can be found at: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss. Scientists are encouraged to get involved in YSS through an avenue that best fits their available time and interests. Possible paths include: contacting the YSS organizational team to provide content for or to review the monthly topics; integrating current planetary research discoveries into your introductory college science classes; starting a science club; prompting an interview with the local media, creating a podcast about your science, sharing YSS with educators or program coordinators at your local schools, museums, libraries, astronomical clubs and societies, retirement homes, or rotary club; volunteering to present your science in one of these venues for a YSS event; co-hosting a YSS event for an audience with educators or other local partners; or hosting a YSS event at your own institution. YSS offers rich and diverse ways for scientists to actively engage with the public about planetary science; we invite you to get involved!

Proposed NASA budget cuts planetary science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balcerak, Ernie

2012-02-01

President Barack Obama's fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget request for NASA would sharply cut planetary science while maintaining other science and exploration priorities. The total proposed FY 2013 budget for NASA is $17.7 billion, a slight decrease (0.33%) from the previous year (see Table 1). This includes $4.9 billion for the Science directorate, a decrease of about 3.2% from the previous year, and about $3.9 billion for the Human Exploration directorate, a n increase of about $200 million over FY 2012. The latter would include about $2.8 million for development of a new heavy-lift rocket system, known as the Space Launch System (SLS), to take humans beyond low-Earth orbit, along with the Orion crew vehicle.

Autonomous Systems, Robotics, and Computing Systems Capability Roadmap: NRC Dialogue

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zornetzer, Steve; Gage, Douglas

2005-01-01

Contents include the following: Introduction. Process, Mission Drivers, Deliverables, and Interfaces. Autonomy. Crew-Centered and Remote Operations. Integrated Systems Health Management. Autonomous Vehicle Control. Autonomous Process Control. Robotics. Robotics for Solar System Exploration. Robotics for Lunar and Planetary Habitation. Robotics for In-Space Operations. Computing Systems. Conclusion.

Planetary data analysis and display system: A version of PC-McIDAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Limaye, Sanjay S.; Sromovsky, L. A.; Saunders, R. S.; Martin, Michael

1993-01-01

We propose to develop a system for access and analysis of planetary data from past and future space missions based on an existing system, the PC-McIDAS workstation. This system is now in use in the atmospheric science community for access to meteorological satellite and conventional weather data. The proposed system would be usable not only by planetary atmospheric researchers but also by the planetary geologic community. By providing the critical tools of an efficient system architecture, newer applications and customized user interfaces can be added by the end user within such a system.

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.

The New Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beatty, J. Kelly; Collins Petersen, Carolyn; Chaikin, Andrew

1999-01-01

As the definitive guide for the armchair astronomer, The New Solar System has established itself as the leading book on planetary science and solar system studies. Incorporating the latest knowledge of the solar system, a distinguished team of researchers, many of them Principal Investigators on NASA missions, explain the solar system with expert ease. The completely-revised text includes the most recent findings on asteroids, comets, the Sun, and our neighboring planets. The book examines the latest research and thinking about the solar system; looks at how the Sun and planets formed; and discusses our search for other planetary systems and the search for life in the solar system. In full-color and heavily-illustrated, the book contains more than 500 photographs, portrayals, and diagrams. An extensive set of tables with the latest characteristics of the planets, their moon and ring systems, comets, asteroids, meteorites, and interplanetary space missions complete the text. New to this edition are descriptions of collisions in the solar system, full scientific results from Galileo's mission to Jupiter and its moons, and the Mars Pathfinder mission. For the curious observer as well as the student of planetary science, this book will be an important library acquisition. J. Kelly Beatty is the senior editor of Sky & Telescope, where for more than twenty years he has reported the latest in planetary science. A renowned science writer, he was among the first journalists to gain access to the Soviet space program. Asteroid 2925 Beatty was named on the occasion of his marriage in 1983. Carolyn Collins Petersen is an award-winning science writer and co-author of Hubble Vision (Cambridge 1995). She has also written planetarium programs seen at hundreds of facilities around the world. Andrew L. Chaikin is a Boston-based science writer. He served as a research geologist at the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies. He is a contributing editor to Popular Science and writes frequently for other publications.

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.

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.

Planetary System Physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peale, S. J.

2002-01-01

Contents include a summary of publications followed by their abstracts titeled: 1. On microlensing rates and optical depth toward the Galactic center. 2. Newly discovered brown dwarfs not seen in microlensing timescale frequency distribution? 3. Origin and evolution of the natural satellites. 4. Probing the structure of the galaxy with microlensing. 5. Tides, Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 6. The Puzzle of the Titan-Hyperion 4:3 Orbital Resonance. 7. On the Validity of the Coagulation Equation and the Nature of Runaway Growth. 8. Making Hyperion. 9. The MESSENGER mission to Mercury: Scientific objectives and implementation. 10. A Survey of Numerical Solutions to the Coagulation. 11. Probability of detecting a planetary companion during a microlensing event. 12. Dynamics and origin of the 2:l orbital resonances of the GJ876 planets. 13. Planetary Interior Structure Revealed by Spin Dynamics. 14. A primordial origin of the Laplace relation among the Galilean Satellites. 15. A procedure for determining the nature of Mercury's core. 16. Secular evolution of hierarchical planetary systems. 17. Tidally induced volcanism. 18. Extrasolar planets and mean motion resonances. 19. Comparison of a ground-based microlensing search for planets with a search from space.

Smaller solar system bodies and orbits; Proceedings of Symposium 3, Workshops II, III, and XXVI, and Topical Meetings of the 27th COSPAR Plenary Meeting, Espoo, Finland, July 18-29, 1988

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Runcorn, S. K. (Editor); Carr, M. H. (Editor); Moehlmann, D. (Editor); Stiller, H. (Editor); Matson, D. L. (Editor); Ambrosius, B. A. C. (Editor); Kessler, D. J. (Editor)

1990-01-01

Topics discussed in this volume include the reappraisal of the moon and Mars/Phobos/Deimos; the origin and evolution of planetary and satellite systems; asteroids, comets, and dust (a post-IRAS perspective); satellite dynamics; future planetary missions; and orbital debris. Papers are presented on a comparison of the chemistry of moon and Mars, the use of a mobile surface radar to study the atmosphere and ionosphere, and laser-ionization studies with the technical models of the LIMA-D/Phobos. Attention is given to planetogonic scenarios and the evolution of relatively mass-rich preplanetary disks, the kinetic behavior of planetesimals revolving around the sun, the planetary evolution of Mars, and pre- and post-IRAS asteroid taxonomies. Consideration is also given to ocean tides and tectonic plate motions in high-precision orbit determination, the satellite altimeter calibration techniques, a theory of the motion of an artificial satellite in the earth atmosphere, ESA plans for planetary exploration, and the detection of earth orbiting objects by IRAS.

Smaller solar system bodies and orbits; Proceedings of Symposium 3, Workshops II, III, and XXVI, and Topical Meetings of the 27th COSPAR Plenary Meeting, Espoo, Finland, July 18-29, 1988

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runcorn, S. K.; Carr, M. H.; Moehlmann, D.; Stiller, H.; Matson, D. L.; Ambrosius, B. A. C.; Kessler, D. J.

Topics discussed in this volume include the reappraisal of the moon and Mars/Phobos/Deimos; the origin and evolution of planetary and satellite systems; asteroids, comets, and dust (a post-IRAS perspective); satellite dynamics; future planetary missions; and orbital debris. Papers are presented on a comparison of the chemistry of moon and Mars, the use of a mobile surface radar to study the atmosphere and ionosphere, and laser-ionization studies with the technical models of the LIMA-D/Phobos. Attention is given to planetogonic scenarios and the evolution of relatively mass-rich preplanetary disks, the kinetic behavior of planetesimals revolving around the sun, the planetary evolution of Mars, and pre- and post-IRAS asteroid taxonomies. Consideration is also given to ocean tides and tectonic plate motions in high-precision orbit determination, the satellite altimeter calibration techniques, a theory of the motion of an artificial satellite in the earth atmosphere, ESA plans for planetary exploration, and the detection of earth orbiting objects by IRAS.

Bringing Planetary Data into Learning Environments: A Community Effort

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shipp, S.; Higbie, M.; Lowes, L.

2005-12-01

Recognizing the need to communicate scientific findings, and the power of using real planetary data in educational settings to engage students in Earth and space science in meaningful ways, the South Central Organization of Researchers and Educators and the Solar System Exploration Education Forum, part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate's Support Network, have established the Planetary Data in Education (PDE) Initiative. The Initiative strives to: 1) Establish a collaborative community of educators, education specialists, curriculum developers, tool developers, learning technologists, scientists, and data providers to design and develop educationally appropriate products; 2) Build awareness in the broader educational and scientific community of existing programs, products, and resources; 3) Address issues hindering the effective use of planetary data in formal and informal educational settings; and 4) Encourage partnerships that leverage the community's expertise The PDE community has hosted two conferences exploring issues in using data in educational settings. The community recognizes that data are available through venues such as the Planetary Data Systems (PDS), but not in a format that the end-user in a formal or informal educational setting can digest; these data are intended for the scientific audience. Development of meaningful educational programs using planetary data requires design of appropriate learner interfaces and involvement of data providers, product developers, learning technologists, scientists, and educators. The PDE community will participate in the development of Earth Exploration Toolbooks during the DLESE Data Services Workshop and will host a workshop in the summer of 2006 to bring together small groups of educators, data providers, and learning technologists, and scientists to design and develop products that bring planetary data into educational settings. In addition, the PDE community hosts a Web site that presents elements identified as needed by the community, including examples of planetary data use in education, recommendations for program development, links to data providers, opportunities for collaboration, pertinent research, and a Web portal to access educational resources using planetary data on the DLESE Web site.

Systems concepts: Lectures on contemporary approaches to systems.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miles, R. F., Jr.

1973-01-01

Collection of papers dealing with the application of systems concepts to a wide range of disciplines. The topics include systems definitions and designs, models for systems engineering, the evolution of the JPL, systems concepts in lunar and planetary projects, civil systems projects, and Apollo program evaluation. Individual items are announced in this issue.

PELS (Planetary Environmental Liquid Simulator): a new type of simulation facility to study extraterrestrial aqueous environments.

PubMed

Martin, Derek; Cockell, Charles S

2015-02-01

Investigations of other planetary bodies, including Mars and icy moons such as Enceladus and Europa, show that they may have hosted aqueous environments in the past and may do so even today. Therefore, a major challenge in astrobiology is to build facilities that will allow us to study the geochemistry and habitability of these extraterrestrial environments. Here, we describe a simulation facility (PELS: Planetary Environmental Liquid Simulator) with the capability for liquid input and output that allows for the study of such environments. The facility, containing six separate sample vessels, allows for statistical replication of samples. Control of pressure, gas composition, UV irradiation conditions, and temperature allows for the precise replication of aqueous conditions, including subzero brines under martian atmospheric conditions. A sample acquisition system allows for the collection of both liquid and solid samples from within the chamber without breaking the atmospheric conditions, enabling detailed studies of the geochemical evolution and habitability of past and present extraterrestrial environments. The facility we describe represents a new frontier in planetary simulation-continuous flow-through simulation of extraterrestrial aqueous environments.

Enabling interoperability in planetary sciences and heliophysics: The case for an information model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, J. Steven; Crichton, Daniel J.; Raugh, Anne C.; Cecconi, Baptiste; Guinness, Edward A.; Isbell, Christopher E.; Mafi, Joseph N.; Gordon, Mitchell K.; Hardman, Sean H.; Joyner, Ronald S.

2018-01-01

The Planetary Data System has developed the PDS4 Information Model to enable interoperability across diverse science disciplines. The Information Model is based on an integration of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) level standards for trusted digital archives, information model development, and metadata registries. Where controlled vocabularies provides a basic level of interoperability by providing a common set of terms for communication between both machines and humans the Information Model improves interoperability by means of an ontology that provides semantic information or additional related context for the terms. The information model was defined by team of computer scientists and science experts from each of the diverse disciplines in the Planetary Science community, including Atmospheres, Geosciences, Cartography and Imaging Sciences, Navigational and Ancillary Information, Planetary Plasma Interactions, Ring-Moon Systems, and Small Bodies. The model was designed to be extensible beyond the Planetary Science community, for example there are overlaps between certain PDS disciplines and the Heliophysics and Astrophysics disciplines. "Interoperability" can apply to many aspects of both the developer and the end-user experience, for example agency-to-agency, semantic level, and application level interoperability. We define these types of interoperability and focus on semantic level interoperability, the type of interoperability most directly enabled by an information model.

Twenty-Second Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

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

Suited for Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kosmo, Joseph J.

2006-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes the basic functions of space suits for EVA astronauts. Space suits are also described from the past, present and future space missions. The contents include: 1) Why Do You Need A Space Suit?; 2) Generic EVA System Requirements; 3) Apollo Lunar Surface Cycling Certification; 4) EVA Operating Cycles for Mars Surface Missions; 5) Mars Surface EVA Mission Cycle Requirements; 6) Robustness Durability Requirements Comparison; 7) Carry-Weight Capabilities; 8) EVA System Challenges (Mars); 9) Human Planetary Surface Exploration Experience; 10) NASA Johnson Space Center Planetary Analog Activities; 11) Why Perform Remote Field Tests; and 12) Other Reasons Why We Perform Remote Field Tests.

Qualitative and quantitative behaviour of planetary systems; Proceedings of the 3rd Alexander von Humboldt Colloquium on Celestial Mechanics, Ramsau, Austria, Mar. 29-Apr. 4, 1992

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dvorak, R.; Henrard, J.

1993-06-01

Topics addressed include planetary theories, the Sitnikov problem, asteroids, resonance, general dynamical systems, and chaos and stability. Particular attention is given to recent progress in the theory and application of symplectic integrators, a computer-aided analysis of the Sitnikov problem, the chaotic behavior of trajectories for the asteroidal resonances, and the resonant motion in the restricted three-body problem. Also discussed are the second order long-period motion of Hyperion, meteorites from the asteroid 6 Hebe, and least squares parameter estimation in chaotic differential equations.

Scientific Value of a Saturn Atmospheric Probe Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon-Miller, A. A.; Lunine, J. I.; Atreya, S. K.; Spilker, T. R.; Coustenis, A.; Atkinson, D. H.

2012-01-01

Atmospheric entry probe mISSions to the giant planets can uniquely discriminate between competing theories of solar system formation and the origin and evolution of the giant planets and their atmospheres. This provides for important comparative studies of the gas and ice giants, and to provide a laboratory for studying the atmospheric chemistries, dynamics, and interiors of all the planets including Earth. The giant planets also represent a valuable link to extrasolar planetary systems. As outlined in the recent Planetary Decadal Survey, a Saturn Probe mission - with a shallow probe - ranks as a high priority for a New Frontiers class mission [1].

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2013-01-01

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

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rutishauser, David; Epp, Chirold; Robertson, Edward

2013-01-01

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

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.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2014-01-01

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

Use of planetary soils within CELSS: The plant viewpoint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Art Spomer, L.

1994-11-01

The major functions of soil relative to plant growth include retention and supply of water and minerals, provision of anchorage and support for the root, and provision of an otherwise adequate physical and chemical environment to ensure an extensive, functioning root system. The physical and chemical nature of the solid matrix constituting a soil interacts with the soil confinement configuration, the growing environment, and plant requirements to determine the soil's suitability for plant growth. A wide range of natural and manufactured terrestrial materials have proven adequate soils provided they are not chemically harmful to plants (or animals eating the plants), are suitably prepared for the specific use, and are used in a compatible confinement system. It is presumed this same rationale can be applied to planetary soils for growing plants within any controlled environment life support system (CELSS). The basic concepts of soil and soil-plant interactions are reviewed relative to using soils constituted from local planetary materials for growing plants.

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.

Equations of State: Gateway to Planetary Origin and Evolution (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melosh, J.

2013-12-01

Research over the past decades has shown that collisions between solid bodies govern many crucial phases of planetary origin and evolution. The accretion of the terrestrial planets was punctuated by planetary-scale impacts that generated deep magma oceans, ejected primary atmospheres and probably created the moons of Earth and Pluto. Several extrasolar planetary systems are filled with silicate vapor and condensed 'tektites', probably attesting to recent giant collisions. Even now, long after the solar system settled down from its violent birth, a large asteroid impact wiped out the dinosaurs, while other impacts may have played a role in the origin of life on Earth and perhaps Mars, while maintaining a steady exchange of small meteorites between the terrestrial planets and our moon. Most of these events are beyond the scale at which experiments are possible, so that our main research tool is computer simulation, constrained by the laws of physics and the behavior of materials during high-speed impact. Typical solar system impact velocities range from a few km/s in the outer solar system to 10s of km/s in the inner system. Extrasolar planetary systems expand that range to 100s of km/sec typical of the tightly clustered planetary systems now observed. Although computer codes themselves are currently reaching a high degree of sophistication, we still rely on experimental studies to determine the Equations of State (EoS) of materials critical for the correct simulation of impact processes. The recent expansion of the range of pressures available for study, from a few 100 GPa accessible with light gas guns up to a few TPa from current high energy accelerators now opens experimental access to the full velocity range of interest in our solar system. The results are a surprise: several groups in both the USA and Japan have found that silicates and even iron melt and vaporize much more easily in an impact than previously anticipated. The importance of these findings is illustrated by the impact origin of our Moon. Computer simulations that do not take account of the liquid/vapor phase change are unable to retain any material in orbit around the Earth after a planetary impact. A purely gaseous disk around the Earth is wracked by gravitational instabilities and soon collapses back onto the Earth. Only if the silicate EoS also includes a liquid phase can a disk remain stable long enough to condense into a moon. The implications of this new-found ease of vaporization have yet to be fully explored, but it seems clear that current ideas must undergo extensive revision. More melt and vapor production in impacts implies much larger volume changes of the impacted materials and hence more energetic post-impact expansion. EoSs are thus of vital importance to our understanding of the evolution of planetary systems. Computer simulations can (and must!) substitute for experiments for many aspects of large planetary collisions, but so far experiments are leading theory in accurate determination of equations of state. Yet, the fidelity of the computer simulations to Nature can be only as good as the accuracy of the inputs, making further experimental study of EoS a central task in the exploration and elucidation of our solar system and of planetary systems in general.

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.

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

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

Not Available

1993-01-01

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

Autonomous planetary rover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krotkov, Eric; Simmons, Reid; Whittaker, William

1992-02-01

This report describes progress in research on an autonomous robot for planetary exploration performed during 1991 at the Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. The report summarizes the achievements during calendar year 1991, and lists personnel and publications. In addition, it includes several papers resulting from the research. Research in 1991 focused on understanding the unique capabilities of the Ambler mechanism and on autonomous walking in rough, natural terrain. We also designed a sample acquisition system, and began to configure a successor to the Ambler.

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.

The Evolution and Disruption of Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laughlin, Gregory; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Planetary systems that encounter passing stars can experience severe orbital disruption, and the efficiency of this process is greatly enhanced when the impinging systems are binary pairs rather than single stars. Using a Monte Carlo approach, we have performed nearly half a million numerical experiments to examine the long term ramifications of planetary scattering on planetary systems. We have concluded that systems which form in dense environments such as Orion's Trapezium cluster have roughly a ten percent chance of being seriously disrupted. We have also used our programs to explore the long-term prospects for our own Solar system. Given the current interstellar environment, we have computed the odds that Earth will find its orbit seriously disrupted prior to the emergence of a runaway greenhouse effect driven by the Sun's increasing luminosity. This estimate includes both direct disruption events and scattering processes that seriously alter the orbits of the Jovian planets, which then force severe changes upon the Earth's orbit. We then explore the consequences of the Earth being thrown into deep space. The surface biosphere would rapidly shut down under conditions of zero insolation, but the Earth's radioactive heat is capable of maintaining life deep underground, and perhaps in hydrothermal vent communities, for some time to come. Although unlikely for the Earth, this scenario may be common throughout the universe, since many environments where liquid water could exist (e.g., Europa and Callisto) must derive their energy from internal (rather than external) heating.

Advances in SPICE Support of Planetary Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acton, C. H.

2013-01-01

SPICE is the de facto international standard for determining the geometric conditions-parameters such as altitude, lighting angles, and LAT/LON coverage of an instrument footprint-pertaining to scientific observations acquired by instruments on board robotic spacecraft. This system, comprised of data and allied software, is used for planning science observations and for analyzing the data returned from those observations. Use of SPICE is not a NASA requirement but is recommended by NASA's Planetary Data System and by the International Planetary Data Alliance. Owing in part to its reliability, stability, portability and user support, the use of SPICE has spread to many national space agencies, including those of the U.S., Europe (ESA), Japan, Russia and India. SPICE has been in use since the Magellan mission to Venus and so has many well-known capabilities. But the NAIF Team responsible for implementing SPICE continues to add new features; this presentation describes a number of these.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1978-01-01

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

Spacecraft Radio Scintillation and Solar System Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woo, Richard

1993-01-01

When a wave propagates through a turbulent medium, scattering by the random refractive index inhomogeneities can lead to a wide variety of phenomena that have been the subject of extensive study. The observed scattering effects include amplitude or intensity scintillation, phase scintillation, angular broadening, and spectral broadening, among others. In this paper, I will refer to these scattering effects collectively as scintillation. Although the most familiar example is probably the twinkling of stars (light wave intensity scintillation by turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere), scintillation has been encountered and investigated in such diverse fields as ionospheric physics, oceanography, radio astronomy, and radio and optical communications. Ever since planetary spacecraft began exploring the solar system, scintillation has appeared during the propagation of spacecraft radio signals through planetary atmospheres, planetary ionospheres, and the solar wind. Early studies of these phenomena were motivated by the potential adverse effects on communications and navigation, and on experiments that use the radio link to conduct scientific investigations. Examples of the latter are radio occultation measurements (described below) of planetary atmospheres to deduce temperature profiles, and the search for gravitational waves. However,these concerns soon gave way to the emergence of spacecraft radio scintillation as a new scientific tool for exploring small-scale dynamics in planetary atmospheres and structure in the solar wind, complementing in situ and other remote sensing spacecraft measurements, as well as scintillation measurements using natural (celestial) radio sources. The purpose of this paper is to briefly describe and review the solar system spacecraft radio scintillation observations, to summarize the salient features of wave propagation analyses employed in interpreting them, to underscore the unique remote sensing capabilities and scientific relevance of the scintillation measurements, and to highlight some of the scientific results obtained to date. Special emphasis is placed on comparing the remote sensing features of planetary and terrestrial scintillation measurements, and on contrasting spacecraft and natural radio source scintillation measurements. I will first discuss planetary atmospheres and ionospheres, and then the solar wind.

Integrating advanced visualization technology into the planetary Geoscience workflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huffman, John; Forsberg, Andrew; Loomis, Andrew; Head, James; Dickson, James; Fassett, Caleb

2011-09-01

Recent advances in computer visualization have allowed us to develop new tools for analyzing the data gathered during planetary missions, which is important, since these data sets have grown exponentially in recent years to tens of terabytes in size. As part of the Advanced Visualization in Solar System Exploration and Research (ADVISER) project, we utilize several advanced visualization techniques created specifically with planetary image data in mind. The Geoviewer application allows real-time active stereo display of images, which in aggregate have billions of pixels. The ADVISER desktop application platform allows fast three-dimensional visualization of planetary images overlain on digital terrain models. Both applications include tools for easy data ingest and real-time analysis in a programmatic manner. Incorporation of these tools into our everyday scientific workflow has proved important for scientific analysis, discussion, and publication, and enabled effective and exciting educational activities for students from high school through graduate school.

New Tools to Search for Data in the European Space Agency's Planetary Science Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-12-01

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Planetary Science Archive (PSA), which can be accessed at http://archives.esac.esa.int/psa, provides public access to the archived data of Europe's missions to our neighboring planets. These datasets are compliant with the Planetary Data System (PDS) standards. Recently, a new interface has been released, which includes upgrades to make PDS4 data available from newer missions such as ExoMars and BepiColombo. Additionally, the PSA development team has been working to ensure that the legacy PDS3 data will be more easily accessible via the new interface as well. In addition to a new querying interface, the new PSA also allows access via the EPN-TAP and PDAP protocols. This makes the PSA data sets compatible with other archive-related tools and projects, such as the Virtual European Solar and Planetary Access (VESPA) project for creating a virtual observatory.

Progress of Interoperability in Planetary Research for Geospatial Data Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hare, T. M.; Gaddis, L. R.

2015-12-01

For nearly a decade there has been a push in the planetary science community to support interoperable methods of accessing and working with geospatial data. Common geospatial data products for planetary research include image mosaics, digital elevation or terrain models, geologic maps, geographic location databases (i.e., craters, volcanoes) or any data that can be tied to the surface of a planetary body (including moons, comets or asteroids). Several U.S. and international cartographic research institutions have converged on mapping standards that embrace standardized image formats that retain geographic information (e.g., GeoTiff, GeoJpeg2000), digital geologic mapping conventions, planetary extensions for symbols that comply with U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee cartographic and geospatial metadata standards, and notably on-line mapping services as defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). The latter includes defined standards such as the OGC Web Mapping Services (simple image maps), Web Feature Services (feature streaming), Web Coverage Services (rich scientific data streaming), and Catalog Services for the Web (data searching and discoverability). While these standards were developed for application to Earth-based data, they have been modified to support the planetary domain. The motivation to support common, interoperable data format and delivery standards is not only to improve access for higher-level products but also to address the increasingly distributed nature of the rapidly growing volumes of data. The strength of using an OGC approach is that it provides consistent access to data that are distributed across many facilities. While data-steaming standards are well-supported by both the more sophisticated tools used in Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing industries, they are also supported by many light-weight browsers which facilitates large and small focused science applications and public use. Here we provide an overview of the interoperability initiatives that are currently ongoing in the planetary research community, examples of their successful application, and challenges that remain.

Leveraging Open Standards and Technologies to Search and Display Planetary Image Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, M.; Schauer, C.; Quinol, M.; Trimble, J.

2011-12-01

Mars and the Moon have both been visited by multiple NASA spacecraft. A large number of images and other data have been gathered by the spacecraft and are publicly available in NASA's Planetary Data System. Through a collaboration with Google, Inc., the User Centered Technologies group at NASA Ames Resarch Center has developed at tool for searching and browsing among images from multiple Mars and Moon missions. Development of this tool was facilitated by the use of several open technologies and standards. First, an open-source full-text search engine is used to search both place names on the target and to find images matching a geographic region. Second, the published API of the Google Earth browser plugin is used to geolocate the images on a virtual globe and allow the user to navigate on the globe to see related images. The structure of the application also employs standard protocols and services. The back-end is exposed as RESTful APIs, which could be reused by other client systems in the future. Further, the communication between the front- and back-end portions of the system utilizes open data standards including XML and KML (Keyhole Markup Language) for representation of textual and geographic data. The creation of the search index was facilitated by reuse of existing, publicly available metadata, including the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature from the USGS, available in KML format. And the image metadata was reused from standards-compliant archives in the Planetary Data System. The system also supports collaboration with other tools by allowing export of search results in KML, and the ability to display those results in the Google Earth desktop application. We will demonstrate the search and visualization capabilities of the system, with emphasis on how the system facilitates reuse of data and services through the adoption of open standards.

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.

Planetary exploration with electrically propelled vehicles.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stuhlinger, E.

1972-01-01

The characteristics of propulsion systems required for carrying out flight missions within the solar system, as desired by planetary physicists and astronomers, are reviewed. It is shown that an encouraging answer to these requirements is available in the form of electrostatic or ion propulsion systems. The design and performance characteristics of an electrostatic thrustor employing an ion source, accelerating electrode, beam neutralizer, and power source are discussed, together with those of the Kaufmann engine (electrostatic thrustor employing bombardment type ionization). More demanding missions which will become feasible with the advent of nuclear-electric power sources (such as the incore thermionic reactor) may include close orbiters around all the planets, and asteroid and cometary missions.

A high-resolution Fourier Transform Spectrometer for planetary spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruikshank, D. P.; Sinton, W. M.

1973-01-01

The employment of a high-resolution Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) is described for planetary and other astronomical spectroscopy in conjunction with the 88-inch telescope at Mauna Kea Observatory. The FTS system is designed for a broad range of uses, including double-beam laboratory spectroscopy, infrared gas chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The data system is well-suited to astronomical applications because of its great speed in acquiring and transforming data, and because of the enormous storage capability of the magnetic tape unit supplied with the system. The basic instrument is outlined 2nd some of the initial results from the first attempted use on the Mauna Kea 88-inch telescope are reported.

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.

Factors Affecting the Habitability of Earth-like Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meadows, Victoria; NAI-Virtual Planetary Laboratory Team

2014-03-01

Habitability is a measure of an environment's potential to support life. For exoplanets, the concept of habitability can be used broadly - to inform our calculations of the possibility and distribution of life elsewhere - or as a practical tool to inform mission designs and to prioritize specific targets in the search for extrasolar life. Although a planet's habitability does depend critically on the effect of stellar type and planetary semi-major axis on climate balance, work in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology has identified many additional factors that can affect a planet's environment and its potential ability to support life. Life requires material for metabolism and structures, a liquid medium for chemical transport, and an energy source to drive metabolism and other life processes. Whether a planet's surface or sub-surface can provide these requirements is the result of numerous planetary and astrophysical processes that affect the planet's formation and evolution. Many of these factors are interdependent, and fall into three main categories: stellar effects, planetary effects and planetary system effects. Key abiotic processes affecting the resultant planetary environment include photochemistry (e.g. Segura et al., 2003; 2005), stellar effects on climate balance (e.g. Joshii et al., 2012; Shields et al., 2013), atmospheric loss (e.g. Lopez and Fortney, 2013), and gravitational interactions with the star (e.g. Barnes et al., 2013). In many cases, the effect of these processes is strongly dependent on a specific planet's existing environmental properties. Examples include the resultant UV flux at a planetary surface as a product of stellar activity and the strength of a planet's atmospheric UV shield (Segura et al., 2010); and the amount of tidal energy available to a planet to drive plate tectonics and heat the surface (Barnes et al., 2009), which is in turn due to a combination of stellar mass, planetary mass and composition, planetary orbital parameters and the gravitational influence of other planets in the system. A thorough assessment of a planet's environment and its potential habitability is a necessary first step in the search for biosignatures. Targeted environmental characteristics include surface temperature and pressure (e.g. Misra et al., 2013), a census of bulk and trace atmospheric gases, and whether there are signs of liquid water on the planetary surface (e.g. Robinson et al., 2010). The robustness of a planetary biosignature is dependent on being able to characterize the environment sufficiently well, and to understand likely star-planet interactions, to preclude formation of a biosignature gas via abiotic processes such as photochemistry (e.g. Segura et al., 2007; Domagal-Goldman et al., 2011; Grenfell et al., 2012). Here we also discuss potential false positives for O2 and O3, which, in large quantities, are often considered robust biosignatures for oxygenic photosynthesis. There is clearly significant future work required to better identify and understand the key environmental processes and interactions that allow a planet to support life, and to distinguish life's global impact on an environment from the environment itself.

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.

Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability W. M. Keck Institute for Space Studies Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazio, T. Joseph; Shkolnik, Evgenya; Hallinan, Gregg

2017-05-01

The W. M. Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) sponsored the "Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability" study to review the state of knowledge of extrasolar planetary magnetic fields and the prospects for their detection.There were multiple motivations for this Study. Planetary-scale magnetic fields are a window to a planet's interior and provide shielding of the planet's atmosphere. The Earth, Mercury, Ganymede, and the giant planets of the solar system all contain internal dynamo currents that generate planetary-scale magnetic fields. In turn, these internal dynamo currents arise from differential rotation, convection, compositional dynamics, or a combination of these in objects' interiors. If coupled to an energy source, such as the incident kinetic or magnetic energy from the solar wind or an orbiting satellite, a planet's magnetic field can produce intense electron cyclotron masers in its magnetic polar regions. The most well known example of this process in the solar system is the Jovian decametric emission, but all of the giant planets and the Earth contain similar electron cyclotron masers within their magnetospheres. Extrapolated to extrasolar planets, the remote detection of the magnetic field of an extrasolar planet would provide a means of obtaining constraints on the thermal state, composition, and dynamics of its interior--all of which will be difficult to determine by other means--as well as improved understanding of the basic planetary dynamo process.We review the findings from the Study, including potential mission concepts that emerged and recent developments toward one of the mission concepts, a space-based radio wavelength array. There was an identification of that radio wavelength observations would likely be key to making significant progress in this field.We acknowledge ideas and advice from the participants in the "Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability" study organized by the W. M. Keck Institute for Space Studies. Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The Johnson Space Center Experimental Impact Lab: Contributions Toward Understanding the Evolution of the Solar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

See, T. H.; Montes, R.

2012-01-01

Impact is the most common and only weathering phenomenon affecting all the planetary bodies (e.g., planets, satellites, asteroids, comets, etc.) in the solar system. NASA Johnson Space Center s Experimental Impact Laboratory (EIL) includes three accelerators that are used in support of research into the effects of impact on the formation and evolution of the solar system. They permit researchers to study a wide variety of phenomena associated with high-velocity impacts into a wide range of geologic targets and materials relevant to astrobiological studies. By studying these processes, researchers can investigate the histories and evolution of planetary bodies and the solar system as a whole. While the majority of research conducted in the EIL addresses questions involving planetary impacts, work involving spacecraft components has been performed on occasion. An example of this is the aerogel collector material flown on the Stardust spacecraft that traveled to Comet Wild-2. This capture medium was tested and flight qualified using the 5 mm Light-Gas Gun located in the EIL.

System Analysis and Evaluation of Greenhouse Modules within Moon/Mars Habitats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad Nagendra, Narayan; Schubert, Daniel; Zabel, Paul

2012-07-01

Long term settlement on different planets of the solar system is a fascination for mankind. Some researchers contemplate that planetary settlement is a necessity for the survival of the human race over millions of years. The generation of food for self sufficiency in space or on planetary bases is a vital part of this vision of space habitation. The amount of mass that can be transported in deep space missions is constrained by the launcher capability and its costs. The space community has proposed and designed various greenhouse modules to cater to human culinary requirements and act as part of life support systems. A survey of the different greenhouse space concepts and terrestrial test facilities is presented, drawing a list of measurable factors (e.g. growth area, power consumption, human activity index, etc.) for the evaluation of greenhouse modules. These factors include tangible and intangible parameters that have been used in the development of an evaluation method on greenhouse concepts as a subsystem of planetary habitats at the DLR Institute of Space Systems, Bremen.

Thermal Modeling on Planetary Regoliths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hale, A. S.; Hapke, B.W.

2002-01-01

The thermal region of the spectrum is one of special interest in planetary science as it is the only region where planetary emission is significant. Studying how planetary surfaces emit in the thermal infrared can tell us about their physical makeup and chemical composition, as well as their temperature profile with depth. This abstract will discuss a model of thermal energy transfer in planetary regoliths on airless bodies which includes both conductive and radiative processes while including the time dependence of the solar input function.

The universe, life, and intelligence (Sixth enlarged edition)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shklovskii, Iosif Samuilovich

This classic work examines the possibility of the existence of life (including intelligent life) on other planetary systems. This enlarged edition includes essays on the search for extraterrestrial civilizations and the possibility of communication with intelligent beings on other planets.

The Role of Geologic Mapping in NASA PDSI Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, D. A.; Skinner, J. A.; Radebaugh, J.

2017-12-01

Geologic mapping is an investigative process designed to derive the geologic history of planetary objects at local, regional, hemispheric or global scales. Geologic maps are critical products that aid future exploration by robotic spacecraft or human missions, support resource exploration, and provide context for and help guide scientific discovery. Creation of these tools, however, can be challenging in that, relative to their terrestrial counterparts, non-terrestrial planetary geologic maps lack expansive field-based observations. They rely, instead, on integrating diverse data types wth a range of spatial scales and areal coverage. These facilitate establishment of geomorphic and geologic context but are generally limited with respect to identifying outcrop-scale textural details and resolving temporal and spatial changes in depositional environments. As a result, planetary maps should be prepared with clearly defined contact and unit descriptions as well as a range of potential interpretations. Today geologic maps can be made from images obtained during the traverses of the Mars rovers, and for every new planetary object visited by NASA orbital or flyby spacecraft (e.g., Vesta, Ceres, Titan, Enceladus, Pluto). As Solar System Exploration develops and as NASA prepares to send astronauts back to the Moon and on to Mars, the importance of geologic mapping will increase. In this presentation, we will discuss the past role of geologic mapping in NASA's planetary science activities and our thoughts on the role geologic mapping will have in exploration in the coming decades. Challenges that planetary mapping must address include, among others: 1) determine the geologic framework of all Solar System bodies through the systematic development of geologic maps at appropriate scales, 2) develop digital Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based mapping techniques and standards to assist with communicating map information to the scientific community and public, 3) develop public awareness of the role and application of geologic map-information to the resolution of national issues relevant to planetary science and eventual off-planet resource assessments, 4) use topical science to drive mapping in areas likely to be determined vital to the welfare of endeavors related to planetary science and exploration.

Advanced planetary analyses. [for planetary mission planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The results are summarized of research accomplished during this period concerning planetary mission planning are summarized. The tasks reported include the cost estimations research, planetary missions handbook, and advanced planning activities.

The Solar Connections Observatory for Planetary Environments (SCOPE):

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliversen, R.; Harris, W.; Ballester, G.; Bougher, S.; Broadfoot, L.; Combi, M.; Cravens, T.; Gombosi, T.; Herbert, F.; Joseph, C.; Kozyra, J.; Limaye, S.; Morgenthaler, J.; Paxton, L.; Roesler, F.; Sandel, W.; Ben Jaffel, L.

2001-12-01

The NASA Sun-Earth Connection theme roadmap calls for comparative study of how the planets and local interstellar medium (LISM) interact with and respond to changes in the solar wind and UV radiation field. Each planet interaction is unique and defined by solar input and local conditions of magnetic field strength and orientation, rotation rate, heliocentric distance, internal plasma, and ionospheric conductivity and circulation. Because the different elements of the environment respond to external and internal influences that are variable on many temporal and spatial scales, the study of a planetary system requires simultaneous understanding of the solar wind and diagnostics of the sun-planet interaction including auroral intensity and variation, upper atmospheric circulation and composition, and the distribution of neutrals and plasmas near the planet. The Solar Connections Observatory for Planetary Environments (SCOPE) is a mission to study Solar interactions from the level of planetary upper atmospheres to the heliopause. SCOPE consists of a binocular EUV/FUV telescope that provides high spatial resolution imaging, broadband spectro-imaging, and high-resolution H Ly-alpha line spectroscopy between 55-290 nm. SCOPE will study planetary environments as examples of the solar connection and map the distribution of interplanetary H and the interaction of LISM plasma with the solar wind at the heliopause. A key to the SCOPE approach is to include Earth in its research objectives. SCOPE will monitor terrestrial auroral energy deposition and leverage local measurements of the solar wind and propagation models to derive the expected conditions at Superior planets that will be observed in annual opposition campaigns. This will permit direct comparison of planetary and terrestrial responses to the same solar wind stream. Using a combination of observations and MHD models, SCOPE will isolate the different controlling parameters in each planet system and gain insight into the underlying physical processes that define the solar connection.

Integration and Utilization of Nuclear Systems on the Moon and Mars

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

Houts, Michael G.; Schmidt, George R.; Bragg-Sitton, Shannon

2006-01-20

Over the past five decades numerous studies have identified nuclear energy as an enhancing or enabling technology for planetary surface exploration missions. This includes both radioisotope and fission sources for providing both heat and electricity. Nuclear energy sources were used to provide electricity on Apollo missions 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17, and on the Mars Viking landers. Very small nuclear energy sources were used to provide heat on the Mars Pathfinder, Spirit, and Opportunity rovers. Research has been performed at NASA MSFC to help assess potential issues associated with surface nuclear energy sources, and to generate data that couldmore » be useful to a future program. Research areas include System Integration, use of Regolith as Radiation Shielding, Waste Heat Rejection, Surface Environmental Effects on the Integrated System, Thermal Simulators, Surface System Integration / Interface / Interaction Testing, End-to-End Breadboard Development, Advanced Materials Development, Surface Energy Source Coolants, and Planetary Surface System Thermal Management and Control. This paper provides a status update on several of these research areas.« less

The Explorer's Guide to Impact Craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierazzo, E.; Osinski, G.; Chuang, F.

2004-12-01

Impact cratering is a fundamental geologic process of our solar system. It competes with other processes, such as plate tectonics, volcanism, or fluvial, glacial and eolian activity, in shaping the surfaces of planetary bodies. In some cases, like the Moon and Mercury, impact craters are the dominant landform. On other planetary bodies impact craters are being continuously erased by the action of other geological processes, like volcanism on Io, erosion and plate tectonics on the Earth, tectonic and volcanic resurfacing on Venus, or ancient erosion periods on Mars. The study of crater populations is one of the principal tools for understanding the geologic history of a planetary surface. Among the general public, impact cratering has drawn wide attention through its portrayal in several Hollywood movies. Questions that are raised after watching these movies include: ``How do scientists learn about impact cratering?'', and ``What information do impact craters provide in understanding the evolution of a planetary surface?'' Fundamental approaches used by scientists to learn about impact cratering include field work at known terrestrial craters, remote sensing studies of craters on various solid surfaces of solar system bodies, and theoretical and laboratory studies using the known physics of impact cratering. We will provide students, science teachers, and the general public an opportunity to experience the scientific endeavor of understanding and exploring impact craters through a multi-level approach including images, videos, and rock samples. This type of interactive learning can also be made available to the general public in the form of a website, which can be addressed worldwide at any time.

Exploration of Icy Moons in the Outer Solar System: Updated Planetary Protection Requirements for Missions to Enceladus and Europa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rummel, J. D.; Race, M. S.

2016-12-01

Enceladus and Europa are bodies with icy/watery environments and potential habitable conditions for life, making both of great interest in astrobiological studies of chemical evolution and /or origin of life. They are also of significant planetary protection concern for spacecraft missions because of the potential for harmful contamination during exploration. At a 2015 COSPAR colloquium in Bern Switzerland, international scientists identified an urgent need to establish planetary protection requirements for missions proposing to return samples to Earth from Saturn's moon Enceladus. Deliberations at the meeting resulted in recommended policy updates for both forward and back contamination requirements for missions to Europa and Enceladus, including missions sampling plumes originating from those bodies. These recently recommended COSPAR policy revisions and biological contamination requirements will be applied to future missions to Europa and Encealadus, particularly noticeable in those with plans for in situ life detection and sample return capabilities. Included in the COSPAR policy are requirementsto `break the chain of contact' with Europa or Enceladus, to keep pristine returned materials contained, and to complete required biohazard analyses, testing and/or sterilization upon return to Earth. Subsequent to the Bern meeting, additional discussions of Planetary Protection of Outer Solar System bodies (PPOSS) are underway in a 3-year study coordinated by the European Science Foundation and involving multiple international partners, including Japan, China and Russia, along with a US observer. This presentation will provide science and policy updates for those whose research or activities will involve icy moon missions and exploration.

An Assessment of Ground-Based Techniques for Detecting Other Planetary Systems. Volume 2: Position papers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, D. C.; Brunk, W. E.

1980-01-01

The capabilities of several astronomical interferomenter system concepts are assessed and the effects of the Earth's atmosphere on astrometric precision are examined in detail. Included is an examination of the use of small aperture interferometry to detect planets in binary star systems. It is estimated that, for differential astrometric observation, an amplitude interferometer having two separate telescopes should permit observations of stars as faint as 14th magnitude and a positional accuracy of 0.00005 arc-sec. Instrumental, atmospheric, and photon noise errors that apply to interferometric observation are examined. It is suggested that the effects of atmospheric turbulence may be eliminated with the use of two color refractometer systems. Several sites for future telescopes dedicated to the search for planetary systems are identified.

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.

Map of the Pluto System - Children's Edition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hargitai, H. I.

2016-12-01

Cartography is a powerful tool in the scientific visualization and communication of spatial data. Cartographic visualization for children requires special methods. Although almost all known solid surface bodies in the Solar System have been mapped in detail during the last more than 5 decades, books and publications that target children, tweens and teens never include any of the cartographic results of these missions. We have developed a series of large size planetary maps with the collaboration of planetary scientists, cartographers and graphic artists. The maps are based on photomosaics and DTMs that were redrawn as artwork. This process necessarily involved generalization, interpretation and transformation into the visual language that can be understood by children. In the first project we selected six planetary bodies (Venus, the Moon, Mars, Io, Europa and Titan) and invited six illustrators of childrens'books. Although the overall structure of the maps look similar, the visual approach was significantly different. An important addition was that the maps contained a narrative: different characters - astronauts or "alien-like lifeforms" - interacted with the surface. The map contents were translated into 11 languages and published online at https://childrensmaps.wordpress.com.We report here on the new map of the series. Following the New Horizons' Pluto flyby we have started working on a map that, unlike the others, depicts a planetary system, not only one body. Since only one hemisphere was imaged in high resolution, this map is showing the encounter hemispheres of Pluto and Charon. Projected high resolution image mosaics with informal nomenclature were provided by the New Horizons Team. The graphic artist is Adrienn Gyöngyösi. Our future plan is to produce a book format Children's Atlas of Solar System bodies that makes planetary cartographic and astrogeologic results more accessible for children, and the next generation of planetary scientists among them.

NASA Space Engineering Research Center for utilization of local planetary resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Reports covering the period from 1 Nov. 1991 to 31 Oct. 1992 and documenting progress at the NASA Space Engineering Research Center are included. Topics covered include: (1) processing of propellants, volatiles, and metals; (2) production of structural and refractory materials; (3) system optimization discovery and characterization; (4) system automation and optimization; and (5) database development.

Planets Around Neutron Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolszczan, Alexander; Kulkarni, Shrinivas R; Anderson, Stuart B.

2003-01-01

The objective of this proposal was to continue investigations of neutron star planetary systems in an effort to describe and understand their origin, orbital dynamics, basic physical properties and their relationship to planets around normal stars. This research represents an important element of the process of constraining the physics of planet formation around various types of stars. The research goals of this project included long-term timing measurements of the planets pulsar, PSR B1257+12, to search for more planets around it and to study the dynamics of the whole system, and sensitive searches for millisecond pulsars to detect further examples of old, rapidly spinning neutron stars with planetary systems. The instrumentation used in our project included the 305-m Arecibo antenna with the Penn State Pulsar Machine (PSPM), the 100-m Green Bank Telescope with the Berkeley- Caltech Pulsar Machine (BCPM), and the 100-m Effelsberg and 64-m Parkes telescopes equipped with the observatory supplied backend hardware.

Fiber lasers and amplifiers for science and exploration at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krainak, Michael A.; Abshire, James; Allan, Graham R.; Stephen Mark

2005-01-01

We discuss present and near-term uses for high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers for NASA- specific applications including planetary topography and atmospheric spectroscopy. Fiber lasers and amplifiers offer numerous advantages for both near-term and future deployment of instruments on exploration and science remote sensing orbiting satellites. Ground-based and airborne systems provide an evolutionary path to space and a means for calibration and verification of space-borne systems. We present experimental progress on both the fiber transmitters and instrument prototypes for ongoing development efforts. These near-infrared instruments are laser sounders and lidars for measuring atmospheric carbon dioxide, oxygen, water vapor and methane and a pseudo-noise (PN) code laser ranging system. The associated fiber transmitters include high-power erbium, ytterbium, neodymium and Raman fiber amplifiers. In addition, we will discuss near-term fiber laser and amplifier requirements and programs for NASA free space optical communications, planetary topography and atmospheric spectroscopy.

Berlin Reflectance Spectral Library (BRSL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henckel, D.; Arnold, G.; Kappel, D.; Moroz, L. V.; Markus, K.

2017-09-01

The Berlin Reflectance Spectral Library (BRSL) provides a collection of reflectance spectra between 0.3 and 17 µm. It was originally dedicated to support space missions to small solar system bodies. Meanwhile the library includes selections of biconical reflectance spectra for spectral data analysis of other planetary bodies as well. The library provides reference spectra of well-characterized terrestrial analogue materials and meteorites for interpretation of remote sensing reflectance spectra of planetary surfaces. We introduce the BRSL, summarize the data available, and access to use them for further relevant applications.

Asteroid Icy Regolith Excavation and Volatile Capture Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeitlin, Nancy; Mantovani, James; Swanger, Adam; Townsend, Ivan

2015-01-01

Icy regolith simulants will be produced in a relevant vacuum environment using various minerals, including hydrated minerals, that are found in C-type meteorites and in other types of planetary regolith. This will allow us to characterize the mechanical strength of the icy regolith as a function of ice content using penetration, excavation, and sample capture devices. The results of this study will benefit engineers in designing efficient regolith excavators and ISRU processing systems for future exploration missions to asteroids and other planetary bodies.

Characterizing the Disk of a Recent Massive Collisional Event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Inseok

2015-10-01

Debris disks play a key role in the formation and evolution of planetary systems. On rare occasions, circumstellar material appears as strictly warm infrared excess in regions of expected terrestrial planet formation and so present an interesting opportunity for the study of terrestrial planetary regions. There are only a few known cases of extreme, warm, dusty disks which lack any colder outer component including BD+20 307, HD 172555, EF Cha, and HD 23514. We have recently found a new system TYC 8830-410-1 belonging to this rare group. Warm dust grains are extremely short-lived, and the extraordinary amount of warm dust near these stars can only be plausibly explainable by a recent (or on-going) massive transient event such as the Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB) or plantary collisions. LHB-like events are seen generally in a system with a dominant cold disk, however, warm dust only systems show no hint of a massive cold disk. Planetary collisions leave a telltale sign of strange mid-IR spectral feature such as silica and we want to fully characterize the spectral shape of the newly found system with SOFIA/FORCAST. With SOFIA/FORCAST, we propose to obtain two narrow band photometric measurements between 6 and 9 microns. These FORCAST photometric measurements will constrain the amount and temperature of the warm disk in the system. There are less than a handful systems with a strong hint of recent planetary collisions. With the firmly constrained warm disk around TYC 8830-410-1, we will publish the discovery in a leading astronomical journal accompanied with a potential press release through SOFIA.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 377)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This bibliography lists 223 reports, articles, and other documents recently introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 385)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This bibliography lists 536 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System Database. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 389)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This bibliography lists 234 reports, articles, and other documents recently introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

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.

Galactic cosmic ray-induced radiation dose on terrestrial exoplanets.

PubMed

Atri, Dimitra; Hariharan, B; Grießmeier, Jean-Mathias

2013-10-01

This past decade has seen tremendous advancements in the study of extrasolar planets. Observations are now made with increasing sophistication from both ground- and space-based instruments, and exoplanets are characterized with increasing precision. There is a class of particularly interesting exoplanets that reside in the habitable zone, which is defined as the area around a star where the planet is capable of supporting liquid water on its surface. Planetary systems around M dwarfs are considered to be prime candidates to search for life beyond the Solar System. Such planets are likely to be tidally locked and have close-in habitable zones. Theoretical calculations also suggest that close-in exoplanets are more likely to have weaker planetary magnetic fields, especially in the case of super-Earths. Such exoplanets are subjected to a high flux of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) due to their weak magnetic moments. GCRs are energetic particles of astrophysical origin that strike the planetary atmosphere and produce secondary particles, including muons, which are highly penetrating. Some of these particles reach the planetary surface and contribute to the radiation dose. Along with the magnetic field, another factor governing the radiation dose is the depth of the planetary atmosphere. The higher the depth of the planetary atmosphere, the lower the flux of secondary particles will be on the surface. If the secondary particles are energetic enough, and their flux is sufficiently high, the radiation from muons can also impact the subsurface regions, such as in the case of Mars. If the radiation dose is too high, the chances of sustaining a long-term biosphere on the planet are very low. We have examined the dependence of the GCR-induced radiation dose on the strength of the planetary magnetic field and its atmospheric depth, and found that the latter is the decisive factor for the protection of a planetary biosphere.

Earth as a Tool for Astrobiology—A European Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, Zita; Cottin, Hervé; Kotler, Julia Michelle; Carrasco, Nathalie; Cockell, Charles S.; de la Torre Noetzel, Rosa; Demets, René; de Vera, Jean-Pierre; d'Hendecourt, Louis; Ehrenfreund, Pascale; Elsaesser, Andreas; Foing, Bernard; Onofri, Silvano; Quinn, Richard; Rabbow, Elke; Rettberg, Petra; Ricco, Antonio J.; Slenzka, Klaus; Stalport, Fabien; ten Kate, Inge L.; van Loon, Jack J. W. A.; Westall, Frances

2017-07-01

Scientists use the Earth as a tool for astrobiology by analyzing planetary field analogues (i.e. terrestrial samples and field sites that resemble planetary bodies in our Solar System). In addition, they expose the selected planetary field analogues in simulation chambers to conditions that mimic the ones of planets, moons and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space conditions, as well as the chemistry occurring in interstellar and cometary ices. This paper reviews the ways the Earth is used by astrobiologists: (i) by conducting planetary field analogue studies to investigate extant life from extreme environments, its metabolisms, adaptation strategies and modern biosignatures; (ii) by conducting planetary field analogue studies to investigate extinct life from the oldest rocks on our planet and its biosignatures; (iii) by exposing terrestrial samples to simulated space or planetary environments and producing a sample analogue to investigate changes in minerals, biosignatures and microorganisms. The European Space Agency (ESA) created a topical team in 2011 to investigate recent activities using the Earth as a tool for astrobiology and to formulate recommendations and scientific needs to improve ground-based astrobiological research. Space is an important tool for astrobiology (see Horneck et al. in Astrobiology, 16:201-243, 2016; Cottin et al., 2017), but access to space is limited. Complementing research on Earth provides fast access, more replications and higher sample throughput. The major conclusions of the topical team and suggestions for the future include more scientifically qualified calls for field campaigns with planetary analogy, and a centralized point of contact at ESA or the EU for the organization of a survey of such expeditions. An improvement of the coordinated logistics, infrastructures and funding system supporting the combination of field work with planetary simulation investigations, as well as an optimization of the scientific return and data processing, data storage and data distribution is also needed. Finally, a coordinated EU or ESA education and outreach program would improve the participation of the public in the astrobiological activities.

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.

The 1990 update to strategy for exploration of the inner planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esposito, Larry W.; Pepin, Robert O.; Cheng, Andrew F.; Jakosky, Bruce M.; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Mcfadden, Lucy-Ann; Mckay, Christopher P.; Mckinnon, William B.; Muhleman, Duane O.; Nicholson, Philip

1990-01-01

The Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX) has undertaken to review and revise the 1978 report Strategy for Exploration of the Inner Planets, 1977-1987. The committee has found the 1978 report to be generally still pertinent. COMPLEX therefore issues its new report in the form of an update. The committee reaffirms the basic objectives for exploration of the planets: to determine the present state of the planets and their satellites, to understand the processes active now and at the origin of the solar system, and to understand planetary evolution, including appearance of life and its relation to the chemical history of the solar system.

Overview and Status of the Kepler Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koch, D.; Borucki, W.; Dunham, E.; Geary, J.; Gilliland, R.; Jenkins, J.; Latham, D.; Mayer, D.; Sobeck, C.; Duren, R.

2003-01-01

The Kepler Mission is a search for terrestrial planets with the design optimized for detecting Earth-size planets in the habitable zone (HZ) of solar-like stars. In addition, the mission has a broad detection capability for a wide range of planetary sizes, planetary orbits and spectral types of stars. The mission is in the midst of the development phase with good progress leading to the preliminary design review later this year. Long lead procurements are well under way. An overview in all areas is presented including both the flight system (photometer and spacecraft) and the ground system. Launch is on target for 2007 on a Delta II.

Use of a multimission system for cost effective support of planetary science data processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, William B.

1994-01-01

JPL's Multimission Operations Systems Office (MOSO) provides a multimission facility at JPL for processing science instrument data from NASA's planetary missions. This facility, the Multimission Image Processing System (MIPS), is developed and maintained by MOSO to meet requirements that span the NASA family of planetary missions. Although the word 'image' appears in the title, MIPS is used to process instrument data from a variety of science instruments. This paper describes the design of a new system architecture now being implemented within the MIPS to support future planetary mission activities at significantly reduced operations and maintenance cost.

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.

Solar System Exploration Division Strategic Plan, volume 1. Executive summary and overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

This first document is the first of a six-volume series presenting the Solar System Exploration Division's Strategic Plan for the 10-year period FY 1994 to FY 2003. The overall strategy is characterized by five fundamental precepts: (1) execute the current program; (2) improve the vitality of the program and the planetary science community; (3) initiate innovative, small, low-cost planetary missions; (4) initiate new major and moderate missions; and (5) prepare for the next generation of missions. This Strategic Plan describes in detail our proposed approach to accomplish these goals. Volume 1 provides first an Executive Summary of highlights of each of the six volumes, and then goes on to present an overview of the plan, including a discussion of the planning context and strategic approach. Volumes 2, 3, 4, and 5 describe in detail the initiatives proposed. An integral part of each of these volumes is a set of responses to the mission selection criteria questions developed by the Space and Earth Science Advisory Committee. Volume 2, Mission From Planet Earth, describes a strategy for exploring the Moon and Mars and sets forth proposed moderate missions--Lunar Observer and a Mars lander network. Volume 3, Pluto Flyby/Neptune Orbiter, discusses our proposed major new start candidate for the FY 1994 to FY 1998 time frame. Volume 4, Discovery, describes the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous, as well as other candidates for this program of low-cost planetary missions. Volume 5, Toward Other Planetary Systems, describes a major research and analysis augmentation that focuses on extrasolar planet detection and the study of planetary system processes. Finally, Volume 6 summarizes the technology program that the division has structured around these four initiatives.

Defining the Core Archive Data Standards of the International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, J. Steven; Crichton, Dan; Beebe, Reta; Guinness, Ed; Heather, David; Zender, Joe

2007-01-01

A goal of the International Planetary Data Alliance (lPDA) is to develop a set of archive data standards that enable the sharing of scientific data across international agencies and missions. To help achieve this goal, the IPDA steering committee initiated a six month proj ect to write requirements for and draft an information model based on the Planetary Data System (PDS) archive data standards. The project had a special emphasis on data formats. A set of use case scenarios were first developed from which a set of requirements were derived for the IPDA archive data standards. The special emphasis on data formats was addressed by identifying data formats that have been used by PDS nodes and other agencies in the creation of successful data sets for the Planetary Data System (PDS). The dependency of the IPDA information model on the PDS archive standards required the compilation of a formal specification of the archive standards currently in use by the PDS. An ontology modelling tool was chosen to capture the information model from various sources including the Planetary Science Data Dictionary [I] and the PDS Standards Reference [2]. Exports of the modelling information from the tool database were used to produce the information model document using an object-oriented notation for presenting the model. The tool exports can also be used for software development and are directly accessible by semantic web applications.

Soft X-Ray Emissions from Planets and Moons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhardwaj, A.; Gladstone, G. R.; Elsner, R. F.; Waite, J. H., Jr.; Grodent, D.; Cravens, T. E.; Howell, R. R.; Metzger, A. E.; Ostgaard, N.; Maurellis, A.;

A Comparison of Brayton and Stirling Space Nuclear Power Systems for Power Levels from 1 Kilowatt to 10 Megawatts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, Lee S.

2000-01-01

An analytical study was conducted to assess the performance and mass of Brayton and Stirling nuclear power systems for a wide range of future NASA space exploration missions. The power levels and design concepts were based on three different mission classes. Isotope systems, with power levels from 1 to 10 kW, were considered for planetary surface rovers and robotic science. Reactor power systems for planetary surface outposts and bases were evaluated from 10 to 500 kW. Finally, reactor power systems in the range from 100 kW to 10 mW were assessed for advanced propulsion applications. The analysis also examined the effect of advanced component technology on system performance. The advanced technologies included high temperature materials, lightweight radiators, and high voltage power management and distribution.

Migration-induced architectures of planetary systems.

PubMed

Szuszkiewicz, Ewa; Podlewska-Gaca, Edyta

2012-06-01

The recent increase in number of known multi-planet systems gives a unique opportunity to study the processes responsible for planetary formation and evolution. Special attention is given to the occurrence of mean-motion resonances, because they carry important information about the history of the planetary systems. At the early stages of the evolution, when planets are still embedded in a gaseous disc, the tidal interactions between the disc and planets cause the planetary orbital migration. The convergent differential migration of two planets embedded in a gaseous disc may result in the capture into a mean-motion resonance. The orbital migration taking place during the early phases of the planetary system formation may play an important role in shaping stable planetary configurations. An understanding of this stage of the evolution will provide insight on the most frequently formed architectures, which in turn are relevant for determining the planet habitability. The aim of this paper is to present the observational properties of these planetary systems which contain confirmed or suspected resonant configurations. A complete list of known systems with such configurations is given. This list will be kept by us updated from now on and it will be a valuable reference for studying the dynamics of extrasolar systems and testing theoretical predictions concerned with the origin and the evolution of planets, which are the most plausible places for existence and development of life.

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.

Ultraviolet observations of close-binary and pulsating nuclei of planetary nebulae; Winds and shells around low-mass supergiants; The close-binary nucleus of the planetary nebula HFG-1; A search for binary nuclei of planetary nebulae; UV monitoring of irregularly variable planetary nuclei; and The pulsating nucleus of the planetary nebula Lo 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bond, Howard E.

1992-01-01

A brief summary of the research highlights is presented. The topics covered include the following: binary nuclei of planetary nebulae; other variable planetary nuclei; low-mass supergiants; and other IUE-related research.

Design of multi-mission chemical propulsion modules for planetary orbiters. Volume 1: Summary report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Results are presented of a conceptual design and feasibility study of chemical propulsion stages that can serve as modular propulsion units, with little or no modification, on a variety of planetary orbit missions, including orbiters of Mercury, Saturn, and Uranus. Planetary spacecraft of existing design or currently under development, viz., spacecraft of the Pioneer and Mariner families, are assumed as payload vehicles. Thus, operating requirements of spin-stabilized and 3-axis stabilized spacecraft have to be met by the respective propulsion module designs. As launch vehicle for these missions the Shuttle orbiter and interplanetary injection stage, or Tug, plus solid-propellant kick motor was assumed. Accommodation constraints and interfaces involving the payloads and the launch vehicle are considered in the propulsion module design. The applicability and performance advantages were evaluated of the space-storable high-energy bipropellants. The incentive for using this advanced propulsion technology on planetary missions is the much greater performance potential when orbit insertion velocities in excess of 4 km/sec are required, as in the Mercury orbiter. Design analyses and performance tradeoffs regarding earth-storable versus space-storable propulsion systems are included. Cost and development schedules of multi-mission versus custom-designed propulsion modules are examined.

Closed Brayton Cycle (CBC) Power Generation from an Electric Systems Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halsey, David G.; Fox, David A.

2006-01-01

Several forms of closed cycle heat engines exist to produce electrical energy suitable for space exploration or planetary surface applications. These engines include Stirling and Closed Brayton Cycle (CBC). Of these two, CBC has often been cited as providing the best balance of mass and efficiency for deep space or planetary power systems. Combined with an alternator on the same shaft, the hermetically sealed system provides the potential for long life and reliable operation. There is also a list of choices for the type of alternator. Choices include wound rotor machines, induction machines, switched reluctance machines, and permanent magnet generators (PMGs). In trades involving size, mass and efficiency the PMG is a favorable solution. This paper will discuss the consequences of using a CBC-PMG source for an electrical power system, and the system parameters that must be defined and controlled to provide a stable, useful power source. Considerations of voltage, frequency (including DC), and power quality will be discussed. Load interactions and constraints for various power types will also be addressed. Control of the CBC-PMG system during steady state operation and startup is also a factor.s

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

Probing planetary interiors: Shock compression of water to 700 GPa and 3.8 g/cc, and recent high precision Hugoniot measurements of deuterium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knudson, Marcus

2013-06-01

The past several years have seen tremendous increase in the number of identified extra-solar planetary systems. Our understanding of the formation of these systems is tied to our understanding of the internal structure of these exoplanets, which in turn rely upon equations of state of light elements and compounds such as water and hydrogen. Here we present shock compression data for water with unprecedented accuracy that shows commonly used models for water in planetary modeling significantly overestimate the compressibility at conditions relevant to planetary interiors. Furthermore, we show that its behavior at these conditions, including reflectivity and isentropic response, is well described by a recent first-principles based equation of state. These findings advocate the use of this model as the standard for modeling Neptune, Uranus, and ``hot Neptune'' exoplanets, and should contribute to improved understanding of the interior structure of these planets, and perhaps improved understanding of formation mechanisms of planetary systems. We also present very recent experiments on deuterium that have taken advantage of continued improvements in both experimental configuration and the understanding of the quartz shock standard to obtain Hugoniot data with a significant increase in precision. These data will prove to provide a stringent test for the equation of state of hydrogen and its isotopes. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Company, for the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract No. DE-ACO4-94AL85000.

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.

Conceptual design of a 1-MW CW X-band transmitter for planetary radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhanji, A. M.; Hoppe, D. J.; Conroy, B. L.; Freiley, A. J.

1988-01-01

A proposed conceptual design to increase the output power of an existing X-band radar transmitter used for planetary radar exploration from 365 kW to 1 MW CW is presented. The basic transmitter system requirements as dictated by the specifications for the radar are covered. The characteristics and expected performance of the high-power klystrons are considered, and the transmitter power amplifier system is described. Also included is the design of all of the associated high-power microwave components, the feed system, and the phase-stable exciter. The expected performance of the beam supply, heat exchanger, and monitor and control devices is also presented. Finally, an assessment of the state-of-the-art technology needed to meet system requirements is given and possible areas of difficulty are summarized.

Part 1. The GLOSAS Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utsumi, Takeshi; Mogalhaes, Maria Rosa Abreu

1993-01-01

Describes accomplishments of the Global Systems Analysis and Simulation (GLOSAS) project from 1973 to the present, including a system for global peace gaming. The capabilities of interactive multimedia to link people across political and geographic boundaries for joint study, debate, research, planetary problem solving, and political action are…

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

Campaign of AAVSO Monitoring of the CH Cyg Symbiotic System in Support of Chandra and HST Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karovska, M.

2013-06-01

(Abstract only) CH Cyg is one of the most interesting interacting binaries in which a compact object, a white dwarf or a neutron star, accretes from the wind of an evolved giant or supergiant. CH Cyg is a member of the symbiotic systems group, and at about 250pc it is one of the closest systems. Symbiotic systems are accreting binaries, which are likely progenitors of a fraction of Pre-Planetary and Planetary Nebulae, and of a fraction of SN type Ia (the cosmic distance scale indicators). We carried out Chandra and HST observations of CH Cyg in March 2012 as part of a follow-up investigation of the central region of CH Cyg and its precessing jet, including the multi-structures that were discovered in 2008. I will describe here the campaign of multi-wavelength observations, including photometry and spectroscopy, that were carried out by AAVSO members in support of the space-based observations.

Nonlinear dynamics of global atmospheric and Earth system processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saltzman, Barry

1993-01-01

During the past eight years, we have been engaged in a NASA-supported program of research aimed at establishing the connection between satellite signatures of the earth's environmental state and the nonlinear dynamics of the global weather and climate system. Thirty-five publications and four theses have resulted from this work, which included contributions in five main areas of study: (1) cloud and latent heat processes in finite-amplitude baroclinic waves; (2) application of satellite radiation data in global weather analysis; (3) studies of planetary waves and low-frequency weather variability; (4) GCM studies of the atmospheric response to variable boundary conditions measurable from satellites; and (5) dynamics of long-term earth system changes. Significant accomplishments from the three main lines of investigation pursued during the past year are presented and include the following: (1) planetary atmospheric waves and low frequency variability; (2) GCM studies of the atmospheric response to changed boundary conditions; and (3) dynamics of long-term changes in the global earth system.

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.

Solar System Planetary Science Decadal Survey and Missions in the Next Decade, 2013-2022

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reh, Kim

2011-01-01

In 2010, the National Research Council Space Studies Board established a decadal survey committee to develop a comprehensive science, mission, and technology strategy for planetary science that updates and extends the Board's 2003 Solar System Exploration Decadal Survey, "New Frontiers in the Solar System: An Integrated Exploration Strategy." The scope of the survey encompasses the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars), the Earth's Moon, the giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune), the moons of the giant planets, dwarf planets and small bodies, primitive bodies including comets and Kuiper Belt objects, and astrobiology. Over this past year, the decadal survey committee has interacted with the broad solar system science community to determine the current state of knowledge and to identify the most important scientific questions expected to face the community during the interval 2013-2022. The survey has identified candidate missions that address the most important science questions and has conducted, through NASA sponsorship, concept studies to assess the cost of such missions as well as technology needs. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the 2012 Solar System Planetary Science Decadal Survey study approach and missions that were studied for implementation in the upcoming decade. Final results of the decadal survey, including studies that were completed and the specific science, programmatic, and technology recommendations will be disclosed publically in the spring of 2011 and are not the subject of this paper.

A Multifunctional Hot Structure Heatshield Concept for Planetary Entry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Sandra P.; Daryabeigi, Kamran; Samareh, Jamshid A.; Wagner, Robert; Waters, Allen

2015-01-01

A multifunctional hot structure heatshield concept is being developed to provide technology enhancements with significant benefits compared to the current state-of-the-art heatshield technology. These benefits can potentially enable future planetary missions. The concept is unique in integrating the function of the thermal protection system with the primary load carrying structural component. An advanced carbon-carbon material system has been evaluated for the load carrying structure, which will be utilized on the outer surface of the heatshield, and thus will operate as a hot structure exposed to the severe aerodynamic heating associated with planetary entry. Flexible, highly efficient blanket insulation is sized for use underneath the hot structure to maintain required operational internal temperatures. The approach followed includes developing preliminary designs to demonstrate feasibility of the concept and benefits over a traditional, baseline design. Where prior work focused on a concept for an Earth entry vehicle, the current efforts presented here are focused on developing a generic heatshield model and performing a trade study for a Mars entry application. This trade study includes both structural and thermal evaluation. The results indicate that a hot structure concept is a feasible alternative to traditional heatshields and may offer advantages that can enable future entry missions.

Advanced planetary studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Results of planetary advanced studies and planning support are summarized. The scope of analyses includes cost estimation research, planetary mission performance, penetrator mission concepts for airless planets/satellites, geology orbiter payload adaptability, lunar mission performance, and advanced planning activities. Study reports and related publications are included in a bibliography section.

NASA's Planetary Data System: Support for the Delivery of Derived Data Sets at the Atmospheres Node

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chanover, Nancy J.; Beebe, Reta; Neakrase, Lynn; Huber, Lyle; Rees, Shannon; Hornung, Danae

2015-11-01

NASA’s Planetary Data System is charged with archiving electronic data products from NASA planetary missions that are sponsored by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. This archive, currently organized by science disciplines, uses standards for describing and storing data that are designed to enable future scientists who are unfamiliar with the original experiments to analyze the data, and to do this using a variety of computer platforms, with no additional support. These standards address the data structure, description contents, and media design. The new requirement in the NASA ROSES-2015 Research Announcement to include a Data Management Plan will result in an increase in the number of derived data sets that are being delivered to the PDS. These data sets may come from the Planetary Data Archiving, Restoration and Tools (PDART) program, other Data Analysis Programs (DAPs) or be volunteered by individuals who are publishing the results of their analysis. In response to this increase, the PDS Atmospheres Node is developing a set of guidelines and user tools to make the process of archiving these derived data products more efficient. Here we provide a description of Atmospheres Node resources, including a letter of support for the proposal stage, a communication schedule for the planned archive effort, product label samples and templates in extensible markup language (XML), documentation templates, and validation tools necessary for producing a PDS4-compliant derived data bundle(s) efficiently and accurately.

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.

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.

Planetary system detection by POINTS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reasenberg, Robert D.

1993-01-01

The final report and semiannual reports 1, 2, and 3 in response to the study of 'Planetary System Detection by POINTS' is presented. The grant covered the period from 15 Jun. 1988 through 31 Dec. 1989. The work during that period comprised the further development and refinement of the POINTS concept. The status of the POINTS development at the end of the Grant period was described by Reasenberg in a paper given at the JPL Workshop on Space Interferometry, 12-13 Mar. 1990, and distributed as CfA Preprint 3138. That paper, 'POINTS: a Small Astrometric Interferometer,' follows as Appendix-A. Our proposal P2276-7-09, dated July 1990, included a more detailed description of the state of the development of POINTS at the end of the tenure of Grant NAGW-1355. That proposal, which resulted in Grant NAGW-2497, is included by reference.

Detection techniques for tenuous planetary atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoenig, S. A.; Summerton, J. E.; Kirchner, J. D.; Allred, J. B.

1974-01-01

The development of new types of detectors for analysis of planetary atmospheres is discussed. Initially, the interest was in detectors for use under partial vacuum conditions; recently, the program has been extended to include detectors for use at one atmosphere and adsorption systems for control and separation of gases. Results to date have included detector for O2 and H2 under partial vacuum conditions. Experiments on detectors for use at high pressures began in 1966; and systems for CO, H2, and O2 were reported in 1967 and 1968. In 1968 studies began on an electrically controlled adsorbent. It was demonstrated that under proper conditions a thin film of semiconductor material could be electrically cycled to absorb and desorb a specific gas. This work was extended to obtain quantitative data on the use of semiconductors as controllable adsorbents.

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.

Terrestrial Planets: Comparative Planetology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

Papers were presented at the 47th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting on the Comparative planetology of Terrestrial Planets. Subject matter explored concerning terrestrial planets includes: interrelationships among planets; plaentary evolution; planetary structure; planetary composition; planetary Atmospheres; noble gases in meteorites; and planetary magnetic fields.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 374)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This bibliography lists 227 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Apr. 1993. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 408)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This bibliography lists 84 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Dec. 1995. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 376)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This bibliography lists 265 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Jun. 1993. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 359)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This bibliography lists 164 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Jan. 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 383)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This bibliography lists 100 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Nov. 1992. Subject coverage includes the following topics: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 391)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This bibliography lists 75 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Aug. 1994. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 370)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This bibliography lists 219 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Dec. 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 362)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This bibliography lists 357 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during May 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 392)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This bibliography lists 81 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Sep. 1994. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 369)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This bibliography lists 209 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Nov. 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 361)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This bibliography lists 141 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Mar. 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 407)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This bibliography lists 289 reports, articles and other documents announced in the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Nov. 1995. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 363)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This bibliography lists 164 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Jan. 1992. Subject coverage includes aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 386)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This bibliography lists 117 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Mar. 1994. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 378)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This bibliography lists 185 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Aug. 1993. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 387)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This bibliography lists 60 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Apr. 1994. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 405)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This bibliography lists 225 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Sep. 1995. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 372)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This bibliography lists 208 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Jan. 1993. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 379)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This bibliography lists 305 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Sep. 1993. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 367)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This bibliography lists 205 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Aug. 1992. Subject coverage includes the following: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 406)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This bibliography lists 346 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Oct. 1995. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 382)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This bibliography lists 119 reports, articles, and other documents recently introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System. Subject coverage includes the following: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 381)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This bibliography lists 89 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Nov. 1993. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 402)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This bibliography lists 244 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Nov. 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 380)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This bibliography lists 192 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Oct. 1993. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 357)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This bibliography lists 186 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Dec. 1991. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 403)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This bibliography lists 217 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during July 1995. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 400)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This bibliography lists 397 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during April 1995. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 397)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This bibliography lists 122 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Jan. 1995. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 375)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This bibliography lists 212 reports, articles, and other documents recently introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System database. Subject coverage includes the following: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 393)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This bibliography lists 29 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Oct. 1994. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 394)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This bibliography lists 71 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Nov. 1994. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 364)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This bibliography lists 188 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during June 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 360)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This bibliography lists 217 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during February 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 365)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This bibliography lists 211 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during July 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

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.

Stable Chlorine Isotope Study: Application to Early Solar System Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mala,ira. M/; Nyquist, L. E.; Reese, Y.; Shih, C-Y; Fujitani, T.; Okano, O.

2010-01-01

A significantly large mass fractionation between two stable chlorine isotopes is expected during planetary processes In addition, in view of the isotopic heterogeneity of other light elements, the chlorine isotopes can potentially be used as a tracer for the origins and evolutionary processes of early solar system materials. Due to analytical difficulties, however, current chlorine isotope studies on planetary materials are quite controversial among IRMS (gas source mass spectrometry) and/or TIMS (Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry) groups [i.e. 1-3]. Although a cross-calibration of IRMS and TIMS indicates that both techniques are sufficiently consistent with each other [4], some authors have claimed that the Cl-37/Cl-35 ratio of geological samples obtained by TIMS technique are, in general, misleadingly too high and variable compared to those of IRMS [3]. For example, almost no differences of Cl isotope composition were observed among mantle materials and carbonaceous meteorites by [3]. On the other hand, according to more recent IRMS work [2], significant Cl isotope variations are confirmed for mantle materials. Therefore, additional careful investigation of Cl isotope analyses are now required to confirm real chlorine isotope variations for planetary materials including carbonaceous chondrites [5]. A significantly large mass fractionation between two stable chlorine isotopes is expected during planetary processes In addition, in view of the isotopic heterogeneity of other light elements, the chlorine isotopes can potentially be used as a tracer for the origins and evolutionary processes of early solar system materials. Due to analytical difficulties, however, current chlorine isotope studies on planetary materials are quite controversial among IRMS (gas source mass spectrometry) and/or TIMS (Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry) groups [i.e. 1-3]. Although a cross-calibration of IRMS and TIMS indicates that both techniques are sufficiently consistent with each other [4], some authors have claimed that the 37Cl/35Cl ratio of geological samples obtained by TIMS technique are, in general, misleadingly too high and variable compared to those of IRMS [3]. For eample, almost no differences of Cl isotope composition were observed among mantle materials and carbonaceous meteorites by [3]. On the other hand, according to more recent IRMS work [2], significant Cl isotope variations are confirmed for mantle materials. Therefore, additional careful investigation of Cl isotope analyses are now required to confirm real chlorine isotope variations for planetary materials including carbonaceous chondrites [5]. In order to clarify the stable chlorine isotope features of early solar system materials, we have initiated development of the TIMS technique at NASA JSC applicable to analysis of small amounts of meteoritic and planetary materials. We report here the current status of chlorine isotope analysis at NASA JSC.

The Role of Planetary Dust and Regolith Mechanics in Technology Developments at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agui, Juan H.

2011-01-01

One of NASA's long term goals continues to be the exploration of other planets and orbital bodies in our solar system. Our sustained presence through the installation of stations or bases on these planetary surfaces will depend on developing properly designed habitation modules, mobility systems and supporting infrastructure. NASA Glenn Research Center is involved in several technology developments in support of this overarching goal. Two key developments are in the area of advanced filtration and excavation systems. The first addresses the issues posed by the accumulation of particulate matter over long duration missions and the intrusion of planetary dust into spacecraft and habitat pressurized cabins. The latter supports the operation and infrastructure of insitu resource utilization (ISRU) processes to derive consumables and construction materials from the planetary regolith. These two developments require a basic understanding of the lunar regolith at the micro (particle) to macro (bulk) level. Investigation of the relevant properties of the lunar regolith and characterization of the standard simulant materials used in. testing were important first steps in these developments. The fundamentals and operational concepts of these technologies as well as descriptions of new NASA facilities, including the Particulate Filtration Testing and the NASA Excavation and Traction Testing facilities, and their capabilities for testing and advancing these technologies will be presented. The test data also serves to validate and anchor computational simulation models.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

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

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.

Molecules of significance in planetary aeronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mohan, H.

1979-01-01

This monograph is basically devoted to spectroscopic information of the molecules of planetary interest. Only those molecules have been dealt with which have been confirmed spectroscopically to be present in the atmosphere of major planets of our solar system and play an important role in the aeronomy of the respective planets. An introduction giving the general conditions of planets and their atmospheres including the gaseous molecules is given. Some typical planetary spectra is presented and supported with a discussion on some basic concepts of optical absorption and molecular parameters that are important to the study of planetary atmospheres. Quantities like dipole moments, transition probabilities, Einstein coefficients and line strengths, radiative life times, absorption cross sections, oscillator strengths, line widths and profiles, equivalent widths, growth curves, bond strengths, electronic transition moments, Franck-Condon factors and r-centroids, etc., are discussed. Spectroscopic information and relevant data of 6 diatomic (HF, HCL, CO, H2, O2, N2) and 6 polyatomic (CO2, N2), O3, HeO, NH3, CH4) molecules are presented.

Planetary Formation: From The Earth And Moon To Extrasolar Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1999-01-01

An overview of current theories of planetary growth, emphasizing the formation of habitable planets, is presented. These models are based upon observations of the Solar System and of young stars and their environments. They predict that rocky planets should form around most single stars, although it is possible that in some cases such planets are lost - to orbital decay within the protoplanetary disk. 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 like terrestrial planets, but if they become massive enough before the protoplanetary disk dissipates, then they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas. Specific issues to be discussed include: (1) how do giant planets influence the formation and habitability of terrestrial planets? (2) could a giant impact leading to lunar formation have occurred - 100 million years after the condensation of the oldest meteorites?

Review of exchange processes on Ganymede in view of its planetary protection categorization.

PubMed

Grasset, O; Bunce, E J; Coustenis, A; Dougherty, M K; Erd, C; Hussmann, H; Jaumann, R; Prieto-Ballesteros, O

2013-10-01

In this paper, we provide a detailed review of Ganymede's characteristics that are germane to any consideration of its planetary protection requirements. Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system and is the subject of one of the main science objectives of the JUICE mission to the jovian system. We explore the probability of the occurrence of potentially habitable zones within Ganymede at present, including those both within the deep liquid ocean and those in shallow liquid reservoirs. We consider the possible exchange processes between the surface and any putative habitats to set some constraints on the planetary protection approach for this moon. As a conclusion, the "remote" versus "significant" chance of contamination will be discussed, according to our current understanding of this giant icy moon. Based on the different estimates we investigate here, it appears extremely unlikely that material would be exchanged downward through the upper icy layer of Ganymede and, thus, bring material into the ocean over timescales consistent with the survival of microorganisms.

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.

Strategy for exploration of the outer planets: 1986-1996

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

Over the past decade COMPLEX has published three strategy reports which, taken together, encompass the entire planetary system and recommend a coherent program of planetary exploration. The highest priority for outer planet exploration during the next decade is intensive study of Saturn (the planet, satellites, rings, and magnetosphere) as a system. The Committee additionally recommends that NASA engage in the following supporting activities: increased support of laboratory and theoretical studies; pursuit of earth-based and earth-orbital observations; commitment to continued operation of productive spacecraft; implementation of the instrument development plan as appropriate for the outer solar system; studies of deep atmospheric probes; development of penetrators or other hard landers; development of radiation-hardened spacecraft; and development of low-thrust propulsion systems. Longer-term objectives include exploration and intensive study of: the Uranus and Neptune systems; planetology of the Galilean satellites and Titan; and the inner Jovian system.

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

The telecommunications and data acquisition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renzetti, N. A. (Editor)

1980-01-01

Radio astronomy and radio interferometry at microwave frequencies are discussed. Other topics concerning the Deep Space Network include program planning, planetary and interplanetary mission support, tracking and ground based navigation, communications, and station control and system technology.

Solar System Montage

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-01-15

This is a montage of planetary images taken by spacecraft managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Included are from top to bottom images of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Dynamics of the middle atmosphere as observed by the ARISE project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanc, Elisabeth

2015-04-01

The atmosphere is a complex system submitted to disturbances in a wide range of scales, including high frequency sources as volcanoes, thunderstorms, tornadoes and at larger scales, gravity waves from deep convection or wind over mountains, atmospheric tides and planetary waves. These waves affect the different atmospheric layers submitted to different temperature and wind systems which strongly control the general atmospheric circulation. The full description of gravity and planetary waves constitutes a challenge for the development of future models of atmosphere and climate. The objective of this paper is to present a review of recent advances obtained in this topic, especially in the framework of the ARISE (Atmospheric dynamics Research InfraStructure in Europe) project

High-precision radiometric tracking for planetary approach and encounter in the inner solar system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, C. S.; Thurman, S. W.; Davidson, J. M.; Finger, M. H.; Folkner, W. M.

1989-01-01

The benefits of improved radiometric tracking data have been studied for planetary approach within the inner Solar System using the Mars Rover Sample Return trajectory as a model. It was found that the benefit of improved data to approach and encounter navigation was highly dependent on the a priori uncertainties assumed for several non-estimated parameters, including those for frame-tie, Earth orientation, troposphere delay, and station locations. With these errors at their current levels, navigational performance was found to be insensitive to enhancements in data accuracy. However, when expected improvements in these errors are modeled, performance with current-accuracy data significantly improves, with substantial further improvements possible with enhancements in data accuracy.

Stellar occultation studies of the solar system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elliot, J. L.

1979-01-01

The paper covers the principles, observational procedures, and results relating to occultations of stars by solar system bodies other than the moon. Physical processes involved in occultations are presented including (1) extinction by ring material, (2) differential refraction by a planetary atmosphere, (3) extinction by a planetary atmosphere, and (4) Fresnel diffraction by sharp edges. It is noted that from a sufficient number of immersion and emersion timings of a stellar occultation, the radius and ellipticity of the occulting body can be accurately determined. From an occultation by a planet having an atmosphere, temperature, pressure, and number density profiles can be obtained along with information about the composition of the atmosphere and the extinction.

A Lidar for Making Range Resolved CO2 Measurements within the Planetary Boundary Layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burris, John; Riris, Haris; Andrews, Arlyn; Krainak, Mike; Sun, Xiaoli; Abshire, Jim; Colarco, Amelia; Heaps, William

2006-01-01

A ground based differential absorption lidar is under development at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to make range resolved measurements of CO2 within the planetary boundary layer. This is a direct detection lidar designed for both photon counting and analog use. Technology being developed for this instrument will be discussed including efforts in fiber lasers, optical parametric amplifiers and both InGaAs and HgCdTe solid-state detectors. The capabilities of this system are investigated and preliminary results presented.

Requirements for maintaining cryogenic propellants during planetary surface stays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riccio, Joseph R.; Schoenberg, Richard J.

1991-01-01

Potential impacts on the planetary surface system infrastructure resulting from the use of liquid hydrogen and oxygen propellants for a stage and half lander are discussed. Particular attention is given to techniques which can be incorporated into the surface infrastructure and/or the vehicle to minimize the impact resulting from the use of these cryogens. Methods offered for reducing cryogenic propellant boiloff include modification of the lander to accommodate boiloff, incorporation of passive thermal control devices to the lander, addition of active propellant management, and use of alternative propellants.

Autonomous localisation of rovers for future planetary exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bajpai, Abhinav

Future Mars exploration missions will have increasingly ambitious goals compared to current rover and lander missions. There will be a need for extremely long distance traverses over shorter periods of time. This will allow more varied and complex scientific tasks to be performed and increase the overall value of the missions. The missions may also include a sample return component, where items collected on the surface will be returned to a cache in order to be returned to Earth, for further study. In order to make these missions feasible, future rover platforms will require increased levels of autonomy, allowing them to operate without heavy reliance on a terrestrial ground station. Being able to autonomously localise the rover is an important element in increasing the rover's capability to independently explore. This thesis develops a Planetary Monocular Simultaneous Localisation And Mapping (PM-SLAM) system aimed specifically at a planetary exploration context. The system uses a novel modular feature detection and tracking algorithm called hybrid-saliency in order to achieve robust tracking, while maintaining low computational complexity in the SLAM filter. The hybrid saliency technique uses a combination of cognitive inspired saliency features with point-based feature descriptors as input to the SLAM filter. The system was tested on simulated datasets generated using the Planetary, Asteroid and Natural scene Generation Utility (PANGU) as well as two real world datasets which closely approximated images from a planetary environment. The system was shown to provide a higher accuracy of localisation estimate than a state-of-the-art VO system tested on the same data set. In order to be able to localise the rover absolutely, further techniques are investigated which attempt to determine the rover's position in orbital maps. Orbiter Mask Matching uses point-based features detected by the rover to associate descriptors with large features extracted from orbital imagery and stored in the rover memory prior the mission launch. A proof of concept is evaluated using a PANGU simulated boulder field.

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.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 388)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This bibliography lists 132 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information Database. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Cassini/Huygens Program Archive Plan for Science Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conners, D.

2000-01-01

The purpose of this document is to describe the Cassini/Huygens science data archive system which includes policy, roles and responsibilities, description of science and supplementary data products or data sets, metadata, documentation, software, and archive schedule and methods for archive transfer to the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS).

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.

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.

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.

An Ontology-Based Archive Information Model for the Planetary Science Community

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, J. Steven; Crichton, Daniel J.; Mattmann, Chris

2008-01-01

The Planetary Data System (PDS) information model is a mature but complex model that has been used to capture over 30 years of planetary science data for the PDS archive. As the de-facto information model for the planetary science data archive, it is being adopted by the International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA) as their archive data standard. However, after seventeen years of evolutionary change the model needs refinement. First a formal specification is needed to explicitly capture the model in a commonly accepted data engineering notation. Second, the core and essential elements of the model need to be identified to help simplify the overall archive process. A team of PDS technical staff members have captured the PDS information model in an ontology modeling tool. Using the resulting knowledge-base, work continues to identify the core elements, identify problems and issues, and then test proposed modifications to the model. The final deliverables of this work will include specifications for the next generation PDS information model and the initial set of IPDA archive data standards. Having the information model captured in an ontology modeling tool also makes the model suitable for use by Semantic Web applications.

A Planetary Park system for the Moon and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cockell, Charles; Horneck, Gerda

Deutschland International space exploration programs foresee the establishment of human settlements on the Moon and on Mars within the next decades, following a series of robotic precursor missions. These increasing robotic visits and eventual human exploration and settlements may have an environmental impact on scientifically important sites and sites of natural beauty in the form of contamination with microorganisms and spacecraft parts, or even pollution as a consequence of in situ resource use. This concern has already been reflected in the Moon Treaty, "The Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies" of the United Nations, which follows the Outer Space Treaty of the UN. However, so far, the Moon Treaty has not been ratified by any nation which engages in human space programs or has plans to do so. Planetary protection guidelines as formulated by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) are based on the Outer Space Treaty and follow the objectives: (i) to prevent contamination by terrestrial microorganisms if this might jeopardize scientific investi-gations of possible extraterrestrial life forms, and (ii) to protect the Earth from the potential hazard posed by extraterrestrial material brought back to the Earth. As a consequence, they group exploratory missions according to the type of mission and target body in five different categories, requesting specific means of cleaning and sterilization. However, the protection of extraterrestrial environments might also encompass ethical and other non-instrumental reasons. In order to allow intense scientific research and exploitation, and on the other hand to preserve regions of the Moon for research and use by future generations, we proposed the introduction of a planetary (or lunar) park system, which would protect areas of scientific, historic and intrinsic value under a common scheme. A similar placePlaceNamePlanetary PlaceTypePark system could be established on Mars well ahead of human settlement. References: United Nations. Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (the "Outer Space Treaty") referenced 610 UNTS 205 -resolution 2222(XXI) of December 1966. Cockell C.S. and Hor-neck G. (2004) A Planetary Park system for Mars. Space Policy 20, 291-295. Cockell, C.S. and PersonNameHorneck G. (2006) PlaceNameplacePlanetary PlaceTypeParks -formulating a wilderness policy for planetary bodies. Space Policy 22, 256-261.

First Prototype of a Web Map Interface for ESA's Planetary Science Archive (PSA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manaud, N.; Gonzalez, J.

2014-04-01

We present a first prototype of a Web Map Interface that will serve as a proof of concept and design for ESA's future fully web-based Planetary Science Archive (PSA) User Interface. The PSA is ESA's planetary science archiving authority and central repository for all scientific and engineering data returned by ESA's Solar System missions [1]. All data are compliant with NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) Standards and are accessible through several interfaces [2]: in addition to serving all public data via FTP and the Planetary Data Access Protocol (PDAP), a Java-based User Interface provides advanced search, preview, download, notification and delivery-basket functionality. It allows the user to query and visualise instrument observations footprints using a map-based interface (currently only available for Mars Express HRSC and OMEGA instruments). During the last decade, the planetary mapping science community has increasingly been adopting Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and standards, originally developed for and used in Earth science. There is an ongoing effort to produce and share cartographic products through Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Services, or as standalone data sets, so that they can be readily used in existing GIS applications [3,4,5]. Previous studies conducted at ESAC [6,7] have helped identify the needs of Planetary GIS users, and define key areas of improvement for the future Web PSA User Interface. Its web map interface shall will provide access to the full geospatial content of the PSA, including (1) observation geometry footprints of all remote sensing instruments, and (2) all georeferenced cartographic products, such as HRSC map-projected data or OMEGA global maps from Mars Express. It shall aim to provide a rich user experience for search and visualisation of this content using modern and interactive web mapping technology. A comprehensive set of built-in context maps from external sources, such as MOLA topography, TES infrared maps or planetary surface nomenclature, provided in both simple cylindrical and polar stereographic projections, shall enhance this user experience. In addition, users should be able to import and export data in commonly used open- GIS formats. It is also intended to serve all PSA geospatial data through OGC-compliant Web Services so that they can be captured, visualised and analysed directly from GIS software, along with data from other sources. The following figure illustrates how the PSA web map interface and services shall fit in a typical Planetary GIS user working environment.

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

A Detailed Analysis of the HD 73526 2:1 Resonant Planetary System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Tan, Xianyu; Lee, Man Hoi; Horner, Jonathan; Tinney, C. G.; Butler, R. P.; Salter, G. S.; Carter, B. D.; Jones, H. R. A.; O'Toole, S. J.; Bailey, J.; Wright, D.; Crane, J. D.; Schectman, S. A.; Arriagada, P.; Thompson, I.; Minniti, D.; Diaz, M.

2014-01-01

We present six years of new radial velocity data from the Anglo-Australian and Magellan Telescopes on the HD 73526 2:1 resonant planetary system. We investigate both Keplerian and dynamical (interacting) fits to these data, yielding four possible configurations for the system. The new data now show that both resonance angles are librating, with amplitudes of 40° and 60°, respectively. We then perform long-term dynamical stability tests to differentiate these solutions, which only differ significantly in the masses of the planets. We show that while there is no clearly preferred system inclination, the dynamical fit with i = 90° provides the best combination of goodness-of-fit and long-term dynamical stability. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 meter Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.

A Multidisciplinary Tool for Systems Analysis of Planetary Entry, Descent, and Landing (SAPE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samareh, Jamshid A.

2009-01-01

SAPE is a Python-based multidisciplinary analysis tool for systems analysis of planetary entry, descent, and landing (EDL) for Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Titan. The purpose of SAPE is to provide a variable-fidelity capability for conceptual and preliminary analysis within the same framework. SAPE includes the following analysis modules: geometry, trajectory, aerodynamics, aerothermal, thermal protection system, and structural sizing. SAPE uses the Python language-a platform-independent open-source software for integration and for the user interface. The development has relied heavily on the object-oriented programming capabilities that are available in Python. Modules are provided to interface with commercial and government off-the-shelf software components (e.g., thermal protection systems and finite-element analysis). SAPE runs on Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X and has been partially tested on Linux.

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.

Chondrules: The canonical and noncanonical views

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connolly, Harold C.; Jones, Rhian H.

2016-10-01

Millimeter-scale rock particles called chondrules are the principal components of the most common meteorites, chondrites. Hence, chondrules were arguably the most abundant components of the early solar system at the time of planetesimal accretion. Despite their fundamental importance, the existence of chondrules would not be predicted from current observations and models of young planetary systems. There are many different models for chondrule formation, but no single model satisfies the many constraints determined from their mineralogical and chemical properties and from chondrule analog experiments. Significant recent progress has shown that several models can satisfy first-order constraints and successfully reproduce chondrule thermal histories. However, second- and third-order constraints such as chondrule size ranges, open system behavior, oxidation states, reheating, and chemical diversity have not generally been addressed. Chondrule formation models include those based on processes that are known to occur in protoplanetary disk environments, including interactions with the early active Sun, impacts and collisions between planetary bodies, and radiative heating. Other models for chondrule heating mechanisms are based on hypothetical processes that are possible but have not been observed, like shock waves, planetesimal bow shocks, and lightning. We examine the evidence for the canonical view of chondrule formation, in which chondrules were free-floating particles in the protoplanetary disk, and the noncanonical view, in which chondrules were the by-products of planetesimal formation. The fundamental difference between these approaches has a bearing on the importance of chondrules during planet formation and the relevance of chondrules to interpreting the evolution of protoplanetary disks and planetary systems.

Proceedings of the 38th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

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

Development of a Space-Rated Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, William C., III; Vasquez, Arturo; Lazaroff, Scott M.; Downey, Michael G.

1999-01-01

Power systems for human spacecraft have historically included fuel cells due to the superior energy density they offer over battery systems depending on mission length and power consumption. As space exploration focuses on the evolution of reusable spacecraft and also considers planetary exploration power system requirements, fuel cells continue to be a factor in the potential system solutions.

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

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

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

Debris Disks as Tracers of Nearby Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stapelfeldt, Karl

2012-01-01

Many main-sequence stars possess tenuous circumstellar dust clouds believed to trace extrasolar analogs of the Sun's asteroid and Kuiper Belts. While most of these "debris disks" are known only from far-infrared photometry, dozens are now spatially resolved. In this talk, I'll review the observed structural properties of debris disks as revealed by imaging with the Hubble, Spitzer, and Herschel Space Telescopes. I will show how modeling of the far-infrared spectral energy distributions of resolved disks can be used to constrain their dust particle sizes and albedos. I will review cases of disks whose substructures suggest planetary perturbations, including a newly-discovered eccentric ring system. I'll conclude with thoughts on the potential of upcoming and proposed facilities to resolve similar structures around a greatly expanded sample of nearby debris systems.

Studies of extra-solar Oort clouds and the Kuiper disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stern, S. Alan

1996-01-01

We are conducting research designed to enhance our understanding of the evolution and detectability of comet clouds and disks. According to 'standard' theory, both the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud are (at least in part) natural products of the planetary accumulation stage of solar system formation. One expects such assemblages to be a common attribute of other solar systems. Therefore, searches for comet disks and clouds orbiting other stars offer a new method for inferring the presence of planetary systems. This project consists of two efforts: (1) observational work to predict and search for the signatures of Oort Clouds and comet disks around other stars; and (2) modelling studies of the formation and evolution of the Kuiper Belt (KB) and similar assemblages that may reside around other stars, including beta Pic.

Studying Tidal Effects In Planetary Systems With Posidonius. A N-Body Simulator Written In Rust.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco-Cuaresma, Sergi; Bolmont, Emeline

2017-10-01

Planetary systems with several planets in compact orbital configurations such as TRAPPIST-1 are surely affected by tidal effects. Its study provides us with important insight about its evolution. We developed a second generation of a N-body code based on the tidal model used in Mercury-T, re-implementing and improving its functionalities using Rust as programming language (including a Python interface for easy use) and the WHFAST integrator. The new open source code ensures memory safety, reproducibility of numerical N-body experiments, it improves the spin integration compared to Mercury-T and allows to take into account a new prescription for the dissipation of tidal inertial waves in the convective envelope of stars. Posidonius is also suitable for binary system simulations with evolving stars.

Remote analysis of planetary soils: X-ray diffractometer development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregory, J. C.

1973-01-01

A system is described suitable for remote low power mineralogical analysis of lunar, planetary, or asteroid soils. It includes an X-ray diffractometer, fluorescence spectrometer, and sample preparation system. A one Curie Fe-55 source provides a monochromatic X-ray beam of 5.9 keV. Seeman-Bohlin or focusing geometry is employed in the camera, allowing peak detection to proceed simultaneously at all angles and obviating the need for moving parts. The detector system is an array of 500-600 proportional counters with a wire-spacing of 1 mm. An electronics unit comprising preamplifier, postamplifier, window discriminators, and storage flipflops requiring only 3.5 milliwatts was designed and tested. Total instrument power is less than 5 watts. Powder diffraction patterns using a flat breadboard multiwire counter were recorded.

Advances in Autonomous Systems for Missions of Space Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, A. R.; Smith, B. D.; Briggs, G. A.; Hieronymus, J.; Clancy, D. J.

New missions of space exploration will require unprecedented levels of autonomy to successfully accomplish their objectives. Both inherent complexity and communication distances will preclude levels of human involvement common to current and previous space flight missions. With exponentially increasing capabilities of computer hardware and software, including networks and communication systems, a new balance of work is being developed between humans and machines. This new balance holds the promise of meeting the greatly increased space exploration requirements, along with dramatically reduced design, development, test, and operating costs. New information technologies, which take advantage of knowledge-based software, model-based reasoning, and high performance computer systems, will enable the development of a new generation of design and development tools, schedulers, and vehicle and system health monitoring and maintenance capabilities. Such tools will provide a degree of machine intelligence and associated autonomy that has previously been unavailable. These capabilities are critical to the future of space exploration, since the science and operational requirements specified by such missions, as well as the budgetary constraints that limit the ability to monitor and control these missions by a standing army of ground- based controllers. System autonomy capabilities have made great strides in recent years, for both ground and space flight applications. Autonomous systems have flown on advanced spacecraft, providing new levels of spacecraft capability and mission safety. Such systems operate by utilizing model-based reasoning that provides the capability to work from high-level mission goals, while deriving the detailed system commands internally, rather than having to have such commands transmitted from Earth. This enables missions of such complexity and communications distance as are not otherwise possible, as well as many more efficient and low cost applications. One notable example of such missions are those to explore for the existence of water on planets such as Mars and the moons of Jupiter. It is clear that water does not exist on the surfaces of such bodies, but may well be located at some considerable depth below the surface, thus requiring a subsurface drilling capability. Subsurface drilling on planetary surfaces will require a robust autonomous control and analysis system, currently a major challenge, but within conceivable reach of planned technology developments. This paper will focus on new and innovative software for remote, autonomous, space systems flight operations, including flight test results, lessons learned, and implications for the future. An additional focus will be on technologies for planetary exploration using autonomous systems and astronaut-assistance systems that employ new spoken language technology. Topics to be presented will include a description of key autonomous control concepts, illustrated by the Remote Agent program that commanded the Deep Space 1 spacecraft to new levels of system autonomy, recent advances in distributed autonomous system capabilities, and concepts for autonomous vehicle health management systems. A brief description of teaming spacecraft and rovers for complex exploration missions will also be provided. New software for autonomous science data acquisition for planetary exploration will also be described, as well as advanced systems for safe planetary landings. Current results of autonomous planetary drilling system research will be presented. A key thrust within NASA is to develop technologies that will leverage the capabilities of human astronauts during planetary surface explorations. One such technology is spoken dialogue interfaces, which would allow collaboration with semi-autonomous agents that are engaged in activities that are normally accomplished using language, e.g., astronauts in space suits interacting with groups of semi-autonomous rovers and other astronauts. This technology will be described and discussed in the context of future exploration missions and the major new capabilities enabled by such systems. Finally, plans and directions for the future of autonomous systems will be presented.

Modeling, Modal Properties, and Mesh Stiffness Variation Instabilities of Planetary Gears

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Robert G.; Lin, Jian; Krantz, Timothy L. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Planetary gear noise and vibration are primary concerns in their applications in helicopters, automobiles, aircraft engines, heavy machinery and marine vehicles. Dynamic analysis is essential to the noise and vibration reduction. This work analytically investigates some critical issues and advances the understanding of planetary gear dynamics. A lumped-parameter model is built for the dynamic analysis of general planetary gears. The unique properties of the natural frequency spectra and vibration modes are rigorously characterized. These special structures apply for general planetary gears with cyclic symmetry and, in practically important case, systems with diametrically opposed planets. The special vibration properties are useful for subsequent research. Taking advantage of the derived modal properties, the natural frequency and vibration mode sensitivities to design parameters are investigated. The key parameters include mesh stiffnesses, support/bearing stiffnesses, component masses, moments of inertia, and operating speed. The eigen-sensitivities are expressed in simple, closed-form formulae associated with modal strain and kinetic energies. As disorders (e.g., mesh stiffness variation. manufacturing and assembling errors) disturb the cyclic symmetry of planetary gears, their effects on the free vibration properties are quantitatively examined. Well-defined veering rules are derived to identify dramatic changes of natural frequencies and vibration modes under parameter variations. The knowledge of free vibration properties, eigen-sensitivities, and veering rules provide important information to effectively tune the natural frequencies and optimize structural design to minimize noise and vibration. Parametric instabilities excited by mesh stiffness variations are analytically studied for multi-mesh gear systems. The discrepancies of previous studies on parametric instability of two-stage gear chains are clarified using perturbation and numerical methods. The operating conditions causing parametric instabilities are expressed in closed-form suitable for design guidance. Using the well-defined modal properties of planetary gears, the effects of mesh parameters on parametric instability are analytically identified. Simple formulae are obtained to suppress particular instabilities by adjusting contact ratios and mesh phasing.

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.

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 373)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This bibliography lists 206 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Feb. 1993. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, pharmacology, toxicology, environmental effect, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance.

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.

Advances in planetary geology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woronow, A. (Editor)

1981-01-01

This second issue in a new series intended to serve the planetary geology community with a form for quick and thorough communications includes (1) a catalog of terrestrial craterform structures for northern Europe; (2) abstracts of results of the Planetary Geology Program, and (3) a list of the photographic holdings of regional planetary image facilities.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

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

Fitting Formulae and Constraints for the Existence of S-type and P-type Habitable Zones in Binary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhaopeng; Cuntz, Manfred

2017-10-01

We derive fitting formulae for the quick determination of the existence of S-type and P-type habitable zones (HZs) in binary systems. Based on previous work, we consider the limits of the climatological HZ in binary systems (which sensitively depend on the system parameters) based on a joint constraint encompassing planetary orbital stability and a habitable region for a possible system planet. Additionally, we employ updated results on planetary climate models obtained by Kopparapu and collaborators. Our results are applied to four P-type systems (Kepler-34, Kepler-35, Kepler-413, and Kepler-1647) and two S-type systems (TrES-2 and KOI-1257). Our method allows us to gauge the existence of climatological HZs for these systems in a straightforward manner with detailed consideration of the observational uncertainties. Further applications may include studies of other existing systems as well as systems to be identified through future observational campaigns.

Fitting Formulae and Constraints for the Existence of S-type and P-type Habitable Zones in Binary Systems

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

Wang Zhaopeng; Cuntz, Manfred, E-mail: zhaopeng.wang@mavs.uta.edu, E-mail: cuntz@uta.edu

We derive fitting formulae for the quick determination of the existence of S-type and P-type habitable zones (HZs) in binary systems. Based on previous work, we consider the limits of the climatological HZ in binary systems (which sensitively depend on the system parameters) based on a joint constraint encompassing planetary orbital stability and a habitable region for a possible system planet. Additionally, we employ updated results on planetary climate models obtained by Kopparapu and collaborators. Our results are applied to four P-type systems (Kepler-34, Kepler-35, Kepler-413, and Kepler-1647) and two S-type systems (TrES-2 and KOI-1257). Our method allows us tomore » gauge the existence of climatological HZs for these systems in a straightforward manner with detailed consideration of the observational uncertainties. Further applications may include studies of other existing systems as well as systems to be identified through future observational campaigns.« less

NASA's Planetary Science Missions and Participations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daou, Doris; Green, James L.

2017-04-01

NASA's Planetary Science Division (PSD) and space agencies around the world are collaborating on an extensive array of missions exploring our solar system. Planetary science missions are conducted by some of the most sophisticated robots ever built. International collaboration is an essential part of what we do. NASA has always encouraged international participation on our missions both strategic (ie: Mars 2020) and competitive (ie: Discovery and New Frontiers) and other Space Agencies have reciprocated and invited NASA investigators to participate in their missions. NASA PSD has partnerships with virtually every major space agency. For example, NASA has had a long and very fruitful collaboration with ESA. ESA has been involved in the Cassini mission and, currently, NASA funded scientists are involved in the Rosetta mission (3 full instruments, part of another), BepiColombo mission (1 instrument in the Italian Space Agency's instrument suite), and the Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer mission (1 instrument and parts of two others). In concert with ESA's Mars missions NASA has an instrument on the Mars Express mission, the orbit-ground communications package on the Trace Gas Orbiter (launched in March 2016) and part of the DLR/Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer instruments going onboard the ExoMars Rover (to be launched in 2018). NASA's Planetary Science Division has continuously provided its U.S. planetary science community with opportunities to include international participation on NASA missions too. For example, NASA's Discovery and New Frontiers Programs provide U.S. scientists the opportunity to assemble international teams and design exciting, focused planetary science investigations that would deepen the knowledge of our Solar System. The PSD put out an international call for instruments on the Mars 2020 mission. This procurement led to the selection of Spain and Norway scientist leading two instruments and French scientists providing a significant portion of another instrument. This was a tremendously successful activity leading to another similar call for instrument proposals for the Europa mission. Europa mission instruments will be used to conduct high priority scientific investigations addressing the science goals for the moon's exploration outlined in the National Resource Council's Planetary Decadal Survey, Vision and Voyages (2011). International partnerships are an excellent, proven way of amplifying the scope and sharing the science results of a mission otherwise implemented by an individual space agency. The exploration of the Solar System is uniquely poised to bring planetary scientists, worldwide, together under the common theme of understanding the origin, evolution, and bodies of our solar neighborhood. In the past decade we have witnessed great examples of international partnerships that made various missions the success they are known for today. The Planetary Science Division at NASA continues to seek cooperation with our strong international partners in support of planetary missions.

Foods for a Mission to Mars: Equivalent System Mass and Development of a Multipurpose Small-Scale Seed Processor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gandolph, J.; Chen, G.; Weiss, I.; Perchonok, D. M.; Wijeratne, W.; Fortune, S.; Corvalan, C.; Campanella, O.; Okos, M.; Mauer, L. J.

2007-01-01

The candidate crops for planetary food systems include: wheat, white and sweet potatoes, soybean, peanut, strawberry, dry bean including le ntil and pinto, radish, rice, lettuce, carrot, green onion, tomato, p eppers, spinach, and cabbage. Crops such as wheat, potatoes, soybean, peanut, dry bean, and rice can only be utilized after processing, while others are classified as ready-to-eat. To process foods in space, the food processing subsystem must be capable of producing a variety of nutritious, acceptable, and safe edible ingredients and food produ cts from pre-packaged and resupply foods as well as salad crops grown on the transit vehicle or other crops grown on planetary surfaces. D esigning, building, developing, and maintaining such a subsystem is b ound to many constraints and restrictions. The limited power supply, storage locations, variety of crops, crew time, need to minimize waste , and other equivalent system mass (ESM) parameters must be considere d in the selection of processing equipment and techniques.

Solar System Montage Updated

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-03

This is an updated montage of planetary images taken by spacecraft managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Included are from top to bottom images of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

An Overview of the Planetary Data System Roadmap Study for 2017 - 2026

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, Thomas H.; McNutt, Ralph L.; Gaddis, Lisa; Law, Emily; Beyer, Ross A.; Crombie, Kate; Ebel, Denton; Ghosh, Amitahba; Grayzeck, Edwin J.; Paganelli, Flora; Raugh, Anne C.; Stein, Thomas; Tiscareno, Matthew S.; Weber, Renee; E Banks, Maria; Powell, Kathryn

2017-10-01

NASA’s Planetary Data System (PDS) is the formal archive of >1.2 petabytes of data from planetary exploration, science, and research. Initiated in 1989 to address an overall lack of attention to mission data documentation, access, and archiving, the PDS has since evolved into an online collection of digital data managed and served by a federation of 6 science discipline nodes and 2 technical support nodes. Several ad-hoc mission-oriented data nodes also provide complex data interfaces and access for the duration of their missions.The new PDS Roadmap Study for 2017-2026 involved 15 planetary science community members who collectively prepared a report summarizing the results of an intensive examination of the current state of the PDS and its organization, management, practices, and data holdings (https://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/roadmap/PlanetaryDataSystemRMS17-26_20jun17.pdf). The report summarizes PDS history, its functions and characteristics, and its present form; also included are extensive references and documentary appendices. The report recognizes that as a complex evolving system, the PDS must respond to new pressures and opportunities. The report provides details on challenges now facing the PDS, 19 detailed findings and suggested remediations that could be used to respond to these findings, and a summary of the potential future of planetary data archiving. These findings cover topics such as user needs and expectations, data usability and discoverability (i.e., metadata, data access, documentation, and training), tools and file formats, use of current information technologies, and responses to increases in data volume, variety, complexity, and number of data providers. In addition, the study addresses the possibility of archiving software, laboratory data, and physical samples. Finally, the report discusses the current structure and governance of PDS and the impact of this on how archive growth, technology, and new developments are enabled and managed within the PDS. The report, with its findings, acknowledges the ongoing and expected challenges to be faced in the future, the need for maintaining an edge on the use of emerging technologies, and represents a guide for evolution of the PDS for the next decade.

The Planetary Data System — Renewing Our Science Nodes in Order to Better Serve Our Science Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, T. H.; McLaughlin, S.; Grayzeck, E. J.; Knopf, W.; McNutt, R. L., Jr.; Crichton, D. J.; New, M. H.

2015-12-01

In order to improve NASA's ability to provide an agile response to the needs of the Planetary Science Community, the Planetary Data System (PDS) is being transformed. NASA has used the highly successful virtual institute model (e.g., for NASA's Astrobiology Program) to re-compete the Science Nodes within the PDS Structure. We expect the new PDS will improve both archive searchability and product discoverability, continue the adaption of the new PDS4 Standard, and enhance our ability to work with other archive/curation activities within NASA and with the International community of space faring nations (through the International Planetary Data Alliance). PDS will continue to work with NASA missions from the initial Announcement of Opportunity through the end of mission to define, organize, and document the data. This process includes peer-review of data sets by members of the science community to ensure that the data sets are scientifically useful, effectively organized, and well documented. In this presentation we discuss recent changes in the PDS, and our future activities to build on these changes. Please visit our User Support Area at the meeting (Booth #446) if you have questions accessing our data sets or providing data to the PDS or about the new PDS structure.

The effect of latent heat release on synoptic-to-planetary wave interactions and its implication for satellite observations: Theoretical modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Branscome, Lee E.; Bleck, Rainer; Obrien, Enda

1990-01-01

The project objectives are to develop process models to investigate the interaction of planetary and synoptic-scale waves including the effects of latent heat release (precipitation), nonlinear dynamics, physical and boundary-layer processes, and large-scale topography; to determine the importance of latent heat release for temporal variability and time-mean behavior of planetary and synoptic-scale waves; to compare the model results with available observations of planetary and synoptic wave variability; and to assess the implications of the results for monitoring precipitation in oceanic-storm tracks by satellite observing systems. Researchers have utilized two different models for this project: a two-level quasi-geostrophic model to study intraseasonal variability, anomalous circulations and the seasonal cycle, and a 10-level, multi-wave primitive equation model to validate the two-level Q-G model and examine effects of convection, surface processes, and spherical geometry. It explicitly resolves several planetary and synoptic waves and includes specific humidity (as a predicted variable), moist convection, and large-scale precipitation. In the past year researchers have concentrated on experiments with the multi-level primitive equation model. The dynamical part of that model is similar to the spectral model used by the National Meteorological Center for medium-range forecasts. The model includes parameterizations of large-scale condensation and moist convection. To test the validity of results regarding the influence of convective precipitation, researchers can use either one of two different convective schemes in the model, a Kuo convective scheme or a modified Arakawa-Schubert scheme which includes downdrafts. By choosing one or the other scheme, they can evaluate the impact of the convective parameterization on the circulation. In the past year researchers performed a variety of initial-value experiments with the primitive-equation model. Using initial conditions typical of climatological winter conditions, they examined the behavior of synoptic and planetary waves growing in moist and dry environments. Surface conditions were representative of a zonally averaged ocean. They found that moist convection associated with baroclinic wave development was confined to the subtropics.

In-situ Planetary Subsurface Imaging System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, W.; Weber, R. C.; Dimech, J. L.; Kedar, S.; Neal, C. R.; Siegler, M.

2017-12-01

Geophysical and seismic instruments are considered the most effective tools for studying the detailed global structures of planetary interiors. A planet's interior bears the geochemical markers of its evolutionary history, as well as its present state of activity, which has direct implications to habitability. On Earth, subsurface imaging often involves massive data collection from hundreds to thousands of geophysical sensors (seismic, acoustic, etc) followed by transfer by hard links or wirelessly to a central location for post processing and computing, which will not be possible in planetary environments due to imposed mission constraints on mass, power, and bandwidth. Emerging opportunities for geophysical exploration of the solar system from Venus to the icy Ocean Worlds of Jupiter and Saturn dictate that subsurface imaging of the deep interior will require substantial data reduction and processing in-situ. The Real-time In-situ Subsurface Imaging (RISI) technology is a mesh network that senses and processes geophysical signals. Instead of data collection then post processing, the mesh network performs the distributed data processing and computing in-situ, and generates an evolving 3D subsurface image in real-time that can be transmitted under bandwidth and resource constraints. Seismic imaging algorithms (including traveltime tomography, ambient noise imaging, and microseismic imaging) have been successfully developed and validated using both synthetic and real-world terrestrial seismic data sets. The prototype hardware system has been implemented and can be extended as a general field instrumentation platform tailored specifically for a wide variety of planetary uses, including crustal mapping, ice and ocean structure, and geothermal systems. The team is applying the RISI technology to real off-world seismic datasets. For example, the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment (LSPE) deployed during the Apollo 17 Moon mission consisted of four geophone instruments spaced up to 100 meters apart, which in essence forms a small aperture seismic network. A pattern recognition technique based on Hidden Markov Models was able to characterize this dataset, and we are exploring how the RISI technology can be adapted for this dataset.

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.

Debris disks as signposts of terrestrial planet formation

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.

2011-06-01

There exists strong circumstantial evidence from their eccentric orbits that most of the known extra-solar planetary systems are the survivors of violent dynamical instabilities. Here we explore the effect of giant planet instabilities on the formation and survival of terrestrial planets. We numerically simulate the evolution of planetary systems around Sun-like stars that include three components: (i) an inner disk of planetesimals and planetary embryos; (ii) three giant planets at Jupiter-Saturn distances; and (iii) an outer disk of planetesimals comparable to estimates of the primitive Kuiper belt. We calculate the dust production and spectral energy distribution of each system by assuming that each planetesimal particle represents an ensemble of smaller bodies in collisional equilibrium. Our main result is a strong correlation between the evolution of the inner and outer parts of planetary systems, i.e. between the presence of terrestrial planets and debris disks. Strong giant planet instabilities - that produce very eccentric surviving planets - destroy all rocky material in the system, including fully-formed terrestrial planets if the instabilities occur late, and also destroy the icy planetesimal population. Stable or weakly unstable systems allow terrestrial planets to accrete in their inner regions and significant dust to be produced in their outer regions, detectable at mid-infrared wavelengths as debris disks. Stars older than ~100 Myr with bright cold dust emission (in particular at λ ~ 70 μm) signpost dynamically calm environments that were conducive to efficient terrestrial accretion. Such emission is present around ~16% of billion-year old Solar-type stars. Our simulations yield numerous secondary results: 1) the typical eccentricities of as-yet undetected terrestrial planets are ~0.1 but there exists a novel class of terrestrial planet system whose single planet undergoes large amplitude oscillations in orbital eccentricity and inclination; 2) by scaling our systems to match the observed semimajor axis distribution of giant exoplanets, we predict that terrestrial exoplanets in the same systems should be a few times more abundant at ~0.5 AU than giant or terrestrial exoplanets at 1 AU; 3) the Solar System appears to be unusual in terms of its combination of a rich terrestrial planet system and a low dust content. This may be explained by the weak, outward-directed instability that is thought to have caused the late heavy bombardment. The movie associated to Fig. 2 is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN THE KEPLER SEARCH VOLUME

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

Johnson, Marshall C.; Redfield, Seth; Jensen, Adam G., E-mail: mjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu

2015-07-10

The properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) surrounding a planetary system can impact planetary climate through a number of mechanisms, including changing the size of the astrosphere (one of the major shields for cosmic rays) as well as direct deposition of material into planetary atmospheres. In order to constrain the ambient ISM conditions for exoplanetary systems, we present observations of interstellar Na i and K i absorption toward seventeen early type stars in the Kepler prime mission field of view (FOV). We identify 39 Na i and 8 K i velocity components, and attribute these to 11 ISM clouds. Sixmore » of these are detected toward more than one star, and for these clouds we put limits on the cloud properties, including distance and hydrogen number density. We identify one cloud with significant (≳1.5 cm{sup −3}) hydrogen number density located within the nominal ∼100 pc boundary of the Local Bubble. We identify systems with confirmed planets within the Kepler FOV that could lie within these ISM clouds, and estimate upper limits on the astrosphere sizes of these systems under the assumption that they do lie within these clouds. Under this condition, the Kepler-20, 42, and 445 multiplanet systems could have compressed astrospheres much smaller than the present-day heliosphere. Among the known habitable zone planet hosts, Kepler-186 could have an astrosphere somewhat smaller than the heliosphere, while Kepler-437 and KOI-4427 could have astrospheres much larger than the heliosphere. The thick disk star Kepler-444 may have an astrosphere just a few AU in radius.« less

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).

Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazio, T. Joseph W.; Shkolnik, Evgenya; Hallinan, Gregg; Planetary Habitability Study Team

2016-06-01

The W. M. Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) sponsored the Planetary Magnetic Fields: Planetary Interiors and Habitability Study to review the state of knowledge of extrasolar planetary magnetic fields and the prospects for their detection. There were multiple motivations for this Study. Planetary-scale magnetic fields are a window to a planet's interior and provide shielding of the planet's atmosphere. The Earth, Mercury, Ganymede, and the giant planets of the solar system all contain internal dynamo currents that generate planetary-scale magnetic fields. In turn, these internal dynamo currents arise from differential rotation, convection, compositional dynamics, or a combination of these in objects' interiors. If coupled to an energy source, such as the incident kinetic or magnetic energy from the solar wind or an orbiting satellite, a planet's magnetic field can produce intense electron cyclotron masers in its magnetic polar regions. The most well known example of this process in the solar system is the Jovian decametric emission, but all of the giant planets and the Earth contain similar electron cyclotron masers within their magnetospheres. Extrapolated to extrasolar planets, the remote detection of the magnetic field of an extrasolar planet would provide a means of obtaining constraints on the thermal state, composition, and dynamics of its interior--all of which will be difficult to determine by other means--as well as improved understanding of the basic planetary dynamo process. This report presents the findings from the Study, including potential mission concepts that emerged and future work in both modeling and observations. There was also an identification of that radio wavelength observations would likely be key to making significant progress in this field. The entire Study program would not have been possible without the generous support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. We thank Michele Judd, Tom Prince, and the staff of the W. M. Keck Institute for Space Studies for their hospitality and attention to detail, such that the Study participants could turn their attention to focused discussions and innovative ideas. We also thank Charles ("Chuck") Carter of Eagre Games, Inc., for his assistance with graphics.

In Situ Biological Contamination Studies of the Moon: Implications for Planetary Protection and Life Detection Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glavin, Daniel P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Lupisella, Mark; Williams, David R.; Kminek, Gerhard; Rummel, John D.

2010-01-01

NASA and ESA have outlined visions for solar system exploration that will include a series of lunar robotic precursor missions to prepare for, and support a human return to the Moan, and future human exploration of Mars and other destinations, including possibly asteroids. One of the guiding principles for exploration is to pursue compelling scientific questions about the origin and evolution of life. The search for life on objects such as Mars will require careful operations, and that all systems be sufficiently cleaned and sterilized prior to launch to ensure that the scientific integrity of extraterrestrial samples is not jeopardized by terrestrial organic contamination. Under the Committee on Space Research's (COSPAR's) current planetary protection policy for the Moon, no sterilization procedures are required for outbound lunar spacecraft, nor is there a different planetary protection category for human missions, although preliminary C SPAR policy guidelines for human missions to Mars have been developed. Future in situ investigations of a variety of locations on the Moon by highly sensitive instruments designed to search for biologically derived organic compounds would help assess the contamination of the Moon by lunar spacecraft. These studies could also provide valuable "ground truth" data for Mars sample return missions and help define planetary protection requirements for future Mars bound spacecraft carrying life detection experiments. In addition, studies of the impact of terrestrial contamination of the lunar surface by the Apollo astronauts could provide valuable data to help refine future: Mars surface exploration plans for a human mission to Mars.

SOLAR SYSTEM MOONS AS ANALOGS FOR COMPACT EXOPLANETARY SYSTEMS

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

Kane, Stephen R.; Hinkel, Natalie R.; Raymond, Sean N., E-mail: skane@ipac.caltech.edu

2013-11-01

The field of exoplanetary science has experienced a recent surge of new systems that is largely due to the precision photometry provided by the Kepler mission. The latest discoveries have included compact planetary systems in which the orbits of the planets all lie relatively close to the host star, which presents interesting challenges in terms of formation and dynamical evolution. The compact exoplanetary systems are analogous to the moons orbiting the giant planets in our solar system, in terms of their relative sizes and semimajor axes. We present a study that quantifies the scaled sizes and separations of the solarmore » system moons with respect to their hosts. We perform a similar study for a large sample of confirmed Kepler planets in multi-planet systems. We show that a comparison between the two samples leads to a similar correlation between their scaled sizes and separation distributions. The different gradients of the correlations may be indicative of differences in the formation and/or long-term dynamics of moon and planetary systems.« less

Time-dependent simulations of disk-embedded planetary atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stökl, A.; Dorfi, E. A.

2014-03-01

At the early stages of evolution of planetary systems, young Earth-like planets still embedded in the protoplanetary disk accumulate disk gas gravitationally into planetary atmospheres. The established way to study such atmospheres are hydrostatic models, even though in many cases the assumption of stationarity is unlikely to be fulfilled. Furthermore, such models rely on the specification of a planetary luminosity, attributed to a continuous, highly uncertain accretion of planetesimals onto the surface of the solid core. We present for the first time time-dependent, dynamic simulations of the accretion of nebula gas into an atmosphere around a proto-planet and the evolution of such embedded atmospheres while integrating the thermal energy budget of the solid core. The spherical symmetric models computed with the TAPIR-Code (short for The adaptive, implicit RHD-Code) range from the surface of the rocky core up to the Hill radius where the surrounding protoplanetary disk provides the boundary conditions. The TAPIR-Code includes the hydrodynamics equations, gray radiative transport and convective energy transport. The results indicate that diskembedded planetary atmospheres evolve along comparatively simple outlines and in particular settle, dependent on the mass of the solid core, at characteristic surface temperatures and planetary luminosities, quite independent on numerical parameters and initial conditions. For sufficiently massive cores, this evolution ultimately also leads to runaway accretion and the formation of a gas planet.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2011-01-01

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

Planetary 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.

Rings Research in the Next Decade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burns, J. A.; Tiscareno, M. S.

2009-12-01

The study of planetary ring systems forms a key component of planetary science for several reasons: 1) The evolution and current states of planets and their satellites are affected in many ways by rings, while 2) conversely, properties of planets and moons and other solar system populations are revealed by their effects on rings; 3) highly structured and apparently delicate ring systems may be bellwethers, constraining various theories of the origin and evolution of their entire planetary system; and finally, 4) planetary rings provide an easily observable analogue to other astrophysical disk systems, enabling real “ground truth” results applicable to disks much more remote in space and/or time, including proto-planetary disks, circum-stellar disks, and even galaxies. Significant advances have been made in rings science in the past decade. The highest-priority rings research recommendations of the last Planetary Science Decadal Survey were to operate and extend the Cassini orbiter mission at Saturn; this has been done with tremendous success, accounting for much of the progress made on key science questions, as we will describe. Important progress in understanding the rings of Saturn and other planets has also come from Earth-based observational and theoretical work, again as prioritized by the last Decadal Survey. However, much important work remains to be done. At Saturn, the Cassini Solstice Mission must be brought to a successful completion. Priority should also be placed on sending spacecraft to Neptune and/or Uranus, now unvisited for more than 20 years. At Jupiter and Pluto, opportunities afforded by visiting spacecraft capable of studying rings should be exploited. On Earth, the need for continued research and analysis remains strong, including in-depth analysis of rings data already obtained, numerical and theoretical modeling work, laboratory analysis of materials and processes analogous to those found in the outer solar system, and continued Earth-based observations. Members of the Rings White Paper Team include: Matthew S. Tiscareno (Cornell U), Nicole Albers (U of Colorado), Todd Bradley (U of Central Florida), André Brahic (U of Paris, France), Shawn Brooks (JPL), Joseph Burns (Cornell U), Carlos Chavez (UNAM, Mexico), Joshua Colwell (U of Central Florida), Jeff Cuzzi (NASA Ames), Imke de Pater (U of California), Luke Dones (SwRI), Richard Durisen (Indiana U), Michael Evans (Cornell U), Cecile Ferrari (CEA Saclay, France), Gianrico Filacchione (INAF-IASF, Italy), Silvia Giuliatti Winter (UNESP, Brazil), Mitch Gordon (SETI), Amara Graps (SwRI), Eberhard Gruen (MPI, Germany), Douglas Hamilton (U of Maryland), Matthew Hedman (Cornell U), Mihaly Horanyi (U of Colorado), Sascha Kempf (MPI, Germany), Harald Krueger (MPI, Germany), Steve Larson (U of Arizona), Mark Lewis (Trinity U), Jack Lissauer (NASA Ames), Colin Mitchell (CICLOPS/SSI), Carl Murray (QMUL, England), Philip Nicholson (Cornell U), Cathy Olkin (SwRI), Robert Pappalardo (JPL), Frank Postberg (MPI, Germany), Heikki Salo (U of Oulu, Finland), Juergen Schmidt (U of Potsdam, Germany), David Seal (JPL), Mark Showalter (SETI), Frank Spahn (U of Potsdam, Germany), Linda Spilker (JPL), Joseph Spitale (CICLOPS/SSI), Ralf Srama (MPI, Germany), Miodrag Sremcevic (U of Colorado), Glen Stewart (U of Colorado), John Weiss (Carleton College), Padma Yanamandra-Fisher (JPL)

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-12-01

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

Obtaining and Using Planetary Spatial Data into the Future: The Role of the Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team (MAPSIT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Radebaugh, J.; Thomson, B. J.; Archinal, B.; Hagerty, J.; Gaddis, L.; Lawrence, S. J.; Sutton, S.

2017-01-01

Planetary spatial data, which include any remote sensing data or derived products with sufficient positional information such that they can be projected onto a planetary body, continue to rapidly increase in volume and complexity. These data are the hard-earned fruits of decades of planetary exploration, and are the end result of mission planning and execution. Maintaining these data using accessible formats and standards for all scientists has been necessary for the success of past, present, and future planetary missions. The Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team (MAPSIT) is a group of planetary community members tasked by NASA Headquarters to work with the planetary science community to identify and prioritize their planetary spatial data needs to help determine the best pathways for new data acquisition, usable product derivation, and tools/capability development that supports NASA's planetary science missions.

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.

Sample Return Propulsion Technology Development Under NASA's ISPT Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, David J.; Dankanich, John; Hahne, David; Pencil, Eric; Peterson, Todd; Munk, Michelle M.

2011-01-01

Abstract In 2009, the In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) program was tasked to start development of propulsion technologies that would enable future sample return missions. Sample return missions can be quite varied, from collecting and bringing back samples of comets or asteroids, to soil, rocks, or atmosphere from planets or moons. As a result, ISPT s propulsion technology development needs are also broad, and include: 1) Sample Return Propulsion (SRP), 2) Planetary Ascent Vehicles (PAV), 3) Multi-mission technologies for Earth Entry Vehicles (MMEEV), and 4) Systems/mission analysis and tools that focuses on sample return propulsion. The SRP area includes electric propulsion for sample return and low cost Discovery-class missions, and propulsion systems for Earth Return Vehicles (ERV) including transfer stages to the destination. Initially the SRP effort will transition ongoing work on a High-Voltage Hall Accelerator (HIVHAC) thruster into developing a full HIVHAC system. SRP will also leverage recent lightweight propellant-tanks advancements and develop flight-qualified propellant tanks with direct applicability to the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission and with general applicability to all future planetary spacecraft. ISPT s previous aerocapture efforts will merge with earlier Earth Entry Vehicles developments to form the starting point for the MMEEV effort. The first task under the Planetary Ascent Vehicles (PAV) effort is the development of a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV). The new MAV effort will leverage past MAV analysis and technology developments from the Mars Technology Program (MTP) and previous MSR studies. This paper will describe the state of ISPT project s propulsion technology development for future sample return missions.12

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.

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.

Countercurrent Chromatographic Separation of Proteins Using an Eccentric Coiled Column with Synchronous and Nonsynchronous Type-J Planetary Motions

PubMed Central

SHINOMIYA, Kazufusa; YOSHIDA, Kazunori; TOKURA, Koji; TSUKIDATE, Etsuhiro; YANAGIDAIRA, Kazuhiro; ITO, Yoichiro

2015-01-01

Protein separation was performed using the high-speed counter-current chromatograph (HSCCC) at both synchronous and nonsynchronous type-J planetary motions. The partition efficiency was evaluated with two different column configurations, eccentric coil and toroidal coil, on the separation of a set of stable protein samples including cytochrome C, myoglobin and lysozyme with a polymer phase system composed of 12.5% (w/w) polyethylene glycol 1000 and 12.5% (w/w) dibasic potassium phosphate. Better peak resolution was obtained by the eccentric coil than by the toroidal coil using either lower or upper phase as the mobile phase. The peak resolution was further improved using the eccentric coil by the nonsynchronous type-J planetary motion with the combination of 1066 rpm of column rotation and 1000 rpm of revolution. PMID:25765276

Countercurrent chromatographic separation of proteins using an eccentric coiled column with synchronous and nonsynchronous type-J planetary motions.

PubMed

Shinomiya, Kazufusa; Yoshida, Kazunori; Tokura, Koji; Tsukidate, Etsuhiro; Yanagidaira, Kazuhiro; Ito, Yoichiro

2015-01-01

Protein separation was performed using the high-speed countercurrent chromatograph (HSCCC) at both synchronous and nonsynchronous type-J planetary motions. The partition efficiency was evaluated with two different column configurations, eccentric coil and toroidal coil, on the separation of a set of stable protein samples including cytochrome C, myoglobin and lysozyme with a polymer phase system composed of 12.5% (w/w) polyethylene glycol 1000 and 12.5% (w/w) dibasic potassium phosphate. Better peak resolution was obtained by the eccentric coil than by the toroidal coil using either lower or upper phase as the mobile phase. The peak resolution was further improved using the eccentric coil by the nonsynchronous type-J planetary motion with the combination of 1066 rpm of column rotation and 1000 rpm of revolution.

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.

High temperature electronics applications in space exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jurgens, R. F.

1981-01-01

The extension of the range of operating temperatures of electronic components and systems for planetary exploration is examined. In particular, missions which utilize balloon-borne instruments to study the Venusian and Jovian atmospheres are discussed. Semiconductor development and devices including power sources, ultrastable oscillators, transmitters, antennas, electromechanical devices, and deployment systems are addressed.

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 260)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

A bibliography containing 225 reports, articles, and other documents which were introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information system in June 1984 is presented. All articles are indexed and abstracted. General topics include: life sciences, aerospace medicine, behavioral sciences, man/system technology and life support, and planetary biology.

Visualization of planetary subsurface radar sounder data in three dimensions using stereoscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frigeri, A.; Federico, C.; Pauselli, C.; Ercoli, M.; Coradini, A.; Orosei, R.

2010-12-01

Planetary subsurface sounding radar data extend the knowledge of planetary surfaces to a third dimension: the depth. The interpretation of delays of radar echoes converted into depth often requires the comparative analysis with other data, mainly topography, and radar data from different orbits can be used to investigate the spatial continuity of signals from subsurface geologic features. This scenario requires taking into account spatially referred information in three dimensions. Three dimensional objects are generally easier to understand if represented into a three dimensional space, and this representation can be improved by stereoscopic vision. Since its invention in the first half of 19th century, stereoscopy has been used in a broad range of application, including scientific visualization. The quick improvement of computer graphics and the spread of graphic rendering hardware allow to apply the basic principles of stereoscopy in the digital domain, allowing the stereoscopic projection of complex models. Specialized system for stereoscopic view of scientific data have been available in the industry, and proprietary solutions were affordable only to large research institutions. In the last decade, thanks to the GeoWall Consortium, the basics of stereoscopy have been applied for setting up stereoscopic viewers based on off-the shelf hardware products. Geowalls have been spread and are now used by several geo-science research institutes and universities. We are exploring techniques for visualizing planetary subsurface sounding radar data in three dimensions and we are developing a hardware system for rendering it in a stereoscopic vision system. Several Free Open Source Software tools and libraries are being used, as their level of interoperability is typically high and their licensing system offers the opportunity to implement quickly new functionalities to solve specific needs during the progress of the project. Visualization of planetary radar data in three dimensions represents a challenging task, and the exploration of different strategies will bring to the selection of the most appropriate ones for a meaningful extraction of information from the products of these innovative instruments.

Europlanet Research Infrastructure: Planetary Simulation Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, G. R.; Mason, N. J.; Green, S.; Gómez, F.; Prieto, O.; Helbert, J.; Colangeli, L.; Srama, R.; Grande, M.; Merrison, J.

2008-09-01

EuroPlanet The Europlanet Research Infrastructure consortium funded under FP7 aims to provide the EU Planetary Science community greater access for to research infrastructure. A series of networking and outreach initiatives will be complimented by joint research activities and the formation of three Trans National Access distributed service laboratories (TNA's) to provide a unique and comprehensive set of analogue field sites, laboratory simulation facilities, and extraterrestrial sample analysis tools. Here we report on the infrastructure that comprises the second TNA; Planetary Simulation Facilities. 11 laboratory based facilities are able to recreate the conditions found in the atmospheres and on the surfaces of planetary systems with specific emphasis on Martian, Titan and Europa analogues. The strategy has been to offer some overlap in capabilities to ensure access to the highest number of users and to allow for progressive and efficient development strategies. For example initial testing of mobility capability prior to the step wise development within planetary atmospheres that can be made progressively more hostile through the introduction of extreme temperatures, radiation, wind and dust. Europlanet Research Infrastructure Facilties: Mars atmosphere simulation chambers at VUA and OU These relatively large chambers (up to 1 x 0.5 x 0.5 m) simulate Martian atmospheric conditions and the dual cooling options at VUA allows stabilised instrument temperatures while the remainder of the sample chamber can be varied between 220K and 350K. Researchers can therefore assess analytical protocols for instruments operating on Mars; e.g. effect of pCO2, temperature and material (e.g., ± ice) on spectroscopic and laser ablation techniques while monitoring the performance of detection technologies such as CCD at low T & variable p H2O & pCO2. Titan atmosphere and surface simulation chamber at OU The chamber simulates Titan's atmospheric composition under a range of pressures and temperatures and through provision of external UV light and or electrical discharge can be used to form the well known Titan Aerosol species, which can subsequently be analysed using one of several analytical techniques (UV-Vis, FTIR and mass spectrometry). Simulated surfaces can be produced (icy surfaces down to 15K) and subjected to a variety of light and particles (electron and ion) sources. Chemical and physical changes in the surface may be explored using remote spectroscopy. Planetary Simulation chamber for low density atmospheres INTA-CAB The planetary simulation chamber-ultra-high vacuum equipment (PSC-UHV) has been designed to study planetary surfaces and low dense atmospheres, space environments or any other hypothetic environment at UHV. Total pressure ranges from 7 mbar (Martian conditions) to 5x10-9 mbar. A residual gas analyzer regulates gas compositions to ppm precision. Temperature ranges from 4K to 325K and most operations are computer controlled. Radiation levels are simulated using a deuterium UV lamp, and ionization sources. 5 KV electron and noble-gas discharge UV allows measurement of IR and UV spectra and chemical compositions are determined by mass spectroscopy. Planetary Simulation chamber for high density planetary atmospheres at INTA-CAB The facility allows experimental study of planetary environments under high pressure, and was designed to include underground, seafloor and dense atmosphere environments. Analytical capabilities include Raman spectra, physicochemical properties of materials, e.a. thermal conductivity. P-T can be controlled as independent variables to allow monitoring of the tolerance of microorganisms and the stability of materials and their phase changes. Planetary Simulation chamber for icy surfaces at INTA-CAB This chamber is being developed to the growth of ice samples to simulate the chemical and physical properties of ices found on both planetary bodies and their moons. The goal is to allow measurement of the physical properties of ice samples formed under planetary conditions to assess how rheology varies with pressure and temperature and grain size to gain a far better understanding of how tectonics may operate on icy moons. Hot planetary surfaces simulation chamber at DLR The planetary simulation chamber is to study the behaviour of planetary analogue materials on the surface of hot (airless) bodies in the solar system. Samples can be heated up to temperatures of 500°C simulating conditions found on the surface of Mercury and Venus. This enables highly accurate thermal emission measurements using the integrated infrared spectrometer and calibrated sources. Thermal gradients can be applied to samples to simulate diurnal thermal cycles and examine thermal stresses in materials. The chamber can be placed under vacuum or purged with gas. In addition, to the high temperature chamber a number of further planetary simulation chambers are available equipped with LIBS and Raman-spectroscopy equipment. Dust analogue simulation chamber at INAF/OACN This facility produces and characterises dust analogues (arc discharge, laser ablation, grinding of minerals, ices) in a variety of simulation chambers under variable pressure (10-6 - 10-3 mbar), temperature (80 - 330 K) and gas composition. Dust and analogues are characterised by a variety of Spectroscopic (absorption, transmission, diffuse-specular reflectance) and imaging techniques (SEM) and can be subjected to thermal annealing, ion bombardment and UV irradiation. Dust accelerator facility at Max Planck Institüt Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg. This facility allows the investigation of hypervelocity dust impacts onto various materials. Dust grain materials from nano to micron sizes are accelerated using a 2 MV Vande- Graaff to velocities between 1 and 60 km/s comparable to the planetary rings of the giant gas planets and impact ejecta processes on the surface of small bodies (asteroids, comets) as well as moons and planetary surfaces. Potential phenomena for study include dust charging, dust magentosphere interactions, dust impact flashes and the possibility of obtaining compositional measurements of impact plasma plumes. Mars surface simulation Laboratory, Aberystwyth University. A Planetary Analogue Terrain Laboratory facilitates comprehensive mission operations emulation experiments designed to interpret and maximise scientific data return from robotic instruments. This facility includes Mars Soil Simulant and `science target' rocks that have been fully characterised. The terrain also has an area for sub-surface sampling. An Access Grid Node allows simulation of remote control operation and diminishes the need for direct onsite attendance. PAT Lab has a large selection of software tools for rover, robot arm and instrument modelling and simulation, and for the processing and visualisation of captured instrument data. Instrument motion is measured using a Vicon motion capture system with a resolution < 0.1 mm. Dusty wind tunnel at Aarhus University, Denmark The Aarhus wind tunnel simulates wind driven dust exposure on Mars. This allows study into analogue materials, dust/surface processes, meteorological condition and microbiological survival under Martian conditions. The multipurpose facility is used to quantify dust deposition (i.e. on optical surfaces, electrical or mechanical components) and examine the operation of instrumentation in dusty/windy environment under Martian conditions (pressure, gas composition & temperature). This includes calibration of wind flow instrumentation and dust sensors.

Communicating Scientific Research to Non-Specialists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holman, Megan

Public outreach to effectively communicate current scientific advances is an essential component of the scientific process. The challenge in making this information accessible is forming a clear, accurate, and concise version of the information from a variety of different sources, so that the information is understandable and compelling to non-specialists in the general public. We are preparing a magazine article about planetary system formation. This article will include background information about star formation and different theories and observations of planet formation to provide context. We will then discuss the latest research and theories describing how planetary systems may be forming in different areas of the universe. We demonstrate here the original professional-level scientific work alongside our public-level explanations and original graphics to demonstrate our editorial process.

Setting the stage for habitable planets.

PubMed

Gonzalez, Guillermo

2014-02-21

Our understanding of the processes that are relevant to the formation and maintenance of habitable planetary systems is advancing at a rapid pace, both from observation and theory. The present review focuses on recent research that bears on this topic and includes discussions of processes occurring in astrophysical, geophysical and climatic contexts, as well as the temporal evolution of planetary habitability. Special attention is given to recent observations of exoplanets and their host stars and the theories proposed to explain the observed trends. Recent theories about the early evolution of the Solar System and how they relate to its habitability are also summarized. Unresolved issues requiring additional research are pointed out, and a framework is provided for estimating the number of habitable planets in the Universe.

Setting the Stage for Habitable Planets

PubMed Central

Gonzalez, Guillermo

2014-01-01

Our understanding of the processes that are relevant to the formation and maintenance of habitable planetary systems is advancing at a rapid pace, both from observation and theory. The present review focuses on recent research that bears on this topic and includes discussions of processes occurring in astrophysical, geophysical and climatic contexts, as well as the temporal evolution of planetary habitability. Special attention is given to recent observations of exoplanets and their host stars and the theories proposed to explain the observed trends. Recent theories about the early evolution of the Solar System and how they relate to its habitability are also summarized. Unresolved issues requiring additional research are pointed out, and a framework is provided for estimating the number of habitable planets in the Universe. PMID:25370028

Aerodynamic Decelerators for Planetary Exploration: Past, Present, and Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruz, Juna R.; Lingard, J. Stephen

2006-01-01

In this paper, aerodynamic decelerators are defined as textile devices intended to be deployed at Mach numbers below five. Such aerodynamic decelerators include parachutes and inflatable aerodynamic decelerators (often known as ballutes). Aerodynamic decelerators play a key role in the Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) of planetary exploration vehicles. Among the functions performed by aerodynamic decelerators for such vehicles are deceleration (often from supersonic to subsonic speeds), minimization of descent rate, providing specific descent rates (so that scientific measurements can be obtained), providing stability (drogue function - either to prevent aeroshell tumbling or to meet instrumentation requirements), effecting further aerodynamic decelerator system deployment (pilot function), providing differences in ballistic coefficients of components to enable separation events, and providing height and timeline to allow for completion of the EDL sequence. Challenging aspects in the development of aerodynamic decelerators for planetary exploration missions include: deployment in the unusual combination of high Mach numbers and low dynamic pressures, deployment in the wake behind a blunt-body entry vehicle, stringent mass and volume constraints, and the requirement for high drag and stability. Furthermore, these aerodynamic decelerators must be qualified for flight without access to the exotic operating environment where they are expected to operate. This paper is an introduction to the development and application of aerodynamic decelerators for robotic planetary exploration missions (including Earth sample return missions) from the earliest work in the 1960s to new ideas and technologies with possible application to future missions. An extensive list of references is provided for additional study.

Overview: Exobiology in solar system exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carle, Glenn C.; Schwartz, Deborah E.

1992-01-01

In Aug. 1988, the NASA Ames Research Center held a three-day symposium in Sunnyvale, California, to discuss the subject of exobiology in the context of exploration of the solar system. Leading authorities in exobiology presented invited papers and assisted in setting future goals. The goals they set were as follows: (1) review relevant knowledge learned from planetary exploration programs; (2) detail some of the information that is yet to be obtained; (3) describe future missions and how exobiologists, as well as other scientists, can participate; and (4) recommend specific ways exobiology questions can be addressed on future exploration missions. These goals are in agreement with those of the Solar System Exploration Committee (SSEC) of the NASA Advisory Council. Formed in 1980 to respond to the planetary exploration strategies set forth by the Space Science Board of the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX), the SSEC's main function is to review the entire planetary program. The committee formulated a long-term plan (within a constrained budget) that would ensure a vital, exciting, and scientifically valuable effort through the turn of the century. The SSEC's goals include the following: determining the origin, evolution, and present state of the solar system; understanding Earth through comparative planetology studies; and revealing the relationship between the chemical and physical evolution of the solar system and the appearance of life. The SSEC's goals are consistent with the over-arching goal of NASA's Exobiology Program, which provides the critical framework and support for basic research. The research is divided into the following four elements: (1) cosmic evolution of the biogenic compounds; (2) prebiotic evolution; (3) origin and early evolution of life; and (4) evolution of advanced life.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2012-01-01

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

Natural Satellite Ephemerides at JPL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, Robert Arthur; Brozovic, Marina

2015-08-01

There are currently 176 known natural planetary satellites in the solar system; 150 are officially recognized by the IAU and 26 have IAU provisional designations. We maintain ephemerides for all of the satellites at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and make them available electronically through the On-Line Solar System Data Service known as Horizons(http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons) and in the form of generic Spice Kernels (SPK files) from NASA's Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility (http://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/naif). General satellite information such as physical constants and descriptive orbital elements can be found on the JPL Solar System Dynamics Website (http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov). JPL's ephemerides directly support planetary spacecraft missions both in navigation and science data analysis. They are also used in general scientific investigations of planetary systems. We produce the ephemerides by fitting numerically integrated orbits to observational data. Our model for the satellite dynamics accounts for the gravitational interactions within a planetary system and the external gravitational perturbations from the Sun and planets. We rely on an extensive data set to determine the parameters in our dynamical models. The majority of the observations are visual, photographic, and CCD astrometry acquired from Earthbased observatories worldwide and the Hubble Space Telescope. Additional observations include optical and photoelectric transits, eclipses, occultations, Earthbased radar ranging, spacecraft imaging,and spacecraft radiometric tracking. The latter data provide information on the planet and satellite gravity fields as well as the satellite position at the times of spacecraft close encounters. In this paper we report on the status of the ephemerides and our plan for future development, specifically that in support of NASA's Juno, Cassini, and New Horizons missions to Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto, respectively.

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.

Spiral counter-current chromatography of small molecules, peptides and proteins using the spiral tubing support rotor.

PubMed

Knight, Martha; Finn, Thomas M; Zehmer, John; Clayton, Adam; Pilon, Aprile

2011-09-09

An important advance in countercurrent chromatography (CCC) carried out in open flow-tubing coils, rotated in planetary centrifuges, is the new design to spread out the tubing in spirals. More spacing between the tubing was found to significantly increase the stationary phase retention, such that now all types of two-phase solvent systems can be used for liquid-liquid partition chromatography in the J-type planetary centrifuges. A spiral tubing support (STS) frame with circular channels was constructed by laser sintering technology into which FEP tubing was placed in 4 spiral loops per layer from the bottom to the top and a cover affixed allowing the tubing to connect to flow-tubing of the planetary centrifuge. The rotor was mounted and run in a P.C. Inc. type instrument. Examples of compounds of molecular weights ranging from <300 to approximately 15,000 were chromatographed in appropriate two-phase solvent systems to assess the capability for separation and purification. A mixture of small molecules including aspirin was completely separated in hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water. Synthetic peptides including a very hydrophobic peptide were each purified to a very high purity level in a sec-butanol solvent system. In the STS rotor high stationary phase retention was possible with the aqueous sec-butanol solvent system at a normal flow rate. Finally, the two-phase aqueous polyethylene glycol-potassium phosphate solvent system was applied to separate a protein from a lysate of an Escherichia coli expression system. These experiments demonstrate the versatility of spiral CCC using the STS rotor. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Title Requested

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruzmaikina, T. V.

2000-12-01

Precise measurements of D/H in Halley and Hyakutake reveal larger excess of D than in Uranus and Neptune. This might imply that at least a fraction of Oort cloud comets have been accumulated in a cooler environment beyond the planetary system. This paper suggests that the scattering of planetesimals from the periphery of the protoplanetary disk by a passing star might have included them in the populating of the Oort cloud. The probability of the necessary close encounter is very small in the present Galactic environment of the solar system. However it might be relatively high if the solar system was formed in a denser environment, like the Rho Ophiuchus star-forming region or a small and dense cloud core which fragmented during the collapse to form a small group of stars. Outcomes of a passage of a star with mass 1 to 0.3 solar masses were studied numerically by Everhart method. Disk penetrating or disk grazing encounters revealed that planetesimals closest to the stellar trajectory can be ejected from the solar system or sent on highly eccentric bound orbits. Some planetesimals acquire orbits with perihelion distances larger than planet orbits, i.e., become immediate members of the Oort cloud. For others, external pertubations cause stochastic growth of perihelion distances and decoupling from the planetary system, transferring them into the Oort cloud. These Oort cloud bodies could be accumulated well beyond the planetary system, and preserve higher D/H, CO ice, etc.

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.

i-SAIRAS '90; Proceedings of the International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space, Kobe, Japan, Nov. 18-20, 1990

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The present conference on artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and automation in space encompasses robot systems, lunar and planetary robots, advanced processing, expert systems, knowledge bases, issues of operation and management, manipulator control, and on-orbit service. Specific issues addressed include fundamental research in AI at NASA, the FTS dexterous telerobot, a target-capture experiment by a free-flying robot, the NASA Planetary Rover Program, the Katydid system for compiling KEE applications to Ada, and speech recognition for robots. Also addressed are a knowledge base for real-time diagnosis, a pilot-in-the-loop simulation of an orbital docking maneuver, intelligent perturbation algorithms for space scheduling optimization, a fuzzy control method for a space manipulator system, hyperredundant manipulator applications, robotic servicing of EOS instruments, and a summary of astronaut inputs on automation and robotics for the Space Station Freedom.

Sample Return from Small Solar System Bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orgel, L.; A'Hearn, M.; Bada, J.; Baross, J.; Chapman, C.; Drake, M.; Kerridge, J.; Race, M.; Sogin, M.; Squyres, S.

With plans for multiple sample return missions in the next decade, NASA requested guidance from the National Research Council's SSB on how to treat samples returned from solar system bodies such as planetary satellites, asteroids and comets. A special Task Group assessed the potential for a living entity to be included in return samples from various bodies as well as the potential for large scale effects if such an entity were inadvertently introduced into the Earth's biosphere. The Group also assessed differences among solar system bodies, identified investigations that could reduce uncertainty about the bodies, and considered risks of returned samples compared to natural influx of material to the Earth in the form of interplanetary dust particles, meteorites and other small impactors. The final report (NRC, 1998) provides a decision making framework for future missions and makes recommendations on how to handle samples from different planetary satellites and primitive solar system bodies

One year on VESPA, a community-driven Virtual Observatory in Planetary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erard, S.; Cecconi, B.; Le Sidaner, P.; Rossi, A. P.; Capria, M. T.; Schmitt, B.; Andre, N.; Vandaele, A. C.; Scherf, M.; Hueso, R.; Maattanen, A. E.; Thuillot, W.; Achilleos, N.; Marmo, C.; Santolik, O.; Benson, K.

2016-12-01

The Europlanet H2020 program started on 1/9/2015 for 4 years. It includes an activity to adapt Virtual Observatory (VO) techniques to Planetary Science data called VESPA. The objective is to facilitate searches in big archives as well as sparse databases, to provide simple data access and on-line visualization, and to allow small data providers to make their data available in an interoperable environment with minimum effort. The VESPA system, based on a prototype developed in a previous program [1], has been hugely improved during the first year of Europlanet H2020: the infrastructure has been upgraded to describe data in many fields more accurately; the main user search interface (http://vespa.obspm.fr) has been redesigned to provide more flexibility; alternative ways to access Planetary Science data services from VO tools are being implemented in addition to receiving data from the main interface; VO tools are being improved to handle specificities of Solar System data, e.g. measurements in reflected light, coordinate systems, etc. Existing data services have been updated, and new ones have been designed. The global objective (50 data services) is already overstepped, with 54 services open or being finalized. A procedure to install data services has been documented, and hands-on sessions are organized twice a year at EGU and EPSC; this is intended to favour the installation of services by individual research teams, e.g. to distribute derived data related to a published study. In complement, regular discussions are held with big data providers, starting with space agencies (IPDA). Common projects with ESA and NASA's PDS have been engaged, which should lead to a connection between PDS4 and EPN-TAP. In parallel, a Solar System Interest Group has been decided in IVOA; the goal is here to adapt existing astronomy standards to Planetary Science.Future steps will include the development of a connection between the VO world and GIS tools, and integration of Heliophysics, planetary plasma and mineral spectroscopy data. The Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654208. [1] Erard et al 2014, Astronomy & Computing 7-8, 71-80. http://arxiv.org/abs/1407.4886

Progress on VESPA, a community-driven Virtual Observatory in Planetary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erard, S.; Cecconi, B.; Le Sidaner, P.; Rossi, A. P.; Capria, M. T.; Schmitt, B.; Genot, V. N.; André, N.; Vandaele, A. C.; Scherf, M.; Hueso, R.; Maattanen, A. E.; Carry, B.; Achilleos, N.; Marmo, C.; Santolik, O.; Benson, K.; Fernique, P.

2017-12-01

The Europlanet H2020 program started on 1/9/2015 for 4 years. It includes an activity to adapt Virtual Observatory (VO) techniques to Planetary Science data called VESPA. The objective is to facilitate searches in big archives as well as sparse databases, to provide simple data access and on-line visualization, and to allow small data providers to make their data available in an interoperable environment with minimum effort. The VESPA system, based on a prototype developed in a previous program [1], has been hugely improved during the first two years of Europlanet H2020: the infrastructure has been upgraded to describe data in many fields more accurately; the main user search interface (http://vespa.obspm.fr) has been redesigned to provide more flexibility; alternative ways to access Planetary Science data services from VO tools have been implemented; VO tools are being improved to handle specificities of Solar System data, e.g. measurements in reflected light, coordinate systems, etc. Current steps include the development of a connection between the VO world and GIS tools, and integration of Heliophysics, planetary plasmas, and mineral spectroscopy data to support of the analysis of observations. Existing data services have been updated, and new ones have been designed. The global objective is already overstepped, with 34 services open and 20 more being finalized. A procedure to install data services has been documented, and hands-on sessions are organized twice a year at EGU and EPSC; this is intended to favour the installation of services by individual research teams, e.g. to distribute derived data related to a published study. In complement, regular discussions are held with big data providers, starting with space agencies (IPDA). Common projects with ESA and NASA's PDS have been engaged, with the goal to connect PDS4 and EPN-TAP. In parallel, a Solar System Interest Group has just been started in IVOA; the goal is here to adapt existing astronomy standards to Planetary Science. The Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654208. [1] Erard et al 2014, Astronomy & Computing 7-8, 71-80. http://arxiv.org/abs/1407.4886

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 395)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This bibliography lists 82 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Nov. 1992. Subject coverage includes: general life sciences; aerospace medicine (including physiological factors, biological effects of radiation, and effects of weightlessness on man and animals); behavioral sciences (including psychological factors, individual and group behavior, crew training and evaluation, and psychic research); man/system technology and life support (including human engineering, biotechnology, and space suits and protective clothing) and space biology (including exobiology, planetary biology, and extraterrestrial life).

Terrestrial Planet Formation Around Close Binary Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Quintana, Elisa V.

2003-01-01

Most stars reside in multiple star systems; however, virtually all models of planetary growth have assumed an isolated single star. Numerical simulations of the collapse of molecular cloud cores to form binary stars suggest that disks will form within such systems. Observations indirectly suggest disk material around one or both components within young binary star systems. If planets form at the right places within such circumstellar disks, they can remain in stable orbits within the binary star systems for eons. We are simulating the late stages of growth of terrestrial planets around close binary stars, using a new, ultrafast, symplectic integrator that we have developed for this purpose. The sum of the masses of the two stars is one solar mass, and the initial disk of planetary embryos is the same as that used for simulating the late stages of terrestrial planet growth within our Solar System and in the Alpha Centauri wide binary star system. Giant planets &are included in the simulations, as they are in most simulations of the late stages of terrestrial planet accumulation in our Solar System. When the stars travel on a circular orbit with semimajor axis of up to 0.1 AU about their mutual center of mass, the planetary embryos grow into a system of terrestrial planets that is statistically identical to those formed about single stars, but a larger semimajor axis and/or a significantly eccentric binary orbit can lead to significantly more dynamically hot terrestrial planet systems.

Initial Efforts toward Mission-Representative Imaging Surveys from Aerial Explorers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2004-01-01

Numerous researchers have proposed the use of robotic aerial explorers to perform scientific investigation of planetary bodies in our solar system. One of the essential tasks for any aerial explorer is to be able to perform scientifically valuable imaging surveys. The focus of this paper is to discuss the challenges implicit in, and recent observations related to, acquiring mission-representative imaging data from a small fixed-wing UAV, acting as a surrogate planetary aerial explorer. This question of successfully performing aerial explorer surveys is also tied to other topics of technical investigation, including the development of unique bio-inspired technologies.

Advanced flight computers for planetary exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephenson, R. Rhoads

1988-01-01

Research concerning flight computers for use on interplanetary probes is reviewed. The history of these computers from the Viking mission to the present is outlined. The differences between ground commercial computers and computers for planetary exploration are listed. The development of a computer for the Mariner Mark II comet rendezvous asteroid flyby mission is described. Various aspects of recently developed computer systems are examined, including the Max real time, embedded computer, a hypercube distributed supercomputer, a SAR data processor, a processor for the High Resolution IR Imaging Spectrometer, and a robotic vision multiresolution pyramid machine for processsing images obtained by a Mars Rover.

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.

Solar-System Tests of Gravitational Theories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shapiro, Irwin I.

2005-01-01

We are engaged in testing gravitational theory, mainly using observations of objects in the solar system and mainly on the interplanetary scale. Our goal is either to detect departures from the standard model (general relativity) - if any exist within the level of sensitivity of our data - or to support this model by placing tighter bounds on any departure from it. For this project, we have analyzed a combination of observational data with our model of the solar system, including planetary radar ranging, lunar laser ranging, and spacecraft tracking, as well as pulsar timing and pulsar VLBI measurements. In the past year, we have added to our data, primarily lunar laser ranging measurements, but also supplementary data concerning the physical properties of solar-system objects, such as the solar quadrupole moment, planetary masses, and asteroid radii. Because the solar quadrupole moment contributes to the classical precession of planetary perihelia, but with a dependence on distance from the Sun that differs from that of the relativistic precession, it is possible to estimate effects simultaneously. However, our interest is mainly in the relativistic effect, and we find that imposing a constraint on the quadrupole moment from helioseismology studies, gives us a dramatic (about ten-fold) decrease in the standard error of our estimate of the relativistic component of the perihelion advance.

Mariner Mars 1971 project. Volume 3: Mission operations system implementation and standard mission flight operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The Mariner Mars 1971 mission which was another step in the continuing program of planetary exploration in search of evidence of exobiological activity, information on the origin and evolution of the solar system, and basic science data related to the study of planetary physics, geology, planetology, and cosmology is reported. The mission plan was designed for two spacecraft, each performing a separate but complementary mission. However, a single mission plan was actually used for Mariner 9 because of failure of the launch vehicle for the first spacecraft. The implementation is described, of the Mission Operations System, including organization, training, and data processing development and operations, and Mariner 9 spacecraft cruise and orbital operations through completion of the standard mission from launch to solar occultation in April 1972 are discussed.

Advanced Methods for Determining Prediction Uncertainty in Model-Based Prognostics with Application to Planetary Rovers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew J.; Sankararaman, Shankar

2013-01-01

Prognostics is centered on predicting the time of and time until adverse events in components, subsystems, and systems. It typically involves both a state estimation phase, in which the current health state of a system is identified, and a prediction phase, in which the state is projected forward in time. Since prognostics is mainly a prediction problem, prognostic approaches cannot avoid uncertainty, which arises due to several sources. Prognostics algorithms must both characterize this uncertainty and incorporate it into the predictions so that informed decisions can be made about the system. In this paper, we describe three methods to solve these problems, including Monte Carlo-, unscented transform-, and first-order reliability-based methods. Using a planetary rover as a case study, we demonstrate and compare the different methods in simulation for battery end-of-discharge prediction.

The influence of Mars' magnetic topology on atmospheric escape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curry, S.; Luhmann, J. G.; DiBraccio, G. A.; Dong, C.; Xu, S.; Mitchell, D.; Gruesbeck, J.; Espley, J. R.; Connerney, J. E. P.; McFadden, J. P.; Ma, Y. J.; Brain, D.

2017-12-01

At weakly magnetized planets such as Mars and Venus, the solar wind directly interacts with the upper atmosphere where ions can be picked up and swept away by the background convection electric field. These pick-up ions have a gyroradius on the planetary scale that is largely dominated by the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). But at Mars, their trajectory is also influenced by the existence of remanent crustal magnetic fields, which are thought to create a shielding effect for escaping planetary ions when they are on the dayside. Consequently, the magnetic topology changes at Mars as magnetic reconnection occurs between the draped (IMF) and the crustal magnetic fields (closed). The resulting topology includes open field lines in the solar wind with one footprint attached to the planet. Using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and test particle simulations, we will explore the influence of the magnetic topology on ion escape. We will present escape rates for planetary ions for different crustal field positions during different IMF configurations, with +/-BY and +/-BZ components in the Mars Sun Orbit (MSO) coordinate system. We will also compare global maps of ion outflow and escape with open / closed magnetic field line maps and compare our results with ion fluxes and magnetic field data from the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. Our results relating the dynamic magnetic field topology at Mars and planetary ion escape are an important aspect of magnetospheric physics and planetary evolution, both of which have applications to our own solar system and the increasing number of exoplanets discovered every year.

Development of hydrogen peroxide technique for bioburden reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohatgi, N.; Schwartz, L.; Stabekis, P.; Barengoltz, J.

In order to meet the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Planetary Protection microbial reduction requirements for Mars in-situ life detection and sample return missions, entire planetary spacecraft (including planetary entry probes and planetary landing capsules) may have to be exposed to a qualified sterilization process. Presently, dry heat is the only NASA approved sterilization technique available for spacecraft application. However, with the increasing use of various man-made materials, highly sophisticated electronic circuit boards, and sensors in a modern spacecraft, compatibility issues may render this process unacceptable to design engineers and thus impractical to achieve terminal sterilization of the entire spacecraft. An alternative vapor phase hydrogen peroxide sterilization process, which is currently used in various industries, has been selected for further development. Strategic Technology Enterprises, Incorporated (STE), a subsidiary of STERIS Corporation, under a contract from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is developing systems and methodologies to decontaminate spacecraft using vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) technology. The VHP technology provides an effective, rapid and low temperature means for inactivation of spores, mycobacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms. The VHP application is a dry process affording excellent material compatibility with many of the components found in spacecraft such as polymers, paints and electronic systems. Furthermore, the VHP process has innocuous residuals as it decomposes to water vapor and oxygen. This paper will discuss the approach that is being used to develop this technique and will present lethality data that have been collected to establish deep vacuum VHP sterilization cycles. In addition, the application of this technique to meet planetary protection requirements will be addressed.

High-resolution simulations of the final assembly of Earth-like planets. 2. Water delivery and planetary habitability.

PubMed

Raymond, Sean N; Quinn, Thomas; Lunine, Jonathan I

2007-02-01

The water content and habitability of terrestrial planets are determined during their final assembly, from perhaps 100 1,000-km "planetary embryos " and a swarm of billions of 1-10-km "planetesimals. " During this process, we assume that water-rich material is accreted by terrestrial planets via impacts of water-rich bodies that originate in the outer asteroid region. We present analysis of water delivery and planetary habitability in five high-resolution simulations containing about 10 times more particles than in previous simulations. These simulations formed 15 terrestrial planets from 0.4 to 2.6 Earth masses, including five planets in the habitable zone. Every planet from each simulation accreted at least the Earth's current water budget; most accreted several times that amount (assuming no impact depletion). Each planet accreted at least five water-rich embryos and planetesimals from the past 2.5 astronomical units; most accreted 10-20 water-rich bodies. We present a new model for water delivery to terrestrial planets in dynamically calm systems, with low-eccentricity or low-mass giant planets-such systems may be very common in the Galaxy. We suggest that water is accreted in comparable amounts from a few planetary embryos in a " hit or miss " way and from millions of planetesimals in a statistically robust process. Variations in water content are likely to be caused by fluctuations in the number of water-rich embryos accreted, as well as from systematic effects, such as planetary mass and location, and giant planet properties.

Finite-rate chemistry effects upon convective and radiative heating of an atmospheric entry vehicle. [reentry aerothermochemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guillermo, P.

1975-01-01

A mathematical model of the aerothermochemical environment along the stagnation line of a planetary return spacecraft using an ablative thermal protection system was developed and solved for conditions typical of atmospheric entry from planetary missions. The model, implemented as a FORTRAN 4 computer program, was designed to predict viscous, reactive and radiative coupled shock layer structure and the resulting body heating rates. The analysis includes flow field coupling with the ablator surface, binary diffusion, coupled line and continuum radiative and equilibrium or finite rate chemistry effects. The gas model used includes thermodynamic, transport, kinetic and radiative properties of air and ablation product species, including 19 chemical species and 16 chemical reactions. Specifically, the impact of nonequilibrium chemistry effects upon stagnation line shock layer structure and body heating rates was investigated.

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.

Advanced planetary studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Results of planetary advanced studies and planning support are summarized. The scope of analyses includes cost estimation research, planetary mission performance, penetrator advanced studies, Mercury mission transport requirements, definition of super solar electric propulsion/solar sail mission discriminators, and advanced planning activities.

Stable Chlorine Isotopes and Elemental Chlorine by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Ion Chromatography; Martian Meteorites, Carbonaceous Chondrites and Standard Rocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakamura, N.; Nyquist, L. E.; Reese, Y.; Shih, C.-Y.; Fujitani, T.; Okano, O.

2011-01-01

Recently significantly large mass fractionation of stable chlorine isotopes has been reported for terrestrial and lunar samples [1,2]. In addition, in view of possible early solar system processes [3] and also potential perchlorate-related fluid/microbial activities on the Martian surface [4,5], a large chlorine isotopic fractionation might be expected for some types of planetary materials. Due to analytical difficulties of isotopic and elemental analyses, however, current chlorine analyses for planetary materials are controversial among different laboratories, particularly between IRMS (gas source mass spectrometry) and TIMS (Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry) groups [i.e. 1,6,7] for isotopic analyses, as well as between those doing pyrohydrolysis and other groups [i.e. 6,8]. Additional careful investigations of Cl isotope and elemental abundances are required to confirm real chlorine isotope and elemental variations for planetary materials. We have developed a TIMS technique combined with HF-leaching/ion chromatography at NASA JSC that is applicable to analysis of small amounts of meteoritic and planetary materials. We present here results for several standard rocks and meteorites, including Martian meteorites.

Vikings converge on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The scientific goals of the Viking mission are described. The science investigations to be carried out are explained and a timetable of planetary operations is outlined. Descriptions of the Viking orbiter and lander systems are presented including explanations of the Viking experimental instrument subsystems.

Deep Space Gateway "Recycler" Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, L.; Fries, M.; Hamilton, J.; Landis, R.; John, K.; O'Hara, W.

2018-02-01

Use of the Deep Space Gateway provides a hub for a reusable planetary sample return vehicle for missions to gather star dust as well as samples from various parts of the solar system including main belt asteroids, near-Earth asteroids, and Mars moon.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Terrestrial Planets: Building Blocks and Differentiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session "Terrestrial Planets: Building Blocks and Differentiation: included the following topics:Magnesium Isotopes in the Earth, Moon, Mars, and Pallasite Parent Body: High-Precision Analysis of Olivine by Laser-Ablation Multi-Collector ICPMS; Meteoritic Constraints on Collision Rates in the Primordial Asteroid Belt and Its Origin; New Constraints on the Origin of the Highly Siderophile Elements in the Earth's Upper Mantle; Further Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd Isotopic Data on Planetary Materials and Consequences for Planetary Differentiation; A Deep Lunar Magma Ocean Based on Neodymium, Strontium and Hafnium Isotope Mass Balance Partial Resetting on Hf-W System by Giant Impacts; On the Problem of Metal-Silicate Equilibration During Planet Formation: Significance for Hf-W Chronometry ; Solid Metal-Liquid Metal Partitioning of Pt, Re, and Os: The Effect of Carbon; Siderophile Element Abundances in Fe-S-Ni-O Melts Segregated from Partially Molten Ordinary Chondrite Under Dynamic Conditions; Activity Coefficients of Silicon in Iron-Nickel Alloys: Experimental Determination and Relevance for Planetary Differentiation; Reinvestigation of the Ni and Co Metal-Silicate Partitioning; Metal/Silicate Paritioning of P, Ga, and W at High Pressures and Temperatures: Dependence on Silicate Melt Composition; and Closure of the Fe-S-Si Liquid Miscibility Gap at High Pressure and Its Implications for Planetary Core Formation.

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.

Reconfigurable Autonomy for Future Planetary Rovers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burroughes, Guy

Extra-terrestrial Planetary rover systems are uniquely remote, placing constraints in regard to communication, environmental uncertainty, and limited physical resources, and requiring a high level of fault tolerance and resistance to hardware degradation. This thesis presents a novel self-reconfiguring autonomous software architecture designed to meet the needs of extraterrestrial planetary environments. At runtime it can safely reconfigure low-level control systems, high-level decisional autonomy systems, and managed software architecture. The architecture can perform automatic Verification and Validation of self-reconfiguration at run-time, and enables a system to be self-optimising, self-protecting, and self-healing. A novel self-monitoring system, which is non-invasive, efficient, tunable, and autonomously deploying, is also presented. The architecture was validated through the use-case of a highly autonomous extra-terrestrial planetary exploration rover. Three major forms of reconfiguration were demonstrated and tested: first, high level adjustment of system internal architecture and goal; second, software module modification; and third, low level alteration of hardware control in response to degradation of hardware and environmental change. The architecture was demonstrated to be robust and effective in a Mars sample return mission use-case testing the operational aspects of a novel, reconfigurable guidance, navigation, and control system for a planetary rover, all operating in concert through a scenario that required reconfiguration of all elements of the system.

Planetary image conversion task

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, M. D.; Stanley, C. L.; Laughlin, G.

1985-01-01

The Planetary Image Conversion Task group processed 12,500 magnetic tapes containing raw imaging data from JPL planetary missions and produced an image data base in consistent format on 1200 fully packed 6250-bpi tapes. The output tapes will remain at JPL. A copy of the entire tape set was delivered to US Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Ariz. A secondary task converted computer datalogs, which had been stored in project specific MARK IV File Management System data types and structures, to flat-file, text format that is processable on any modern computer system. The conversion processing took place at JPL's Image Processing Laboratory on an IBM 370-158 with existing software modified slightly to meet the needs of the conversion task. More than 99% of the original digital image data was successfully recovered by the conversion task. However, processing data tapes recorded before 1975 was destructive. This discovery is of critical importance to facilities responsible for maintaining digital archives since normal periodic random sampling techniques would be unlikely to detect this phenomenon, and entire data sets could be wiped out in the act of generating seemingly positive sampling results. Reccomended follow-on activities are also included.

Improving Planetary Rover Attitude Estimation via MEMS Sensor Characterization

PubMed Central

Hidalgo, Javier; Poulakis, Pantelis; Köhler, Johan; Del-Cerro, Jaime; Barrientos, Antonio

2012-01-01

Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are currently being considered in the space sector due to its suitable level of performance for spacecrafts in terms of mechanical robustness with low power consumption, small mass and size, and significant advantage in system design and accommodation. However, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the performance and testing of these new sensors, especially in planetary robotics. This paper presents what is missing in the field: a complete methodology regarding the characterization and modeling of MEMS sensors with direct application. A reproducible and complete approach including all the intermediate steps, tools and laboratory equipment is described. The process of sensor error characterization and modeling through to the final integration in the sensor fusion scheme is explained with detail. Although the concept of fusion is relatively easy to comprehend, carefully characterizing and filtering sensor information is not an easy task and is essential for good performance. The strength of the approach has been verified with representative tests of novel high-grade MEMS inertia sensors and exemplary planetary rover platforms with promising results. PMID:22438761

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.

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.

Solar-System Tests of Gravitational Theories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shapiro, Irwin

1997-01-01

We are engaged in testing gravitational theory by means of observations of objects in the solar system. These tests include an examination of the Principle Of Equivalence (POE), the Shapiro delay, the advances of planetary perihelia, the possibility of a secular variation G in the "gravitational constant" G, and the rate of the de Sitter (geodetic) precession of the Earth-Moon system. These results are consistent with our preliminary results focusing on the contribution of Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR), which were presented at the seventh Marcel Grossmann meeting on general relativity. The largest improvement over previous results comes in the uncertainty for (eta): a factor of five better than our previous value. This improvement reflects the increasing strength of the LLR data. A similar analysis presented at the same meeting by a group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory gave a similar result for (eta). Our value for (beta) represents our first such result determined simultaneously with the solar quadrupole moment from the dynamical data set. These results are being prepared for publication. We have shown how positions determined from different planetary ephemerides can be compared and how the combination of VLBI and pulse timing information can yield a direct tie between planetary and radio frames. We have continued to include new data in our analysis as they became available. Finally, we have made improvement in our analysis software (PEP) and ported it to a network of modern workstations from its former home on a "mainframe" computer.

COSPAR Workshop on Planetary Protection for Titan and Ganymede

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rummel, J. D.; Raulin, F.; Ehrenfreund, P.

2010-06-01

During the deliberations of the COSPAR Workshop on Planetary Protection for Outer Planet Satellites and Small Solar System Bodies (Rummel et al., 2009), held in Vienna in April 2009, a number of bodies in the outer Solar System were identified as being potentially in the "II+" category consistent with the COSPAR categorization scheme, referring to a body that is of interest to chemical evolution and the origin of life, but whose potential to support living organisms is undecided, including at least Titan, Ganymede, Triton, and the Pluto-Charon system (see Appendix C). Of these objects, Titan is the highest priority target for a near-term robotic flagship mission and Ganymede is also the subject of flagship mission interest. To address the concerns that were raised in Vienna about the categorization of Titan and Ganymede (as "II+") required another dedicated workshop to concentrate on those two bodies, a meeting was planned and held jointly by NASA, ESA, and COSPAR during the winter of 2009- 2010. This workshop included additional experts on Titan and Ganymede who were not able to participate in the Vienna meeting, and allowed the attendees to inspect detailed information about the most recent Cassini-Huygens results as well as the most current interpretation of the data available for both Titan and Ganymede. The goal of this workshop was to resolve the mission category for Titan and Ganymede and to develop a consensus on the II versus II+ dichotomy, taking into account both the conservative nature of planetary protection policy and the physical constraints on the Titan system and on Ganymede - the two largest moons in our solar system. This report summarizes the findings and recommendations from the workshop. The document will be distributed to the COSPAR Planetary Protection panel for consideration prior to the next General Assembly meeting in Bremen (Germany) during July 2010. Results from the Titan/Ganymede study will also be coordinated in a larger evaluation of outer planet icy satellites that has been requested from the US National Research Council.

A new catalog of planetary maps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batson, R. M.; Inge, J. L.

1991-01-01

A single, concise reference to all existing planetary maps, including lunar ones, is being prepared that will allow map users to identify and locate maps of their areas of interest. This will be the first such comprehensive listing of planetary maps. Although the USGS shows index maps on the collar of each map sheet, periodically publishes index maps of Mars, and provides informal listings of the USGS map database, no tabulation exists that identifies all planetary maps, including those published by DMA and other organizations. The catalog will consist of a booklet containing small-scale image maps with superimposed quadrangle boundaries and map data tabulations.

Planetary Science Enabled by High Power Ion Propulsion Systems from NASA's Prometheus Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, John

2004-11-01

NASA's Prometheus program seeks to develop new generations of spacecraft nuclear-power and ion propulsion systems for applications to future planetary missions. The Science Definition Team for the first mission in the Prometheus series, the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO), has defined science objectives for in-situ orbital exploration of the icy Galilean moons (Europa, Ganymede, Callisto) and the Jovian magnetosphere along with remote observations of Jupiter's atmosphere and aurorae, the volcanic moon Io, and other elements of the Jovian system. Important to this forum is that JIMO power and propulsion systems will need to be designed to minimize magnetic, radio, neutral gas, and plasma backgrounds that might otherwise interfere with achievement of mission science objectives. Another potential Prometheus mission of high science interest would be an extended tour of primitive bodies in the solar system, including asteroids, Jupiter family comets, Centaurs, and Kuiper Belt Objects (KBO). The final landed phase of this mission might include an active keplerian experiment for detectable (via downlink radio doppler shift) acceleration of a small kilometer-size Centaur or KBO object, likely the satellite of a larger object observable from Earth. This would have obvious application to testing of mitigation techniques for Earth impact hazards.

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.

Software techniques for a distributed real-time processing system. [for spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lesh, F.; Lecoq, P.

1976-01-01

The paper describes software techniques developed for the Unified Data System (UDS), a distributed processor network for control and data handling onboard a planetary spacecraft. These techniques include a structured language for specifying the programs contained in each module, and a small executive program in each module which performs scheduling and implements the module task.

Careers and people

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2016-12-01

The 2016 Paolo Farinella Prize has been awarded to Greek physicist Kleomenis Tsiganis at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, for his work on the applications of celestial mechanics to the dynamics of planetary systems, including the development of the “Nice model”, which describes the migrations of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune during the early phases of the solar system's evolution.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Outer Solar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session "Outer Solar System" included the following reports:New Data About Seasonal Variations of the North-South Asymmetry of Polarized Light of Jupiter; Appearance of Second Harmonic in the Jupiter Spectrum; Dynamics of Confined Liquid Mass, Spreading on Planet Surface; "Cassini" will Discover 116 New Satellites of Saturn!; Jupiter's Light Reflection Law;and Internal Structure Modelling of Europa.

The SIMPSONS project: An integrated Mars transportation system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, Matthew; Carlson, Eric; Bradfute, Sherie; Allen, Kent; Duvergne, Francois; Hernandez, Bert; Le, David; Nguyen, Quan; Thornhill, Brett

In response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for an integrated transportation system network for an advanced Martian base, Frontier Transportation Systems (FTS) presents the results of the SIMPSONS project (Systems Integration for Mars Planetary Surface Operations Networks). The following topics are included: the project background, vehicle design, future work, conclusions, management status, and cost breakdown. The project focuses solely on the surface-to-surface transportation at an advanced Martian base.

The SIMPSONS project: An integrated Mars transportation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaplan, Matthew; Carlson, Eric; Bradfute, Sherie; Allen, Kent; Duvergne, Francois; Hernandez, Bert; Le, David; Nguyen, Quan; Thornhill, Brett

1992-01-01

In response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for an integrated transportation system network for an advanced Martian base, Frontier Transportation Systems (FTS) presents the results of the SIMPSONS project (Systems Integration for Mars Planetary Surface Operations Networks). The following topics are included: the project background, vehicle design, future work, conclusions, management status, and cost breakdown. The project focuses solely on the surface-to-surface transportation at an advanced Martian base.

New Antennas and Methods for the Low Frequency Stellar and Planetary Radio Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konovalenko, A. A.; Falkovich, I. S.; Rucker, H. O.; Lecacheux, A.; Zarka, Ph.; Koliadin, V. L.; Zakharenko, V. V.; Stanislavsky, A. A.; Melnik, V. N.; Litvinenko, G. V.; Gridin, A. A.; Bubnov, I. N.; Kalinichenko, N. N.; Reznik, A. P.; Sidorchuk, M. A.; Stepkin, S. V.; Mukha, D. V.; Nikolajenko, V. S.; Karlsson, R.; Thide, B.

According to the special Program of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, creation of the new giant Ukrainian radio telescope (GURT) was started a few years ago on the UTR-2 radio telescope observatory. The main goal is to reach maximum band at the lowest frequencies (10-70 MHz), effective area (step-by-step up to 100,000 sq.m), and high interference immunity for resolving many astrophysical tasks when the sensitivity is less limited by the confusion effects. These tasks include stellar radio astronomy (the Sun, solar wind, flare stars, pulsars, transients) and planetary one (Jupiter, planetary lightnings, Earth ionosphere, the Moon, exoplanets). This array should be complementary to the LOFAR, E-LOFAR systems. The first stages of the GURT (6 x 25 cross dipole active elements) and broad-band digital registration of the impulsive and sporadic events were tested in comparison with the existing largest decameter array UTR-2.

Europa Planetary Protection for Juno Jupiter Orbiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernard, Douglas E.; Abelson, Robert D.; Johannesen, Jennie R.; Lam, Try; McAlpine, William J.; Newlin, Laura E.

2010-01-01

NASA's Juno mission launched in 2011 and will explore the Jupiter system starting in 2016. Juno's suite of instruments is designed to investigate the atmosphere, gravitational fields, magnetic fields, and auroral regions. Its low perijove polar orbit will allow it to explore portions of the Jovian environment never before visited. While the Juno mission is not orbiting or flying close to Europa or the other Galilean satellites, planetary protection requirements for avoiding the contamination of Europa have been taken into account in the Juno mission design.The science mission is designed to conclude with a deorbit burn that disposes of the spacecraft in Jupiter's atmosphere. Compliance with planetary protection requirements is verified through a set of analyses including analysis of initial bioburden, analysis of the effect of bioburden reduction due to the space and Jovian radiation environments, probabilistic risk assessment of successful deorbit, Monte-Carlo orbit propagation, and bioburden reduction in the event of impact with an icy body.

Probing the Interiors of the Ice Giants: Shock Compression of Water to 700 GPa and 3.8 g/cm³

DOE PAGES

Knudson, M. D.; Desjarlais, M. P.; Lemke, R. W.; ...

2012-02-27

Recently, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of identified extrasolar planetary systems. Our understanding of their formation is tied to exoplanet internal structure models, which rely upon equations of state of light elements and compounds such as water. Here, we present shock compression data for water with unprecedented accuracy that show that water equations of state commonly used in planetary modeling significantly overestimate the compressibility at conditions relevant to planetary interiors. Furthermore, we show that its behavior at these conditions, including reflectivity and isentropic response, is well-described by a recent first-principles based equation of state. These findingsmore » advocate that this water model be used as the standard for modeling Neptune, Uranus, and “hot Neptune” exoplanets and should improve our understanding of these types of planets.« less

Space Dust Collisions as a Planetary Escape Mechanism.

PubMed

Berera, Arjun

2017-12-01

It is observed that hypervelocity space dust, which is continuously bombarding Earth, creates immense momentum flows in the atmosphere. Some of this fast space dust inevitably will interact with the atmospheric system, transferring energy and moving particles around, with various possible consequences. This paper examines, with supporting estimates, the possibility that by way of collisions the Earth-grazing component of space dust can facilitate planetary escape of atmospheric particles, whether they are atoms and molecules that form the atmosphere or larger-sized particles. An interesting outcome of this collision scenario is that a variety of particles that contain telltale signs of Earth's organic story, including microbial life and life-essential molecules, may be "afloat" in Earth's atmosphere. The present study assesses the capability of this space dust collision mechanism to propel some of these biological constituents into space. Key Words: Hypervelocity space dust-Collision-Planetary escape-Atmospheric constituents-Microbial life. Astrobiology 17, 1274-1282.

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.

An Antarctic research outpost as a model for planetary exploration.

PubMed

Andersen, D T; McKay, C P; Wharton, R A; Rummel, J D

1990-01-01

During the next 50 years, human civilization may well begin expanding into the solar system. This colonization of extraterrestrial bodies will most likely begin with the establishment of small research outposts on the Moon and/or Mars. In all probability these facilities, designed primarily for conducting exploration and basic science, will have international participation in their crews, logistical support and funding. High fidelity Earth-based simulations of planetary exploration could help prepare for these expensive and complex operations. Antarctica provides one possible venue for such a simulation. The hostile and remote dry valleys of southern Victoria Land offer a valid analog to the Martian environment but are sufficiently accessible to allow routine logistical support and to assure the relative safety of their inhabitants. An Antarctic research outpost designed as a planetary exploration simulation facility would have great potential as a testbed and training site for the operation of future Mars bases and represents a near-term, relatively low-cost alternative to other precursor activities. Antarctica already enjoys an international dimension, an aspect that is more than symbolically appropriate to an international endeavor of unprecedented scientific and social significance--planetary exploration by humans. Potential uses of such a facility include: 1) studying human factors in an isolated environment (including long-term interactions among an international crew); 2) testing emerging technologies (e.g., advanced life support facilities such as a partial bioregenerative life support system, advanced analytical and sample acquisition instrumentation and equipment, etc.); and 3) conducting basic scientific research similar to the research that will be conducted on Mars, while contributing to the planning for human exploration. (Research of this type is already ongoing in Antarctica).

InSight Planetary Protection Status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benardini, James; La Duc, Myron; Willis, Jason

The NASA Discovery Program’s next mission, Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSIght), consists of a single spacecraft that will be launched aboard an Atlas V 401 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base (Space Launch Complex 3E) during the March 2016 timeframe. The overarching mission goal is to illuminate the fundamentals of formation and evolution of terrestrial planets by investigating the interior structure and processes of Mars. The flight system consists of a heritage cruise stage, aeroshell (heatshield and backshell), and Lander from the 2008 Phoenix mission. Included in the lander payload are various cameras, a seismometer, an auxiliary sensor suite to measure wind, temperature, and pressure, and a mole to penetrate the regolith (<5 meters) and assess the subsurface geothermal gradient of Mars. Being a Mars lander mission without life detection instruments, InSight has been designated a PP Category Iva mission. As such, planetary protection bioburden requirements apply which require microbial reduction procedures and biological burden reporting. The InSight project is current with required PP documentation, having completed an approved Planetary Protection Plan, Subsidiary PP Plans, and a PP Implementation Plan. The InSight mission’s early planetary protection campaign has commenced, coinciding with the fabrication and assembly of payload and flight system hardware and the baseline analysis of existing flight spares. A report on the status of InSight PP activities will be provided.

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.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lasseur, Christophe

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

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 259)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

A bibliography containing 476 documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in May 1984 is presented. The primary subject categories included are: life sciences, aerospace medicine, behavioral sciences, man/system technology, life support, and planetary biology. Topics extensively represented were space flight stress, man machine systems, weightlessness, human performance, mental performance, and spacecraft environments. Abstracts for each citation are given.

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.

NASA's Discovery Program: Moving Toward the Edge (of the Solar System)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Les; Gilbert, Paul

2007-01-01

NASA's Planetary Science , Division sponsors a competitive program of small spacecraft missions with the goal of performing focused science investigations that complement NASA's larger planetary science explorations at relatively low cost. The goal of the Discovery program is to launch many smaller missions with fast development times to increase our understanding of the solar system by exploring the planets, dwarf planets, their moons, and small bodies such as comets and asteroids. Discovery missions are solicited from the broad planetary science community approximately every 2 years. Active missions within the Discovery program include several with direct scientific or engineering connections to potential future missions to the edge of the solar system and beyond. In addition to those in the Discovery program are the missions of the New Frontiers program. The first New Frontiers mission. is the New Horizons mission to Pluto, which will explore this 38-AU distant dwarf planet and potentially some Kuiper Belt objects beyond. The Discovery program's Dawn mission, when launched in mid-2007, will use ion drive as its primary propulsion system. Ion propulsion is one of only two technologies that appear feasible for early interstellar precursor missions with practical flight times. The Kepler mission will explore the structure and diversity of extrasolar planetary systems, with an emphasis on the detection of Earth-size planets around other stars. Kepler will survey nearby solar systems searching for planets that may fall within the habitable zone,' a region surrounding a star within which liquid water may exist on a planet's surface - an essential ingredient for life as we know it. With its open and competitive approach to mission selections, the Discovery program affords scientists the opportunity to propose missions to virtually any solar system destination. With its emphasis on science and proven openness to the use of new technologies such as ion propulsion, missions flown as part of the program will test out technologies needed for future very deep-space exploration and potentially take us to these difficult and distant destinations.

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.

Reflection spectra of solids of planetary interest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sill, G. T.

1973-01-01

The spectra of solids are reproduced which might be found on the surfaces of planetary bodies or as solid condensates in the upper planetary atmosphere. Among these are spectra of various iron compounds of interest in the study of the clouds of Venus. Other spectra are included of various sulfides, some at low temperature, relevant to the planet Jupiter. Meteorite and coal abstracts are also included, to illustrate dark carbon compounds.

Reflection spectra of solids of planetary interest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sill, G. T.; Carm, O.

1973-01-01

This paper reproduces the spectra of solids which might be found on the surfaces of planetary bodies or as solid condensates in the upper planetary atmosphere. Among these are spectra of various iron compounds of interest in the study of the clouds of Venus. Other spectra (some at low temperature) are included for various sulfides relevant to the planet Jupiter. Meteorite and coal spectra are also included to illustrate dark carbon compounds.

Scientists: Get Involved in Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach! Here’s How!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxner, Sanlyn; Dalton, H.; Shipp, S.; CoBabe-Ammann, E.; Scalice, D.; Bleacher, L.; Wessen, A.

2013-10-01

The Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forum is a team of educators, scientists, and outreach professionals funded by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) that supports SMD scientists currently involved in E/PO - or interested in becoming involved in E/PO efforts - to find ways to do so through a variety of avenues. There are many current and future opportunities and resources for scientists to become engaged in E/PO. The Forum provides tools for responding to NASA SMD E/PO funding opportunities (webinars and online proposal guides), a one-page Tips and Tricks guide for scientists to engage in education and public outreach, and a sampler of activities organized by thematic topic and NASA’s Big Questions in planetary science. Scientists can also locate resources for interacting with diverse audiences through a number of online clearinghouses, including: NASA Wavelength, a digital collection of peer-reviewed Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels (http://nasawavelength.org); the Year of the Solar System website (http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss), a presentation of thematic resources that includes background information, missions, the latest in planetary science news, and educational products, for use in the classroom and out, for teaching about the solar system organized by topic - volcanism, ice, astrobiology, etc.; and EarthSpace (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/earthspace), a community website where faculty can find and share resources and information about teaching Earth and space sciences in the undergraduate classroom, including class materials, news, funding opportunities, and the latest education research. Also recently developed, the NASA SMD Scientist Speaker’s Bureau (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/speaker) offers an online portal to connect scientists interested in getting involved in E/PO projects - giving public talks, classroom visits, and virtual connections - with audiences. Learn more about the opportunities to become involved in E/PO and to share your science with students, educators, and the general public at http://smdepo.org.

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.

The planetary biology of cytochrome P450 aromatases.

PubMed

Gaucher, Eric A; Graddy, Logan G; Li, Tang; Simmen, Rosalia C M; Simmen, Frank A; Schreiber, David R; Liberles, David A; Janis, Christine M; Benner, Steven A

2004-08-17

Joining a model for the molecular evolution of a protein family to the paleontological and geological records (geobiology), and then to the chemical structures of substrates, products, and protein folds, is emerging as a broad strategy for generating hypotheses concerning function in a post-genomic world. This strategy expands systems biology to a planetary context, necessary for a notion of fitness to underlie (as it must) any discussion of function within a biomolecular system. Here, we report an example of such an expansion, where tools from planetary biology were used to analyze three genes from the pig Sus scrofa that encode cytochrome P450 aromatases-enzymes that convert androgens into estrogens. The evolutionary history of the vertebrate aromatase gene family was reconstructed. Transition redundant exchange silent substitution metrics were used to interpolate dates for the divergence of family members, the paleontological record was consulted to identify changes in physiology that correlated in time with the change in molecular behavior, and new aromatase sequences from peccary were obtained. Metrics that detect changing function in proteins were then applied, including KA/KS values and those that exploit structural biology. These identified specific amino acid replacements that were associated with changing substrate and product specificity during the time of presumed adaptive change. The combined analysis suggests that aromatase paralogs arose in pigs as a result of selection for Suoidea with larger litters than their ancestors, and permitted the Suoidea to survive the global climatic trauma that began in the Eocene. This combination of bioinformatics analysis, molecular evolution, paleontology, cladistics, global climatology, structural biology, and organic chemistry serves as a paradigm in planetary biology. As the geological, paleontological, and genomic records improve, this approach should become widely useful to make systems biology statements about high-level function for biomolecular systems.

The planetary biology of cytochrome P450 aromatases

PubMed Central

Gaucher, Eric A; Graddy, Logan G; Li, Tang; Simmen, Rosalia CM; Simmen, Frank A; Schreiber, David R; Liberles, David A; Janis, Christine M; Benner, Steven A

2004-01-01

Background Joining a model for the molecular evolution of a protein family to the paleontological and geological records (geobiology), and then to the chemical structures of substrates, products, and protein folds, is emerging as a broad strategy for generating hypotheses concerning function in a post-genomic world. This strategy expands systems biology to a planetary context, necessary for a notion of fitness to underlie (as it must) any discussion of function within a biomolecular system. Results Here, we report an example of such an expansion, where tools from planetary biology were used to analyze three genes from the pig Sus scrofa that encode cytochrome P450 aromatases–enzymes that convert androgens into estrogens. The evolutionary history of the vertebrate aromatase gene family was reconstructed. Transition redundant exchange silent substitution metrics were used to interpolate dates for the divergence of family members, the paleontological record was consulted to identify changes in physiology that correlated in time with the change in molecular behavior, and new aromatase sequences from peccary were obtained. Metrics that detect changing function in proteins were then applied, including KA/KS values and those that exploit structural biology. These identified specific amino acid replacements that were associated with changing substrate and product specificity during the time of presumed adaptive change. The combined analysis suggests that aromatase paralogs arose in pigs as a result of selection for Suoidea with larger litters than their ancestors, and permitted the Suoidea to survive the global climatic trauma that began in the Eocene. Conclusions This combination of bioinformatics analysis, molecular evolution, paleontology, cladistics, global climatology, structural biology, and organic chemistry serves as a paradigm in planetary biology. As the geological, paleontological, and genomic records improve, this approach should become widely useful to make systems biology statements about high-level function for biomolecular systems. PMID:15315709

Activities at the Lunar and Planetary Institute

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

The activities of the Lunar and Planetary Institute for the period July to December 1984 are discussed. Functions of its departments and projects are summarized. These include: planetary image center; library information center; computer center; production services; scientific staff; visitors program; scientific projects; conferences; workshops; seminars; publications and communications; panels, teams, committees and working groups; NASA-AMES vertical gun range (AVGR); and lunar and planetary science council.

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.

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.

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.

Workshop on advanced technologies for planetary instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Appleby, J. (Editor)

1993-01-01

NASA's robotic solar system exploration program requires a new generation of science instruments. Design concepts are now judged against stringent mass, power, and size constraints--yet future instruments must be highly capable, reliable, and, in some applications, they must operate for many years. The most important single constraint, however, is cost: new instruments must be developed in a tightly controlled design-to-cost environment. Technical innovation is the key to success and will enable the sophisticated measurements needed for future scientific exploration. As a fundamental benefit, the incorporation of breakthrough technologies in planetary flight hardware will contribute to U.S. industrial competitiveness and will strengthen the U.S. technology base. The Workshop on Advanced Technologies for Planetary Instruments was conceived to address these challenges, to provide an open forum in which the NASA and DoD space communities could become better acquainted at the working level, and to assess future collaborative efforts. Over 300 space scientists and engineers participated in the two-and-a-half-day meeting held April 28-30, 1993, in Fairfax, Virginia. It was jointly sponsored by NASA's Solar System Exploration Division (SSED), within the Office of Space Science (OSS); NASA's Office of Advanced Concepts and Technology (OACT); DoD's Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO), now called the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO); and the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI). The meeting included invited oral and contributed poster presentations, working group sessions in four sub-disciplines, and a wrap-up panel discussion. On the first day, the planetary science community described instrumentation needed for missions that may go into development during the next 5 to 10 years. Most of the second day was set aside for the DoD community to inform their counterparts in planetary science about their interests and capabilities, and to describe the BMDO technology base, flight programs, and future directions. The working group sessions and the panel discussion synthesized technical and programmatic issues from all the presentations, with a specific goal of assessing the applicability of BMDO technologies to science instrumentation for planetary exploration.

Planetary protection implementation on future Mars lander missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howell, Robert; Devincenzi, Donald L.

1993-06-01

A workshop was convened to discuss the subject of planetary protection implementation for Mars lander missions. It was sponsored and organized by the Exobiology Implementation Team of the U.S./Russian Joint Working Group on Space Biomedical and Life Support Systems. The objective of the workshop was to discuss planetary protection issues for the Russian Mars '94 mission, which is currently under development, as well as for additional future Mars lander missions including the planned Mars '96 and U.S. MESUR Pathfinder and Network missions. A series of invited presentations was made to ensure that workshop participants had access to information relevant to the planned discussions. The topics summarized in this report include exobiology science objectives for Mars exploration, current international policy on planetary protection, planetary protection requirements developed for earlier missions, mission plans and designs for future U.S. and Russian Mars landers, biological contamination of spacecraft components, and techniques for spacecraft bioload reduction. In addition, the recent recommendations of the U.S. Space Studies Board (SSB) on this subject were also summarized. Much of the discussion focused on the recommendations of the SSB. The SSB proposed relaxing the planetary protection requirements for those Mars lander missions that do not contain life detection experiments, but maintaining Viking-like requirements for those missions that do contain life detection experiments. The SSB recommendations were found to be acceptable as a guide for future missions, although many questions and concerns about interpretation were raised and are summarized. Significant among the concerns was the need for more quantitative guidelines to prevent misinterpretation by project offices and better access to and use of the Viking data base of bio-assays to specify microbial burden targets. Among the questions raised were how will the SSB recommendations be integrated with existing Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) policy and how will they apply to and affect Mars '94, Mars '96, MESUR Pathfinder, and MESUR Network missions? One additional topic briefly considered at the workshop was the identification of some issues related to planetary protection considerations for Mars sample return missions. These issues will form the basis for a follow-on joint U.S./Russian workshop on that subject.

Planetary protection implementation on future Mars lander missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howell, Robert; Devincenzi, Donald L.

1993-01-01

A workshop was convened to discuss the subject of planetary protection implementation for Mars lander missions. It was sponsored and organized by the Exobiology Implementation Team of the U.S./Russian Joint Working Group on Space Biomedical and Life Support Systems. The objective of the workshop was to discuss planetary protection issues for the Russian Mars '94 mission, which is currently under development, as well as for additional future Mars lander missions including the planned Mars '96 and U.S. MESUR Pathfinder and Network missions. A series of invited presentations was made to ensure that workshop participants had access to information relevant to the planned discussions. The topics summarized in this report include exobiology science objectives for Mars exploration, current international policy on planetary protection, planetary protection requirements developed for earlier missions, mission plans and designs for future U.S. and Russian Mars landers, biological contamination of spacecraft components, and techniques for spacecraft bioload reduction. In addition, the recent recommendations of the U.S. Space Studies Board (SSB) on this subject were also summarized. Much of the discussion focused on the recommendations of the SSB. The SSB proposed relaxing the planetary protection requirements for those Mars lander missions that do not contain life detection experiments, but maintaining Viking-like requirements for those missions that do contain life detection experiments. The SSB recommendations were found to be acceptable as a guide for future missions, although many questions and concerns about interpretation were raised and are summarized. Significant among the concerns was the need for more quantitative guidelines to prevent misinterpretation by project offices and better access to and use of the Viking data base of bioassays to specify microbial burden targets. Among the questions raised were how will the SSB recommendations be integrated with existing Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) policy and how will they apply to and affect Mars '94, Mars '96, MESUR Pathfinder, and MESUR Network missions? One additional topic briefly considered at the workshop was the identification of some issues related to planetary protection considerations for Mars sample return missions. These issues will form the basis for a follow-on joint U.S./Russian workshop on that subject.

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.

Definition and Development of Habitation Readiness Levels (HRLs) for Planetary Surface Habitats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connolly, Janis H.; Toups, Larry

2007-01-01

One could argue that NASA has never developed a true habitat for a planetary surface, with only the Lunar Module from the 1960's-era Apollo Program providing for a sparse 2 person, 3 day capability. An integral part of NASA's current National Vision for Space Exploration is missions back to the moon and eventually to Mars. One of the largest leaps i11 lunar surface exploration beyond the Apollo lunar missions will be the conduct of these extended duration human missions. These missions could range from 30 to 90 days in length initially and may eventually range up to 500 days in length. To enable these extended duration human missions, probably the single-most important lunar surface element is the Surface Habitat. The requirements that must be met by the Surface Habitat will go far beyond the safety, performance and operational requirements of the Lunar Module, and NASA needs to develop a basis for making intelligent, technically correct habitat design decisions. This paper will discuss the possibilities of the definition and development of a Habitation Readiness Level (HRL) scale that might be mapped to current Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) for technology development. HRLs could help measure how well a particular technology thrust is advanced by a proposed planetary habitat concept. The readiness level would have to be measured differently than TRLs, and may include such milestones as habitat design performance under simulated mission operations and constraints (including relevant field testing), functional allocation demonstrations, crew interface evaluation and post-occupancy evaluation. With many concepts for planetary habitats proposed over the past 20 years, there are many strategic technical challenges facing designers of planetary habitats that will support NASA's exploration of the moon and Mars. The systematic assessment of a variety of planetary habitat options will be an important approach and will influence the associated requirements for human design, volumetrics, functionality, systems hardware and operations.

Planetary Sciences Literature - Access and Discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henneken, Edwin A.; ADS Team

2017-10-01

The NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) has been around for over 2 decades, helping professional astronomers and planetary scientists navigate, without charge, through the increasingly complex environment of scholarly publications. As boundaries between disciplines dissolve and expand, the ADS provides powerful tools to help researchers discover useful information efficiently. In its new form, code-named ADS Bumblebee (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu), it may very well answer questions you didn't know you had! While the classic ADS (http://ads.harvard.edu) focuses mostly on searching basic metadata (author, title and abstract), today's ADS is best described as a an "aggregator" of scholarly resources relevant to the needs of researchers in astronomy and planetary sciences, and providing a discovery environment on top of this. In addition to indexing content from a variety of publishers, data and software archives, the ADS enriches its records by text-mining and indexing the full-text articles (about 4.7 million in total, with 130,000 from planetary science journals), enriching its metadata through the extraction of citations and acknowledgments. Recent technology developments include a new Application Programming Interface (API), a new user interface featuring a variety of visualizations and bibliometric analysis, and integration with ORCID services to support paper claiming. The new ADS provides powerful tools to help you find review papers on a given subject, prolific authors working on a subject and who they are collaborating with (within and outside their group) and papers most read by by people who read recent papers on the topic of your interest. These are just a couple of examples of the capabilities of the new ADS. We currently index most journals covering the planetary sciences and we are striving to include those journals most frequently cited by planetary science publications. The ADS is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory under NASA Cooperative Agreement NNX16AC86A.

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.

An in-situ K-Ar isochron dating method for planetary landers using a spot-by-spot laser-ablation technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Yuichiro; Sugita, Seiji; Miura, Yayoi N.; Okazaki, Ryuji; Iwata, Naoyoshi; Morota, Tomokatsu; Kameda, Shingo

2016-09-01

Age is essential information for interpreting the geologic record on planetary surfaces. Although crater counting has been widely used to estimate the planetary surface ages, crater chronology in the inner solar system is largely built on radiometric age data from limited sites on the Moon. This has resulted in major uncertainty in planetary chronology. Because opportunities for sample-return missions are limited, in-situ geochronology measurements from one-way lander/rover missions are extremely valuable. Here we developed an in-situ isochron-based dating method using the K-Ar system, with K and Ar in a single rock sample extracted locally by laser ablation and measured using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), respectively. We built an experimental system combining flight-equivalent instruments and measured K-Ar ages for mineral samples with known ages (~1.8 Ga) and K contents (1-8 wt%); we achieved precision of 20% except for a mineral with low mechanical strength. Furthermore, validation measurements with two natural rocks (gneiss slabs) obtained K-Ar isochron ages and initial 40Ar consistent with known values for both cases. This result supports that our LIBS-MS approach can derive both isochron ages and contributions of non-in situ radiogenic 40Ar from natural rocks. Error assessments suggest that the absolute ages of key geologic events including the Noachian/Hesperian- and the Hesperian/Amazonian-transition can be dated with 10-20% errors for a rock containing ~1 wt% K2O, greatly reducing the uncertainty of current crater chronology models on Mars.

A Common Probe Design for Multiple Planetary Destinations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hwang, H. H.; Allen, G. A., Jr.; Alunni, A. I.; Amato, M. J.; Atkinson, D. H.; Bienstock, B. J.; Cruz, J. R.; Dillman, R. A.; Cianciolo, A. D.; Elliott, J. O.;

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.

The exploration of outer space with cameras: A history of the NASA unmanned spacecraft missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirabito, M. M.

The use of television cameras and other video imaging devices to explore the solar system's planetary bodies with unmanned spacecraft is chronicled. Attention is given to the missions and the imaging devices, beginning with the Ranger 7 moon mission, which featured the first successfully operated electrooptical subsystem, six television cameras with vidicon image sensors. NASA established a network of parabolic, ground-based antennas on the earth (the Deep Space Network) to receive signals from spacecraft travelling farther than 16,000 km into space. The image processing and enhancement techniques used to convert spacecraft data transmissions into black and white and color photographs are described, together with the technological requirements that drove the development of the various systems. Terrestrial applications of the planetary imaging systems are explored, including medical and educational uses. Finally, the implementation and functional characteristics of CCDs are detailed, noting their installation on the Space Telescope.

The Formation and Evolution of the Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marov, Mikhail

2018-05-01

The formation and evolution of our solar system (and planetary systems around other stars) are among the most challenging and intriguing fields of modern science. As the product of a long history of cosmic matter evolution, this important branch of astrophysics is referred to as stellar-planetary cosmogony. Interdisciplinary by way of its content, it is based on fundamental theoretical concepts and available observational data on the processes of star formation. Modern observational data on stellar evolution, disc formation, and the discovery of extrasolar planets, as well as mechanical and cosmochemical properties of the solar system, place important constraints on the different scenarios developed, each supporting the basic cosmogony concept (as rooted in the Kant-Laplace hypothesis). Basically, the sequence of events includes fragmentation of an original interstellar molecular cloud, emergence of a primordial nebula, and accretion of a protoplanetary gas-dust disk around a parent star, followed by disk instability and break-up into primary solid bodies (planetesimals) and their collisional interactions, eventually forming a planet. Recent decades have seen major advances in the field, due to in-depth theoretical and experimental studies. Such advances have clarified a new scenario, which largely supports simultaneous stellar-planetary formation. Here, the collapse of a protosolar nebula's inner core gives rise to fusion ignition and star birth with an accretion disc left behind: its continuing evolution resulting ultimately in protoplanets and planetary formation. Astronomical observations have allowed us to resolve in great detail the turbulent structure of gas-dust disks and their dynamics in regard to solar system origin. Indeed radio isotope dating of chondrite meteorite samples has charted the age and the chronology of key processes in the formation of the solar system. Significant progress also has been made in the theoretical study and computer modeling of protoplanetary accretion disk thermal regimes; evaporation/condensation of primordial particles depending on their radial distance, mechanisms of clustering, collisions, and dynamics. However, these breakthroughs are yet insufficient to resolve many problems intrinsically related to planetary cosmogony. Significant new questions also have been posed, which require answers. Of great importance are questions on how contemporary natural conditions appeared on solar system planets: specifically, why the three neighbor inner planets—Earth, Venus, and Mars—reveal different evolutionary paths.

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.

The deep space network, volume 15

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The DSN progress is reported in flight project support, TDA research and technology, network engineering, hardware and software implementation, and operations. Topics discussed include: DSN functions and facilities, planetary flight projects, tracking and ground-based navigation, communications, data processing, network control system, and deep space stations.

14 CFR 1216.305 - Actions requiring environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... prepare an EA. (b) Typical NASA actions normally requiring an EA include: (1) Specific spacecraft... altering the ongoing operations at a NASA Center which could lead directly, indirectly, or cumulatively to... solar system bodies (such as asteroids, comets, planets, dwarf planets, and planetary moons), which...

The Chemistry of the Planets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blake, Peter

1988-01-01

Introduces knowledge of planetary chemistry for possible use in teaching. Discusses the chemical composition of the planets; the atmosphere and clouds of Venus, Jupiter and its moons, and Titan. Includes diagrams of the greenhouse effects in the solar system, elemental abundances, and the chemical composition of Jupiter. (RT)

Voyager Outreach Compilation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

This NASA JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) video presents a collection of the best videos that have been published of the Voyager mission. Computer animation/simulations comprise the largest portion of the video and include outer planetary magnetic fields, outer planetary lunar surfaces, and the Voyager spacecraft trajectory. Voyager visited the four outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The video contains some live shots of Jupiter (actual), the Earth's moon (from orbit), Saturn (actual), Neptune (actual) and Uranus (actual), but is mainly comprised of computer animations of these planets and their moons. Some of the individual short videos that are compiled are entitled: The Solar System; Voyage to the Outer Planets; A Tour of the Solar System; and the Neptune Encounter. Computerized simulations of Viewing Neptune from Triton, Diving over Neptune to Meet Triton, and Catching Triton in its Retrograde Orbit are included. Several animations of Neptune's atmosphere, rotation and weather features as well as significant discussion of the planet's natural satellites are also presented.

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.

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.

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.

Data catalog series for space science and applications flight missions. Volume 1A: Brief descriptions of planetary and heliocentric spacecraft and investigations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cameron, W. S. (Editor); Vostreys, R. W. (Editor)

1982-01-01

Planetary and heliocentric spacecraft, including planetary flybys and probes, are described. Imaging, particles and fields, ultraviolet, infrared, radio science and celestial mechanics, atmospheres, surface chemistry, biology, and polarization are discussed.

Planetary exploration - Earth's new horizon /12th von Karman Lecture/. [ground based and spaceborne

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schurmeier, H. M.

1975-01-01

The article gives an account of the history of unmanned exploration of the planets of the solar system, including both earthbound exploration and exploration with spacecraft. Examples of images of the Martian surface are presented along with images obtained in Jupiter and Mercury flybys. Data are presented on the growth of US launch vehicle performance capability, navigation performance, and planetary data rate capability. Basic information regarding the nature of the scientific experiments aboard the Pioneer and Viking spacecraft is given. A case is put forward for the ongoing exploration of the planets as a worthwhile endeavor for man.

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.

The James Webb Space Telescope: Extending the Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, Jonathan P.

2012-01-01

The science objectives of the James Webb Space Telescope fall into four themes. The End of the Dark Ages: First Light and Reionization theme seeks to identify the first luminous sources to form and to determine the ionization history of the universe. The Assembly of Galaxies theme seeks to determine how galaxies and the dark matter, gas, stars, metals, morphological structures, and black holes within them evolved from the epoch of reionization to the present. The Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary Systems theme seeks to unravel the birth and early evolution of stars, from infall onto dust-enshrouded protostars, to the genesis of planetary systems. The Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life theme seeks. to determine the physical and chemical properties of planetary systems around nearby stars and of our own, and to investigate the potential for life in those systems. These four science themes were used to establish the design requirements for the observatory and instrumentation. Since Webb's capabilities are unique, those science themes will remain relevant through launch and operations and goals contained within these themes will continue to guide the design and implementation choices for the mission. More recently, it has also become clear that Webb will make major contributions to other areas of research, including dark energy, dark matter, exoplanet characterization and Solar System objects. In this paper, I review the original four science themes and discuss how the scientific output of Webb will extend to these new areas of research.

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.

The Solar Connections Observatory for Planetary Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliversen, Ronald J.; Harris, Walter M.; Oegerle, William R. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The NASA Sun-Earth Connection theme roadmap calls for comparative study of how the planets, comets, and local interstellar medium (LISM) interact with the Sun and respond to solar variability. Through such a study we advance our understanding of basic physical plasma and gas dynamic processes, thus increasing our predictive capabilities for the terrestrial, planetary, and interplanetary environments where future remote and human exploration will occur. Because the other planets have lacked study initiatives comparable to the terrestrial ITM, LWS, and EOS programs, our understanding of the upper atmospheres and near space environments on these worlds is far less detailed than our knowledge of the Earth. To close this gap we propose a mission to study {\\it all) of the solar interacting bodies in our planetary system out to the heliopause with a single remote sensing space observatory, the Solar Connections Observatory for Planetary Environments (SCOPE). SCOPE consists of a binocular EUV/FUV telescope operating from a remote, driftaway orbit that provides sub-arcsecond imaging and broadband medium resolution spectro-imaging over the 55-290 nm bandpass, and high (R>10$^{5}$ resolution H Ly-$\\alpha$ emission line profile measurements of small scale planetary and wide field diffuse solar system structures. A key to the SCOPE approach is to include Earth as a primary science target. From its remote vantage point SCOPE will be able to observe auroral emission to and beyond the rotational pole. The other planets and comets will be monitored in long duration campaigns centered when possible on solar opposition when interleaved terrestrial-planet observations can be used to directly compare the response of both worlds to the same solar wind stream and UV radiation field. Using a combination of observations and MHD models, SCOPE will isolate the different controlling parameters in each planet system and gain insight into the underlying physical processes that define the solar connection.

Non-planetary Science from Planetary Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elvis, M.; Rabe, K.; Daniels, K.

2015-12-01

Planetary science is naturally focussed on the issues of the origin and history of solar systems, especially our own. The implications of an early turbulent history of our solar system reach into many areas including the origin of Earth's oceans, of ores in the Earth's crust and possibly the seeding of life. There are however other areas of science that stand to be developed greatly by planetary missions, primarily to small solar system bodies. The physics of granular materials has been well-studied in Earth's gravity, but lacks a general theory. Because of the compacting effects of gravity, some experiments desired for testing these theories remain impossible on Earth. Studying the behavior of a micro-gravity rubble pile -- such as many asteroids are believed to be -- could provide a new route towards exploring general principles of granular physics. These same studies would also prove valuable for planning missions to sample these same bodies, as techniques for anchoring and deep sampling are difficult to plan in the absence of such knowledge. In materials physics, first-principles total-energy calculations for compounds of a given stoichiometry have identified metastable, or even stable, structures distinct from known structures obtained by synthesis under laboratory conditions. The conditions in the proto-planetary nebula, in the slowly cooling cores of planetesimals, and in the high speed collisions of planetesimals and their derivatives, are all conditions that cannot be achieved in the laboratory. Large samples from comets and asteroids offer the chance to find crystals with these as-yet unobserved structures as well as more exotic materials. Some of these could have unusual properties important for materials science. Meteorites give us a glimpse of these exotic materials, several dozen of which are known that are unique to meteorites. But samples retrieved directly from small bodies in space will not have been affected by atmospheric entry, warmth or weathering. We give examples from both of these fields of enquiry.

Arecibo Radar Investigations of Planetary and Small-Body Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, P. A.

2016-12-01

The 305-m William E. Gordon telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is the most sensitive, most powerful, and most active planetary radar facility in the world. Over the last 50-plus years, the S-band (12.6 cm, 2380 MHz) and P-band (70 cm, 430 MHz) radars at Arecibo have studied solid bodies in the solar system from Mercury to Saturn's rings. Radar provides fine spatial resolution of these bodies surpassed only by dedicated spacecraft while adding the extra dimensions of near-surface, wavelength-scale roughness and penetration to several wavelengths below the surface. For asteroids and comets, this spatial resolution is akin to a spacecraft flyby revealing spin, size, and shape information and geologic features such as ridges, crater-like depressions, and boulders. For planetary bodies, radar can reveal geologic features on the surface such as ancient lava flows or features buried beneath the regolith including lava tubes and water-ice deposits. We will present an overview of how the Arecibo radar systems are utilized in the study of planetary and small-body surfaces and what can be learned without ever leaving the comfort of Earth's surface. The Arecibo Observatory is operated by SRI International under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (AST-1100968) and in alliance with Ana G. Mendez-Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) and the Universities Space Research Association (USRA). The Arecibo Planetary Radar Program is supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant Nos. NNX12AF24G and NNX13AQ46G issued through the Near-Earth Object Observations program and operated by USRA in alliance with SRI International and UMET.