PSD Plan to Respond to the Decadal Survey Recent Discovery Selections
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Autonomous Onboard Science Data Analysis for Comet Missions
AUTONOMOUS ONBOARD SCIENCE DATA ANALYSIS FOR COMET MISSIONS David R. Thompson(1), Daniel Q. Tran(1), David McLaren(1), Steve A. Chien(1), Larry Bergman(1), Rebecca Castaño(1), Richard Doyle(1), Tara Estlin(1), Matthew Lenda(1), (1) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr. Pasadena, CA 91109, USA Email: [email protected], all others [email protected] Figure 1. Plume detection by identifying the nucleus. Left: computational edge detection. Center: a convex hull of edge points. Right: bright areas outside the nucleus are plumes. Image credit: NASA/JPL/UMD. ABSTRACT active geologic processes including scarps and outflows [1]. Its surface undergoes continuous modification, Coming years will bring several comet rendezvous with visible change during the years between two missions. The Rosetta spacecraft arrives at Comet flybys. The EPOXI flyby of comet Hartley 2 shows 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in 2014. Subsequent skyscraper-size spires, flat featureless plains that outgas rendezvous might include a mission such as the H O, regions of rough and mottled texture, bands of proposed Comet Hopper with multiple surface landings, 2 various shapes, and diverse surface albedo. Comets’ as well as Comet Nucleus Sample Return (CNSR) and active areas range from 10-90%, changing over time Coma Rendezvous and Sample Return (CRSR). These and distance to the sun. They manifest as both localized encounters will begin to shed light on a population that, jets and diffuse regions (Figure 1). Still more exotic, despite several previous flybys, remains mysterious and recently discovered “active asteroids” suggest that poorly understood. -
Planetary Science Division Status Report
Planetary Science Division Status Report Jim Green NASA, Planetary Science Division January 26, 2017 Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory CommiBee Outline • Planetary Science ObjecFves • Missions and Events Overview • Flight Programs: – Discovery – New FronFers – Mars Programs – Outer Planets • Planetary Defense AcFviFes • R&A Overview • Educaon and Outreach AcFviFes • PSD Budget Overview New Horizons exploresPlanetary Science Pluto and the Kuiper Belt Ascertain the content, origin, and evoluFon of the Solar System and the potenFal for life elsewhere! 01/08/2016 As the highest resolution images continue to beam back from New Horizons, the mission is onto exploring Kuiper Belt Objects with the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) camera from unique viewing angles not visible from Earth. New Horizons is also beginning maneuvers to be able to swing close by a Kuiper Belt Object in the next year. Giant IcebergsObjecve 1.5.1 (water blocks) floatingObjecve 1.5.2 in glaciers of Objecve 1.5.3 Objecve 1.5.4 Objecve 1.5.5 hydrogen, mDemonstrate ethane, and other frozenDemonstrate progress gasses on the Demonstrate Sublimation pitsDemonstrate from the surface ofDemonstrate progress Pluto, potentially surface of Pluto.progress in in exploring and progress in showing a geologicallyprogress in improving active surface.in idenFfying and advancing the observing the objects exploring and understanding of the characterizing objects The Newunderstanding of Horizons missionin the Solar System to and the finding locaons origin and evoluFon in the Solar System explorationhow the chemical of Pluto wereunderstand how they voted the where life could of life on Earth to that pose threats to and physical formed and evolve have existed or guide the search for Earth or offer People’sprocesses in the Choice for Breakthrough of thecould exist today life elsewhere resources for human Year forSolar System 2015 by Science Magazine as exploraon operate, interact well as theand evolve top story of 2015 by Discover Magazine. -
Selection of the Insight Landing Site M. Golombek1, D. Kipp1, N
Manuscript Click here to download Manuscript InSight Landing Site Paper v9 Rev.docx Click here to view linked References Selection of the InSight Landing Site M. Golombek1, D. Kipp1, N. Warner1,2, I. J. Daubar1, R. Fergason3, R. Kirk3, R. Beyer4, A. Huertas1, S. Piqueux1, N. E. Putzig5, B. A. Campbell6, G. A. Morgan6, C. Charalambous7, W. T. Pike7, K. Gwinner8, F. Calef1, D. Kass1, M. Mischna1, J. Ashley1, C. Bloom1,9, N. Wigton1,10, T. Hare3, C. Schwartz1, H. Gengl1, L. Redmond1,11, M. Trautman1,12, J. Sweeney2, C. Grima11, I. B. Smith5, E. Sklyanskiy1, M. Lisano1, J. Benardino1, S. Smrekar1, P. Lognonné13, W. B. Banerdt1 1Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 2State University of New York at Geneseo, Department of Geological Sciences, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454 3Astrogeology Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 2255 N. Gemini Dr., Flagstaff, AZ 86001 4Sagan Center at the SETI Institute and NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 5Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302; Now at Planetary Science Institute, Lakewood, CO 80401 6Smithsonian Institution, NASM CEPS, 6th at Independence SW, Washington, DC, 20560 7Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College, South Kensington Campus, London 8German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, 12489 Berlin, Germany 9Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA; Now at Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA 98926 10Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 11Institute for Geophysics, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712 12MS GIS Program, University of Redlands, 1200 E. Colton Ave., Redlands, CA 92373-0999 13Institut Physique du Globe de Paris, Paris Cité, Université Paris Sorbonne, France Diderot Submitted to Space Science Reviews, Special InSight Issue v. -
NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE)
Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, EGU2011-5107-2, 2011 EGU General Assembly 2011 © Author(s) 2011 NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Richard Elphic (1), Gregory Delory (1,2), Anthony Colaprete (1), Mihaly Horanyi (3), Paul Mahaffy (4), Butler Hine (1), Steven McClard (5), Joan Salute (6), Edwin Grayzeck (6), and Don Boroson (7) (1) NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA USA ([email protected]), (2) Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA, (3) Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO USA, (4) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD USA, (5) LunarQuest Program Office, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL USA, (6) Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC USA, (7) Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lexington MA USA Nearly 40 years have passed since the last Apollo missions investigated the mysteries of the lunar atmosphere and the question of levitated lunar dust. The most important questions remain: what is the composition, structure and variability of the tenuous lunar exosphere? What are its origins, transport mechanisms, and loss processes? Is lofted lunar dust the cause of the horizon glow observed by the Surveyor missions and Apollo astronauts? How does such levitated dust arise and move, what is its density, and what is its ultimate fate? The US National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council decadal surveys and the recent “Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon” (SCEM) reports have identified studies of the pristine state of the lunar atmosphere and dust environment as among the leading priorities for future lunar science missions. -
Agile Science Operations David R
Agile Science Operations David R. Thompson Machine Learning and Instrument Autonomy Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Engineering Resilient Space Systems Keck Institute Study, July 31 2012. A portion of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Copyright 2012 California Institute of Technology. All Rights Reserved; U. S. Government Support Acknowledged. Image: Hartley 2 (EPOXI), NASA/JPL/UMD Jet Propulsion Laboratory / California Institute of Technology / Solar System Exploration Directorate 1 Agenda Motivation: science at primitive bodies Critical Path Analysis and reaction time A survey of onboard science data analysis Case study – how could onboard data analysis impact missions? Image: Hartley 2 (EPOXI), NASA/JPL/UMD Jet Propulsion Laboratory / California Institute of Technology / Solar System Exploration Directorate 2 Primitive bodies Jet Propulsion Laboratory / California Institute of Technology / Solar System Exploration Directorate 3 Typical encounter (Lutetia 21, Rosetta) Jet Propulsion Laboratory / California Institute of Technology / Solar System Exploration Directorate 4 Primitive bodies: key measurements Reproduced from Castillo-Rogez, Pavone, Nesnas, Hoffman, “Expected Science Return of Spatially-Extended In-Situ Exploration at Small Solar System Bodies,” IEEE Aerospace 2012. Jet Propulsion Laboratory / California Institute of Technology / Solar System Exploration Directorate -
Solar System Exploration
Theme: Solar System Exploration Cassini, a robotic spacecraft launched in 1997 by NASA, is close enough now to resolve many rings and moons of its destination planet: Saturn. The spacecraft has now closed to within a single Earth-Sun separation from the ringed giant. In November 2003, Cassini snapped the contrast-enhanced color composite pictured above. Many features of Saturn's rings and cloud-tops now show considerable detail. When arriving at Saturn in July 2004, the Cassini orbiter will begin to circle and study the Saturnian system. Several months later, a probe named Huygens will separate and attempt to land on the surface of Titan. Solar System Exploration MAJOR EVENTS IN FY 2005 Deep Impact will launch in December 2004. The spacecraft will release a small (820 lbs.) Impactor directly into the path of comet Tempel 1 in July 2005. The resulting collision is expected to produce a small impact crater on the surface of the comet's nucleus, enabling scientists to investigate the composition of the comet's interior. Onboard the Cassini orbiter is a 703-pound scientific probe called Huygens that will be released in December 2004, beginning a 22-day coast phase toward Titan, Saturn's largest moon; Huygens will reach Titan's surface in January 2005. ESA 2-1 Theme: Solar System Exploration OVERVIEW The exploration of the solar system is a major component of the President's vision of NASA's future. Our cosmic "neighborhood" will first be scouted by robotic trailblazers pursuing answers to key questions about the diverse environments of the planets, comets, asteroids, and other bodies in our solar system. -
Appendix 1: Venus Missions
Appendix 1: Venus Missions Sputnik 7 (USSR) Launch 02/04/1961 First attempted Venus atmosphere craft; upper stage failed to leave Earth orbit Venera 1 (USSR) Launch 02/12/1961 First attempted flyby; contact lost en route Mariner 1 (US) Launch 07/22/1961 Attempted flyby; launch failure Sputnik 19 (USSR) Launch 08/25/1962 Attempted flyby, stranded in Earth orbit Mariner 2 (US) Launch 08/27/1962 First successful Venus flyby Sputnik 20 (USSR) Launch 09/01/1962 Attempted flyby, upper stage failure Sputnik 21 (USSR) Launch 09/12/1962 Attempted flyby, upper stage failure Cosmos 21 (USSR) Launch 11/11/1963 Possible Venera engineering test flight or attempted flyby Venera 1964A (USSR) Launch 02/19/1964 Attempted flyby, launch failure Venera 1964B (USSR) Launch 03/01/1964 Attempted flyby, launch failure Cosmos 27 (USSR) Launch 03/27/1964 Attempted flyby, upper stage failure Zond 1 (USSR) Launch 04/02/1964 Venus flyby, contact lost May 14; flyby July 14 Venera 2 (USSR) Launch 11/12/1965 Venus flyby, contact lost en route Venera 3 (USSR) Launch 11/16/1965 Venus lander, contact lost en route, first Venus impact March 1, 1966 Cosmos 96 (USSR) Launch 11/23/1965 Possible attempted landing, craft fragmented in Earth orbit Venera 1965A (USSR) Launch 11/23/1965 Flyby attempt (launch failure) Venera 4 (USSR) Launch 06/12/1967 Successful atmospheric probe, arrived at Venus 10/18/1967 Mariner 5 (US) Launch 06/14/1967 Successful flyby 10/19/1967 Cosmos 167 (USSR) Launch 06/17/1967 Attempted atmospheric probe, stranded in Earth orbit Venera 5 (USSR) Launch 01/05/1969 Returned atmospheric data for 53 min on 05/16/1969 M. -
Comparative Saturn-Versus-Jupiter Tether Operation
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Comparative Saturn-Versus-Jupiter Tether Operation J. R. Sanmartin1 ©, J. Pelaez1 ©, and I. Carrera-Calvo1 Abstract Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, among the four Giant Outer planets, have magnetic field B about 20 times weaker than Jupiter. This could suggest, in principle, that planetary capture and operation using tethers, which involve B effects twice, might be much less effective at Saturn, in particular, than at Jupiter. It was recently found, however, that the very high Jovian B itself strongly limits conditions for tether use, maximum captured spacecraft-to-tether mass ratio only reaching to about 3.5. Further, it is here shown that planetary parameters and low magnetic field might make tether operation at Saturn more effective than at Jupiter. Operation analysis involves electron plasma density in a limited radial range, about 1-1.5 times Saturn radius, and is weakly requiring as regards density modeling. 1. Introduction All Giant Outer planets have magnetic field B and corotating plasma, allowing nonconventional exploration. Electrodynamic tethers, which are thermodynamic (dissipative) in character, can 1. provide propellantless drag both for deorbiting spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit at end of mission and for planetary spacecraft capture and operation down the gravitational well, and 2. generate accompanying, useful electrical power, or store it to later invert tether current (Sanmartin et al., 1993; Sanmartin & Estes, 1999). At Jupiter, tethers could be effective because its field B is high (Sanmartin et al., 2008). Tethers would allow a variety of science applications (Sanchez-Torres & Sanmartin, 2011). The Saturn field is 20 times smaller, however, and tether operation involves field B twice, which makes that thermodynamic character manifest: 1. -
IMPLEMENTATION of TRIDENT: a DISCOVERY-CLASS MISSION to TRITON. K. L. Mitchell1 , L. M. Prockter2, W. E. Frazier1, W. D. Smythe1, B
50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2019 (LPI Contrib. No. 2132) 3200.pdf IMPLEMENTATION OF TRIDENT: A DISCOVERY-CLASS MISSION TO TRITON. K. L. Mitchell1 , L. M. Prockter2, W. E. Frazier1, W. D. Smythe1, B. M. Sutin1, D. A. Bearden1, and the Trident Team. 1Jet Propulsion Laboratory ([email protected]), Pasadena, CA 91109-8099, United States, 2Lunar and Planetary Insti- tute/USRA, Houston, TX, United States. Overview: Trident is an exciting mission concept to Why Now?: By launching during 2026, Trident investigate Neptune’s large moon Triton, an exotic can- takes advantage of a rare, efficient gravity-assist align- didate ocean world at 30 AU (Prockter et al., this meet- ment, to capitalize on a narrow – but closing – observa- ing). The concept is responsive to recommendations of tional window that enables assessment of changes in the recent NASA Roadmap to Ocean Worlds study Triton’s plume activity and surface characteristics since (Hendrix et al., 2019), and to the 2013 Planetary Deca- Voyager 2’s encounter one Neptune-Triton season ago. dal Survey’s habitability and workings themes (Squyres Conclusion: This mission design allows Trident to et al., 2011). A rare, low Δv trajectory (Fig. 1) enables accomplish a scientifically rich yet radically cost-effec- an MMRTG-powered spacecraft fitting under the Dis- tive investigation of an unusual icy world, dramatically covery cost cap. The spacecraft has a robust design and expanding the horizons of NASA’s Discovery Program. uses high heritage instruments (table 1) with minimal References: [1] Prockter L. M. et al. (2019) LPS L, development costs. -
LAST CALL for the DAS Dinner Meeting Tuesday, May17th
Vol. 56, No. 5, May, 2011 Next Meeting – May 17th, 2011 at 6:00 PM ~ Annual Dinner Meeting at the Hilton Wilmington/Christiana ~ See Pages 4 & 5 for full Details on this Event Celebrating the DAS Amateur Astronomer of the Year FROM THE PRESIDENT ! Bill Hanagan To start off, I’d like to thank Bill McKibben for his LAST CALL for the presentation at the April meeting on the Ancient Astronomy of Machu Picchu and Greg Lee for his presentation on DAS Dinner Meeting “What’s Up in the Sky”. If you missed the April meeting, you also missed my presentation on the sizing, positioning, and th surface quality of Newtonian secondary mirrors. Tuesday, May 17 Our May meeting is the annual “dinner” meeting of the DAS and it will be held on Tuesday, May 17 at the Christiana You’ll need to call Treasurer McKibben Hilton, the same location as last year. Social hour begins at at this late hour for Reservations. 6:00 P.M. followed by dinner at 7:00 P.M. After dinner, we’ll view a short video of time lapse astrophotos followed by the Andrew K. Johnston presentation of the Amateur Astronomer of the Year Award. We’ll conclude the evening with a talk titled “Navigating across from the the Solar System” by Mr. Andrew K. Johnston from the National Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Mr. Johnston is the co-author of the “Smithsonian Atlas of Space Exploration” and his talk will give National Air & us a look at the history and technology of solar system explora- tion. -
The MESSENGER Mission to Mercury: Some Lessons Learned
The MESSENGER Mission to Mercury: Some Lessons Learned Sean C. Solomon Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University PI Forum #5 16 March 2016 40th LPSC The Woodlands, Texas 25 March 2009 Mission Milestones Selection as a Discovery Mission July 1999 Phase B (detailed design) January 2000 – June 2001 Phase C/D (fabrication, assembly, & test) July 2001 – July 2004 Launch August 2004 Earth flyby August 2005 Venus flybys October 2006, June 2007 Mercury flybys January 2008, October 2008, September 2009 Mercury orbital operations March 2011 – April 2015 Managed by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and the Carnegie Institution of Washington 2 Faced Broad Challenges • Demanding limits to mass growth • Hazardous thermal and radiation environment • Complex mission design with limited launch opportunities and a long cruise phase 3 Some Obvious Advice for PIs • Budget ample reserves: cost, schedule, mass, power • Learn project management and systems engineering • Assemble the best possible team • Accomplish as much in Phase B as possible 4 Anticipate Technical Challenges A challenge anticipated: Solar arrays • Multiple vendors engaged • Thorough testing program • Final vendor selection after all prototype testing A challenge not anticipated: Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) MESSENGER Solar Array •Expertise resided with a single vendor •That vendor was bought out by a new vendor, who closed a key facility and had to reinvent expertise MESSENGER IMU 5 …and More Technical Challenges • Manufacturer applied excess epoxy • Delamination -
(Preprint) AAS 18-416 PRELIMINARY INTERPLANETARY MISSION
(Preprint) AAS 18-416 PRELIMINARY INTERPLANETARY MISSION DESIGN AND NAVIGATION FOR THE DRAGONFLY NEW FRONTIERS MISSION CONCEPT Christopher J. Scott,∗ Martin T. Ozimek,∗ Douglas S. Adams,y Ralph D. Lorenz,z Shyam Bhaskaran,x Rodica Ionasescu,{ Mark Jesick,{ and Frank E. Laipert{ Dragonfly is one of two mission concepts selected in December 2017 to advance into Phase A of NASA’s New Frontiers competition. Dragonfly would address the Ocean Worlds mis- sion theme by investigating Titan’s habitability and prebiotic chemistry and searching for evidence of chemical biosignatures of past (or extant) life. A rotorcraft lander, Dragonfly would capitalize on Titan’s dense atmosphere to enable mobility and sample materials from a variety of geologic settings. This paper describes Dragonfly’s baseline mission design giv- ing a complete picture of the inherent tradespace and outlines the design process from launch to atmospheric entry. INTRODUCTION Hosting the moons Titan and Enceladus, the Saturnian system contains at least two unique destinations that have been classified as ocean worlds. Titan, the second largest moon in the solar system behind Ganymede and the only planetary satellite with a significant atmosphere, is larger than the planet Mercury at 5,150 km (3,200 miles) in diameter. Its atmosphere, approximately 10 times the column mass of Earth’s, is composed of 95% nitrogen, 5% methane, 0.1% hydrogen along with trace amounts of organics.1 Titan’s atmosphere may resemble that of the Earth before biological processes began modifying its composition. Similar to the hydrological cycle on Earth, Titan’s methane evaporates into clouds, rains, and flows over the surface to fill lakes and seas, and subsequently evaporates back into the atmosphere.