Start recording—title slide—1 of 3 LIVE INTERACTIVE LEARNING @ YOUR DESKTOP The Curiosity Rover: Robotic Geologist and Explorer Presented by: Jordan Evans May 21, 2013 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Eastern time 1 NSTA Learning Center—2 of 3 2 http://learningcenter.nsta.org About the NSTA Learning Center—3 of 3 NSTA Learning Center • 10,800+ resources – 3,700+ free! – Add to “My Library” to access at your convenience • Community forums • Online advisors to assist you • Tools to plan and document your learning • http://learningcenter.nsta.org 3 Introducing today’s presenters Introducing today’s presenter… Jordan Evans NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, CA 4 Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology The Curiosity Rover: Robotic Geologist and Explorer Jordan Evans JPL/Caltech/NASA 5 @Jordan2Mars Brief Biography… • Led the “Flight System” design, build, test, launch, and operations on the Mars Science Laboratory Project • Aerospace Engineering – San Diego State University and University of Maryland • Worked on both Aircraft and Spacecraft • Jazz Musician (Bass) • Bacon Maker • Science Advisor • Woodworker • Camper Restorer 6 Blaine Baggett Executive Manager, Office of Communications and Education Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, CA 7 Why Mars? 8 The wonderful future From the 1956 book, The Exploration of Mars, by von Braun and Willy Ley, with paintings by Chesley Bonestell Mars Exploration is CHALLENGING 10 Did you watch Curiosity’s landing on the night of August 5th (PT)? ✔ Yes ✖ No 11 Did you watch Curiosity’s landing on the night of August 5th (PT)? An estimated 50 million people watched the landing! 12 13 Only 50% of Mars landers launched have worked USSR: Mars 2 1971 (crashed) USSR: Mars 3 1971 (landed, radio died) USSR: Mars 6 1973 (aero data, crashed?) USSR: Mars 7 1974 (missed Mars) US: Viking 1 1975 US: Viking 2 1975 USSR: Mars ‘96 (2) 1996 (failed launch) US: Mars Pathfinder 1996 US: Mars Polar Lander 1998 (crashed?) US: DS-2 Microprobes (2) 1998 (crashed?) EU/UK: Beagle II 2003 (crashed?) US: MER Spirit 2003 US: MER Opportunity 2003 US: Phoenix 2007 US: MSL Curiosity 2011 [launch dates] 14 Thousands of problems to solve. 15 Testing 17 More testing More testing More testing 2010 Finally, a real Mars Science Lab! Rover Packaging Ready for flight Ready for the fairing Encapsulation at KSC ATLAS V fairing Launch Complex 41 NASA/KSC Atlas V Careful …. MSL Launch: Nov 26, 2011 Does every Mars-faring nation use the same approach to get to Mars? ✔ Yes ✖ No 30 Does every Mars-faring nation use the same approach to get to Mars? 31 The mission …. Mission Overview ENTRY, DESCENT, LANDING • Guided entry and powered “sky crane” descent • 20×25-km landing ellipse • Access to landing sites ±30° CRUISE/APPROACH latitude, <0 km elevation • 8.5-month cruise • 900-kg rover • Arrived August 5, 2012 SURFACE MISSION • Prime mission is one Mars year (687 days) LAUNCH • Latitude-independent and long- lived power source • Nov. 26, 2011 • Ability to drive out of landing • Atlas V (541) ellipse • 84 kg of science payload • Direct (uplink) and relayed (downlink) communication • Fast CPU and large data storage 33 Rover Family Portrait ChemCam (Chemistry) Mastcam APXS (Imaging) RAD (Chemistry) MAHLI (Radiation) (Imaging) REMS (Weather) DAN (Subsurface Hydrogen) Drill Scoop Brush Sieves SAM (Chemistry CheMin MARDI and Isotopes) (Mineralogy) (Imaging) Curiosity’s Science Payload 35 What’s Under the Hood? UHF Radio Thermal Fluid Loop Spacecraft Computers Rover Motor Controller ChemMin Power Electronics & Batteries X-Band Radio SAM 36 The Complexity and Beauty of Curiosity 37 Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) How Did it Go? 38 39 40 41 Landing area (photo taken by Mars Reconnaissance orbiter) Curiosity’s Descent stage Before After (photo taken by Mars Reconnaissance orbiter) (photos taken by Mars Reconnaissance orbiter) 44 EDL Performance Summary Rover Cruise Stage Separation Separation Sky Crane Detail ERT: 10:14:34 PM All Times in ERT PDT Alt: 21.5 m Velo: 0.77 m/s Note: gnd solution Flyaway change of ~1m near Impact ERT: <10:32:40 PM rover sep CBMD Distance: 640 m Separation Mobility Note: Impact pattern may be different than expected ERT: 10:16:24 PM Entry Interface Deploy ERT: 10:24:33 PM Alt: 21.1 Delivery error: 0.013 deg FPA Parachute Deploy ERT: 10:28:53 PM Peak Heating Mach: 1.72 Touchdown ERT: Pending Deceleration: ~6 g’s ERT: 10:31:49 PM Qmax: Pending Note: Lower than Velo: 0.75 m/s expected parachute Lat/Lon: - Peak Deceleration inflation loads 4.5895°/137.4417° ERT: 10:17:44 PM Deceleration: ~12.2 g’s Hypersonic Backshell Aero-maneuvering Separation Variance from Numb of bank reversals: 3 ERT: 10:30:51 prediction Heatshield Guidance performance: Separation Radar Altitude: 1670 m < 1 s Great ERT: 10:29:13 Ground Solution Velocity: 78.6 m/s Note: Possible tailwind/low Mach: Pending ERT: 10:29:21 Note: density during final 50-100 km Note: Separation Powered Descent 1-2 s FS Infrastructure Alt: 8.3 km of flight rates as expected, Duration: 37 Voltage at TD: 32.1 V Error (alt): 113.4 m no tumbling Fuel usage: 260 kg Comm: Great Error (velo): 0.7 Note: Fuel usage >2 s Prop: Good m/s was lower than Thermal: Good Note: Better range expected Mech: Good at lock-up and AVS/FSW: Good lower error than SECC: N/A expected ISAs: 52822, 52845, 53000 (see following) Sky Crane Flyaway 45 Gale Crater and Mount Sharp 46 24 47 Mt. Sharp 48 49 Curiosity’s Exploration and Science Since Landing 50 51 52 53 54 Looking North to Crater Rim 55 56 Timekeeping on Mars Timekeeping on Mars Martian Day = “Sol” 1 Sol = 24h 39m 35s Timekeeping on Mars Martian Day = “Sol” 1 Sol = 24h 39m 35s “Yestersol” Timekeeping on Mars Martian Day = “Sol” 1 Sol = 24h 39m 35s “Yestersol” “Tosol” Timekeeping on Mars Martian Day = “Sol” 1 Sol = 24h 39m 35s “Yestersol” “Tosol” “Nextersol” “Morrowsol” “Sol-orrow” Timekeeping on Mars Martian Day = “Sol” 1 Sol = 24h 39m 35s “Yestersol” “Tosol” “Nextersol” “Morrowsol” “Sol-orrow” Recent Mars Weather June 63 Ear-Popping Daily Pressure Changes 100 Pa swing is… 15% of Mars Pressure 0.15% of Earth Pressure 64 Driving! 65 Sol 24 Navcam: Bradbury Landing Site 66 Rover tracks (photo taken by Mars Reconnaissance orbiter) Stretching Out the Arm for Contact Science on Rock Named “Jake Matijevic” NASA/JPL- Caltech/MSSS Science Instruments at the End of Curiosity’s Robotic Arm 70 71 72 . --- . --. .-- . --- J . --. P . .-- L Curiosity’s primary scientific goal is to explore and quantitatively assess a local region on Mars’ surface as a potential habitat for life, past or present • Biological potential • Geology and geochemistry • Role of water • Surface radiation NASA/JPL-Caltech Curiosity’s Science Objectives 77 ChemCam Laser 78 Target: Beechey (Sol 19) Power: 1 Gigawatt Shots per spot: 50 8 Before After cm( 3”) NASA/JPL- Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/LPGN/CNRS ChemCam’s laser induced breakdown 79 spectrometer acquires a 5-spot raster 80 81 Remnants of Ancient Streambed on Mars 82 Atmospheric Gas SAM found that argon, Abundances rather than nitrogen is the Measured by SAM second most abundant gas SAM also found that Mars’ atmosphere is enriched in the heavy versions of isotopes, indicating that atmospheric loss has occurred Methane has not been definitively detected NASA/JPL-Caltech/Goddard TLS uses infrared lasers and mirrors to measure the absorption of light by atmospheric gases The SAM Tunable Laser Spectrometer and Mass 83 Spectrometer measure atmospheric composition Scoop and Delivery for Chemistry and Mineralogy 84 85 Sol 61: First Scoop! 86 What did Curiosity discover in the Rocknest Sand Dune? A. A habitable environment conducive to microbial life B. Mars dust and sand dunes are a global phenomenon and aren’t necessarily habitable C. The “Rocknest Monster” 87 Gases SAM and released CheMin during SAM analyses experiments of Rocknest Sand composed of unaltered basaltic NASA/JPL- Caltech/Ames minerals, NASA/JPL- similar to soils Caltech/MSSSNASA/JPL- on Mars Caltech/Goddard Also evidence for water, sulfates, carbonates, and X-ray potentially perchlorates diffraction pattern from 88 CheMin How far across SDSU would Curiosity have travelled in the 9 months thus far? How far across SDSU would Curiosity have travelled in the 9 months thus far? Aztec Center Current Position ✖ Sols 55-100 Sol Sol Sol 120 43 39 MSL Rotary-Percussive Drill in Testbed at JPL Heading into Yellowknife Bay NASA/JPL- Caltech/MSSS 94 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Postcards from Yellowknife Bay 95 NASA/JPL-Caltech ChemCam Remote Micro- Imager NASA/JPL- Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/ LPGNantes/CNRS/LGLyon/Planet- Terre ChemCam spectra from sol 125 “Crest” and 135 “Rapitan” “Sheepbed” rocks contain 1 to 5-mm fractures filled with calcium sulfate minerals that precipitated from fluids at low to moderate temperatures 96 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Spherules Suggest Water Percolation 97 NASA/JPL- Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/LPG Nantes/CNRS 101 Drilling at John Klein: A “Goldmine” of Info 102 Drilling at John Klein: A “Goldmine” of Info Wet Neutral pH Energy Gradients (Oxidation) Mildly Salty Key Chemicals (C,H,N,O,P,S) 103 Drilling at John Klein: A “Goldmine” of Info Wet Neutral pH Energy Gradients (Oxidation) Mildly Salty Key Chemicals (C,H,N,O,P,S) Conditions Favorable for Life! 104 105 “Cumberland” – Curiosity’s Second Drill Target What’s Next for Curiosity? 108 Curiosity’s Ultimate Goal: Mount Sharp NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of 109 Arizona 110 NASA/JPL- Caltech/MSSS 111 NASA/JPL- Caltech/MSSS Layers, Canyons, and Buttes of Mount Sharp 112 This boulder is the size of Curiosity Layers, Canyons, and Buttes of Mount Sharp 113 114 Questions? 115 Introducing today’s presenters Thanks to today’s presenter! Jordan Evans NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, CA 116 Thank you to the sponsor of tonight’s web seminar—1 of 6 Thank you to the sponsor of tonight’s web seminar: This web seminar contains information about programs, products, and services offered by third parties, as well as links to third-party websites.