Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Dec 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.p53c1466m&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #P53C-1466
Mathematics
Logic
5470 Surface Materials And Properties, 6225 Mars, 6299 General Or Miscellaneous
Scientific paper
Following preliminary work that led to possible Martian landing sites to be considered for future Mars exploration missions, and in the context of the current search for candidate sites for MSL and Exomars lander missions, further development is being carried out in the area of engineering and scientific constraints that shall be combined in order to identify prime and backup sites suitable for landing. The distribution of rocks on Mars is critical for the analysis of the engineering constraints for both the Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) risk and the in-situ operational requirements. Any mission attempting a landing on Mars must deal with what size and frequency of rocks can accommodate safely the landing system and the operation of the probe and what altitude acquisition system during descent is required given the rockiness of the landing site. The knowledge of the rock distribution plays also an important role in the scientifically-driven selection process that studies the geologic history and evolution of the surface. The present surface has been shaped by different physical and morphological processes that eroded, transported, and deposited the surface materials. The study of these materials at small-scale is essential to understand all these processes. Such data, combined with other morphological and remote sensing information, provides a basis for discussing the science interest of a landing site. Based on engineering constraints and a model taking into account the EDL sequence, the landing risk can be evaluated and defined as the percentage of times that the EDL system exceeds its capability performances (e.g. entry thermal constraints, touchdown velocity and attitude, etc). By repeating the process for all possible landing sites, an EDL Risk Map is obtained as main output of the procedure. However, an EDL accuracy map can be also obtained as a secondary output by performing a dispersion analysis of the successful landing simulations to evaluate the landing ellipses associated to each site. By combining precise landing requirements, a science interest assessment and a landing viability assessment, such a procedure will be applied to the sites already identified as potential candidates (e.g., Syrtis Major area, Mawrth Vallis) or applied via an iteration process to refine the search by means of the use of high-resolution mapping products. Additionally, the same procedure can be used together with optimisation techniques to enhance the design of the different EDL system elements to extend its capabilities to high-priority candidate sites.
Castillo Manuel
Martin Patrick D.
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