Physics
Scientific paper
May 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agusmin43e..03h&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2007, abstract #IN43E-03
Physics
5494 Instruments And Techniques, 6225 Mars, 6297 Instruments And Techniques, 6339 System Design, 6344 System Operation And Management
Scientific paper
Exploration with the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) is 'Big Science': a science team of over 100 works with a similarly sized engineering team to guide the investigations. The human work spans from the strategic planning, through the tactical activity outlines, to the detailed command sets for the machines. The scale of this effort begs the question of how science and exploration effectiveness may be improved for future space mission opportunities. The lessons from MER illuminate both specific improvements to operations work flow, and areas where new concepts, such as science autonomy, may prove particularly fruitful. For example, in the first months after the MER landings the daily (Martian) overnight planning process could take more than 16 hours on a 24-hour, Mars-synchronized schedule, while now, in the third extended mission, two or three Sols (Martian days) of commands are prepared in as little as 8 or 10 hours during regular, terrestrial, daytime working hours. These operational improvements are not without 'science costs,' which are weighed by the science team against the driving constraints---science goals and budget---that define the ongoing missions. The exploits of Spirit and Opportunity are the best example to date of scientific exploration of a planetary surface with mobile robotic assets. We all look forward to more capable systems, deployed to a variety of planetary environments, like the Moon, Near Earth Objects, Europa, Titan, Enceladus, and of course, back to Mars. The lessons from MER suggest that while implementation of 'science effectiveness' is perhaps best addressed in the early design phase of a mission, there are always opportunities for innovations in experiment design and mission operations concepts that enhance the scientific windfall from a robotic planetary explorer.
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