Science Mission Directorate James L. Green, Director, Planetary Sciences Division Presented to the annual meeting of the LEAG Oct. 1, 2007

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OUTLINE

NASA’s Science Missions Directorate priorities

Building-up a NASA Science Lunar Program

Mars Exploration Program - Current and Future Plans

Final Thoughts

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AA’s PrioritiesTo advance the priorities of the decadal survey and Academy Reports

such as:New Frontiers in the Solar System (2003)Assessment of Mars Science and Mission Priorities (2003)The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon (2007)

To get more from our budget, for example:• Control mission costs• More frequent small missions• Expanded international cooperation• Revitalize the suborbital science program• Strategic investments in R & A and data analysis across SMD

To increase communication with the science community

To support the Vision for Space Exploration through solid science efforts with the Moon and Mars

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Highest Priority Lunar Science Goals:

• Test the cataclysm hypothesis by determining the spacing in time of the lunar basins.

• Anchor the early Earth-Moon impact flux curve by determining the age of the oldest lunar basin (South Pole-Aitken Basin).

• Establish a precise absolute chronology.• Determine the compositional state (elemental, isotopic, mineralogic) and

compositional distribution (lateral and depth) of the volatile component in lunar polar regions.

• Determine the extent and composition of the primary feldspathic crust, KREEP layer, and other products of planetary differentiation.

• Determine the thickness of the lunar crust (upper and lower) and characterize its lateral variability on regional and global scales.

• Characterize the chemical/physical stratification in the mantle, particularly the nature of the putative 500-km discontinuity and the composition of the lower mantle.

• Determine the global density, composition, and time variability of the fragile lunar atmosphere before it is perturbed by further human activity.

• Determine the size, composition, and state (solid/liquid) of the Lunar core• Inventory the variety, age, distribution, and origin of lunar rock types.• Determine the size, charge, and spatial distribution of electrostatically

transported dust grains and assess their likely effects on lunar exploration and lunar-based astronomy.

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Lunar Science Strategy

• Significant and growing dedicated wedge beginning in FY08 budget (planned)• FY08=$22M; FY09=$45M; FY10=$65M; FY11 and FY12=$80M)• Total over 5-year budget runout projected at $292M

• System Elements:• LRO extended operations will become the prime science

mission• Upgrade Planetary Data System (PDS) to support Lunar data• Develop lunar science mission concepts (robotic & with humans)

• Research and Analysis augmentations

• Technology and Instrumentation development opportunities

• Education/Public Outreach• University level and museums/science centers

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Lunar Research & AnalysisResearch Opportunities in Space & Earth Sciences (ROSES)

• Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 R&A base support for the Moon• Approximately $8M in grants (cosmochemistry, origins of the solar system, etc)

• LRO Participating Scientist program• Research using LRO instruments or data• Help define LRO’s prime science objectives• Proposals submitted Sept. 7, 2007 (~60 received)• Up to 4-yr awards, ~ $ 100K/yr average

• Lunar Advanced Science & Exploration Research program (LASER)

• Joint SMD/ESMD sponsored• Basic & Applied lunar research• Proposals submitted Sept. 20, 2007 (~170 received)• Up to 4-yr awards, ~ $100K/yr average

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Technology and Instrumentation

• Planetary Instrument Definition & Development Program (PIDDP)

• Several lunar-focused instruments selected in 2007• Augmented in 2008 for add’l lunar instrument development• Up to 4-yr awards, ~$250K/yr average

• Lunar Sortie Science Opportunities (LSSO)• One-year concept studies (may be considered again in FY09)• Selected 14 studies at ~$100K average/proposal• Spans geology, geophysics, physics, astronomy, & astrophysics

• Discovery and Mars Scout Mission Concept Studies• Proposals due November 30th

• Must use RPS (280W) power system (GFE)

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LSSO Year 1 Awards

PI Name Company name Title

William Banerdt Jet Propulsion Laboratory Concept Study for an Autonomous Lunar Geophysical Experiment Package (ALGEP)

Daniel Glavin NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith (VAPoR) on the Moon using Mass Spectrometry

Donald Hassler Southwest Research Institute

Lunar Radiation Environment and Regolith Shielding Experiment

Jerome Johnson USA ERDC-CRREL Lunar Suitcase Science: A Lunar Regolith Characterization Kit (LRoCK)

Christian Grund Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

Autonomous Lunar Dust Observer

Patrick Taylor NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Seismology and Heat flow instrument package for Lunar Science and Hazards

Slava Turyshev Jet Propulsion Laboratory Lunar Laser Transponder and Retroreflector Science

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LSSO Year 1 Awards (cont.)

PI Name Company name Title

Michael Collier NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Lunar-Based Soft X-ray Science

Douglas Currie University of Maryland, College Park

A Lunar Laser Ranging Array for the 21st Century

Everett Gibson NASA Johnson Space Center

Beagle to the Moon in Search of Hydrogen, Water and Volatiles

Dayton Jones Jet Propulsion Laboratory Lunar Array Precursor Station (LAPS)

Joseph Lazio Naval Research Laboratory Radio Observatory for Lunar Sortie Science

Stephen Merkowitz NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Precision Lunar Laser Ranging

Edward Rhodes Jet Propulsion Laboratory Development of a Solar Disturbance Warning System Using Lunar-Based Observations of Solar Subsurface Weather

* International participation

*

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Mission-Level Collaboration

• Discovery Program opportunities:• Moon Mineralogy Mapper - Instruments aboard Indian

Chandrayaan mission to be launched in 2008• Gravity Recovery & Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) - one of three

mission concepts to be considered for full mission• Discovery cost cap ~$425M

• New Frontiers (~$800M mission) to be issued early FY09• Last call included specific mission to SPAB• Requested National Academy’s advice to provide guiding

principles on how missions should be solicited• Yearly Mission of Opportunity (MoO) call for proposals

starting mid FY08• Designed to support NASA investigations on international and

domestic missions• RFI for MoO completed with 97 total responses that are currently

being analyzed

Mars MissionsOperating Missions

MRO, MER-1, MER-2, Mars Odyssey, Phoenix

Upcoming LaunchesMars Science Laboratory

Future PlansMars Scout SelectionsMars Sample Return

Current Mars Mission Status

NASA & International Opportunities

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Opportunity’s Traverse to Victoria

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Mars Rovers in a Global Dust Storm June-Sept.

Opportunity

Spirit

Opportunity’sView

The dust storm erupted during the last week of June 2007 beginning in the equatorial region west of Meridiani Planum. In a week it spread around the planet south of the equator and has now drifted into the northern hemisphere as well.

Dust Opacity from Mars Odyssey using the Thermal Emission Imaging

System (THEMIS)

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Where is Opportunity Now?

Opportunity is approved to decent into Victoria crater, now

that the dust storm has subsided

“White Layer”

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Phoenix Mission On Its Way!Mission Features• PI is Peter Smith, U of Arizona• Two analytical in-situ sample analysis instruments:

• Thermal Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA)• Microscopy, Electrochemistry & Conductivity Anal (MECA)

• Both instruments use robotic arm for samples• 3 imagers: Mars Descent Imager (MARDI), Surface Stereo Imager (SSI) and Robotic Arm Camera (RAC)• Meteorological suite to measure Martian winds, temperature, and pressure

International InvolvementCanadian Space Agency, Max Plank Institute Science

• Goal #1: Study the history of water in all its phases with paleo-hydrological, geological, chemical, and meteorological methods• Goal #2: Search for habitable zones by characterizing the subsurface environment in the permafrost region, measuring concentration of organic molecules, performing water chemistry on wet soils (water provided), and by microscopic examination of soil grainsStatus• Successfully Launched August 4, 2007• Arrives at Mars May 25, 2008

Water rich northern latitudes

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Barry Goldstein – Project ManagerGlenn Knosp – Project Business Manager

CDR 50 DaysATLO 196 DaysShip 596 DaysLaunch 675 DaysEDL 971 Days

Stereo Camera

Met mast

MECA: microscopy, electro-chemistry, conductivity

TEGA: Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer

LIDAR

Robotic ArmIce tool, scraper blades

RA Camera

The Phoenix Lander

Mars Descent Imager

Thermal and Electrical conductivity probe

Solar Array

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Phoenix Landing Site Selected

Why land in the northern latitude?– Mars Odyssey: High H2 O Abundances– Polygonal Terrain: show freezing and

thawing patterns– Water close to the surface?

Landing Site A Landing Site D

MRO HiRISE images of high latitude polygonal regions

(with large boulders) (without boulders)

Region D is now the planned

“safe havens” landing area

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Mars Scout-11 Selections

MAVEN: Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN - Bruce Jakosky (Univ. of Colorado) - Mars climate and habitability and improve understanding of dynamic processes in the upper atmosphere and ionosphere.

TGE - The Great Escape - Jim Burch (SWRI) - Determine basic processes in Martian atmospheric evolution by measuring the structure and dynamics of the upper atmosphere.

Mission down-selection to be announced January 2008

Mission of Opportunities on the ESA ExoMars mission include:• Mars Organic and Oxidant Detector - J. Bada (UC at San Diego)• Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer - L. Becker (UC Santa Barbara)• Investigation as a Co-I for Raman-LIBS inst. (A. Wang, WashU)

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Mars Science Laboratory

May-07 Jun-07 Jul-07 Aug-07 Sep-07 Oct-07 Nov-07 Dec-07 Jan-08 Feb-08 Mar-08

May-09 Jun-09 Jul-09 Aug-09 Sep-09

LaunchShip

Begin Assembly, Test,& Launch Operations(ATLO)

Critical DesignReview (CDR)

Technical Capabilities•One Mars Year surface operational lifetime (669 sols/687 days)•Precision Landing via Guided Entry•Skycrane Propulsive Landing•Long Distance Traverse Capability (20 km)•Flexible & Robust Sample Acquisition & Processing

Science•Focus on Past & Present Habitability of Mars•Highly Capable Analytical Laboratory•Next Generation Remote Sensing & Contact Investigations•Suite of Environmental Monitoring Instruments

International•France (CNES): SAM & ChemCam instrument participation•Canada (CSA): APXS instrument•Russia (IKI): DAN instrument•Spain (CAB): REMS instrument, and High Gain Antenna•Germany (DLR): RAD instrument participation.

Status• Subsystem detailed design activities are mostly complete.• SA/SPaH subsystem has completed rearchitecture effort &

is proceeding into detailed design.• Two significant system level technical issues are in work.

– Actuator architecture & Heatshield TPS qualification• Most Subsystem CDR’s and many Assembly-level

Detailed Design Reviews have been completed• Subsystem fabrication activities are underway• All manufacturing & production capabilities are in-place

Programmatic• Working to a September 15, 2009, launch date.

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Mars Science Laboratory

REMS

ChemCamMastCam

RAD

MAHLIAPXSBrush / AbraderDrill / SievesScoop

MARDI

SAMCheMin

DAN

Cruise Stage

Backshell

Descent Stage

Rover

Heatshield

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MEP Future: MSR is a Top Priority!Mars Sample Return remains an Mars Exploration Program and US

National Academy of Science priority• NRC’s Astrobiology Strategy for the Exploration of Mars reinforced the importance of sample

return in astrobiology as well as geology, geochemistry, etc

Sample Return is critical to solar system exploration• Increased emphasis on returning samples from various bodies in the solar system within

NASA’s Planetary Science Division• Interest in Lunar robotic sample missions increasing rapidly at NASA

NASA plans now call for Mars sample return in 2020!

International interest in 2020 mission expanding• NASA dates align with ESA Aurora Program MSR plans• ESF recently identified MSR as the “recommended next mission after ExoMars” for ESA

The potentially paradigm-changing nature of sample return from Mars, and mission expense, lends itself to an international effort

• IMEWG-chartered WG critical to solidifying plans, architectures, partnerships, etc.

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Mars Sample Return

Sample return must be thought of as a series of missions with the 2020 mission the first one

In order to get started on MSR NASA is making plans to place a sample cache on MSL

ESA considering adding a similar cache to their 2013 ExoMars mission

Sample caches on MSL and ExoMars are optional collections for pickup. These will provide valuable operational and procedural opportunities in the development of a full MSR capability.

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MSL Sample Cache Requirements

Sample containment• At least five samples with goal of ten• Materials chosen to minimize contamination

Sample emplacement• Inlet supports same range of solid sample

orientations as SAM and CheMin• Inlet and exposed covers visible to at least

one camera and photo documentedPlanetary protection

• Forward contamination reqts satisfied by methods comparable to those used on other hardware (e.g., wheels)

• MSR responsible for back contamination

Cache faces outboard in rover +X direction

Pyro Cutter

Cradle: Back / Front

Cache “Basket”

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Final Thoughts

Synergy of the Mars missions will continue to be of significant valueUp to now has been largely within a NASA frameworkWithin the next decade this will change to internationals partnerships

1st Mars Sample Return mission is being planned for 2020A well defined focused strategy will be needed to get thereWill require international coordination & cooperation

Next steps in Lunar exploration:The Moon is of fundamental importance to planetary scienceFirst destination for the Vision of ExplorationFeed-forward to Mars Sample Return

We need to work toward a synergy of Lunar missions for the benefit of all

NASA’s

“Flyby, Orbit, Land, Rove, and Return Samples”“Flyby, Orbit, Land, Rove, and Return Samples”

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

ESA Involvement• No ESA involvement• Some key spacecraft and instrument components

acquired from European companies.

Status: CDR completed in Nov 2006Technical: All spacecraft flight structures and avionics in fabrication. All instruments are in fabrication and testing, and all instrument deliveries are on track for late 2007. Mission Operations Center (MOC) in place at GSFC, Science Operations Centers (SOC) being set up a PI institutions. LRO will begin Orbiter integration and test late this summer.Programmatic: Project is on schedule and carrying adequate reserves (Budget, Schedule, Power, Mass)

Salient Features• Characterization of the lunar radiation environment,

develop global 3-D geodetic grid, provide topography necessary for selecting future landing and outpost sites, assess the resources and environments of the Moon’s polar regions.

• 50 km polar lunar orbit, 3- axis stabilized, primarily nadir pointed.

• Science Instruments: LOLA, CRaTER, LEND, LROC, LAMP, Diviner

• Technology Demonstration Package: Mini-RF.• Launch date: October 2008• Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401

• Also carries LCROSS Lunar impactor as a secondary.

• Operational life: The ESMD prime mission is 1 year. PSD expects to begin a science mission of up to 3 years with LRO following the completion of the primary exploration mission

Critical Design Review (CDR)

Launch

Ship to Launch

Assembly, Test, Launch Operations

Jan-06 Apr-06 Jul-06 Oct-06 Jan-07 Apr-07 Jul-07 Oct-07 Jan-08 Apr-08 Jul-08 Oct-08 Dec-08

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LRO Spacecraft

X

Z

Y

X

Z

Y

HIGH GAIN ANTENNA SYSTEM

INSTRUMENT MODULE

SOLAR ARRAY SYSTEM

PROPULSION MODULE

ISO-THERMAL PANEL/RADIATOR

SPACECRAFT BUS

LOLA

LEND

Mini-RF ANTENNA

LROC NAC (2)

LAMP

CRaTER

Diviner

X

ZY

X

ZY

LROC NACs

LEND

LAMP

LOLA

DIVINER

CRaTER

Mimi-RF

Launch Configuration

+/- Thrust

Lunar Nadir

LRO Orbiter Characteristics

Mass (CBE) 1823 kg

Dry: 924 kg

Fuel: 898 kg(1263 m/sec)

Orbit Average Bus Power 681 W

Data Volume, Max Downlink rate 459 Gb/day, 100Mb/sec

Pointing Accuracy, Knowledge 60, 30 arc-sec

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MSL Sample Cache Concept

Sample containment • At least five samples with a goal of ten• Container materials:

• The material(s) in direct contact with the samples shall be chosen to minimize contamination of the samples

• The cleanliness standard for the cache should be chosen similarly.

• Cache materials should be curated.

Sample emplacement• Cache inlet shall support deposits over the same range of orientations

as delivery of solid samples to SAM and CheMin.• The inlet and any exposed covers shall be visible by at least one

science or engineering imager, and be photo-documented

Requirements for Planetary Protection both forward and back contamination to be satisfied

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MSR Plans and StudiesNASA’s Mars Exploration Program MSR studies are already underway

• MSL Cache WG• MSL sample science and gaps

• Next Decade SAG• Returned sample characteristics• Achievable scientific objectives and collection techniques

IMARS Phase 1 schedule centered on ESA Ministerial Meeting in November 2008• March 2008: Initial research complete, common science objectives/requirements

negotiated, state-of-technology examined, and recommended architectures determined (1- 2)

• Report with final recommendations provided to IMEWG late June 2008

Additional US studies will be implemented as IMARS progresses, e.g.• Technology maturity and new technologies “survey” WRT 2001-02 US industry studies• 2018 acceleration study (after President’s FY09 budget release)• US solicitation and acquisition options

IMARS Phase 2 schedule to be developed at IMARS workshops through 2007-08

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Progress on an International Mars Sample Return

ESA’s Aurora Program contains a MSR mission in 2018-2020• Alignments with US Mars Exploration Program timing since its

replan in 2006• ESA contribution of 30-40% proposed; NASA Leadership desired

• Individual countries may join the partnership as well

The kick-off meeting of the International Mars Architecture for Return of Samples (IMARS) Working Group met in Rome September 21st

• Chartered by the International Mars Exploration Working Group (IMEWG) in May 2007 to develop a recommended architecture(s) to pursue for an international MSR mission

• Two phase study set planned; Phase I is underway• Phase I to consolidate international work-to-date for MSR by 3

key subteams– Science– Mission architectures– Sample receiving facilities and curation

• Phase 2 will create 1-2 common architectures for the mission, and developing national & organizational roles to execute the mission