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NASA
and JPL Win A Big One On Mars
By Jim Bennett and Gary Sunkin
January 15, 2004
MISSION
IMPOSSIBLE IS ON TRACK AND READY FOR
EXPLORATION
Less than 5 miles from Pasadena's Rose
Bowl, Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL) division carefully manages and
develops the Mars Exploration Rover
project among its many assignments for
NASA's Office of Space Science. The entire
mission team scored an incredible
scientific and exploration touchdown
against numerous challenges and odds from
the mission's conception to its
introduction to Mars.
-----On
January 3 at 8:51 pm PST the first of two
Mars rovers named "Spirit" was
successfully placed directly on target
within the 95 mile wide Gusev Crater near
the Martian equator. This mission was
built on "lessons learned" from previous
missions like 1997's Pathfinder, the
latest in top creative and scientific
"can-do thinking" and a $820 million total
project investment that includes two super
hi-tech maxi-ATV sized Mars Rovers that
function as "robotic field geologists"
seeking out "ground truths" on another
planet. The other rover, Opportunity is
the scheduled to land at Meridiani Planum
on the far side of Mars January 25 with a
confirmed landing signal to Earth planned
for 9:05 PM PST on January 24. Originally
the two rover concept was planned to
double the chances of mission success and
increase possibilities for scientific
exploration to assess whether liquid water
on Mars has ever made environments
conducive to life. Each rover has a
primary mission operational specification
of 90 Mars days or "sols" (equivalent to
92 Earth days) at near surface
temperatures at the landing sites of
&endash;100 C (-148 F) to 0 C (32 F).
-----Underscoring
NASA's commitment for success JPL Director
Dr. Charles Elachi said "We have done
everything we know that could be humanly
done to ensure success. We have conducted
more testing and external reviews for the
Mars Exploration Rovers than for any
previous interplanetary mission."
MISSION
SCOPE
The misson's total scope and main
elements are impressive. Here are some
highlights: The rovers are the project
centerpieces and function as mobile
laboratories. They are designated to
conduct geological fieldwork including the
examination of rocks and soils that may
reveal past water activity. Science
instruments include Panoramic cameras,
miniature thermal emission spectrometer,
Mossbauer spectrometer, alpha particle
X-ray spectrometer, microscopic imager,
rock abrasion tool and magnet arrays. Each
rover weighs 174 kilograms (384 pounds)
and measures 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) high by
2.3 meters (7.5 feet) wide by 1.6 meters
(5.2 feet) long. They are powered by a
solar panel and lithium-ion battery
providing 140 watts on Mars surface.
----- Each
rover spacecraft was launched from Flordia
on three stage Delta II rockets and spent
about seven months in cruise mode en route
to Mars. During the cruise and Mars
approach solar panels provided
electricity, JPL performed commanded
trajectory correction maneuvers,
instrument checkouts and other corrections
are carefully calculated firings of
thrusters to make planned adjustments to
the spacecraft's flight path including an
optional final maneuver on arrival day to
tweak landing targeting. Spacecraft
tracking is done by two traditional
tracking schemes and supplemented by a
newer method called delta differential
one-way range measurement which helps
reduce the amount of uncertainty in
delivering the rovers to their targeted
landing sites. The new method also uses
the Deep Space Network sites on two
different continents to simultaneously
receive spacecraft signals from this
triangulation method to improve
accuracy.
-----
Additionally, space travel time is
used by JPL to test critical procedures,
equipment and software in preparation for
arrival. Entry, descent and landing
techniques used proven and enhanced
systems such as the airbag-cushioned
landing scheme that successfully delivered
Mars Pathfinder to the planet in 1997.
Within minutes after a successful landing,
motors will begin retracting the airbags
and then the lander petals will open
uncovering a rover tucked snugly inside.
Hazard identification cameras mounted
below the plane of the solar panels will
begin taking images of the immediate
surroundings and transmitting them back to
earth. Approximately one week will be
needed to complete a series of engineering
and scientific tasks before moving the
rover off its lander. At that point, new
and exciting chapters of Mars terrestrial
exploration begin.
SPIRIT'S
REMARKABLE EARLY
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
NASA's Spirit Mars Exploration Rover
traveled over 300 million miles since a
June 10, 2003 Cape Canaveral launch. The
spacecraft and Spirit Rover survived space
travel hazards and a fiery 80 mile descent
through Mars atmosphere at speeds starting
at 12,300 mph. Its precise safe landing in
the Gusey Crater adjacent to the Martian
equator Saturday night at 8:51pm Pasadena
time was less than 6 miles from the
planned landing target center. This
remarkable success may mark the reopening
of a new era of space and scientific
exploration and achievement not seen since
the sixties with the Apollo moon
missions.
----- Perhaps
this successful Mars Rover mission will
provide the right spark and proof of
performance for the U S administration.
Its important to note that Mars is a very
difficult destination especially with a
precise landing and on the surface roving,
analysis and transmission of data back to
earth. Review of worldwide efforts
indicate 66% of the Mars space missions
have failed, including the recent ESA Mars
Express/ Beagle 2 December, 2003 and the
Japanese Nozomi December 13, 2003 efforts.
However, success a major elements of this
daring and well planned mission maybe
enough to start justifying much needed
additional governmental scientific and
financial support. Recently informed
sources suggested the President may
announce new support for space based
projects around the December 17 activities
centered around the 100th anniversary of
flight celebrations.
----- The
difficulty and complexity of these
missions is lost on the general public and
many otherwise intelligent people
worldwide. Only America's NASA and some
key international partners have been
making key space and technical
breakthroughs for decades against
difficult challenges and some loss of
life. At the dawn of the 21st century the
Internet, created in America by DARPA will
play key roles in these current missions.
It will also effectively inform a
worldwide audience of hundreds of millions
and perhaps billions of these remarkable
space explorations and perhaps technology
benefits to the world's citizens.
TEAMWORK
PAR EXCELLANCE WITH PERSONAL
COMMITMENTS
At JPL on Saturday evening, nervous,
determined and laser focused NASA team
members quickly turned into elated,
cheering celebrants. They were shaking
hands, hugging fellow scientists and team
members upon receiving confirmation from
NASA's Goldstone antenna that the Rover's
low gain antenna was transmitting a strong
signal from Mars. Dr. Charles Elachi,
Director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab was
elated with the good news and was quick to
give credit to the many people who have
contributed their full commitment and
talents by working around the clock,
including holidays, and creatively using
their enormous talents for months and
years to make this early phase of the
mission a "picture perfect" success.
-----The
mission's importance was underscored by
the presence and sincere personal
engagement and support of NASA's top
administrators. Sean O'Keefe NASA top
Administrator was actively engaged with
fellow governmental and NASA team members
in the mission control room for most of
the evening prior to and during the
spacecraft's precise Mars atmosphere entry
and difficult descent. The time between
Mars initial atmosphere encounter to "safe
roll stop" landing and signal confirmation
is especially critical and could range
from 91 minutes to hours depending on
conditions encountered. The most intense
time is called by many NASA team members
the "Six Minutes Of Hell" due to high
velocity speeds and temperatures, 12,000
mph and up to 2,637 F temperatures on the
heat shield and communications black outs.
Operational communications delays of the
spacecraft and rovers extend into minutes
due to distance and operating conditions
but NASA has learned to operate within
these limitations.
-----Mr.
O'Keefe, still clearly beaming with the
energy of relief and success, kicked off
the press conference shortly after
confirmation of a successful landing by
NASA's Deep Space Tracking Network. He
opened his remarks by saying, "This is a
big night for NASA. We're Back. I'm very,
very proud of this team that we are on
Mars." Celebratory champagne served by Mr.
O'Keefe and more congratulations followed
adding to the accomplishments of the
moment and the opportunities ahead. This
mission is clearly demonstrating how NASA
can flawlessly perform the first critical
steps in the challenging Mars operations
environment namely descent survival and
delivery of a fully functioning Mars Rover
within a few miles of the intended optimum
landing spot.
-----Ed
Weiler, NASA Associate Administrator For
Space Science has four decades of space
experience. He has seen and experienced
many cycles of space exploration and
underscores progress continues to be made
and the Mars Rover program is of
significant importance. When asked about
the degree of difficulty in this early
phase of the Mars Rover misson both Mr.
Weiler and JPL's Dr. Elachi provided two
compelling examples. "It's like trying to
thread a needle with thread from miles
away." Also, "It's like playing golf in
New York City and hitting a hole in one to
Tokyo with a formidable water hazard (the
Pacific Ocean) in between." Louis
D'Amario, JPL's lead navigation chief
commented that last minute landing program
adjustments had to be made to compensate
for a Martian dust storm and the possible
heating and thinning of the upper
atmosphere so the spacecraft's parachute
would deploy earlier to minimize a hard
landing.
----- Wayne
Lee , JPL entry descent and landing chief
engineer was among the most animated and
colorfully dressed team member in the JPL
control room. His red, white and blue
American flag styled shirt was observable
throughout the control room and he
appeared to be at the top of his game for
this important landing. His pre-landing
interviews were informative and during the
descent he was a frequent "go to"
person.
-----Peter
Theisinger, Mars Rover Project Manager
said "more objectives need to be
accomplished before the mission is
completed but much risk has been
successfully minimized with this very
successful descent and landing."
-----Jennifer
Trosper, Mission Manager for Surface
Operations, looked relieved after the
landing. She later mentioned high levels
of dust was affecting solar battery
charging and energy usage must be
carefully watched.
-----Cornell
University's Steven Squyres, the mission's
Principal Investigator was overjoyed with
the successful landing and the spectacular
images Spirit was transmitting. Over 60
monotone images were transmitted by Spirit
late Saturday night. They were studied by
NASA/JPL mission scientists and admired by
journalists alike. High resolution color
images were going to be received from the
rover's panoramic camera on Monday.
A
NEW BEGINNING
This is a great start for a well
deserved mission that may re-open a new
stage of scientific discovery and perhaps
significant commercialization and benefits
for earth's citizens and generations to
come.
///
Respectfully
Submitted
Josie
Cory
Publisher/Editor
TVI Magazine
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