Lunar and Planetary Surface Mission Operations and Analog Missions

1
Lunar and Planetary Surface Mission Operations
and Analog Missions

• Space Ops 2006 Conference 21 June 2006
• Larissa S. Arnold
• Co-Authors Susan E. Torney, John D. (Doug) Rask,
  and Scott A. Bleisath
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

2
Presentation Overview

• Introduction
• Considerations and Challenges for Surface
  Operation Architecture
• Analog Missions
• Types
• Lessons Learned
• Lunar Sortie Surface Operations Scenario
• Conclusion

3
Introduction

• Constellation Program (part of the Vision for
  Space Exploration)
• Lunar Sortie Surface Missions ( 7 days on the
  surface)
• Lunar Outpost Surface Missions
• Mars Surface Missions
• Mission Objectives
• Science and exploration
• Operational preparation and technology testing
  for future missions
• Re-learn how to live and work on a planetary
  surface
• Moon is a stepping stone for the rest of the
  solar system
• Activities associated with the crew living and
  working on the Moon
• Mission support from the Earth
• Operation of robotic and other remotely commanded
  equipment on the surface and in lunar orbit

4
Introduction (continued)

• In order to prepare for surface operations, must
  answer...
• What will the astronauts do on the lunar surface?
• How will they accomplish this?
• What tools are required for the tasks?
• How will robots and astronauts work together?
• What vehicle and system capabilities are required
  to support these activities?
• How will the crew and Earth-based mission control
  team interact?
• Investigating solutions to these questions and
  many more by performing analog missions
• Test operational concepts and task efficiency
• Test operations tools
• Test design, configuration, and functionality of
  hardware/software

5
Surface Operations Considerations and Challenges

• Role of Science Operations in Vehicle Design
• Surface Activity Planning
• Geologic Science
• Flight Controller Roles and Responsibilities
• EVA Suit Design
• EVA Airlock
• Dust Mitigation
• Unpressurized Rover Design and Operations
• Robotic Elements

6
Surface Operations Considerations and Challenges
(continued)

• Role of Science Operations in Vehicle Design
• Historical Background
• Space shuttle designed with a competent, flexible
  payload system
• Apollo improved their systems over multiple
  missions in order to increase science return
• Integration of crew and ops techniques/strategies
  into vehicle and equipment
• Systems designed to allow ground science team
  members to have mission cognizance
• Surface Activity Planning
• Historical Background
• EVAs planned out minute to minute, little time
  for deviation except for contingency (Apollo,
  Space Shuttle and ISS)
• Location and exact configuration of every task
  and piece of hardware known in advance (Space
  Shuttle and ISS)
• Future Operations
• Details of location and environment not
  completely known until surface ops in progress
• Real-time operations must allow flexibility for
  responding to unexpected discoveries
• Daily Planning Meeting between crew, ops
  personnel and scientists to plan out next days
  activities

7
Surface Operations Considerations and Challenges
(continued)

• Geologic Science
• Science operations for sortie missions include
• Emplacing surface experiments
• Conducting area geological surveys
• Selecting, collecting, documenting, and
  classifying samples
• Sortie missions similar to Apollo
• Little time for extensive analysis because sites
  are one shot only for that particular mission
• Limited cargo mass and volume allocated for
  sample return
• Flight Controller Roles and Responsibilities
• Historical Background
• Ops Team plans and executes activities per the
  mission requirements
• Engineering Teams provide vehicle expertise to
  validate operational plans and procedures fall
  within vehicle limits and capabilities
• Surface Operations
• Ops and Science Team provide long term planning
  and detailed analysis role
• Crew and vehicles are more autonomous
• Integrate scientific desires with operational
  capabilities

8
Surface Operations Considerations and Challenges
(continued)

• EVA Suit Design
• Historical Background
• EVA suits cumbersome and inflexible (Apollo)
• Center of gravity not placed at operationally
  optimal location (Apollo)
• Future designs
• High mobility, durability, and dust resistance
• Tool and EVA glove design integrated to maximize
  crew effectiveness in using tools continuously
• EVA Airlock Design
• Maximize operational flexibility and crew safety
• Allows some of EVA crewmembers to remain in LSAM
  during EVA ops
• Allows for rotation of EVA crews throughout the
  day
• Dust Mitigation
• Historical Background
• Abrasive and jams moving parts (Apollo)
• Airlock keeps dust out of living quarters of the
  LSAM
• Possible solutions
• Mechanical brushes
• Vacuum cleaner mechanism
• Some electrical current to repel dust

9
Surface Operations Considerations and Challenges
(continued)

• Unpressurized Rover Design and Operations
• Historical Background
• Allowed crew to cover more surface area (Apollo)
• Rovers extend the range and scope of operations
• Can explore an area or get to/from a specific
  location
• Less consumable expenditure
• Carry tools, equipment, and consumables
• Robotic Elements
• Robotic orbiter and surface robots study lunar
  geography
• Integrated into operations planning
• Demonstrate use as real-time EVA robotic
  assistant
• Survey sites for landing locations and outpost
  layout planning
• Characterize local surface sites for scientific
  potential and future ISRU operations
• Perform geologic exploration

10
Exploration Analog Missions

• Earth-based missions with characteristics that
  are analogous to missions on the Moon or Mars.
• A framework in which to exercise, evaluate, and
  refine operational concepts.
• Opportunities to test
• Technologies
• Design, configuration, and functionality of
  spacesuits, robots, rovers, and habitats
• Techniques and procedures for surface field
  geology and planetary protection
• Categories
• Landscape and Geology
• Habitation
• Science Operations
• Engineering and Technology Field Testing

11
Exploration Planning and Operations Center (ExPOC)

• A mini-mission control center (MCC) for analog
  missions
• Flight control team positions
• Ops Director (OPS)
• Communications and Activities Officer (CAO)
• Data Officer (DATA)
• Science Officer
• Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) Operator
• Plan, train, and conduct analog missions
  (objectives, scenarios, procedures, etc.)
• Each mission has specific lunar sortie analogies
  and applications

12
Surface Operation Analog Missions

• NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations
  (NEEMO)
• NOAAs Aquarius Habitat off the coast of Florida
• Most robust analog, encompassing all categories
• Highlights
• Crew lives together for 1-3 weeks
• Crew performs tasks similar to a lunar sortie,
  including science operations and EVAs (dives)
• Tele-medicine, tele-science, tele-robotics
  operation by ExPOC or remote PIs
• Desert Research Technology Studies
• (Desert RATS)
• Arizona Desert near Meteor Crater and Cinder Lake
• Encompasses all categories except habitation
• Highlights
• Multi-day science scenario selecting sample
  locations and procedures
• ExPOC tele-operation of SCOUT rover and video
  cameras for situational awareness
• Tests of EVA suits, rover, robotic assistants,
  science trailer, and various other support
  equipment

13
Surface Operation Analog Missions (cont.)

• NASA Haughton Mars Project (HMP) at Devon Island
• Haughton Crater on Devon Island, Canada
• Encompasses all categories except habitation
• Highlights
• Simulated mars time delay
• ExPOC assisted with daily activity planning,
  traverse route planning, remote science, etc.

• NASA Oceanographic Analog Mission Operations
  (NOAMA)
• Exploration of Atlantic and Pacific hydrothermal
  vent sites
• Science analog emulating astrobiology research in
  the solar system
• Highlights
• NASA JSC Crew performed science operations
  (sample recovery, processing, and preservation)
  aboard ship
• ExPOC coordinated the distributed international
  science team

14
Lessons Learned from Analog Missions

• Human / Robotic Interaction and Situational
  Awareness
• ExPOC Operation of ROV (NEEMO, Desert RATS)
• Enhanced ExPOCs situational awareness during
  crew EVA tasks
• During EVA ROV assistant for crew (carry tools,
  samples, etc)
• Independent of crew site reconnaissance,
  construction work, lost item search
• Crew time required for setup / stow / maintenance
• ROV design considerations (NEEMO, Desert RATS)
• Dexterity and strength to perform required tasks
• Traverse the terrain while maintaining stability
  and mobility
• Other systems must be designed to interact with
  ROV (comm, tools)

15
Lessons Learned from Analog Missions (cont)

• Influence of Comm on Crew and MCC Roles
• ExPOC and Crew roles with Mars time delay (NOAMA)
• Crew responsible for real-time decisions and
  daily activity scheduling
• No direct, real-time ExPOC assistance to crew
  during science operations
• ExPOC planned high level crew objectives and
  updated these based on crews daily
  accomplishments
• ExPOC Roles
• Coordinate the science team activities and inputs
  to the crew
• Remote research assistant for the crew
• Solutions to operational problems

16
Lessons Learned from Analog Missions (cont)

• Mission Priorities and Work Activity Scheduling
• Revise activities based upon significant new
  discoveries or operational contingencies.
• Crew should have authority and flexibility to
  schedule most of their own daily activities
• Crew schedule should have margin for real-time
  discoveries and contingencies
• Operations and science teams will adapt long-term
  mission planning to schedule changes
• Often underestimate the time overhead associated
  with operating in an extreme environment
• Dust affected equipment operation (HMP, Desert
  RATS)
• Less-than-expected comm bandwidth increased data
  transfer times (HMP)

17
Lunar Sortie Mission Scenario
18
General Info about Lunar Sortie

• A week or less of intensive surface EVA ops
• Short Duration EVAs 4 hours
• 1 to 3 km walk / 5-10 km rover traverses
• Long Duration EVAs 6 to 8 hours
• 10-15 km rover traverses
• Crew living and working out of the Lunar Surface
  Access Module (LSAM)
• Rigorous test of the vehicles, EVA suits and
  equipment, and operational techniques
• Maximize science return
• Pace of activity will be intense

19
Lunar Surface Activities

• Initial Surface Configuration Activities
• LSAM systems and cabin reconfiguration for
  surface ops
• Daily Activities
• Postsleep
• LSAM systems and cabin reconfiguration
• Review of the days activities and procedures
• Pre-sleep
• Housekeeping
• PAO events
• Medical and Family Conferences
• LSAM configuration for crew sleep
• Surface EVAs
• LSAM Lunar Ascent Preparations
• Stow all equipment, experiments, and lunar
  samples
• LSAM systems and cabin reconfiguration for ascent

20
Overview of Lunar Surface EVAs

• Surface EVAs
• Focus on Exploration science and technology
  demonstrations
• Sortie missions will range from 4 to 7 days.
• May have short duration EVAs (4-6 hours) on
  landing and ascent days
• May have longer duration EVAs (6-8 hours) on
  other days
• IVA Tasks in support of Surface EVAs
• Monitor equipment and timeline
• Tele-operate robotic assistants
• Operate experiments
• Sample screening (if possible)
• Maintenance and cleaning of equipment (both LSAM
  and EVA)
• Surface Mobility Rovers
• Provide EVA crew, tool, and geologic sample
  mobility on surface
• Alleviate crewmember fatique
• Reduce suit consumables
• May provide suit consumable resupply

21
Lunar Surface EVA Tasks

• EVA Surface Tasks
• Crew Activities
• Scout worksites for experiments to be performed
  on later EVAs or later missions
• Types of Science activities performed
• Survey the local surface geology by collecting
  samples and provide a verbal descriptive
  narrative
• Conduct subsurface investigation by drilling or
  trenching
• Deploy experiment packages to monitor geophysical
  and space characteristics
• Perform technology demonstrations
• MCC Activities
• Monitor spacesuit consumables and suit
  performance
• Determine some of the science sites based on
  real-time observations
• Determine any real-time science procedure changes
• Manage any robotic assistants
• Activate and operate the deployed experiments

22
Conclusion

• Exciting challenge before us to return to the
  moon
• Moon is a stepping stone to the rest of the solar
  system
• Every mission is a rigorous test flight for
  vehicles, equipment, and operations processes
• By performing analog missions and refining
  operations concepts, we begin to transform the
  Vision for Space Exploration from a set of goals
  into concrete realities of space exploration
• As directed by the President, NASA is pursuing
  opportunities for international participation in
  the Vision for U.S. Space Exploration
• NASA is engaged with many nations and space
  agencies in this global effort
• We look forward to continuing our working
  relationship with our international partners in
  future exploration