Phobos Surveyor

Last updated

Phobos Surveyor is a mission concept under preliminary study by Marco Pavone of Stanford University, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), [1] [2] and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [3] as a part of NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program. [4]

Contents

The concept consists of an orbiter around Mars's moon Phobos, designed to take measurements of the surface such as chemical composition [1] and deploy small, sea-urchin-shaped rovers [2] to the surface. These rovers would perform more detailed analysis of the moon's microscopic geological features and other properties, beaming their information back to the orbiter, which in turn would send the information to Earth. [1]

The mission could be a Discovery-class mission, [5] and could be beneficial to the future crewed space program by investigating the low-gravity Phobos's suitability for an occupied base before the construction of one on Mars itself [6] and where on the moon landing sites for crewed missions should be. [4] Although designed with "Phobos in mind" according to Pavone, this technology could be applied to missions to other small Solar System bodies. [1]

Testing and mission architecture

The crater Stickney, a preferred target for Phobos Surveyor. Stickney crater on Phobos.jpg
The crater Stickney, a preferred target for Phobos Surveyor.

Pavone and his group have already constructed and tested two generations of rovers, and hopes to begin low-gravity testing of his rovers by the summer of 2013. [1] [ needs update ] These tests will simulate the low-gravity environment of Phobos first by means of a crane and by 2015, Pavone hopes, using an aircraft designed to reduce the force of gravity for its occupants. [3] [ needs update ] The testing arena will be designed to mimic the surface of Phobos as closely as possible, containing rocks and using flour to take the place of asteroid dust. [1]

In the mission concept, [7] the rovers would be released near Phobos's large crater Stickney, where the orbiter would hover in a stable orbit around Phobos, and where the rovers themselves would gain access to the innermost rock layers of Phobos for analysis in situ [1] and create a target for a future sample-return mission. [8] This would be important scientifically, as it would allow a determination of whether Phobos is an asteroid captured by Mars's gravity, or a fragment of Mars that was lifted into orbit by an asteroid or comet impact [3] and would increase knowledge on the nature of Mars itself. [8] A mission to Phobos would also give the scientific community greater insights into the formation and evolution of the Solar System into its present state. [8]

The low gravity of Phobos, as well as the existence of caves created by the impact that also created Stickney, make Phobos a prime target for the construction of a space colony, due to the ease of launching rockets from its surface (resulting from its low gravity) and the radiation protection provided by the caves. [9] Further assessment of the moon as a location for colonization and where on the moon human colonies should be constructed would be possible with the relatively inexpensive rovers before taking on the expense of crewed missions. [6]

Rover design

Measuring roughly 2 feet (0.6 m) across, [3] the rovers for Phobos Surveyor are shaped like sea urchins [2] in order to adapt to the low-gravity environments in which they are designed to function, [4] for which they have been often called "hedgehogs". [1] [2] [3] [4] [6] Propulsion of the hedgehogs, rather than with wheels as in traditional Mars rovers, involves three spinning disks [1] in an orthogonal configuration, which are accelerated or decelerated to change the hedgehogs' speed and whose inertia allows the hedgehogs to move around Phobos. [1] Consequently, the hedgehogs will move not by rotating themselves on the surface, but rather in a series of controlled hops or short flights across the surface of the body they are exploring, [2] powered by solar panels on each rover's surface. [6]

In addition to their ability to work well in conditions of low gravity, the hedgehog design, as well as other designs which move by hopping around a body's surface, have several advantages over traditional rovers. Rather than being stopped by geological features such as canyons and crevasses, these designs, collectively known as hoppers, can simply hop over such impediments. [6] In addition, hoppers cannot have stuck wheels, a problem which ended the mission of NASA's Spirit Mars rover. [6]

Although there will be some degree of control of the hedgehogs by humans on Earth, they are largely robotic and will take most decisions without human intervention, [1] determining their location and future movements by means of communication with each other. [6] Pavone states that the new system represents "the next level of autonomy in space." [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

Phobos (moon) Larger, inner moon of Mars

Phobos is the innermost and larger of the two natural satellites of Mars, the other being Deimos. Both moons were discovered in 1877 by American astronomer Asaph Hall. Phobos is named after the Greek god Phobos, a son of Ares (Mars) and Aphrodite (Venus) and twin brother of Deimos. Phobos was the god and personification of fear and panic.

Deimos (moon) Smaller, outer moon of Mars

Deimos is the smaller and outermost of the two natural satellites of Mars, the other being Phobos. Deimos has a mean radius of 6.2 km (3.9 mi) and takes 30.3 hours to orbit Mars. Deimos is 23,460 km (14,580 mi) from Mars, much farther than Mars's other moon, Phobos. It is named after Deimos, the Ancient Greek god and personification of dread and terror, and who is also a son of Ares and Aphrodite and the twin brother of Phobos.

Uncrewed spacecraft Spacecraft without people on board

Uncrewed spacecraft or unmanned spacecraft are spacecraft without people on board, used for robotic spaceflight. Uncrewed spacecraft may have varying levels of autonomy from human input; they may be remote controlled, remote guided or even autonomous, meaning they have a pre-programmed list of operations, which they will execute unless otherwise instructed.

Lander (spacecraft) Type of spacecraft

A lander is a spacecraft that descends towards, comes to rest on, the surface of an astronomical body. In contrast to an impact probe, which makes a hard landing that damages or destroys the probe upon reaching the surface, a lander makes a soft landing after which the probe remains functional.

Exploration of Mars Overview of the exploration of Mars

The planet Mars has been explored remotely by spacecraft. Probes sent from Earth, beginning in the late 20th century, have yielded a large increase in knowledge about the Martian system, focused primarily on understanding its geology and habitability potential. Engineering interplanetary journeys is complicated and the exploration of Mars has experienced a high failure rate, especially the early attempts. Roughly sixty percent of all spacecraft destined for Mars failed before completing their missions and some failed before their observations could begin. Some missions have met with unexpected success, such as the twin Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity which operated for years beyond their specification.

Discovery Program Ongoing solar system exploration program by NASA

The Discovery Program is a series of solar system exploration missions funded by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through its Planetary Missions Program Office. The cost of each mission is capped at a lower level than missions from NASA's New Frontiers or Flagship Programs. As a result, Discovery missions tend to be more focused on a specific scientific goal rather than serving a general purpose.

Moons of Mars Natural satellites orbiting Mars

The two moons of Mars are Phobos and Deimos. They are irregular in shape. Both were discovered by American astronomer Asaph Hall in August 1877 and are named after the Greek mythological twin characters Phobos and Deimos who accompanied their father Ares into battle. Ares, god of war, was known to the Romans as Mars.

Astronomy on Mars

In many cases astronomical phenomena viewed from the planet Mars are the same or similar to those seen from Earth but sometimes they can be quite different. For example, because the atmosphere of Mars does not contain an ozone layer, it is also possible to make UV observations from the surface of Mars.

Sample-return mission Spacecraft mission

A sample-return mission is a spacecraft mission to collect and return samples from an extraterrestrial location to Earth for analysis. Sample-return missions may bring back merely atoms and molecules or a deposit of complex compounds such as loose material and rocks. These samples may be obtained in a number of ways, such as soil and rock excavation or a collector array used for capturing particles of solar wind or cometary debris.

In situ resource utilization Astronautical use of materials harvested in outer space

In space exploration, in situ resource utilization (ISRU) is the practice of collection, processing, storing and use of materials found or manufactured on other astronomical objects that replace materials that would otherwise be brought from Earth.

Phobos monolith

The Phobos monolith is a large rock on the surface of Mars's moon Phobos. It is a boulder about 85 m (279 ft) across and 90 m (300 ft) tall. A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive piece of rock. Monoliths also occur naturally on Earth, but it has been suggested that the Phobos monolith may be a piece of impact ejecta. The monolith is a bright object near Stickney crater, described as a "building sized" boulder, which casts a prominent shadow. It was discovered by Efrain Palermo, who did extensive surveys of Martian probe imagery, and later confirmed by Lan Fleming, an imaging sub-contractor at NASA Johnson Space Center.

Asteroid Redirect Mission 2013–2017 proposed NASA space mission

The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), also known as the Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization (ARU) mission and the Asteroid Initiative, was a space mission proposed by NASA in 2013. The Asteroid Retrieval Robotic Mission (ARRM) spacecraft would rendezvous with a large near-Earth asteroid and use robotic arms with anchoring grippers to retrieve a 4-meter boulder from the asteroid.

Phobos And Deimos & Mars Environment NASA Mars orbiter mission concept

Phobos And Deimos & Mars Environment (PADME) is a low-cost NASA Mars orbiter mission concept that would address longstanding unknowns about Mars' two moons Phobos and Deimos and their environment.

Phootprint is a proposed sample-return mission to the Mars moon Phobos by the European Space Agency (ESA), proposed to be launched in 2024.

Mars Base Camp Concept Mars orbiter

Mars Base Camp (MBC) is a crewed Mars laboratory orbiter concept under study that was commissioned by NASA from Lockheed Martin in US. It would use both future and proven concepts as well as the Orion MPCV, also built by Lockheed Martin.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Mars:

Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) Planned sample-return mission by Japan to Phobos

The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) is a robotic space probe set for launch in 2024 to bring back the first samples from Mars' largest moon Phobos. Developed by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and announced on 9 June 2015, MMX will land and collect samples from Phobos once or twice, along with conducting Deimos flyby observations and monitoring Mars' climate.

Deimos and Phobos Interior Explorer (DePhine) is a European mission concept to use a dedicated orbiter to explore the two Moons of Mars: Phobos and Deimos. The mission concept was proposed in 2016 to the European Space Agency's Cosmic Vision programme for launch in 2030, but it was not chosen as a finalist for the M5 mission class.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pandika, Melissa (December 28, 2012). "Stanford researchers develop acrobatic space rovers to explore moons and asteroids". Stanford Report. Stanford, California. Stanford News Service. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Tarantola, Andrew (January 2, 2013). "NASA's Developing Robotic "Hedgehogs" to Explore a Maritan Moon". Gizmodo . Gizmodo. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 LeBlond, Lawrence (January 3, 2013). "Hedgehog Rovers Will Bounce, Hop, Leap Their Way Over Martian Moon Phobos". redOrbit. redOrbit.com. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Donahue, John (January 3, 2013). "Stanford: Phobos Surveyor Will Roam the Martian Moon". The Guardian Express. The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 6, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  5. ↑ Howel, Elizabeth (19 January 2013). "NASA Eyes 'Hedgehog' Invasion of Mars Moon Phobos". Space.com . Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Boyle, Rebecca (December 31, 2012). "Next-Gen Space Rovers Do Acrobatics, Look Like Medieval Weapons". Popular Science . Popular Science. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  7. ↑ Spacecraft/Rover Hybrids for the Exploration of Small Solar System Bodies. (PDF) Marco Pavone, et al. 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 Roach, John (January 2, 2012). "Spikey robot 'hedgehogs' to explore Martian moon". NBCnews.com. National Broadcasting Service. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  9. ↑ Kaku, Michio (2011). "Future of Space Travel". Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100 . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 265. ISBN   978-0-141-93139-5.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.