Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

Eva Ruggiero-Ramirez

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

Abstract
Through a series of successful explorations of our neighboring planet, Mars, our
knowledge of its geology, weather and history has increased amazingly. Although many
great advances have been accomplished, we still havent been able to confirm the
existence of microbial life on the red planet. The essential resource for living organisms
is water, and as research has proven this element is present at the northern and southern
Martian ice caps.
The goal of this mission is to further explore and analyze the characteristics of water on
Mars. Adventurer, a Mars exploration rover was engineered with the purpose of finding
traces of water in the red planet; it has the capability of accomplishing these goals. Once
water is analyzed its components will answer many questions as well as provide a new
platform for more extensive research.
In the future, human exploration on Mars will be possible and one of the most essential
components of such missions will be the availability of drinkable water. How difficult
would it be to harvest it? Will it be capable of sustaining life? What other properties
does it hold? It also helps answer questions about the existence of ancient life and the
destruction of the same. One of the greatest wonders of our days is how similar is planet
Earth to Mars. Could earth undergo the same faith as the red planet? Finding water
could also help scientist figure out what atmospheric changes caused the precious liquid
to disappear form the landscape.
Through different science instruments Adventurer will be able to identify and analyze
material such as hematite, gypsum, halites/salt and phyllosilicates, which implicates
hydrating environments. During the summer season in Mars, Adventurer will also be

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

able to analyze the surface under the evaporated dry ice cap around the rim of Isidis
Planitia. This will give scientist the advantage of knowing the composition and thickness
of liquid water on Mars. During the winter season adventurer will be able to analyze the
depth of the dry ice surface on the ice cap.
Adventurer uses many of the same principles and equipment used in past missions,
allowing for a lower mission budget. Due to the proximity to the polar cap the duration
of this mission is calculated at six to eight month. It is recommended the chassis of the
rover be manufactured out of a super alloy to make it more resistant to drastic weather
changes.

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

Table Of Contents

Timeline-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5-8
Team----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9-11
Outreach----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12-13
References------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

Timeline
Pre-launch activities:
Landing Site: The chosen landing site is Isisdis Planitia. Being part of the northern
Marsian ice cap contains a rich dry ice surface.

Assembly and testing: The rover shall be assembled and tested in a clean room at Jet
Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena California. At this stage the rover will take form and
instruments will be installed. All systems will be tested and adjustments made as
necessary.

Shipping the spacecraft to Cape Canaveral: The rover and its cruise stage will be
taken apart and transported to Florida to prepare for launch.
Hardware will be boxed and transported to the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside,
California. From this location the rover and its components will be flown to Florida via
an Air Force C-17 cargo plane. At least two trips will be needed.
Once the rover and its components arrive at Kennedy Space Center reassembly and
further testing are necessary.

Assembly and testing at Kennedy Space Center: A team of engineers and technicians
will use the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility cleanroom at Kennedy Space Center to
reassemble and test the spacecraft. At this time the rocket chosen to launch the rover will
be prepared.

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

The backshell power descent vehicle containing the rover will be placed inside the
backshell and closed off with the spacecrafts aeroshell.

Launch: Lift off from earth.

Cruise: Once the launch phase is completed, after separation from the launch vehicle,
the cruise phase begins. Cruise will end 45 days from entry to the Martian atmosphere.
At this stage the approach phase begins.
Activities:

Health checks and maintenance to the spacecraft.

Configuration monitoring and calibration of the spacecraft.

Subsystems attitude corrections to keep antenna pointing towards earth for

communications and to point solar panels towards the sun for power source.

Trajectory correction maneuvers for determining and correcting the vehicles

flight path and for training navigators to approach preparation for entry, descent
and landing and surface operations.

Guided entry: Spacecraft controlled by small rockets during descent through the Martian
atmosphere.
Parachute Descent: The spacecraft will be slowed by a large parachute.
Power descent: Rockets will control the spacecrafts descent until the rover separates
from the sky crane.
Sky crane: Will lower the rover to a soft landing wheels down on the surface of Mars.

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

Approach: Work for this stage starts 45 days before entering the Martian atmosphere,
and it lasts until the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere.
The activities engineers focus on during this stage include:

Final trajectory correction maneuvers: used to make final adjustments to the

spacecrafts final trajectory to Mars.

Attitude pointing updates: as needed for communication and power.

Delta DOR measurements: monitors spacecraft position and secures accurate

delivery.

Start of entry, descent and landing behavior software: automatically executes

commands during phase entry, descent and landing parameter updates.

Spacecraft activities: leading up to the final turn to the entry attitude and
separation from the cruise stage.

The loading of surface sequences and communications windows: needed for

the first several sols.

Entry, descent and landing: Travel through the Martian atmosphere to the surface of
the red planet.

First drive: After landing, engineers will perform tests to ensure the rover is a healthy
state and move it for the first time from its original position in the landing zone.

Complete automatic computer sequences:

Check Martian temperature to make sure they dont promote restrictions on

operations.

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

Test communications with earth via a high grain antenna.

Test communications with earth via a UHF antenna.

Unfold mast carrying panoramic and navigation cameras.

Take images as soon as possible.

Help mission controllers pinpoint the rovers exact location based on ground,

orbital images and the time it takes for images to travel between the rover and the
orbiting spacecraft.

Surface operations:

Rovers time conducting scientific operations at Isisdis Planitia.

Rover will collect, grind, distribute and analyze different samples.

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

Team
Project Manager:
Job Responsibilities:
Organize tasks, time, resources and people.
Make sure all departments come together in a timely manner to complete the overall goal.
Clearly communicate with all departments to ensure the completion of the different tasks
accurately.
Education:
Degree in Management.

Project Scientist:
Job Responsibilities:
Identifies challenges and conducts research to find a suitable solution.
Provides information on how processes, methods and experiments will improve the
outcome of the mission.
Identifies specific scientific equipment to be installed on the rover in order to conduct
desired experiments.
Reports to the project manager on the progress of the project.
Instructs deputy project scientist.
Education:
B.S. Geology/Geophysics.
Special certification in the field.

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

10

Deputy Project Scientist:

Job Responsibilities:
Create reports.
Assist Project Scientist in conducting research on different project objectives.
Education:
B.S. Physics/Mechanical Engineering

Mission Operations Assurance Manager:

Job Responsibilities:
Manage quality improvement activities or programs.
Identify and resolve errors with the equipment and software.
Education:
Engineering degree, Mechanical/Aeronautic.
Software operation knowledge.

Science Payload Principal Investigator:

Job Responsibilities:
To research and test different science instruments necessary for the successful completion
of the missions goals.
To determine which science instruments will be installed on rover.
Education:
Degree in Geological Science/Astronomy

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

11

Deputy Science Payload Principal Investigator:

Job Responsibilities:
Assist in the research and testing of different science instruments to be carried on rover.
Education:
Degree in Geology/Astronomy

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

12

Outreach
Organizations to contact and specific approach:

Engineering Associations: Provide associations with current material on new

developments and research.

School Colleges and Universities: Promote the different fields of Engineering,

Geology, Astronomy and Physics through a hands on curriculum focused on the
exploration of outer space.

Educators and Students: Provide access to important information on the

development of the mission and updated material on new experiments and
pictures.

Public television: Develop a Rover cartoon show to inform kids about the current
missions progress in a kids friendly language. Rover updates during prime time
programming: small reviews on missions progress including pictures and
interesting facts.

Develop a missions interactive webpage containing information about the current

mission and new development. Provides pictures and updated material. Include
links to different social media like Facebook, twitter, instagram and others.

Develop a kid friendly webpage to provide information and new development on

the current mission. Gives kids the opportunity to create their own virtual rovers
and conduct their own Mars mission. Provides literature about related topics
including the universe, geology, physics, math and other sciences. Contains
different printable materials for kids like coloring pages, crossword puzzles, and
others.

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

13

Especial Events

Air launch on National Television.

Run programs like NCAS to engage the high school and university communities.

Recruit teacher in different educational levels and fields to run special clubs on
different campuses. Including a series of educational activities for different
levels. This would require the creation of a curriculum for such clubs.

Adventurer: Reaching New Frontiers

14

References
Smith, P (2001-2005). Athena: Mars exploration rovers. http://athena.cornell.edu

Wilson, J (2009). NASA missions.

http://www.nasa.gov/missions/current/index.html#.VCMMZ1Y5Qds

USA.gov. Mars exploration. http://mars.nasa.gov

USA.gov. Jet propulsion laboratory. http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/

NCAS. NASA community college aerospace scholar fall 2014.

https://www.aerospacescholars.org/as/course/view.php?id=32

Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc. CNN 2014 cable news network.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/11/tech/mars-rover-curiosity/index.html