Phoenix Lander Implications on in situ resource utilization for robotic exploration of Mars

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1 Phoenix Landing Site May 2008 Phoenix Lander Implications on in situ resource utilization for robotic exploration of Mars LEAG-ICEUM-SRR (2008) Cape Canaveral, FL Robert L. Ash October 29, 2008 Aerospace Engineering Dept. Old Dominion University

2 VALLES MARINERIS ( N, E) PHOENIX Lander JUNE 19, 2008 OLYMPUS MONS (22.5 N, E) Viking I Lander 230 o E (July 20, 1976)

3 PHOENIX LANDER North Pole Ice (Late Summer) October 11, 2008 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Image just after local dust storm passed over Phoenix Lander

4 Phoenix Trench Marks Same Trench Marks First, you see them. Then, they re gone!

First-ever image taken from the surface of

5 VALLES MARINERIS NASA Langley Research Center pioneered robotic exploration of planetary surfaces Viking 1976 OLYMPUS MONS Viking I Lander Site JULY 20, 1976 First-ever image taken from the surface of another planet Commodore Pet 2001 PC (4K Memory) 230 o E

6 Scientific Results of Viking ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION Average Surface Pressure: 5.6 mb (Earth altitude of 115,000 ft.) 7.8 mb; 8.7 mb) 200 K, 6.8 mb: kg/m 3 (Earth altitude of 45 km or 148,000 ft.) More than one Mars year of weather data (P, T and wind) at 22.5 o N and 48.0 o N. Nominal Diurnal Surface Temperature Variation: 50 K (90 o F Temperature Swing) Gas Proportion CO N Ar O CO H 2 O Ne Kr Xe O ppm* 2.5 ppm 0.3 ppm 0.08 ppm 0.03 ppm* Molecular Weight: *The atmosphere is humid, but H 2 O is variable and in ppm!

7 The CASE for MARS METHANE (CH 4 ) Comparison of Rocket Propellant Performance for Different Fuel Molecules* Molecule Nominal Temp. Combined Specific Gravity Specific Impulse Normalized Refrig. FoM Hydrogen 20 K sec CO Carbon monoxide CH 4 Methane C 3 H 8 Propane C 4 H 10 Butane CH 3 OH Methanol *Ash, Dowler and Varsi, LOX, stored at K is the oxidizer for all fuels. Methanol can be produced from H 2 O and CO 2, but propane and butane are too difficult.

8 Post Viking Mission Mars Scorecard Mission Mars Observer (1992) Mars Pathfinder (1997) Mars Global Surveyor (1997) Nozomi/Planet B (1998) Mars Climate Orbiter (1999) Status Failed Mission Successful Mission Great Success (continuing) Trajectory Problems/Lost Crashed at Mars Mars Polar Lander/Deep Space 2 (1999) Lost at Mars Phoenix 2008 Mars Odyssey (2001) Mars Express Orbiter (2003) Mars Express Beagle Surface Probe (2003) Mars Airplane I (2003) Phobos and Deimos Sample Return (2003) Mars Sample Return (2003) Mars Exploration Rovers and Landers (2004) Mars Sample Return (2005) Netlanders (2005) Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2006) Mars Sample Return (2007) Phoenix Lander (2008) Mars Sample Return (2009) Successful (still in orbit) Successful (continuing) Lost Cancelled Cancelled Cancelled Great Success (continuing) Cancelled Cancelled Great Success (continuing) Cancelled Successful (ongoing) Postponed Oct. 29, :50 PM Paper Number 4030

9 VALLES MARINERIS Phoenix Lander Site Mars Lander Locations 32 years after Viking I. PATHFINDER OLYMPUS MONS VIKING LANDER I 230 o E (Southern Winter)

10 Mars Lander Locations 32 years later (continued) VIKING II LANDER ROVER OPPORTUNITY SYRTIS MAJOR ROVER SPIRIT 70 o E (Southern Winter)

11 How do we explore Mars surface, one lander at a time? PATHFINDER OLYMPUS MONS VIKING LANDER I Optimistic Rover Range (100 km) VALLES MARINERIS 1000 km Mars has nearly the same land area as Earth.

Lower-Limit of Water Mass Fraction on Mars Mars Odyssey

12 Follow the Water Significant WATER HOW CAN WE ADJUST OUR MISSIONS IN RESPONSE TO NEW DATA --IN LESS THAN 7 TO 10 YEARS? Lower-Limit of Water Mass Fraction on Mars Mars Odyssey Spacecraft data Geotimes, April 2002 PHOENIX (LOOKING FOR WATER IS A FOCUS NOT AN END!)

13 Robotic Mars Base Candidate Locations Areas where known water mass fraction exceeds 5% (mid lattitude). Phoenix Lander? Viking Lander II Alba Patera Sinus Meridiani Arabia Antipode Arabia

14 Though subjective, Mars orbital and landing mission success rates are less than 50%--much less if cancelled missions are included.

15 THE Moon Mars & Beyond TIME PROBLEM A PERSPECTIVE Twenty five years (starting in 1960) US Presidents between 1960 and JFK LBJ RMN GRF JC RR NASA Administrators Webb Paine Fletcher Frosch Beggs Apollo Program Vietnam War Reagan Bush I Clinton Bush II McBama International Space Station Sustaining a 25 to 30 year plan is difficult especially with a 7-year mission lead time.

16 Living off the land. MOON MARS ISRU: Optional In Situ Resource Utilization. ISRU: Essential

17 Breaking the Serial Mars Mission Exploration Paradigm Establish a fixed robotic operations base. Orbital Elements High bandwidth communication on Mars and with Earth Precision navigation at Mars Fixed Base Elements Adequate electrical power WATER WATER WATER WATER Reusable Unpiloted Vehicle System suite to traverse great distances, bringing dispersed samples to a central robotic science laboratory

29, 2008 2:50 PM Remove seasonal solar constraint Relax base

18 Dust Devil Tracks (From Orbit) Solar Array Area (Scale) Case for Nuclear Paper Number 4030 Power Oct. 29, :50 PM Remove seasonal solar constraint Relax base latitude constraint Remove diurnal energy storage req. Enhance ISRU Dust Devil Rover Spirit image at Gusev Crater

Dust Devil wind loads Dust storms Russian reactors have

19 Space Nuclear Power for the Moon and Mars Continuous Multi-kW e Avoids Energy Storage Can be protected from Mars Dust Devil wind loads Dust storms Russian reactors have flown LANL developing 10 kw system Payloads greater than 10,000 kg needed.

systems Braun et al Georgia Tech 20,000 kg Landed Mass

20 Viking Entry, Descent & Landing limited to 1000 kg because of -Parachute size -Time to deploy Mars Advanced EDL systems Braun et al Georgia Tech 20,000 kg Landed Mass Precision Landing 2 km above Mars Ref. Requires programmatic Commitment.

21 Notional Demonstration Payload Item Methane-oxygen Production Plant Methane and LOX cryocoolers Cryogenic Storage tanks 3 kw e Electric Power Generator Regolith manipulation and water ice extraction tools Water distillation and feedstock preparation unit Feedstock collection and delivery vehicle Mars Surface Science Analytical Laboratory Communications Systems Base excavation rovers (2) Exploration rovers (3) Ballistic launch and recovery sample collection systems (4) Inflatable hydrogen-filled aerosonde balloon units (50) with inflation/launch system Heavy-lift hydrogen balloon systems for transporting exploration rovers (3) Two airplanes with associated launch and recovery system (2) Repair shop and supplies Mass/Power Allowance 250 kg/2,100 W e 20 kg/550 W e 200 kg/50 W e 400 kg/3,000 W e 200 kg/50 W e (2 kw e peak) 20 kg/100 W e 100 kg/1 kw e peak 850 kg/110 W e 20 kg/500 W e peak 100 kg/500 W e (x 2) 150 kg/150 W e (x 3) 50 kg/50 W e (x 4) 55 kg/100 W e 100 kg/100 W e (x 3) 150 kg/100 W e (x 2) 1000 kg/2 kw e peak 5,000 kg

22 ISRU Transportation Options VIKING LANDER II ROVER OPPORTUNITY SYRTIS MAJOR Mars base Propellant Feedstock Nominal I Sp Comments Compressed CO 2 Mars Atmosphere 0.5 km/sec Simple Systems, use anywhere. Compressed gas tools are attractive. ROVER SPIRIT CO O 2 Mars Atmosphere 2.5 km/sec RF glow discharge anywhere ( dirty CO). Electrochemical O 2 production. CH 4 O 2 Atmosphere + water 3.35 km/sec Base node for water. Sabatier + electrolysis. Allow boil-off at desitnation. H 2 O 2 Water ice 4.18 km/sec Compressed gas send ice from base for return trip; solar-powered electrolysis limited propellant mass

23 Supercritical CO 2 Rocket Propellant Storage Tank Relief Valve Assembly Control Valve Nozzle Sensor Module 1 Tank Coupling Sensor Module 1

24 Mars 20,000 kg Entry, Descent and Landing Precision Landing Demonstrator (suite of robotic exploration systems and laboratory equipment).

25 Permafrost-like polygonal surface: Phoenix Lander (Southeast) Consider dry lake landing site Find the ice!

Can we explore Mars using robots most of the time, sending humans only

26 Biosphere II didn t work. We will need food at Mars. Radiation is problematic too. Can we explore Mars using robots most of the time, sending humans only when needed? We built an outpost on the South Pole. ISRU materials air, water, ice Use Robotic Systems Evolve toward human outpost

27 We know how to use dry lake landing sites! High-speed (95 m/s) X-15 landing at Rogers Dry Lake, CA 1961

28 CONCLUSIONS Robotic Mars Exploration capabilities have increased by orders of magnitude in 30 years. Water ice can be a feedstock for a fixed ISRU base following the water. Nuclear power and precision heavy EDL are required at Mars (Lunar and Mars systems can be similar). ISRU at a fixed Mars base can enable surface exploration missions to be outfitted and executed from Mars rather than sent to Mars, greatly accelerating the rate of discovery.

29 Please Recycle! Paper Number 4030 Oct. 29, :50 PM

31 Living off the Land Attribute Earth Moon Propulsion Wind COMBUSTION! None Mars Wind? Food Hunt & gather None None Water Plentiful Polar Craters? Frozen Oxygen (Atm. Press.) Air (1.01 bar) Rocks (10-13 bar) Processed (6x10-3 bar) Gravity 1 g 1/6 g 3/8 g Communication delay Travel Time (One-Way) Instantaneous 1.28 sec. 5 to 20 min. Already there! 4 days 100+ days Mean, Min and Max Surface Temps. (K) 288, (24 hr day) 250, , (655.7 hr day) ( hr day) Lunar vacuum and Mars ambient conditions are lethal.

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