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Technology Enabling the Exploration of Mars

Technology Enabling the Exploration of Mars. Brooke Tuttle ITMG 100 09 – PowerPoint Presentation 11/18/2008. What has NASA been pursuing?. A science based exploration of Mars to understand: Life Climate Geology Preparation for Human Exploration . Focus Technology. Base Technology.

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Technology Enabling the Exploration of Mars

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  1. Technology Enabling the Exploration of Mars Brooke Tuttle ITMG 100 09 – PowerPoint Presentation 11/18/2008

  2. What has NASA been pursuing? • A science based exploration of Mars to understand: • Life • Climate • Geology • Preparation for Human Exploration

  3. Focus Technology Base Technology Applies to various missions Long term High risk High pay off • Specific and essential • ‘Near-term’ missions

  4. The Mars Technology Program

  5. Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

  6. What is the MSL? • Mars Science Laboratory • IT’S A ROVER!! • Gathering samples • Fall 2009!!!

  7. Is there REALLY life on Mars?! • WAS there or IS there microbial life? • aka ‘habitability’ • Soil and rock samples • Geology and climate • Innovative technology

  8. Broad Benefit Technologies • Propulsion • Atlas V • Power • MMRTG • Telecommunications • Software engineering • Daily updates

  9. In-situ Exploration and Sample Return Technologies • What is in-situ?? • In the aerospace industry, equipment on board an aircraft must be tested "in situ", or in place, to confirm everything functions properly as a system. - So, exploration ‘in the place of’ Mars

  10. Entry, Descent, and Landing • Guided Entry (GNC) • Powered Descent • Descent Imaging • Bigger Parachute • Sky Crane

  11. Autonomous Planetary Mobility • Avoid hazards • Traditional technologies • Innovative technologies • Size of a miniature compact car • Rocker bogie • Global path planning and visual target planning

  12. Technologies for Severe Environments • Temperature varies from -196˚F to 86˚F • How does that poor rover not just explode? • General use of instruments create heat • Strategic heaters • Heat Rejection System

  13. Sample Return Technologies • Gather samples and store for analysis • Actually testing the latest technologies • Hopefully paving the way for future missions to bring back samples to Earth

  14. Planetary Protection Technologies • Cleaning and sterilizing • Handling of rock, soil, and atmospheric samples • We do NOT want to discover ourselves! • LAL & ATP = faster measures of biological cleanliness

  15. Works Cited • "NASA's Mars Exploration Program." Technologies That Enable Mars Exploration. 12 Mar. 2006. NASA. <http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/technology/>. • "Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology." Mars Science Laboratory. 13 Nov. 2008. NASA. <http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/>. • In Situ. 13 Nov. 2008. Wikipedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/in_situ>.

  16. Questions?! =)

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