Mars Science Laboratory Mission and Science Investigation

Grotzinger, J. P.; Crisp, J. A.; Vasavada, A. R.; Anderson, Robert C.; Baker, Charles J.; Barry, Robert; Blake, D. F.; Conrad, Pamela G.; Edgett, K. S.; Ferdowski, Bobak; Gellert, R.; Gilbert, John B.; Golombek, M. P.; Gómez‐Elvira, Javier; Hassler, Donald M.; Jandura, Louise; Litvak, M. L.; Mahaffy, Paul; Maki, J. N.; Meÿer, Michael A.; Malin, M. C.; Митрофанов, И. Г.; Simmonds, John J.; Vaniman, D. T.; Welch, Richard V.; Wiens, R. C.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-6339-9_3

Cited by 42 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Thus a high degree of autonomy of the rover system is necessary for efficient missions. The experiences gathered with the successful and ongoing Mars rover missions like the Mars Exploration Rover Mission (MER) [46] and the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) [28] as well as earlier considerations on rover autonomy [69] clarify requirements and space-suitable options regarding hardware as well as software components. Autonomous navigation solutions for unstructured and unknown environments taking robot safety, resource management (e. g., power consumption) and general robustness into account are available in many robotic research areas such as autonomous driving, e. g., [67,76], search and rescue [57] and planetary rovers / field robotic systems tested on Earth [26,43,60,65,73].…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, in recent planetary rover missions like MER and MSL, the rovers only perceive with stereo vision systems for obstacle avoidance and navigation and use other types of cameras for a multitude of scientific purposes. For example, Curiosity [28], the latest and most advanced Mars rover, employs a total of 17 cameras: Two front and two back stereo hazard camera pairs (HazCams), two navigation stereo pairs (NavCams), one mast camera stereo pair to capture panoramic images of the Mars surface, a camera attached to a robot arm (MAHLI), a camera to control the descent system (MARDI) and an optical chemical measurement instrument (ChemCam). The advantages of camera systems are the availability of both, mature algorithms and compact, low-power flight-qualified cameras, whereas flight-qualified versions of other sensors for navigation and mapping, like suitable laser scanners, are currently not available [28,46].…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, Curiosity [28], the latest and most advanced Mars rover, employs a total of 17 cameras: Two front and two back stereo hazard camera pairs (HazCams), two navigation stereo pairs (NavCams), one mast camera stereo pair to capture panoramic images of the Mars surface, a camera attached to a robot arm (MAHLI), a camera to control the descent system (MARDI) and an optical chemical measurement instrument (ChemCam). The advantages of camera systems are the availability of both, mature algorithms and compact, low-power flight-qualified cameras, whereas flight-qualified versions of other sensors for navigation and mapping, like suitable laser scanners, are currently not available [28,46]. Sensor-specific noise characteristics and a typically less dense depth reconstruction of passive stereo camera systems pose a higher challenge on navigation and mapping algorithms compared to laser scanner-based systems [26,60,65], which allow highprecision measurements within a longer range of distances.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…40 kg) and thus economic to transport into space. The LRU solely relies on sensor concepts (Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), stereo cameras) which work in alien conditions and are currently employed in space missions [28]. The LRU's locomotion system can drive over rough terrain and is highly maneuverable due to its four independent wheels, each of them having individual steering and driving motors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Towards Autonomous Planetary Exploration

Schuster

Brunner

Bussmann

et al. 2017

J Intell Robot Syst

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Planetary exploration poses many challenges for a robot system: From weight and size constraints to extraterrestrial environment conditions, which constrain the suitable sensors and actuators. As the distance to other planets introduces a significant communication delay, the efficient operation of a robot system requires a high level of autonomy. In this work, we present our Lightweight Rover Unit (LRU), a small and agile rover prototype that we designed for the challenges of planetary exploration. Its locomotion system with individually steered wheels allows for high maneuverability in rough terrain and stereo cameras as its main sensors ensure the applicability to space missions. We implemented software components for self-localization This work was supported by the Helmholtz Association, project alliance ROBEX (contract number HA-304) and partially funded by the DLR Space Administration. Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-017-0680-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. in GPS-denied environments, autonomous exploration and mapping as well as computer vision, planning and control modules for the autonomous localization, pickup and assembly of objects with its manipulator. Additional high-level mission control components facilitate both autonomous behavior and remote monitoring of the system state over a delayed communication link. We successfully demonstrated the autonomous capabilities of our LRU at the SpaceBotCamp challenge, a national robotics contest with focus on autonomous planetary exploration. A robot had to autonomously explore an unknown Moon-like rough terrain, locate and collect two objects and assemble them after transport to a third object -which the LRU did on its first try, in half of the time and fully autonomously. The next milestone for our ongoing LRU development is an upcoming planetary exploration analogue mission to perform scientific experiments at a Moon analogue site located on a volcano.

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Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Towards Autonomous Planetary Exploration

Schuster

Brunner

Bussmann

et al. 2017

J Intell Robot Syst

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“…These instruments include the Mast Camera [16], a laser induced breakdown spectrometer for remote elemental composition (ChemCam, [17,18]), a microscopic imager (MAHLI, [19]), an APXS [16], and chemistry and mineralogy by powder x-ray diffraction and x-ray fluorescence (CheMin, [20]), as well as a quadrupole mass spectrometer, a gas chromatograph, and a tunable laser spectrometer (SAM, [21]). This suite of instruments onboard MSL will characterize the martian surface in unprecedented detail, rivaling what can be done in the laboratory on Earth.…”

Section: A In Situ and Remote Sensing Observations Of Mars From Landmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microscopic emission and reflectance thermal infrared spectroscopy: instrumentation for quantitative in situ mineralogy of complex planetary surfaces

Edwards

Christensen

2013

Appl. Opt.

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The diversity of investigations of planetary surfaces, especially Mars, using in situ instrumentation over the last decade is unprecedented in the exploration history of our solar system. The style of instrumentation that landed spacecraft can support is dependent on several parameters, including mass, power consumption, instrument complexity, cost, and desired measurement type (e.g., chemistry, mineralogy, petrology, morphology, etc.), all of which must be evaluated when deciding an appropriate spacecraft payload. We present a laboratory technique for a microscopic emission and reflectance spectrometer for the analysis of martian analog materials as a strong candidate for the next generation of in situ instruments designed to definitively assess sample mineralogy and petrology while preserving geologic context. We discuss the instrument capabilities, signal and noise, and overall system performance. We evaluate the ability of this instrument to quantitatively determine sample mineralogy, including bulk mineral abundances. This capability is greatly enhanced. Whereas the number of mineral components observed from existing emission spectrometers is high (often >5 to 10 depending on the number of accessory and alteration phases present), the number of mineral components at any microscopic measurement spot is low (typically <2 to 3). Since this style of instrument is based on a long heritage of thermal infrared emission spectrometers sent to orbit (the thermal emission spectrometer), sent to planetary surfaces [the minithermal emission spectrometers (mini-TES)], and evaluated in laboratory environments (e.g., the Arizona State University emission spectrometer laboratory), direct comparisons to existing data are uniquely possible with this style of instrument. The ability to obtain bulk mineralogy and atmospheric data, much in the same manner as the mini-TESs, is of significant additional value and maintains the long history of atmospheric monitoring for Mars. Miniaturization of this instrument has also been demonstrated, as the same microscope objective has been mounted to a flight-spare mini-TES. Further miniaturization of this instrument is straightforward with modern electronics, and the development of this instrument as an arm-mounted device is the end goal.

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Mineralogy of the RBT 04262 Martian meteorite as determined by micro‐Raman and micro‐X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopies

Huidobro

Aramendia

García‐Florentino

et al. 2021

J Raman Spectroscopy

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Martian meteorites and terrestrial analogs represent the only samples available on Earth for studying mineralogy features of our neighbor planet Mars. This work characterizes the Roberts Massif (RBT) 04262 Martian meteorite by using mainly Raman spectroscopy. By means of this technique, it was confirmed that the meteorite matrix is composed by pyroxene and plagioclase (converted to maskelynite due to the shock pressure). Olivine-coarse grains embedded in the matrix were also observed. These grains were coated by hydrated magnesium and calcium sulfates, which would belong to the Mars sulfate deposits or to the terrestrial weathering. Although the sulfates could be formed on Mars due to the oxidation of sulfides or elemental sulfur along the sulfur Mars cycle, their distribution along cracks and fractures confirm that are weathering products. However, other S-bearing compounds that belong to Mars were found, such as elemental sulfur and a thermally transformed iron sulfide.Finally, the calcium phosphate merrillite and titanomagnetite were also detected. Taking this into account, the minerals found were classified into primary minerals that belong to Mars (pyroxene, olivine, elemental sulfur, and titanomagnetite), secondary ones that are alteration products of the primary minerals (maskelynite, iron sulfide, and merrillite), and terrestrial weathering products (sulfates gypsum and epsomite).

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Mars Science Laboratory Mission and Science Investigation

Cited by 42 publications

References 52 publications

Towards Autonomous Planetary Exploration

Towards Autonomous Planetary Exploration

Microscopic emission and reflectance thermal infrared spectroscopy: instrumentation for quantitative in situ mineralogy of complex planetary surfaces

Mineralogy of the RBT 04262 Martian meteorite as determined by micro‐Raman and micro‐X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopies

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