Conference on Spacecraft Reconnaissance of Asteroid and Comet Interiors : January 8-10, 2015, Tempe, Arizona

The goal of AstroRecon is to identify and evaluate the best technologies for spacecraft robotic reconnaissance of comets, asteroids, and small moons--paving the way for advanced science missions, exploration, sample return, in situ resource utilization, hazard mitigation, and human visitation.Shell GameChanger, ASU NewSpace, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratoryinstitutional support Arizona State University, Lunar and Planetary Institute, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Universities Space Research Association Arizona State University's Students for the Exploration and Development of Space ; sponsors Shell GameChanger, ASU NewSpace, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory ; conveners Erik Asphaug Arizona State University, Tempe, Jekan Thangavelautham Arizona State University, Tempe ; program committee Erik Asphaug (Co-chair Science) Arizona State University, Tempe [and 6 others].PARTIAL CONTENTS: Human Exploration / P. A. Abell and A. S. Rivkin--Comet Radar Explorer / E. Asphaug--Development of Communication Technologies and Architectural Concepts for Interplanetary Small Satellite Communications / A. B. Babuscia and K. C. Cheung--Numerical Simulations of Spacecraft-Regolith Interactions on Asteroids / R.-L. Ballouz, D. C. Richardson, P. Michel, and S. R. Schwartz--Kuiper: A Discover, Class Observatory for Outer Solar System Giant Planets, Satellites, and Small Bodies / J. F. Bell, N. M. Schneider, M. E. Brown, J. T. Clarke, B. T. Greenhagen, R. M.C. Lopes, A. R. Hendrix, and M. H. Wong--Landing on Small Bodies: From the Rosetta Lander to MASCOT and Beyond / J. Biele, S. Ulamec, P.-W. Bousquet, P. Gaudon, K. Geurts, T.-M. Ho, C. Krause, R. Willnecker, and M. Deleuze--High-Resolution Bistatic Radar Imaging in Support of Asteroid and Comet Spacecraft Missions / M. W. Busch, L. A. M. Benner, M. A. Slade, L. Teitelbaum, M. Brozovic, M. C. Nolan, P. A. Taylor, F. Ghigo, and J. Ford--Asteroid Comet and Surface Gravimetric Surveying can Reveal Interior Structural Details / K. A. Carroll

Resources of Near-Earth Space: Abstracts

The objectives are by theory, experiment, and bench-level testing of small systems, to develop scientifically-sound engineering processes and facility specifications for producing propellants and fuels, construction and shielding materials, and life support substances from the lithospheres and atmospheres of lunar, planetary, and asteroidal bodies. Current emphasis is on the production of oxygen, other usefull gases, metallic, ceramic/composite, and related byproducts from lunar regolith, carbonaceous chrondritic asteroids, and the carbon dioxide rich Martian atmosphere

Spacecraft/Rover Hybrids for the Exploration of Small Solar System Bodies

This study investigated a novel mission architecture for the systematic and affordable in-situ exploration of small Solar System bodies. Specifically, a mother spacecraft would deploy over the surface of a small body one, or several, spacecraft/rover hybrids, which are small, multi-faceted enclosed robots with internal actuation and external spikes. They would be capable of 1) long excursions (by hopping), 2) short traverses to specific locations (through a sequence of controlled tumbles), and 3) high-altitude, attitude-controlled ballistic flight (akin to spacecraft flight). Their control would rely on synergistic operations with the mother spacecraft (where most of hybrids' perception and localization functionalities would be hosted), which would make the platforms minimalistic and, in turn, the entire mission architecture affordable

XTerramechanics: Integrated Simulation of Planetary Surface Missions

Are there contemporary habitats elsewhere in the solar system with necessary conditions, organic matter, water, energy, and nutrients to support or sustain life. Are there habitats that have experienced conditions similar to those on Earth when life emerged ,an abode of possible lifelong past. Mars and Europa(Jupiter’s icy moon)have been identified as the most relevant and immediate in the quest to answer these questions. Beyond Mars and Europa, every celestial body of interest appears to have its own geological history and every new discovery accentuates the overall complexity of our solar system. The exploration of Mars and Europa, and others, both remotely and in situ, is a central priority as part of NASA’s current and future goals for understanding the building of new worlds, the requirements for planetary habitats, and the workings of the solar system

Capabilities of Gossamer-1 derived small spacecraft solar sails carrying MASCOT-derived nanolanders for in-situ surveying of NEAs

Any effort which intends to physically interact with specific asteroids requires understanding at least of the composition and multi-scale structure of the surface layers, sometimes also of the interior. Therefore, it is necessary first to characterize each target object sufficiently by a precursor mission to design the mission which then interacts with the object. In small solar system body (SSSB) science missions, this trend towards landing and sample-return missions is most apparent. It also has led to much interest in MASCOT-like landing modules and instrument carriers. They integrate at the instrument level to their mothership and by their size are compatible even with small interplanetary missions. The DLR-ESTEC Gossamer Roadmap NEA Science Working Groups‘ studies identified Multiple NEA Rendezvous (MNR) as one of the space science missions only feasible with solar sail propulsion. Parallel studies of Solar Polar Orbiter (SPO) and Displaced L1 (DL1) space weather early warning missions studies outlined very lightweight sailcraft and the use of separable payload modules for operations close to Earth as well as the ability to access any inclination and a wide range of heliocentric distances. These and many other studies outline the unique capability of solar sails to provide access to all SSSB, at least within the orbit of Jupiter. Since the original MNR study, significant progress has been made to explore the performance envelope of near-term solar sails for multiple NEA rendezvous. However, although it is comparatively easy for solar sails to reach and rendezvous with objects in any inclination and in the complete range of semi-major axis and eccentricity relevant to NEOs and PHOs, it remains notoriously difficult for sailcraft to interact physically with a SSSB target object as e.g. the Hayabusa missions do. The German Aerospace Center, DLR, recently brought the Gossamer solar sail deployment technology to qualification status in the Gossamer-1 project. Development of closely related technologies is continued for very large deployable membrane-based photovoltaic arrays in the GoSolAr project. We expand the philosophy of the Gossamer solar sail concept of efficient multiple sub-spacecraft integration to also include landers for one-way in-situ investigations and sample-return missions. These are equally useful for planetary defence scenarios, SSSB science and NEO utilization. We outline the technological concept used to complete such missions and the synergetic integration and operation of sail and lander. We similarly extend the philosophy of MASCOT and use its characteristic features as well as the concept of Constraints-Driven Engineering for a wider range of operations

SSERVI Annual Report: Year 4

The SSERVI Central Office forms the organizational, administrative and collaborative hub for the domestic and international teams, and is responsible for advocacy and ensuring the long-term health and relevance of the Institute. SSERVI has increased the cross-talk between NASAs space and human exploration programs, which is one of our primary goals. We bring multidisciplinary teams together to address fundamental and strategic questions pertinent to future human space exploration, and the results from that research are the primary products of the institute. The team and international partnership reports contain summaries of 2017 research accomplishments. Here we present the 2017 accomplishments by the SSERVI Central Office that focus on: 1) Supporting Our Teams, 2) Community Building, 3) Managing the Solar System Treks Portal (SSTP), and 4) Public Engagement

Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute: Year Three Annual Report 2016

NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) is pleased to present the 2016 Annual Report. Each year brings new scientific discoveries, technological breakthroughs, and collaborations. The integration of basic research and development, industry and academic partnerships, plus the leveraging of existing technologies, has further opened a scientific window into human exploration. SSERVI sponsorship by the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) continues to enable the exchange of insights between the human exploration and space science communities, paving a clearer path for future space exploration. SSERVI provides a unique environment for scientists and engineers to interact within multidisciplinary research teams. As a virtual institute, the best teaming arrangements can be made irrespective of the geographical location of individuals or laboratory facilities. The interdisciplinary science that ensues from virtual and in-person interactions, both within the teams and across team lines, provides answers to questions that many times cannot be foreseen. Much of this research would not be accomplished except for the catalyzing, collaborative environment enabled by SSERVI. The SSERVI Central Office, located at NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, provides the leadership, guidance and technical support that steers the virtual institute. At the start of 2016, our institute had nine U.S. teams, each mid-way through their five-year funding cycle, plus nine international partnerships. However, by the end of the year we were well into the selection of four new domestic teams, selected through NASA's Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) process, and a new international partnership. Understanding that human and robotic exploration is most successful as an international endeavor, international partnerships collaborate with SSERVI domestic teams on a no-exchange of funds basis, but they bring a richness to the institute that is priceless. The international partner teams interact with the domestic teams in a number of ways, including sharing students, scientific insights, and access to facilities. We are proud to introduce our newest partnership with the Astrophysics and Planetology Research Institute (IRAP) in Toulouse, France. In 2016, Principal Investigator Dr. Patrick Pinet assembled a group of French researchers who will contribute scientific and technological expertise related to SSERVI research. SSERVI's domestic teams compete for five-year funding opportunities through proposals to a NASA CAN every few years. Having overlapping proposal selection cycles allows SSERVI to be more responsive to any change in direction NASA might experience, while providing operational continuity for the institute. Allowing new teams to blend with the more seasoned teams preserves corporate memory and expands the realm of collaborative possibilities. A key component of SSERVI's mission is to grow and maintain an integrated research community focused on questions related to the Moon, Near-Earth asteroids, and the moons of Mars. The strong community response to CAN-2 demonstrated the health of that effort. NASA Headquarters conducted the peer-review of 22 proposals early in 2017 and, based on recommendations from the SSERVI Central Office and NASA SSERVI program officers, the NASA selecting officials determined the new teams in the spring of 2017. We are pleased to welcome the CAN-2 teams into the institute, and look forward to the collaborations that will develop with the current teams. The new teams are: The Network for Exploration and Space Science (NESS) team (Principal Investigator (PI) Prof. Jack Burns/U. Colorado); the Exploration Science Pathfinder Research for Enhancing Solar System Observations (ESPRESSO) team (PI Dr. Alex Parker/Southwest Research Institute); the Toolbox for Research and Exploration (TREX) team (PI Dr. Amanda Hendrix/ Planetary Science Institute); and the Radiation Effects on Volatiles and Exploration of Asteroids & Lunar Surfaces (REVEALS) team (PI Prof. Thomas Orlando/ Georgia Institute of Technology). In this report, you will find an overview of the 2016 leadership activities of the SSERVI Central Office, reports prepared by the U.S. teams from CAN-1, and achievements from several of the SSERVI international partners. Reflecting on the past year's discoveries and advancements serves as a potent reminder that there is still a great deal to learn about NASA's target destinations. Innovation in the way we access, sample, measure, visualize, and assess our target destinations is needed for further discovery. At the same time, let us celebrate how far we have come, and strongly encourage a new generation that will make the most of future opportunities

Robotic Asteroid Prospector (RAP)

This report presents the results from the nine-month, Phase 1 investigation for the Robotic Asteroid Prospector (RAP). This project investigated several aspects of developing an asteroid mining mission. It conceived a Space Infrastructure Framework that would create a demand for in space-produced resources. The resources identified as potentially feasible in the near-term were water and platinum group metals. The project's mission design stages spacecraft from an Earth Moon Lagrange (EML) point and returns them to an EML. The spacecraft's distinguishing design feature is its solar thermal propulsion system (STP) that can provide for three functions:propulsive thrust, process heat for mining and mineral processing, and electricity. The preferred propellant is water since this would allow the spacecraft to refuel at an asteroid for its return voyage to Cis-Lunar space thus reducing the mass that must be staged out of the EML point.The spacecraft will rendezvous with an asteroid at its pole, match rotation rate, and attach to begin mining operations. The team conducted an experiment in extracting and distilling water from frozen regolith simulant

NASA's Analog Missions: Driving Exploration Through Innovative Testing

Human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO) will require a unique collection of advanced, innovative technologies and the precise execution of complex and challenging operational concepts. One tool we in the Analog Missions Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) utilize to validate exploration system architecture concepts and conduct technology demonstrations, while gaining a deeper understanding of system-wide technical and operational challenges, is our analog missions. Analog missions are multi-disciplinary activities that test multiple features of future spaceflight missions in an integrated fashion to gain a deeper understanding of system-level interactions and integrated operations. These missions frequently occur in remote and extreme environments that are representative in one or more ways to that of future spaceflight destinations. They allow us to test robotics, vehicle prototypes, habitats, communications systems, in-situ resource utilization, and human performance as it relates to these technologies. And they allow us to validate architectural concepts, conduct technology demonstrations, and gain a deeper understanding of system-wide technical and operational challenges needed to support crewed missions beyond LEO. As NASA develops a capability driven architecture for transporting crew to a variety of space environments, including the moon, near-Earth asteroids (NEA), Mars, and other destinations, it will use its analog missions to gather requirements and develop the technologies that are necessary to ensure successful human exploration beyond LEO. Currently, there are four analog mission platforms: Research and Technology Studies (RATS), NASA s Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO), In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), and International Space Station (ISS) Test bed for Analog Research (ISTAR)

Using the inertia of spacecraft during landing to penetrate regoliths of the Solar System

The high inertia, i.e. high mass and low speed, of a landing spacecraft has the potential to drive a penetrometer into the subsurface without the need for a dedicated deployment mechanism, e.g., during Huygens landing on Titan. Such a method could complement focused subsurface exploration missions, particularly in the low gravity environments of comets and asteroids, as it is conducive to conducting surveys and to the deployment of sensor networks. We make full-scale laboratory simulations of a landing spacecraft with a penetrometer attached to its base plate. The tip design is based on that used in terrestrial Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) with a large enough shaft diameter to house instruments for analysing pristine subsurface material. Penetrometer measurements are made in a variety of regolith analogue materials and target compaction states. For comparison a copy of the ACC-E penetrometer from the Huygens mission to Titan is used. A test rig at the Open University is used and is operated over a range of speeds from 0.9 to 3 m s−1 and under two gravitational accelerations. The penetrometer was found to be sensitive to the target’s compaction state with a high degree of repeatability. The penetrometer measurements also produced unique pressure profile shapes for each material. Measurements in limestone powder produced an exponential increase in pressure with depth possibly due to increasing compaction with depth. Measurements in sand produced an almost linear increase in pressure with depth. Iron powder produced significantly higher pressures than sand presumably due to the rough surface of the grains increasing the grain-grain friction. Impacts into foamglas produced with both ACC-E and the large penetrometer produced an initial increase in pressure followed by a leveling off as expected in a consolidated material. Measurements in sand suggest that the pressure on the tip is not significantly dependent on speed over the range tested, which suggests bearing strength equations could be applied to impact penetrometry in sand-like regoliths. In terms of performance we find the inertia of a landing spacecraft, with a mass of 100 kg, is adequate to penetrate regoliths expected on the surface of Solar System bodies. Limestone powder, an analogue for a dusty surface, offered very little resistance allowing full penetration of the target container. Both iron powder, representing a stronger coarse grained regolith, and foamglas, representing a consolidated comet crust, could be penetrated to similar depths of around two to three tip diameters. Speed tests suggest a linear dependence of penetration depth on impact speed