MARS SCORE Martian AtmospheRe and Soil Sample COllection and REcovery

Transcription

1 Martian AtmospheRe and Soil Sample COllection and REcovery Student project, part of the course Survey of Systems Engineering - Part 1 Angélique Verrecchia, Carlos Manuel Entrena Utrilla, Rafik Dalati NASA - Project Supervisors Jeff Volosin Mike Menzel Dr.John.C.Mather Saylor Foundation - Teaching Assistant David Rose Publication Date April 18, 2014

2 Acknowledgements We would like to take this opportunity to thank NASA and the Saylor Foundation for providing philanthropic training to students from any country, background or experience. This is a unique opportunity for us to benefit from the knowledge of a large space agency. This training and its associated project are now a source of inspiration and impulse to move forward in the space sector. We would like to thank more precisely Jeff Volosin, Mike Menzel, Dr. John C. Mather, Lisa Guerra from NASA for sharing their knowledge and experiences. We greatly appreciate their time and effort to make this happen. Moreover we would like to thank David Rose from the Saylor Foundation for his practical support. 1

3 Table of Contents Acknowledgements... 1 List of tables... 2 List of figures... 3 List of Acronyms Introduction Purpose Mission science and technology background The Team Mission name and logo Overview of the document Scope of the mission High-level Concept of Operations Nominal Operational Scenario MARS SCORE operations timeline End-to-end communication Strategy High level Mission Architecture System hierarchy Lifecycle Schedule Figures of Merit Conclusion References Appendix I: Grading Rubric Appendix II: Team members biographies and contacts List of tables Table 1: The team... 5 Table 2: Scoping elements... 7 Table 3: MARS SCORE mission to part Table 4: Figures of Merit

4 List of figures Figure 1: MARS SCORE logo... 6 Figure 2: MARS SCORE - Concept of Operations... 9 Figure 3: Atlas V (United Launch Alliance), Ariane 5 (Arianespace), Falcon Heavy (SpaceX) Figure 4: Planned entry, descent and landing sequence for the upcoming ExoMars mission Figure 5: Mars sample return container designed by ESA Figure 6: MARS SCORE operations timeline Figure 7: MARS SCORE end-to-end communication strategy Figure 8: MARS SCORE high level of mission architecture Figure 9: Product Breakdown Structure Figure 10: Work Breakdown Structure List of Acronyms CDR/PRR Critical Design Review/Production Readiness Review CERR Critical Event Readiness Review ConOps Concept of Operations COSPAR Committee on Space Research DR Decommissioning Review ESA Eurpean Space Agency FRR Flight Readiness Review GRE Global Exploration Roadmap ISECG International Space Exploration Coordination Group JPL Jet Propulsion Laboratory KDP Key Decision Point KDP Key Decision Point LEO Low Earth Orbit LMO Low Mars Orbit MARS SCORE Martian AtmospheRe and Soil Sample COllection and REcovery MAV Mars Ascending Vehicle MCR Mission Concept Review MDR Mission Design Review MOC Mission Operation Center MOR Mars Orbit Rendez-vous MSR Mars Sample Return NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NEPA National Environmental Policy Act ORR Operational Readiness Review OST Outer Space Treaty PBS Product Breakdown Structure PDR Preliminary Design Review PLAR Post-Launch Assessment Review SEP Solar Electric Propulsion SIR System Integration Review SRR System Requirements Review TRR Test Readiness Review USA United States of America WBS Work Breakdown Structure 3

5 1. Introduction 1.1. Purpose In March and April 2014 the Saylor Foundation and NASA offered the possibility to follow a free online course entitled Survey of Systems Engineering - Part 1 (referenced SSE101) available for everyone. This course is a six-week program which proposes an overview of space system engineering. Lecturers are NASA Project Manager, Jeff Volosin; NASA Mission Systems Engineer, Mike Menzel; and Nobel Prize winner, Dr. John C. Mather. During the course, the students have the possibility to make an individual report about a Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. The web page provided by the Saylor Foundation and NASA about the Mars Sample return mission will be called the mission concept synopsis in this document. This document covers the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission top level system engineering products in the frame of the above mentioned course. It provides some backgrounds for mission as well as the required pieces: scoping elements a high-level Concept of Operations (ConOps) a high-level mission architecture a Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) a lifecycle schedule five Figures of Merit that could be used to evaluate MSR mission architecture options This document intends to be peer reviewed by other students following the course. Those students have different backgrounds, experiences, cultures and nationalities. This document has been written in order to be clear and comprehensible for a maximum of readers. Furthermore, this report also intends to be reviewed by NASA and incorporates a maximum of professional elements Mission science and technology background The scientific community needs to improve its knowledge and understanding of the Red Planet in order to determine whether life has ever arisen on Mars and to prepare future human exploration. It is very challenging to perform all scientific analysis and experiments remotely. A robotic sample return mission is able to perform such powerful investigation on the Martian atmosphere and soil. There are two kinds of past missions that can provide supportive experiences for this mission. On one hand, there are other return sample missions: Apollo (manned mission on the Moon), Lunakhod (Moon sample return), Stardust (comet sample return), Genesis (solar wind sample return), Hyabusa (asteroid sample return), and the upcoming OSIRIS-Rex (asteroid sample return). On the other hand, there are Martian observation and exploration missions which can support the Martian Sample return mission: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), Spirit & Opportunity, Curiosity and the upcoming Mars

6 1.3. The Team The team is composed of three talented team members of different nationalities, experiences and backgrounds. All of them are enrolled in the course Survey of Systems Engineering - Part 1 conjointly proposed by the Saylor foundation and NASA. Team members never have encountered physically but they very often meet and discuss via Internet. They have spontaneously joined because they all share the same passion for space exploration. All of them are highly motivated to propose excellent system engineering products for the Mars Return Sample mission. Each team member brings their individual assets which serve the common team work and contributes equally to the team effort. Table 1: The team Angélique Verrecchia French 27 Aerospace engineer Team leader Carlos Manuel Entrena Utrilla Spanish 24 Accelerator physicist Mission designer Rafic Dalati yyyyyyy Canadian / Libanese 18 Electrical Engineer Mission architect 1.4. Mission name and logo The mission has been entitled MARS SCORE - Martian AtmospheRe and Soil Sample COllection and REcovery. This name is the result of a combination of mission objectives, goals and expectations. Those elements are widely described in the report, mainly in the chapter 2 about the mission scope. The design of the logo has been kept minimalist on purpose. The bigger circle represents the planet Mars and the smaller one represents the planet Earth. The triangle is the symbol of sample collection and the straight line illustrates the go and return of the mission. The idea is to express the mission objectives in a very simple manner. 5

7 Figure 1: MARS SCORE logo 1.5. Overview of the document This document serves to provide some products related to systems engineering work. The team performs as system engineers in the pre-phase A as described in the project life cycle of NASA. The report consists of a broad spectrum of ideas for a Mars sample return mission. A possible mission designed is suggested with the associated mission concept and mission architecture. The elements provided in the report make the best efforts to comply with the mission concept synopsis and are inspired from the NASA System Engineer Handbook and the SSE101 course. This document provides a scope of the mission in chapter 2 as the team has understood it from the mission concept synopsis. It captures the current motivation and expectation for the collection of samples on Mars and the pertinence to study them on Earth. Then, the Concept of Operations in chapter 3 and the mission architecture in chapter 4 translate the mission design and ideas selected by the team. Those are results of brainstorming followed by trade-off studies. Solutions have been carefully selected by the team after reaching consensus. Consequently, the report includes a logical decomposition of the work in chapter 5. It presents a Work- Breakdown Structure (WBS) and a Product Breakdown Structure (PBS). These give a product-oriented vision of elements required for the project. In order to provide a categorization of what should be done for the project, the report includes an overview of the project life cycle and Key Decision Points (KDPs) to determine the readiness and progress of phases in chapter 6. Finally, the report presents five Figures of Merit in chapter 7. They are quantities used to characterize the performance of the mission. They will present some numbers and figures that would support the comparison of the MARS SCORE mission with other similar projects. 6

8 2. Scope of the mission In order to build a coherent and successful project, it is mandatory to carefully identify stakeholder s expectations. The scoping effort leads to organized and controlled mission design. If stakeholders don t agree on a mission scope, it could jeopardize the project and create troubles in communication, wrong designs and incompatible interfaces. In other words, the team could go in the wrong direction. The scoping exercise includes various dimensions such as: needs, goals, objectives, mission statement, constraints, budget, schedule, operational concepts, authority & responsibility, and assumptions. The mission concept synopsis requires most of these elements. The scoping elements of the project MARS SCORE for the MSR mission are listed below: Table 2: Scoping elements Needs Improve the knowledge and understanding of the red planet. The NASA s Mars Planning Group identified 55 important future science investigations related to the exploration of Mars. (NASA, Saylor Foundation, 2014). Difficulties to conduct sophisticated analysis and experiments remotely. Response to the Global Exploration Roadmap (GRE, 2013) of the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) which makes explicit: Mars Sample Return, a priority for the planetary science community. Goals Complete scientific investigations identified by the NASA s Mars Program Planning Group. Investigate on evidence of alien life. Prepare future human exploration. Objectives Send a robotic mission to the Martian surface. Collect Martian samples from the atmosphere and the soil. Return samples from Mars to Earth. Avoiding any kind of contamination. Mission statement MARS SCORE conducts a robotic mission to Mars in order to collect samples from the atmosphere and the soil and, return them to Earth while avoiding contamination to complete scientific investigations. 7

9 Constraints Delay of command and telemetry of 8 minutes. Preserve samples from contamination Prevent from any contamination from Earth on Mars Prevent from any contamination from Mars on Earth The mission must comply with: Planetary Protection Category V regarding the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). The Outer Space Treaty 1967 (OST). Budget The total budget for the mission is US$ 1.2 billion (2014). It covers the total of direct, indirect, recurring, nonrecurring, and other related expenses incurred in the design, development, verification, production, deployment, operation, maintenance, support, and disposal of the project. This budget has been assessed regarding other missions to Mars and other space exploration missions from different agencies. Lesson Learned from precedent missions must benefit the project and reduce cost. A proper use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) must also reduce cost. Schedule The project will run from 2014 to 2027 Start implementation phase in 2017 Launch from Earth in 2024 Authority & Responsibility The mission will be carried out by NASA because of its expertise and capabilities. The mission will be managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena (USA, California) including international involvements. The role of Mission Executive, Project manager and, Systems Engineer will be appointed among the team: Angélique Verrecchia, Carlos Entrena and Rafic Dalati. Scientific instruments will be provided by the international community. The sample analysis on Earth will be performed by the international scientific community in bio-safe facilities. Assumptions All technology that might be used for the mission will be ready by the time of the mission integration phase. The mission is able to fulfill all requirements regarding contamination prevention. The landing technology used for the mission ExoMars from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscmos is a success (launch in 2016). 8

10 3. High-level Concept of Operations The Concept of Operations describes how the system will be operated during the operational phase of the mission and how it will meet stakeholder s expectations. It provides the operational perspectives, and also another building bricks for the project definition. This chapter includes the nominal operational scenario from the launch to re-entry and sample recovery, as well as the end-to-end communication strategy Nominal Operational Scenario The design of the mission aims to produce a low-cost and highly efficient project. Therefore, most of the technologies and methods used have already been field-proven before, and efficiency is our most important driver. The design consists on a single launch from Earth, carrying all the equipment necessary for the mission. The Spacecraft contains a Mars Orbiter and Earth Return Stage, a Landing stage with a Rover and a Mars Ascending Vehicle (MAV). The spacecraft is launched from Earth and inserted into a Mars Transfer Orbit by the upper stage of the Launcher. Once in Mars' gravity's sphere of influence, the Lander is detached in a proper landing trajectory and the Orbiter is inserted into Low Mars Orbit. The Lander places the Rover, carrying the MAV, on the surface, after which the Rover proceeds with the sample collection. Once all the samples have been collected, the MAV launches to Low Mars Orbit and proceeds to an automated rendezvous with the Orbiter in time for the next Earth Transfer launch window. Then, the Orbiter travels back to Earth with the help of its electrical engines for a more efficient trip. Finally, it performs an atmospheric reentry protected by heat shielding and a crash-landing on the ground in order to be retrieved and stored in a biosafe facility for further scientific analysis. Launch from Earth in 2024 Earth Reentry and Landing Capsule Retrieval Orbit Transfer to Mars Orbit Transfer to Earth Sample Storage and Analysis in Biosafe Facility Mars Surface Operations Launch from Mars Figure 2: MARS SCORE - Concept of Operations 9

11 Operation A: Launch from Earth The spacecraft is launched from Earth with a heavy launch vehicle type Atlas V, Ariane 5 or Falcon Heavy during the 2024 launch window. The spacecraft contains the Mars Orbiter, the Earth Return Stage, the Landing stage with the Rover and, the Mars Ascending Vehicle (MAV). Figure 3: Atlas V (United Launch Alliance), Ariane 5 (Arianespace), Falcon Heavy (SpaceX) Operation B: Transfer to Mars During this phase, the Spacecraft travels from Earth to Mars in a heliocentric Mars transfer orbit. This has the following stages: 1) Trans-Mars injection: the upper stage of the Launcher inserts the spacecraft into the desired Mars transfer orbit. 2) Cruise phase: this phase consists on the duration of the transfer orbit between Earth and Mars. The Spacecraft is guided and powered by the Mars Orbiter, which also takes care of all the communication purposes. Several system health checks and up to three orbit correction maneuvers with the Orbiter's Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) system are planned. 3) Mars arrival and orbit: once in Mars' Sphere of Influence, where the primary gravitational influence on the spacecraft is Mars, the Lander is detached from the Orbiter in a landing trajectory. Then, the Orbiter is inserted into Mars orbit at an altitude of around 200 Km where the vehicle should not undergo to much atmospheric drag. The manoeuver is realized via an aerobraking maneuver with help of the SEP system, where it will serve as communication relay between the Lander and Mission Control. Other Mars orbiters (for example the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) may also be used as communication relays. The Orbiter will remain in Mars orbit for the duration of the surface operations. 10

12 Operation C: Mars landing After the arrival to Mars orbit, the Lander proceeds in a landing trajectory towards the surface. The Lander module consists on a heat shield, the parachutes, the landing thrusters, the MAV, and the Rover. The landing procedure will be the same as the ExoMars mission, with the following stages: 1) Aerobraking with the help of a heat shield. 2) Detachment of heat shield and breaking with parachutes. Radar activates and starts measuring distance and velocity relative to the ground. 3) Parachutes are detached and the soft-landing maneuver begins. Thrusters fire up and place the Rover, containing the MAV, softly on the ground. For the final touchdown at less than 15 Km/h, airbags are deployed to cushion the lander. 4) The Lander is opened and the Rover is deployed. The MAV 5) The Rover contacts Mission Operation Center and the system s health is checked. Figure 4: Planned entry, descent and landing sequence for the upcoming ExoMars mission (Credits: ESA) Operation D: Surface operations Once the Rover has contacted Earth and the integrity and operability of all the systems have been confirmed, the surface operations begin. The term Surface operations includes all operations relative to sample detection and collection. On the Martian surface, the rover performs the following tasks: - Target site inspection with the on-board electronic imaging system - Autonomous movement to the directed target locations. 11

13 - Atmospheric, and soil sample collection, and their storage in the Sample Capsule with help of its robotic arm. - Other pertinent scientific analysis Surface operations will last until the next launch window from Mars to Earth in 2026, which means a duration of around 13 month (Earth calendar). Figure 5: Mars sample return container designed by ESA - Weighing less than 5 kg, this 23 cm-diameter sphere is designed to keep Martian samples in pristine condition at under -10*C throughout their long journey back to Earth. The container seen here hosts 11 sealable receptacles, including one set aside for a sample of Martian air. (Credits: ESA) Operation E: Launch from Mars The Sample Capsule and the MAV are placed on the Lander with the Rover s robotic arm and prepared for launch. Health checks are carried out, the integrity of the launcher is confirmed and the Rover is moved away. Once the green light is given, the MAV launches towards Low Mars Orbit carrying the Sample Capsule. The MAV proceeds to rendez-vous with the Orbiter, which has been brought to a lower orbit for the maneuver, and docks with it. Afterwards, the MAV is detached from the Orbiter except for the Sample Capsule, which remains in the Orbiter. 12

14 Operation F: Transfer to Earth Once the Orbiter is carrying the Sample Capsule, it begins its trip back to Earth. The Orbiter is inserted into a heliocentric Earth transfer orbit with its SEP system. The on-orbit procedures are the same as those during the Trans-Mars orbit, with scheduled system check-ups and orbit correction maneuvers. Now the Mars Orbiter serves as a Cruise stage, it completes the transfer orbit and reaches Earth s sphere of influence. The SEP system places the Orbiter in a landing trajectory. Operation G: Earth reentry and landing Then, the engines, solar panels and other components are detached from the Sample Capsule and its heat shield, which will protect the Sample Capsule during atmospheric re-entry. Afterwards, the heat shield is detached, leaving the Sample Capsule alone for a crash-land on the targeted area. Operation H: Capsule retrieval and sample recovery Once the capsule has landed, the recovery team moves to landing site and recovers the capsule containing Martian samples, which must be stored in a safe container to avoid any possible contamination. It is transferred to the assigned facility, where it will be stored. Finally, responsible authority manages the sample distribution to different study groups to perform scientific analysis MARS SCORE operations timeline The figure bellow describes the timing of MARS SCORE s operations. It provides the basis for the definition of the operational activities in order to achieve the mission objectives. Figure 6: MARS SCORE operations timeline 13

15 3.3. End-to-end communication Strategy The ground segment of the Mars Sample Return mission is composed of a Ground Station Network, of a Mission Control Center (MOC) and International Scientific Data Monitoring Network. It is the interface between the space segment, the scientists and engineers on Earth. Basically, it collects, stores, distributes and displays mission data to users as well as sending commands to the space segment. Ground stations distributed all over the world collect scientific and housekeeping data from the space segment and transfer them to the Data Distribution Center. The Data Distribution Center is the first interface of data before the Mission Operation Center (MOC). It distributes data to relevant systems of the MOC and International Scientific Data Monitoring Network. It also archives data for a short period and demonstrates high level of security preventing unauthorized intrusion. The MOC s operations are allocated in different systems: - The Mission Control System: receives telemetry, monitors and controls housekeeping data, contingency management. Sends commands for the space segment. - The Flight Dynamics System: performs transfer operations for mission phases in outer space and Earth re-entry. - Mission Planning System: daily operations. - Mission Science System: sites selection, sample collection, other scientific operations. - Data Archiving System: scientific and housekeeping data archiving. - The Ground Sites Monitoring System: monitors ground stations. Computes mission communication windows. International Scientific Data Monitoring Sites, distributed all over the world, receive scientific and instrumental data from the Data Distribution Center and archive them. They can send operational wishes for scientific instruments to the MOC via conventional terrestrial communication channels and are allowed to do public data releases. They are not able to send commands directly to the space segment. On Mars, the MARS SCORE rover is also able to uplink information to other spacecraft orbiting Mars, utilizing mainly the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey (if necessary) spacecraft as messengers that pass along news to Earth for the rover. 14

16 Figure 7: MARS SCORE end-to-end communication strategy 4. High level Mission Architecture The mission architecture illustrates the key events of the ConOps. It helps visualizing the mission s design and major steps. The drawing below is one view that aims to support the project synthesis. 15

17 Figure 8: MARS SCORE high level of mission architecture 5. System hierarchy In order to make this problem easier to solver, the project is decomposed into smaller pieces. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a product-oriented hierarchical division of the project. It provides the structure according the way the work will be performed. The Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) is only a part of the WBS. It s related only with hardware and software. Diagrams below show a non-exhaustive version of the WBS and the PBS of the MARS CORE mission. Specific attention has been put on the respect of the hierarchical level: mission, system, segment, element, subsystem, component, and part. As requested by the mission concept synopsis, one path has been extended to the part level. 16

18 Figure 9: Product Breakdown Structure 17

19 Figure 10: Work Breakdown Structure The table below shows the path which goes from the Mars Sample Return Mission to the part level: the solar cell. Table 3: MARS SCORE mission to part Hierarchy Level name Mission System Segment Element Sub-system Component Part Example Mars Sample Return Mission MARS SCORE Space segment Mars rover Power Solar arrays Solar cell 18

20 6. Lifecycle Schedule The lifecycle schedule is the timeline of everything that should be done in order to accomplish the MARS SCORE project from the initial broad spectrum of ideas to the system's decommissioning and analysis of the returned samples. The lifecycle schedule presented in this chapter is inspired by the formal NASA project lifecycle. The diagram presents major key milestones, technical and programmatic reviews, decision points and transitions between project phases. The project life cycle of our mission will follow the same life cycle as shown on the figure bellow. Figure 10: Project Lifecycle schedule Acronyms: KDP: Key Decision Point MCR: Mission Concept Review SRR: System Requirements Review MDR: Mission Design Review PDR: Preliminary Design Review CDR/PRR: Critical Design Review/Production Readiness Review SIR: System Integration Review TRR: Test Readiness Review ORR: Operational Readiness Review FRR: Flight Readiness Review PLAR: Post-Launch Assessment Review CERR: Critical Event Readiness Review DR: Decommissioning Review Pre-Phase A: Concept Studies ( / 2 years) This initial life cycle phase focuses on evaluating numerous feasible alternatives that meet stakeholderdefined system objectives. This phase includes discussions between stakeholders and engineers to define system objectives and the priority of these objectives, discussions between stakeholders and engineers to define criteria to be used to evaluate alternative concepts, and includes identification and evaluation of alternative concepts that are partially or fully consistent with stakeholder defined system objectives. 19

21 Before going to phase A, we will go over the Mission Concept Review (MCR) technical review in order to address the result of our Scoping Exercise, including stakeholder defined system objectives; address the technical analysis of alternative concepts, showing that at least one is feasible and can fully meet defined objectives and constraints; address the programmatic analysis of alternative concepts to establish the preliminary cost and schedule estimates associated with each alternative; address the initial system Concept of Operations ; address the criteria being used to evaluate concepts and the priority established for these criteria; and address preliminary assessment of the key technologies and risks associated with the system. Phase A: Concept and Technology Development ( / 1 year) This phase defines the high-level system requirements and establishes an initial baseline system concept. This phase includes: - Development of top-level requirements that refine the stakeholder-defined system objectives - Flow top-level requirements down a few levels of detail to gain better insight into driving system requirements (forming a set of high level requirements) - Perform key trade studies to evaluate alternative design attributes - Identify key technologies that will require investment to mature to flight readiness prior to the end of Phase-B - Refine life cycle cost estimate - Put in place all the management tools required to manage resources, risks, systems engineering processes, etc. This phase also includes technical reviews such as System Requirements Review (SRR) and Mission Design Review (MDR). Phase B: Preliminary Design and Technology Completion ( / 2 years) Moving from requirements to design, phase B establishes an initial baseline capable of meeting the system requirements. Activities include generating detailed requirements that are consistent with the high-level requirements defined and approved at SRR; completing plans for the verification and validation of the system; establishing a preliminary design that is consistent with the defined requirements; completing technology maturation activities to ensure all technologies are ready for implementation; and developing a detailed plan for implementation that includes updated cost and schedule estimates. The technical review in this phase is the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and makes sure that the detailed system requirements, constrains and performance measures are consistent with the preliminary design; the flow down of requirements from top-level to the detailed levels is complete and the requirements are traceable to the system objectives; the high level internal and external system interfaces have been defines; the preliminary design meets the requirements at an acceptable level of risk; all required technology maturation activities have been completed successfully; and the results of activities performed based on actions designed to the team at the MDR. 20

22 Phase C: Final Design and Fabrication ( / 3 years) This phase focuses on completing the system design, building and purchasing of system hardware and software components, and verifying that these components perform as required to meet detailed requirements. In this phase, we develop a baseline detailed design that is compatible with the defined requirements; we complete the plans for system integration and testing; we procure and build system components; we verify component capabilities and performance against requirements; we verify component interfaces versus interface definitions; and we prepare the launch site checkout and operations plans. The technical reviews of this phase are the Critical Design Review (CDR) and the System Integration Review (SIR). Our design needs to pass both reviews in order to proceed to Phase D. Phase D: System Assembly, Integration and Test, Launch ( / 2 years) This is the phase where all the verified components are brought together to form an integrated system. The resulting integrated system is verified and validated and placed into operations at the end of this phase. Technical reviews in this phase are Test Readiness Review (TRR) that reviews each component before testing and goes on throughout the phase, Operational Readiness Review (ORR), and Flight Readiness Review (FRR). Phase E: Operations and Sustainment ( /3 years) This phase includes operating the system through its defined lifespan. Includes performing both nominal operations as well as contingency operations to preserve the health of the spacecraft and ensure continued science data capture through the mission life. The Post-Launch Assessment Review (PLAR) and the Critical Event Readiness Review (CERR) are both the technical reviews that occur during this phase. Phase F: Closeout (2027 / 1 month) This phase ensures that the system is properly disposed of at the end of its useful life and that lessons learned and mission data have been archived given to the public for analysis. In the case of the MSR, we will transfer the capsules with the samples to biosafe facilities for analysis and the data will be given to the public. There will be continuous investigations for contaminations, if any, on the landing site until declared safe. The last and final technical review for the mission will be the Decommissioning Review (DR). 21

23 7. Figures of Merit A figure of merit is a quantity used to characterize the performance of the MARS SCORE system and methods. Figures of merit illustrate here the relative performance of the project. Five figures are presented here and intend to provide a large overview of the global MARS SCORE. Table 4: Figures of Merit Cost effectiveness: High (among the 80% best designs) Rationale: the mission would bring back a total number of 11 soil samples and a sample of the atmosphere, which allows for a wide and disperse sampling of the landing site. The design of the mission, with just one launch and high-efficient SEP engines, and the low technology development requirements help keep the cost of the mission to a minimum, thus increasing the cost effectiveness. Chance of success: high (scale: low: less than 30%, medium: between 30% and 60%, high: between 60% and 80%, very high: more than 80%) Development time: low (2 years or less) The mission design makes good use of field-proven tech, which guarantees a high rate of success, since all the components and stages can learn from past lessons. The operation with the highest risk is the Mars Orbit rendezvous, which is a common factor to almost all mission designs for Mars Sample Recovery Missions. Since the design does not require of new hardwares or softwares, the technology development time is virtually non-existent. The mission development time would be the time required to build and assemble the hardware, which can be a fairly fast process. Keeping the development time to a minimum allows for a higher costefficiency in the mission due to reduced costs before launch. Quality (or diversity) of the samples: high The Capsule can store up to 11 soil and 1 atmospheric samples. Due to the autonomy and mobility that the Rover can provide, the landing site can be properly sampled, taking samples from diverse sites, thus increasing the science gain of the mission. The combination of Rover and Lander increases the mobility of the Rover, since it does not have to carry all the weight of the MAV. Total mission duration: (around) 3 years A shorter mission duration requires less effort be put into the ground segment and mission control, as well as into communication stations, which can be used for other missions. A shorter stay on Mars means less wear for the landed components, which in turn translates into less strict requirements for the elements. All this translates into a faster science gain and a cheaper mission design. 22

24 8. Conclusion This project has been elaborated for five weeks in March and April 2014 by Angélique Verrecchia, Carlos Manuel Entrena Utrilla and Rafic Dalati. It is the result of team working and trade-off studies. MARS SCORE conducts a robotic mission to Mars in order to collect samples from the atmosphere and the soil and, return them to Earth avoiding contamination to complete scientific investigations. The mission MARS SCORE will be carried out from 2014 to 2027 by NASA and its international partners with a budget of US$ 1.2 billion. The design consists in a single launch from Earth, carrying all the equipment necessary to the mission. The spacecraft is launched from Earth in The Lander places the Rover, carrying the MAV, on the surface, after which the Rover proceeds with the sample collection of the atmosphere and of the soil. The MAV launches the sample capsule to Low Mars Orbit and proceeds to an automated rendez-vous. Then, the Orbiter travels back to Earth and performs an atmospheric re-entry in Samples are retrieved and stored in a specific facility for further scientific analysis. The ground segment of the Mars Sample Return mission is composed of a Ground Station Network, of a Mission Control Center (MOC) and International Scientific Data Monitoring Network. The work load of the project must be distributed among different assignments expertise such as the transfer segment, the ground segment and the space segment supported by the project management, the systems engineering and other relevant branches. The schedule life cycle should follow the typical NASA project life cycle which integrates key milestones, transition points and reviews. The project concept studies starts in 2014 and the close out of the project is currently schedule for For future development on this project, the next action should focus on the definition of top level requirements. A requirement is a declarative statement of what MARS SCORE must do in order to meet mission objectives described in the scoping element (chapter 2). The project team should also look for potential international partners which could support the mission funding and develop technologies and scientific instruments. Furthermore, MARS SCORE must be a step for further investigations on the presence of alien life and prepare the human exploration of the Red Planet. The Mars Sample Return mission fits into the Global Exploration Roadmap (GRE) of the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) which intends to conduct a crewed mission on another celestial body surface during the 2020 s decade. The mission should also provide some bricks to answer the question Are we alone in the Universe? All civilizations become either spacefaring or extinct - CARL SAGAN 23

25 References International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) Global Exploration Roadmap. [ONLINE] Available at: [Accessed 17 April 2014]. NASA Headquarters, NASA Systems Engineering Handbook (NASA/SP Rev1). Edition. Military Bookshop. NASA, Saylor Foundation Mars Sample Return Mission (Mission Concept Synopsis). [ONLINE] Available at: [Accessed 17 April 2014]. NASA, Saylor.org NASA and Saylor.org Present: Survey of Systems Engineering Part 1. [ONLINE] Available at: [Accessed 17 April 2014]. 24

26 Appendix I: Grading Rubric Description of Project: Using the mission concept synopsis that has been provided, along with your own independent research on the mission, develop System Engineering products for a mission Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission that you design. Your design should include methods for accomplishing the high-value science/technical goals that international scientists have identified for such a mission. SA= Strongly Agree, A=Agree, D=Disagree, SD=Strongly Disagree, NA=Not Applicable Content SA (4) 1. Defines the Scoping elements of the MSR mission x a. Need x b. Goal (s) x c. Objective(s) x d. Mission x e. Constraints x f. Budget x g. Schedule x h. Authority & Responsibility x i. Assumptions x 2. Develops a high-level Concept of Operations for the x MSR mission. 3. Develops a high-level Architecture for the MSR x mission. 4. Develops a Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) for x the MSR mission. a. The PBS is comprehensive at the Element x level (all Elements are included). b. One Element shows decomposition to the x Part level. 5. Develops a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). x 6. Develops a lifecycle schedule for the MSR mission x that shows: a. key milestones (actual dates working backward/forward from a 2024 launch b. technical and programmatic reviews x c. decision points x d. transitions between project phases x 7. Identifies 5 Figures of Merit that could be used to x evaluate MSR mission architecture options. A (3) D (2) SD (1) NA (0) 25

27 Appendix II: Team members biographies and contacts Angélique Verrecchia, MSc Angélique is a French aerospace engineer who grew up in the country side of Paris. Since she was a child, she had a fascination for outer space and truly believes that we all must explore the cosmos. In 2010, she earned an aerospace engineering degree with Honours from ELISA Ecole d Ingénierie des Sciences Aérospatiales in France. Following this she worked for two years in a company specializing in Cubesats named ISIS Innovative Solutions In Space in The Netherlands. In 2012 she commenced one year of study at ISU International Space University in France with a specialization in business and management. During which she had the pleasure to be an intern in the Exobiology Branch of the NASA Ames Research Center in California. Her true love is human space exploration and she wishes one day to have her own crewed mission to solve mysteries of the Universe. While searching for a job, she co-created a blog entitled "Born For Space", promoting human space exploration. Contact: angelique.verrecchia@orange.fr Carlos Manuel Entrena Utrilla Born 1989, in Granada, Spain. Studied physics in Universidad de Granada (Spain) and graduated in 2012, having completed the degree in 4.5 years instead of the 5 planned. Currently working on the Master's Thesis in the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron in Hamburg, Germany, with a scholarship from DAAD and "la Caixa". His list of fluent languages includes English, German and Italian, with Spanish as mother tongue. Having lived in 3 different countries and visited most of Western Europe, he acquired a rich set of multicultural and teamworking skills that allows him to work in all kind of environments. A space lover and problem solver, he is currently redirecting his career towards the new space industry. The sky is just the beginning. Contact: koln89@gmail.com 26

28 Rafic Dalati Who am I? I am Rafik Dalati, an 18 year old Canadian Lebanese who was born in the US. I lived in California, Toronto, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai. Where and what do I study? I am a first year Electrical Engineering student at the University of Waterloo. Hobbies? Show Jumping: member of the University of Waterloo Equestrian team and I compete at an international level; Tennis; Kendo; Tae Kwon Do. Student design teams: member of the ASIC design team and the Waterloo Satellite design team; Personal attributes: I am curious, committed, honest, and eager to learn.i am very passionate about helping others, learning, and leading. Experiences? My involvement in a lot of extracurricular activities has helped me become a great time manager and I use this skill to be involved in more activities that teach me how to interact with others in a team such as student design teams. I have demonstrated my leadership and teamwork skills in this area as well by representing the team leader a few times. Contact: rafic.dalati@hotmail.com 27