From Inter-Planetary Novice to Martian Pilot: Lessons Learned from 2 Martian years of Exploiting Operational Flexibilities on Mars Express
- Paper number
IAC-07-A5.I.-A3.I.B.02
- Author
Mr. Jonathan Schulster, Scisys GmbH, Germany
- Coauthor
Mr. Michel Denis, European Space Agency/ESOC, Germany
- Coauthor
Mr. Peter Schmitz, European Space Agency/ESOC, Germany
- Coauthor
Mr. Erhard Rabeneau, United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Mr. Jayaraman Pattam, Vega IT GmbH, Germany
- Year
2007
- Abstract
Since arrival at Mars on Christmas day in 2003, Mars Express, ESA’s first flexi-class, inter-planetary orbiting mission has successfully imaged the Martian surface in IR, visible and UV spectral ranges, including stereo-colour images at <20m/pixel resolution of over 30
Several important changes in the mission baseline between operations concept definition and the routine operations phase (after delayed deployment of the Marsis radar in 2005), have lead to the introduction and application of several significant operational flexibilities that drive the performance in terms of scientific return.
The most significant operational flexibilities exploited in the first two Martian years (2003-7) are, in order of importance: selection of communications passes to optimize pericenter science pointings; planning rules and constraints adjusted to Mars orbit environment (Earth distance, solar constant etc.); iterative, multi-phase planning cycle concept; rapid transition between routine and non-routine phases (deployments, solar conjunctions); expandable "virtual network" ground-segment architecture (NASA DSN added in 2004/5); empirical and evolutionary planetary environment modelling (albedo/mars-shine solar output degradation, heater power demand); evolving introduction and optimisation of automation tools to routine operations (effort-saving driven);
The operational concept must be at least as flexible as the mission design parameters ’worst case’ design constraints are used to define the bounds of the operations concept and to extract concrete flexibilities from it that can be used during the routine mission.
This paper attempts to analyze some of the flexibilities implemented in terms of cost-benefits and optimum introduction point in the life-cycle. It also discusses how exploitation and refinement or automation of operational flexibilities lead to further mission operations cost-savings, identification of more targets for operational automation targets and better understanding of the mission design constraints for future related missions.
The paper argues that detailed understanding of the operational flexibilities inherent in a Mars planetary-orbiting mission design and operations concept is fundamental to a cost-effective implementation of post-launch operational autonomy and automation processes.
- Abstract document