Practical challenges and real time execution of maps and mission planning on a remote Mars Analogue location in the Morocco 2013 Field Simulation (Austrian Space Forum)
- Paper number
IAC-13,B6,4-V.1,4,x20081
- Author
Ms. Anna Losiak, University of Vienna, Austria
- Coauthor
Mrs. Andrea Boyd, Space Applications Services N.V., Belgium
- Coauthor
Ms. Csilla Orgel, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
- Coauthor
Ms. Linda Moser, Austrian Space Forum, Germany
- Coauthor
Ms. Jane MacArthur, University College London, United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Dr. Izabela Gołębiowska, University of Warsaw, Poland
- Coauthor
Mr. Steffen Wittek, University of Karlsruhe, ITE, Germany
- Coauthor
Ms. Isabella Achorner, University of Innsbruck, Austria
- Coauthor
Mr. Mike Rampey, Parhelion Aerospace GmbH, Switzerland
- Coauthor
Mr. Thomas Bartenstein, University of Innsbruck, Austria
- Coauthor
Ms. Natalie Jones, National Defence | Défense nationale Canada, Canada
- Coauthor
Mr. Sebastian Hettrich, German Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Austrian Space Forum, Germany
- Coauthor
Mr. Robert Terlevic, Austrian Space Forum, Croatia
- Coauthor
Mr. Gernot Groemer, Austrian Space Forum, Austria
- Coauthor
Mr. Quentin Scornet, Austrian Space Forum, France
- Year
2013
- Abstract
During the Morocco 2013 Mars Analog Field Simulation, the Remote Science Support team (RSS) was responsible for data analysis and supporting Flight Plan team (through simplifying the process of site selection for the daily traverse planning) as well as Field Crew (through supporting process of decision making concerning autonomous traverses selection). To be as close as possible to a Mars mission, where the terrain cannot be explored by the RSS team in advance, RSS was restricted to remote sensing imagery and digital elevation models to assess the suitability for each experiment to be carried out in a certain location. Google Maps was used as an open source tool, which could be shared amongst the different teams and extended/edited for post-mission analysis. RSS planned several maps to suggest suitable and avoid non-suitable locations for each experiment. However, the field team on the ground were to decide the exact daily operations. Those aims were executed with the usage of a set of especially designed thematic maps. The source data for the prepared maps were from remote sensing satellite images (Landsat, GoogleEarth) and a digital elevation model (ASTER GDEM) and it covered an area of 5 km X 5 km centred on the Mission Base Camp. The set of maps consisted of 1) a geological map; 2) a set of experiment “suitability maps”, one for every experiment, presenting the suitability of the area for every experiment separately; 3) danger map showing locations of all potentially dangerous places e.g., cliffs; 4) a map of estimated wi-fi coverage; 5) a map showing locations of planned activities; 6) a map presenting performed activities – this map was updated based on data collected each day and included all basic information concerning experiments stored in the spatially referenced database. There were some challenges due to distance and working in virtual teams during the mission preparation and the varying quality of the initial maps. Maps were extensively used by the Flight Planning team however Field Crew applied them differently in practice and this became more synchronised over time. This presentation will look at the practical challenges and real time execution of maps and mission planning on a remote Mars Analogue location from a Support Centre, rather than a Control Centre. As a result the RSS team created a full map of locations plus basic scientific data, which by the end was an accurate visual representation of the entire mission.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)