Author Topic: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion  (Read 495334 times)

Offline Star One

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #140 on: 02/13/2017 07:16 pm »
Further to the above NASA press release.

Three potential landing sites for NASA's next Mars rover

Participants in a landing site workshop for NASA’s upcoming Mars 2020 mission have recommended three locations on the Red Planet for further evaluation. The three potential landing sites for NASA’s next Mars rover include Northeast Syrtis (a very ancient portion of Mars’ surface), Jezero crater, (once home to an ancient Martian lake), and Columbia Hills (potentially home to an ancient hot spring, explored by NASA’s Spirit rover).

More information on the landing sites can be found at:

http://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/timeline/prelaunch/landing-site-se...

Mars 2020 is targeted for launch in July 2020 aboard an Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The rover will conduct geological assessments of its landing site on Mars, determine the habitability of the environment, search for signs of ancient Martian life, and assess natural resources and hazards for future human explorers. It will also prepare a collection of samples for possible return to Earth by a future mission.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will build and manage operations of the Mars 2020 rover for the NASA Science Mission Directorate at the agency's headquarters in Washington.

For more information about NASA's Mars programs, visit:                                 

http://www.nasa.gov/mars

DC Agle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
818-393-9011
[email protected]
« Last Edit: 02/13/2017 07:17 pm by Star One »

Offline Blackstar

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #141 on: 02/13/2017 08:16 pm »
I'm too lazy to dig into this, but are they going to possibly expand the list again and then reevaluate? There's a certain logic to a process that narrows the list, evaluates the options, then opens it up again and looks a second time in light of new data. I think they did that last time with Curiosity, but I think that then it was prompted by missing the 2009 launch window.

It's an interesting process that they use for site selection. The final selection is an engineering one, not a science one. That's because the most important factor of all is getting the vehicle down intact, so those criteria are the ones used for the final decision. This site selection should be more complicated than the last one, because they're looking to get good quality samples, plus they have to consider any retrieval mission to bring them back, so there are more variables. Curiosity has a mission where it can be allowed to die in an inaccessible location (like on top of Mount Sharp), because nothing is coming back.

Offline as58

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #142 on: 02/13/2017 09:01 pm »
A bit longer write-up in Science: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/02/jezero-crater-most-popular-scientific-target-mars-nasa-s-2020-rover

Apparently Jezero crater was the 'clear top candidate'.

Offline Dalhousie

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #143 on: 02/14/2017 12:01 am »
A bit longer write-up in Science: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/02/jezero-crater-most-popular-scientific-target-mars-nasa-s-2020-rover

Apparently Jezero crater was the 'clear top candidate'.

For overall Mars science I suspect NW Sytris is the best.  For astrobiology Columbia Hills.
Apologies in advance for any lack of civility - it's unintended

Offline savuporo

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #144 on: 03/07/2017 07:24 pm »
https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/status/839198632297574404

https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/status/839195239860555778
Quote
Cassie Conley, current NASA planetary protection officer: Mars 2020 had CDR last week and there are different opinions of its readiness.

John Rummel, fmr NASA Plan Prot Offcr: in Dec, NASA changed internal regs for plan prot for Mars 2020 mission. Removed ref to COSPAR. Why?

Orion - the first and only manned not-too-deep-space craft

Offline redliox

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #145 on: 03/08/2017 12:15 am »
A bit longer write-up in Science: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/02/jezero-crater-most-popular-scientific-target-mars-nasa-s-2020-rover

Apparently Jezero crater was the 'clear top candidate'.

For overall Mars science I suspect NW Sytris is the best.  For astrobiology Columbia Hills.

On top of that when you think about it, Columbia Hills also has "ground truth" to it.

I know an argument against the 'Hills is basically "been there done that."  However, when you think about it, if NASA gets serious about sample return, in the end, there's going to be several missions sent to the same spot to retrieve whatever the 2020 rover harvests; on top of 2020 there'll be a lander and another rover sent to the same location just to complete sample return.  If not robotic, a human mission in the end might just walk over and pick up the samples, contamination concerns be damned if the priority is to retrieve quality science.

I'd put the 'Hills and Jezero at the same level.  Whichever of the 3 is picked, ultimately, is going to become a very familiar region for the next ~15 years if MSR is taken seriously.
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Offline Blackstar

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #146 on: 03/08/2017 02:13 am »
If not robotic, a human mission in the end might just walk over and pick up the samples, contamination concerns be damned if the priority is to retrieve quality science.


This is so completely wrong it's just wrong.

You cannot do "quality science" if you don't give a damn about contamination.


Offline Dalhousie

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #147 on: 03/08/2017 02:33 am »
If not robotic, a human mission in the end might just walk over and pick up the samples, contamination concerns be damned if the priority is to retrieve quality science.


This is so completely wrong it's just wrong.

You cannot do "quality science" if you don't give a damn about contamination.

Of course field scientists on Earth are very careful to minimise contamination, when it is appropriate.
Apologies in advance for any lack of civility - it's unintended

Offline Star One

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #148 on: 05/02/2017 05:39 pm »
Here's the relevant section.

NASA receives more than $19.6 billion in 2017 omnibus spending bill

Quote
Science programs will receive $5.76 billion in the spending bill, above both the requested $5.6 billion and lower levels in the House and Senate bills. Planetary science wins a large increase, to nearly $1.85 billion, well above the 2017 request of $1.52 billion and the $1.63 billion it received in 2016. That total includes $408 million for the Mars 2020 rover mission, including language directing NASA to add a small helicopter technology demonstration to the mission as long as it does not delay the mission’s launch.

http://spacenews.com/nasa-receives-more-than-19-6-billion-in-2017-omnibus-spending-bill/#sthash.YUSbvZyG.dpuf

Offline Star One

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #149 on: 05/23/2017 10:35 pm »
NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover Artist’s Concept

Quote
Mars 2020 is targeted for launch in July/August 2020, aboard an Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Image on link below.

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia21635.jpg

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/jpl/pia21635/nasa-s-mars-2020-rover-artist-s-concept
« Last Edit: 05/23/2017 10:36 pm by Star One »

Offline zubenelgenubi

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #150 on: 07/12/2017 10:08 pm »
Cross-post:
U.S. House of Representatives
Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2017 - 10:00am
Location: 2318 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittees: Subcommittee on Space (115th Congress)

Space Subcommittee Hearing- Planetary Flagship Missions: Mars Rover 2020 and Europa Clipper

Quote
Witnesses
Dr. Jim Green

Director, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA

Dr. Kenneth Farley

Mars Rover 2020 Project Scientist; Professor of Geochemistry, California Institute of Technology

Dr. Robert Pappalardo

Europa Clipper Project Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

Dr. Linda T. Elkins-Tanton

Director and Foundation Professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University; Principal Investigator, NASA Psyche Mission

Dr. William B. McKinnon

Co-Chair, National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science; Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis

https://science.house.gov/legislation/hearings/space-subcommittee-hearing-planetary-flagship-missions-mars-rover-2020-and
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Offline zubenelgenubi

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #151 on: 07/18/2017 06:22 pm »
Surprised that no one had posted this, or their commentary, yet...

Hearing opens about 25 minutes into the file.

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Offline Star One

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #152 on: 11/23/2017 06:58 pm »
NASA shows off Mars rover tires that bounce back into shape

Quote
The next Mars rover could ride across the alien planet on a new kind of tire that remembers its shape after running over rocks.

https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/nasa-mars-rovers-shape-memory-tires-glenn-research-center/

Online catdlr

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #153 on: 11/28/2017 09:42 pm »
NEWS | NOVEMBER 28, 2017
NASA Builds its Next Mars Rover Mission

Quote

In just a few years, NASA's next Mars rover mission will be flying to the Red Planet.

At a glance, it looks a lot like its predecessor, the Curiosity Mars rover. But there's no doubt it's a souped-up science machine: It has seven new instruments, redesigned wheels and more autonomy. A drill will capture rock cores, while a caching system with a miniature robotic arm will seal up these samples. Then, they'll be deposited on the Martian surface for possible pickup by a future mission.

This new hardware is being developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, which manages the mission for the agency. It includes the Mars 2020 mission's cruise stage, which will fly the rover through space, and the descent stage, a rocket-powered "sky crane" that will lower it to the planet's surface. Both of these stages have recently moved into JPL's Spacecraft Assembly Facility.

source: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7011
« Last Edit: 11/28/2017 09:43 pm by catdlr »
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Offline TakeOff

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #154 on: 12/02/2017 09:38 am »
Surprised that no one had posted this, or their commentary, yet...

Hearing opens about 25 minutes into the file.


RohrBacher asks if there were a civilization on Mars thousands of years ago... At 1:22:50.
https://youtu.be/PLJ5QrR_zj8?t=5152
« Last Edit: 12/02/2017 11:29 am by TakeOff »

Offline zubenelgenubi

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #155 on: 12/04/2017 04:52 pm »
RohrBacher asks if there were a civilization on Mars thousands of years ago

See thread Dana Rohrabacher--net positive or negative influence on USA space program?
« Last Edit: 12/04/2017 04:56 pm by zubenelgenubi »
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Offline Johnnyhinbos

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #156 on: 12/04/2017 05:33 pm »
I poked around to make sure this wasn't already posted. A pretty good talk about the science instruments on the 2020 rover by Ken Williford, Mars 2020 Deputy Project Scientist.

(NOTE: Talk doesn't actually start until ten and a half minutes in)

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Offline Blackstar

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #157 on: 12/04/2017 06:15 pm »
I'm not that much of a stickler for these things, but there's a whole separate group for Curiosity and Mars 2020. I think that 2020 posts should go there instead of the science group.

Offline zubenelgenubi

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Re: NASA - Perseverance, Mars 2020 Rover : Discussion
« Reply #158 on: 07/26/2018 06:56 pm »
Comparing costs of MSL (Curiosity) and Mars 2020; cross-post:
If you want to put a number on it, Curiosity cost 2.5 billion in nominal dollars, but adding a decade of inflation is more like 2.9 billion (CPI between 2008 and 2018).
Your larger point is correct: The Curiosity project often bought enough parts for Curiosity itself, the engineering unit, and spares.

A nitpick: The latest 2018 GAO report on mission performance put the cost of the 2020 mission at $2,458.2.  Still a savings even given the substantial new engineering for instruments, upgrades (second computer, tougher wheels, etc), and that mildly ( ;) complex sample handling system.  Some major systems (chassis, entry and landing system) are near identical and there were spares such as the heat shield (which was found to have fixable crack if I remember correctly).

And:
If you want to put a number on it, Curiosity cost 2.5 billion in nominal dollars, but adding a decade of inflation is more like 2.9 billion (CPI between 2008 and 2018). Mars 2020 is projected to cost 2.1 billion.

I think your Mars 2020 cost number is low.

https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/691589.pdf

Page 79 shows it at: $2.458 billion.

Now there's some squish in there. I believe that NASA spent more on instruments than they needed to. And that highlights the fact that cost is not the most important factor when designing a mission, it's the cost vs. what you want to do. One could argue that Mars 2020 should be substantially cheaper than Curiosity, because a big chunk of Curiosity's cost ($400+ million) was due to a schedule delay, and other costs were due to development problems, and Mars 2020 should not have had any of those issues. So one could ask "Why isn't Mars 2020 substantially cheaper than Curiosity?"

EDIT: Thank you for moving this thread to the Curiosity/Mars 2020 sub-forum!
« Last Edit: 07/26/2018 08:59 pm by zubenelgenubi »
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Offline Blackstar

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