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Craters of Mars
Savas Mavridis
Project Option 2
Abstract
Tartarus is said to be as far below Hades as the Heavens are from the Earth. The main goal
of the Tartarus mission is to explore the deepest parts of the Martian surface, particularly
the Hellas and Argyre Planitiae. There exists speculation that these two basins are prime
Finding evidence of liquid water on Mars is troublesome due to the low atmospheric
pressure. The atmospheric pressure on Mars coincides with the triple point of water at
around 6 mbar. The Hellas Planitia is one of the largest impact craters in the solar system,
lending it to its distinctive hyper-low elevation. Within this crater, pressures are speculated
to be just over 12 mbar (Haberle, et al., 2001). This leads us to conclude that the most
probable location for evidence of liquid water is within the Hellas Planitia (Making a Splash
on Mars, 2000). Although the pressure in the Argyre Crater is less prominent, its surface
features indicate that there may have been previous hydrological processes. The Argyre
Planitia is a companion crater on the surface of Mars with evidence of glacial activity due to
the presence of a sinuous ridge (Banks, et al., 2009; Kargel, 2014). Furthermore, the four
large channels surrounding the crater lend scientists to believe the basin was once a lake
(Parker, Clifford, Banerdt, 2000). Terrestrial intuition will have us believe hydrologic activity
is the cause of these formations but a recent theory has scientists questioning if a more
abundant chemical in the Martian atmosphere, Carbon Dioxide, developed the formations
(JPL, 2013).
With the primary goal of the mission being to explore these two craters, our stated
objectives include: analyzing the regolith to determine the composition of the minerals
present within the craters, gather evidence on the formations of the sinuous ridges in Argyre
and the banded flow structures in the Hellas Planitia, and determine whether water or
carbon dioxide created the structures in the basins. After gathering the information
necessary to answers these questions, the rovers will passively gather data on the surface
of the basins for two Martian years. This information will provide further insight into the
Two identical rovers will be sent to explore the basins and gather information.
Martian Crater Vehicle Cavendish (MCV-C), named after the British chemist credited with the
discovery of hydrogen, will land in the Hellas Planitia near the banded flow terrain in the
north-west portion at Martian Surface Coordinates (MSC) 39.26S 53.56E. Martian Crater
Vehicle Lavoisier (MCV-L), named after the French chemist who first classified carbon as an
element, will land near the sinuous ridge in the southern side of the Argyre crater at MSC
55.03S 319.20E. The rovers will be equipped with the highly reliable Alpha Particle X-ray
Spectrometer (APXS) to analyze soil samples that are taken on the surface (Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, n.d.). To mitigate unnecessary wear on the APXS and determine meaningful soil
test sites, the rovers will be equipped with the ChemCam utilized on the Mars Science
Laboratory. The ChemCam allows scientists on Earth to analyze rock at a distance and
rapidly determine whether the rock is sedimentary or volcanic. For the purposes of this
mission, we would like to avoid volcanic rock as we are aiming to study potential hydrologic
features on Mars (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, n.d.). The last important piece of equipment
that will be added to the rovers will be the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS).
The REMS will be used to collect environmental data within the craters allowing us to
understand the possible atmospheric conditions in the two planitiae (Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, n.d.).
Timeline
Tartarus is a unique mission designed to send two separate identical rovers to two separate
landing sites. The MCV-C will land in the Hellas Planitia; the MCV-L will land in the Argyre
crater basin. As the landing sites have already been determined, the next step is to
determine a launch date. Using various resources available from the NASA Goddard website,
taking into consideration closest approaches of Mars, as well as providing ample time for
development of the rovers and launch vehicles, we have determined that the launch date
will be August 25th, 2022. The 336-day transfer will arrive July 27th, 2023. If the mission is
approved to begin at the start of the 2018 calendar year, we are provided with a four-year
lead on the launch date. This mission is designed to take advantage of previous techniques
used by NASA to free up the development time of novel landing procedures, a la the
The primary focus during pre-launch activities will be the design of the Mars Crater
Vehicles. Our rovers will be designed to detect what processes formed key geological
features thought to be evidence of hydrologic activity. Most of the technology needed to
achieve these goals has already been designed and tested by the teams that worked on
Curiosity. The name of the game for the development of the MCVs is Recycle and
Repurpose. This mission is designed to save time and resources by utilizing the technology
we already have. Avoiding waste will inflate the return on investment from our
experimentation in the new environment we are exploring. While the rovers are both
projected to be smaller than the MSL, having two separate rovers as well as MCV-Ls
approach stage propulsion systems nets a higher payload weight. For this mission, the
appropriate launch vehicle would be NASAs Space Launch System. The SLS is projected to
launch no later than 2018. By the time we launch in 2022, the rocket will have had ample
time to be refined for reliability. The rovers should be completed by December 2021 and the
payload staged for assembly by July of 2022. The Rocket will be rolled out of the VAB at
Kennedy Space Center and staged for launch on the morning of August 25th.
factors must be considered on the day of launch to determine the launch window.
Atmospheric pressure, temperature, trajectories of space debris, etc. must all be observed
prior to launch, otherwise trajectory alterations must be performed hampering the efficiency
goals of this project (Heiney, 2012). From the data provided in Figure 1, we have determined
that the minimum delta V that must be reached is 3.9 km/s. The high thrust provided by the
SLS will easily accommodate these constraints set by the weight of our payload.
on August 25th. During this phase, our team will conduct periodic flight health checks on the
spacecraft. These checks will be used to determine whether our trajectory is within an
acceptable margin of error. If the craft requires adjustments to maintain the 336-day
transfer, the only opportunity to guarantee a successful encounter with Mars is during the
cruise stage. We will also monitor communications between mission control and Tartarus
ensuring clear transmissions free of radio interference, antenna alignment issues, et al.
Furthermore, as the craft nears the approach stage, 90 days before entering the
atmosphere of Mars, the CES team will begin preparations for the approach.
12th, 2023. During the approach phase, the Real-Time Operations Chief will begin intensive
preparation for atmospheric entry. Communications are expected to have a 14-minute delay,
therefore, we must begin running simulations of entry to foresee any possible issues due to
the dynamic Martian weather. If we notice any issues, we will be able to adjust accordingly.
On July 24th, our Flight Systems Manager will signal for the separation of the two rovers
above the Martian surface. Prior to separation, the payload is targeting the MCV-C landing
zone within the Hellas basin. After the separation, the MCV-L module will burn retrograde to
slow its velocity and land in the nearer (relatively speaking; eastward accounting for
trajectory and rotation of Mars makes the Argyre basin a shorter flight than Hellas) of the
operations. Our operations are modeled after the Mars Exploration Rovers procedures [Fig
3].
E+274s: Bridle Descent begins, lowering the rovers below the descent rockets
o 2.0km above the surface, the image acquisition begins and relays information
back to Earth allowing the team to analyze the progress of the descent
o Bridle will be cut ~12 m above the surface and the lander will fly off to a safe
At a stop, the bags will slowly deflate. As the bags unfold, the rovers will orient
confirmed, we will test the rovers ability to drive forward 20ft, reverse 10ft, and perform a
360-degree turn in both directions. If these tests prove successful, the sensors will then be
tested. Once all tests register positive, the Real-Time Operations Chief will begin surface
operations.
Sol 2 Sol 1338+ Surface Operations
The first portion of Surface Operations require the rovers to navigate to their
respective coordinates. For the MCV-C, it will trek toward MSC 39.26S 53.56E. MCV-L will
navigate to MSC 55.03S 319.20E. Once both have reached their test locations, the
mission shifts to soil analysis. They will scan the surrounding areas for locations that will
prove fruitful for the collection of soil samples relevant to their designated mission:
determining whether water or carbon dioxide created the structures in the basins. Once
enough samples are collected to sufficiently determine the chemical makeup of the regolith,
the rovers will begin the secondary mission of passively collecting data on atmospheric
Personnel
Project Manager
The Project Manager will be responsible for overall leadership of the Tartarus mission
including, but not limited to: Maintaining all budgetary concerns throughout the
development process, ensuring project deadlines are achieved, drive program growth,
Project Scientist
Managing scientist responsible for detailing scientific objectives, overseeing
and oversees the implementation of the payload to the SLS Rocket for launch.
PhD in Robotics
Stage through to the end of surface operations. The RTOC will be the primary operator
between mission control and the MCVs, relaying commands to operate the vehicles.
PhD in Robotics
Outreach
Outreach and marketing for the project will be conducted in three stages. The first
stage will consist of marketing the mission. The second stage will be conducted exactly one
year prior to arrival on mars and consist of a national tour. The third stage will begin from
the cruise stage until the end of the mission life, as a social media presence.
The first step toward attracting an audience is creating a buzz. To do this, the team
will want to garner the publics attention through viral marketing. This portion is aimed
towards the youth and those who believe NASA is always hiding something. By leaking
information about a top secret NASA project, the internet will latch onto the slim
information that is initially offered. Multiple news sources will inevitably catch the buzz and
spread the word. The name Tartarus conjures an ominous image which will add to the
mystery of our mission. The end goal of this portion is to create publicity for the project, as
well as the rest of NASAs Mars Campaign. In this sense, any attention is good attention. Will
there be a fallout when the mission is revealed to be just a standard observatory Mars
mission? Of course. But at that point, the name Tartarus is well known and the audience will
Once there is an audience and name recognition, the second phase will begin. Full sized
models of the two MCVs will be assembled and a team of promoters will tour the country
during the duration of the Tartarus transit. The tour will stop by at major universities and
large museums across the country. Key destinations will include major engineering schools
Illinois at Urbana, and University of Wisconsin Madison along with top museums including
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, The Hayden Planetarium in New York, and
the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. The content of the tours will include Working
for NASA, The Tartarus Mission Explained, and The Future of Mars Exploration. A tour
would allow our scientists and engineers an opportunity to reach out to the public and
garner support of Mars Exploration. When children hear about NASA, they know that people
work there and do important research, but it is not a tangible idea until they actually interact
with the scientists. An encounter like that will undoubtedly make the prospect of getting
involved in STEM activities more palatable for children, thereby inspiring the next generation
of engineers.
The final stage in our marketing strategy will be by giving the rovers a personality. Right
after launch, during the cruise stage, our team will post to Facebook and Twitter on behalf of
the rovers any and all updates from the rovers perspective. The theme will be two siblings,
brother and sister, getting along on the flight, getting into an argument prior to separation
and entry, and then competing to prove who the better rover is. Updates of the mission will
be conveyed through humor, wit, and banter. As buddy comedies and humorous twitter
accounts are almost always successful, there is little doubt that we can capture a wide
audience with this technique. Furthermore, by anthropomorphizing the robots, people will be
able to relate to their work. Collectively, this will create a high-profile mission that can plant
This mission will be an intermediary mission between the iconic Curiosity landing and a
landmark manned Mars landing. Our outreach will stoke the flames of intrigue between the
two programs ensuring NASA is well received in the public eye. The more the public
appreciates the work done at NASA, the more pressure is applied to those who risk cutting
the budget to our space programs. Unfortunately, this is a real concern for our institution,
and we must continue to promote ourselves to further the success of manned space
exploration.
Appendix
Figure 1: detailing trajectory of mission with dates, and delta V estimates (Foster, 2016)
Figure 2 (Left): proposed separation points and trajectory for entry, descent, and landing (Mellon, et al., 2011)
Abstract References
Haberle, R. M., C. P. McKay, J. Schaeffer, N. A. Cabrol, E. A. Grin, A. P. Zent, and R. Quinn (2001), On
the possibility of liquid water on present-day Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 106(E10), 2331723326,
doi:10.1029/2000JE001360.
Timeline References
Foster, C. (2016, December 23). NASA Ames Research Center Trajectory Browser. Retrieved
February 5, 2017, from
https://trajbrowser.arc.nasa.gov/traj_browser.php?NEAs=on&NECs=on&chk_maxMag=on&maxMag
=25&chk_maxOCC=on&maxOCC=4&chk_target_list=on&target_list=Mars&mission_class=oneway&
mission_type=rendezvous&LD1=2022&LD2=2026&maxDT=1&DTunit=yrs&maxDV=6.0&min=DV&
wdw_width=365&submit=Search#a_load_results
Mellon, M. et al (2011, January 01). NASA Ames Research Center Interactive Mars Data Maps.
Retrieved February 1, 2017 from https://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/globalData/
Heiney, A. (2012, March 8). Aiming for an Open Window. Retrieved February 1, 2017 from
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/launchwindows.html
Desai, P. N., Knocke, P.C. (2004). Mars Exploration Rovers Entry, Descent, and Landing Trajectory
Analysis. Retrieved February 1, 2017 from
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20080013365.pdf