James L. Green Director, Planetary Science NASA

March 3, 2014 1

NASA’s Planetary Science Division Status Report

Outline

• Planetary Recent Events • FY14 Budget Overview • Status of the next Discovery Opportunity • Planetary Missions Overview • Suborbital Activities • International Activities • Other announcements -------------------- Other Talks --------------------- • R&A Program Reorganization – Jon Rall • Astrobiology Program Update – Mary Voytek • NASA’s RPS program – Len Dudzinski

2

Planetary Science Missions and Outreach Events

2013 May – November – Mars As Art Exhibit at Dulles Airport Gallery July 19 – Wave at Saturn and MESSENGER’s Earth image from Mercury July 31 – Curiosity Day on the Hill August 6 – One Year Anniversary of Curiosity Landing on Mars September 6 – LADEE launch from Wallops Flight Facility, VA October 1 – Close approach of Comet ISON to Mars – Campaign Science October 9 – Juno flyby of Earth November 27 – VESPER rocket launch observing Venus November 18 - Launch of MAVEN from Cape Canaveral, FL November 28 – Comet ISON Perihelion. Brightest view from Earth of Comet ISON 2014 January – EXCEED-HST observations of Io – Campaign Science Summer - Curiosity arrives at Mt. Sharp August – ESA’s Rosetta mission arrives at Comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko September 21 - MAVEN inserted in Mars orbit October 19 – Comet Siding Spring encounters Mars

* Completed

Planetary Budget Overview for FY14

• Congress passed a budget for Planetary Science of $1.345B • Budget elements include:

– Research and Analysis: $130M – Near Earth Object Observation: up to $40.5M – Discovery: $285M – New Frontiers: $258M – Mars Exploration: $288M ($65M for Mars Rover 2020) – Outer Planets: $159M ($80M Europa) – Technology: $146M (including Pu-238 production)

• Instructions included: – Pre-formulation and/or formulation activities on the Europa

mission including an AO for instrument development supporting the scientific goals of the mission outlined in the Decadal

– Release the next Discovery AO

4

Asteroid Mission Would Consist of Three Main Segments

Asteroid Identification Segment: Ground and space based NEA target detection, characterization and selection

Identify

Asteroid Crewed Exploration Segment: Orion and SLS based crewed rendezvous and sampling mission to the relocated asteroid

Explore

Asteroid Redirection Segment: Solar electric propulsion (SEP) based asteroid capture and maneuver to trans-lunar space

Redirect

Notional

NEO Observation Enhancements

The rate we are finding NEOs continues to increase: 2013 was the first calendar year in which we’ve found more than one thousand NEOs, bringing the current total to 10,700.

NEO Characterization Enhancements

8

Radar Observations of NEOs

8 Arecibo 305 m

Bennu (OSIRIS-ReX Target):

Goldstone 70 m Observations Shape Model

• These are complementary capabilities.

• Arecibo has more power and range

• Goldstone has more resolution and field of regard

• Radar observations can provide:

• Size and shape to within ~2 meters.

• High precision range/Doppler orbit data.

• Spin rate, surface density and roughness

• Currently, 70-80 NEOs are observed every year

• 2013: 79 radar targets with 68 of these being

observed for the first time 2005 YU55 in 2010

• Reactivated the WISE spacecraft on Sept 25

– The flight system was in the expected state with no apparent anomalies or failures and all subsystems nominal

• Last time DSN contacted the spacecraft was November 2012

– ~ 3-4 months cool down before effective operations

– 3.4 and 4.6 mm (cooled to 75°K)

• Science:

– Detect & characterize near-Earth objects (NEOs) through the end of 2016. Derive diameters & albedos

– Discover new NEOs; notably, potentially hazardous objects

• Spacecraft is in excellent shape and has just returned to operations

– Already discovered and provided size estimates for 6 new NEOs

Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) NEOWISE Restart

PI: Amy Mainzer Deputy PI: James Bauer

New NEO Discovery Tally

Designation Preliminary

Diameter (m)

Preliminary

Albedo

Preliminary Albedo

Range

2013 YP139 660 0.01 0.01 – 0.05

2014 AQ46 860 0.03 0.01 – 0.07

2014 AA53 710 0.06 0.01 – 0.10

2014 BG60 770 0.02 0.01 – 0.07

2014 BE63 600 0.02 0.01 – 0.04

2014 CY4 510 0.04 0.01 – 0.09

2014 CF14 790 0.16 0.04 – 0.30

• Typical diameter errors ±25%

• Do not need visible light measurement to determine diameter

but need it for albedo

• These results PRELIMINARY – unpublished

• Also discovered C/2014 C3 (Comet NEOWISE)

Discovery AO

Process for Next Discovery AO

12

Michael H. New, Lead Discovery Program Scientist

Community Announcement for Discovery-2014 AO Released 2/19/14

• Investigations may focus on any body in Solar System except Earth or Sun.

• Cost Cap: $450M (FY 15) for Phases A-D, excluding standard LV services.

• International contributions must not exceed 1/3 of PI managed cost, nor exceed 1/3 of the payload cost.

• No RPS available at all for this mission.

• RPS fueling can not be met on the required schedule for this opportunity.

• We plan to require EDL Engineering Science Activity to provide atmospheric entry diagnostic data (outside of PI cost cap).

• We are considering requiring Deep Space Laser Communication on all missions where this applies (outside of PI cost cap).

• We are considering GFE: NeXT Power processing units & thrusters, HEET 3D Woven TPS, Atomic Clock and Advanced Solar Arrays.

• Technology Demo Opportunities and/or Science Enhancement Activities may be selected, outside of cost cap.

Schedule Overview

• Anticipated Schedule: – Technology day to discuss tech options - end of March

– Release of draft AO – May 2014

– Release of final AO – September 2014

– Pre-proposal conference – AO + 3 weeks

– Proposals due – AO + 90 days

– Selection of 2 - 3 $3M (RY) Phase A studies – May 2015

– Concept Study Reports due – April 2016

– Down selection of mission – October 2016

– Launch Readiness Date – NLT December 2021

• Questions or input should be directed to: Dr. Michael New, michael.h.new@nasa.gov

• Full announcement: https://www.fbo.gov/spg/NASA/HQ/OPHQDC/NNH14ZDA004J/listing.html

Discovery use of RPS • Funding responsibility for sustainment of RPS operations was

transferred from DOE to NASA in FY14

• NASA continues to fund the Plutonium-238 Supply Project to redevelop production capability

– Good progress is being made

• DOE established Pu-238 allotment for NASA planning

– 35 kg of isotope, 17 kg in-spec, larger than previous planning numbers

• ASRG flight development cancelled due to budget

• NASA considered Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) for Discovery AO

• DOE determined that their current processing limitations cannot support MMRTG on the next Discovery AO

– NASA funding has begun for equipment replacement to bring pellet production back to a level to support future planetary program needs

15

Planetary Missions

• Formulation Studies

• Development

• Operations

Europa and the Decadal Survey

• The Decadal Survey provided 5 science goals for Europa exploration

1. Characterize the ocean

2. Characterize the ice shell and the surface-ice-ocean exchange

3. Determine global composition and chemistry, especially with regard to habitability

4. Understand the surface features and geology (and locate landing sites for future exploration)

5. Understand the space environment

• The Decadal Survey considered a comprehensive mission concept called the Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO)

– NRC’s independent Cost And Technical Estimate (CATE) for JEO deemed it unaffordable at $4.7B, and therefore it was the “second highest priority Flagship mission” based on “pragmatic reasons associated with the spending profiles”

17

2001-2012

2013-2022

“NASA should immediately undertake an effort to find major cost reduction for JEO”

Options for Reduced Cost Europa Missions • The year following the Decadal Survey was spent executing the

recommendation to find major cost reductions – The highly capable but complex JEO concept was split into three far

simpler elements

– These three mission concepts were independent, stand alone missions each with its own meritorious science

• The purpose of this effort was to define and validate a set of minimum concepts that demonstrate missions exist at the lower end of the cost spectrum (~$2B) that still provide significant science return

18 Multiple-Flyby in Jupiter Orbit Europa Orbiter Europa Lander

Key Science Questions for Europa

19

Science Question JEO/ Decadal Survey

Clipper Orbiter Lander

What are the properties and characteristics of Europa’s ocean? Goal 1 ✓ ✓ ✓

How thick is the icy shell? Goal 2 ✓ ✓ ✓

Is there near-surface water within the ice shell? Goal 2 ✓ ✓ ✓

What is the global distribution of geological features? Goal 4 ✓ ✓

Is liquid water involved in surface feature formation? Goals 1, 2, 4 ✓ ✓

Is the icy shell warm and convecting? Goal 2 ✓ ✓ ✓

What does the red stuff tell us about ocean composition? Goal 3 ✓ ✓

How active is Europa today? Goals 2, 4 ✓ ✓ ✓

What is the plasma and radiation environment at Europa? Goal 1, 3, 5

What is the nature of organics and salts at Europa? Goal 3 ✓ ✓

Is chemical material from depth carried to the surface? Goal 2 ✓

Is irradiation the principal cause of alteration of Europa’s surface material through time?

Goal 3, 5 ✓ ✓

Path Forward

• Continue Europa mission concept pre-formulation activities looking at several potential options

• As directed by Congress: Release competitive instrument AO for Phase A risk reduction – This would address the long standing and long lead risk identified by all

previous Europa mission studies and independent reviews

• Study various launch vehicle options including SLS

InSight: Interior Structure from Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport

22

Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx )

Science Objectives: • Return and analyze a sample of pristine carbonaceous asteroid • Map the global properties, chemistry, and mineralogy • Document in situ the properties of the regolith at the sampling site • Characterize the integrated global properties to allow comparison with

ground-based telescopic data of entire asteroid population • Measure the Yarkovsky effect

• Mission Overview: – Launch in September 2016 – Encounter asteroid Bennu (101955

AKA 1999 RQ36) in October 2019 – Study Bennu for up to 505 days,

globally mapping the surface – Obtain at least 60g of pristine

regolith/surface material – Return sample to Earth in September

2023 in a Stardust-heritage capsule – Deliver samples to JSC curation

facility for world-wide distribution

23

RQ36 - Apollo r ~ 280 m

P ~ 436 days

LADEE Launch WFF Sept. 6, 2013

Photo: Buddy Secor 24

Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer

Objective: • Measure the lofted Lunar dust • Composition of the thin Lunar atmosphere Instruments: • Science: NMS, UVS, and LDEX • Technology: Laser Communications End of mission: April 2014

25

Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration

Lunar Lasercom Space Terminal

LADEE Mission Ops Center

LADEE Science Ops Center

Lunar Lasercom Ops Center

Deep Space NW

Lunar Lasercom OCTL Terminal (JPL)

GSFC

MIT LL

Table Mtn, CA

Lunar Lasercom Ground Terminal

LADEE

Spacecraft

ARC

1.55 um band

Lunar Lasercom Optical Ground

System (ESA)

White Sands, NM

Tenerife

DL 622 Mbps UL 20 Mbps

DL > 38 Mbps UL > 10 Mbps

DL > 38 Mbps

Payload : 26

LADEE – Nearing End of Mission

27

• LADEE will perform several very low altitude dips • Down to 4.2 km above terrain two times in April prior to the eclipse • Once down to 2.8 km above terrain after the eclipse • Uncertainties create risk up to 50% for impact for last attempt • LADEE expected to impact April 4 – 21

Juno Earth Flyby

Perigee

28

NASA Juno Spacecraft’s Earth Flyby Images

View the Press Release at http://www.metwashairports.com/6068.htm

Juno, launched on August 5, 2011, passed by Earth on its way to Jupiter in a gravity-assist maneuver on October 9, 2013. Images taken by JunoCam instrument.

Right: Earth as seen by JunoCam during Juno’s Earth flyby. This monochrome view shows exquisite detail in the clouds and coastlines of South America. Inset, top left: The west coast of South America is visible in this image, taken when the Juno spacecraft was 15,091 km from the Earth. Processed by “Gerald” at unmannedspaceflight.com Top: Methane band image of the terminator region taken at 12:15:30 PDT on Oct. 9.

29

Bill Ingalls, NASA

MAVEN Launched November 18, 2013

MAVEN will study Mars’ upper atmosphere

and determine how it interacts with our Sun.

We will learn how Mars lost

most of its atmosphere and water to space,

making today’s Martian climate challenging for life.

Orbit Insertion Sunday Sept 21, 2014

10 pm Eastern

Mars 2020 Instruments

• Proposals have been received and are currently undergoing evaluation

• Selections to be announced in late spring

Mars Missions in This Decade

MRO

ESA Mars Express

Odyssey

Operational 2001-2014

MAVEN

Aeronomy

Orbiter

2016 2018 2020

Curiosity –

Mars Science

Laboratory

2020

Science Rover

2022

ESA Trace Gas

Orbiter

(Electra)

ESA ExoMars

Rover (MOMA)

InSight Opportunity

Seeking Signs of Life Habitable Environments

Future

Senior Review for FY15-16

• Last Senior Review was completed in July 2012 for fiscal years FY13 & FY14

• Call for Mission Extension proposals has been issued:

– Missions in the review: Cassini, LRO, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, MRO, Opportunity, and Curiosity

• Schedule: – Due: April 11, 2014

– Results announced in June 2014

34

Suborbital Flights

35

How NASA Space Assets Observed Comet ISON

(items in yellow successfully observed the comet)

For more information, visit: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/ison

Deep Impact imaged ISON for the first time on January 17 and 18, 2013, from 493 million miles away

MESSENGER observed ISON as it passed by Mercury on November 19th on its way to the Sun

STEREO observed ISON as it passed by on its way to the Sun in October and November

SOHO observed ISON as it plunged through the Sun’s corona in November during perihelion

Hubble observed ISON in April-May and October. Hubble may see remnants (if any) in December

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station observed Comet ISON on November 23, 2013

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter was not able to observe ISON

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter observed ISON as it passed by Mars on October 1st

Spitzer observed ISON on June 13. The comet was 310 million miles away from the Sun

SDO did not detect Comet ISON

In January and March, Swift observed ISON in X-ray and UV when it was 460 million miles away from the Sun

FORTIS, a sounding rocket, launched on November 20, 2013 will obtain ultra-violet spectra from ISON

Opportunity was not able to observe ISON as it passed by Mars

Curiosity was not able to observe ISON as it passed by Mars.

In November, Chandra observed ISON with its X-ray instruments

SOFIA, an airborne observatory, captured images of ISON on October 24, 2013, in Infrared

BRRISON, a sub-orbital balloon, launched successfully, but its instrument failed and did not observe the comet

(Nature.com)

• Far-UV (800-1950 Å) spectra and imagery of comet ISON.

• Measure volatile production rates of CO, H, C, C+, O and S

• Search for previously undetected atomic and molecular species (e.g., Ar, N, N+, N2, O+ and O5+)

Comet ISON observations with FORTIS (Far-uv Off Rowland-circle Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy)

Stephan McCandliss, PI, JHU Paul Feldman, Co-I/Science PI, JHU

NASA/Berit Bland

Launch: November 19, 2013 White Sands Missile Range

Jointly funded by Planetary and Astrophysics Divisions

38

Purpose: To study the present day escape of water from the atmosphere of Venus and relate it to the past abundance of water on Venus

Launch: November 27, 2013

Launch Site: White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico

Mission Number:

36.261

Principle Investigator:

John Clarke (Boston University)

jclarke@bu.edu 617-353-0247

The Venus Spectral Rocket Experiment (VeSpR)

NASA’s next Venus flight mission

39

International Mission Participation

International Agreements: Mars Missions

• ISRO – Mars Orbiting Mission (MOM) – PSD/DSN support of navigation and tracking

• ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter – to be launched in 2016 – PSD provide the standard communication relay

(with surface assets) called Electra

• ESA’s ExoMars Rover – to be launched in 2018 – PSD provide a key portion of DLR’s instrument

MOMA - Mars Organics Molecule Analyzer

41

International Agreement: BepiColombo

• BepiColombo is a joint ESA – JAXA 2 spacecraft mission to the planet Mercury, due to launch in 2015 – 6 year journey using solar-electric propulsion and gravity

assists from the Earth and Venus

• PSD is delivering the Strofio (Exospheric sampling of Mercury's surface composition) instrument to ESA

42

International Agreement: JAXA Hayabusa 2

43

Venera-D JSDT: Background

• On December 2013 a bilateral dialogue took place between IKI and NASA/PSD. It was agreed to have a Joint Science Definition Team for Venera-D

• On December 2013 NASA released a Letter for Application call for the Venera-D JSDT

• On January 2014, NASA received 39 applicants. • On February 2014, NASA and IKI jointly selected 5 USA

members for JSDT. • Tentatively on March 4, 2014 a Venera-D JSDT Kick-off

video-com will take place . • Four “face-to-face” meeting have being scheduled

• The JSDT will provide guidance on research objectives to be pursued by Roscosmos/IKI and NASA's future science flight missions for Venus including: - Science objectives

- Develop an operations concept - Mission design architectures & spacecraft concept - Science instrument conceptual payload & traceability matrix - Identification of any required new technology,

VENERA-D JSDT MEMBERSHIP

Michael’s current duties include: - MEP Lead Program Scientist - Curiosity Program Scientist Will be seeking a detail to replace his

Mars Exploration Program Duties.

47

NASA’s

“Flyby, Orbit, Land, Rove, and Return Samples”

Backup Charts

Planetary Program Architecture Recommended by the Planetary Decadal Survey

Technology Development (6-8%)

Research & Analysis (5% above final FY11 amount then ~1.5%/yr)

Discovery $500M (FY15) cap per mission (exclusive of launch vehicle) and 24 month cadence for selection

New Frontiers $1B (FY15) cap per mission (exclusive of launch vehicle) with two selections during 2013-22

Large Missions (“Flagship”-scale)

“Recommended Program” (budget increase for JEO new start)

1) Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher – descoped

2) Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) – descoped

3) Uranus Orbiter & Probe (UOP)

4/5) Enceladus Orbiter & Venus Climate Mission

“Cost Constrained Program” (based on FY11 Request)

1) Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher – descoped

2) Uranus Orbiter & Probe (UOP)

“Less favorable” budget picture than assumed

(e.g., outyears in FY12 request)

Descope or delay Flagship mission

Current Commitments (ie: Operating Missions)

48

BRRISON Anomaly Summary • During ascent the telescope deployed and commissioning

began; included capture of star image shown

• At ~90,000 feet the telescope unexpectedly returned to the

stowed upright position with high torque

• The telescope’s angular rate was too fast and its stow bar

became trapped behind the stow latch

• Numerous commands were issued to release the telescope

during the overnight flight but were all unsuccessful

• Payload recovered in excellent shape

• Probable cause under investigation

• Telescope will be repaired and available for future flights (for

example: Comet Siding Spring)

49