Autonomous entry, descent and landing nextgeneration technologies for planetary missions

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Autonomous entry, descent and landing
next-generation technologies for planetary
missions

• Jonathan Gebbie
• presented by Pat Norris
• email space_at_logicacmg.com

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Agenda

• Heritage
• Goals Objectives
• Definitions 1st Generation Entry, Descent
  Landing Systems (EDLS)
• Mars Rover Delivery
• Mars Sample Return
• EDLS Test Requirements
• Roadmaps - EDLS LIDAR
• Conclusions

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LogicaCMG and Europes Heritage

• Planetary EDLS
• Huygens bound for Titan
• due to land January 2005
• Beagle2 bound for Mars
• due to land December 2003

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Goals/Objectives of Study

• Aurora programme
• Mars programme
• man on Mars by 2025
• develop technology to support these goals
• sub goals
• develop capability to land
• precious payloads
• increased safety
• increased precision
• specific scenario
• rover delivery
• sample return capsule (SRC) delivery

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Some definitions

• hard landing a planetary landing with a
  velocity in the range 10-50 m/s
• soft landing a planetary landing with a
  velocity in the range 0-10 m/s
• first generation EDLS atmospheric ballistic
  entry, uncontrolled descent, low precision
  landing (lt100 km), hard landing
• second generation EDLS controlled atmospheric
  entry, hazard detection and avoidance system,
  medium precision landing (lt10 km), hard or soft
  landing
• third generation EDLS guided entry, robust
  hazard detection and avoidance system, precision
  landing (lt0.01 km), soft landing.

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Definitions - continued
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Current EDLS 1st Generation

• ballistic interplanetary entry
• ablative heat shield deceleration
• accelerometer monitoring and deployment for
• pilot chute deployment
• main chute deployment
• airbag activation
• 200 metres above surface
• pyrotechnic control
• parachutes
• airbags

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EDLS 1st Generation Characteristics

• advantages
• simple, robust, relatively low mass
• relatively low on-board processing requirements
• no control feedback loops
• relatively simple testing of EDLS algorithms
• disadvantages
• only suitable for small probes
• low accuracy for landing site constrained by
  avoidance of hazards
• no terminal avoidance of hazards or site
  selection
• hard landing impact
• no evolutionary path to next generation never
  suitable for manned misisions

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Mars Rover Delivery 1/2

• 1ST generation
• uncontrolled, large ellipse, hard landing
• 1st generation
• Inflatable Breaking Device (IBD)
• improvements in
• deceleration
• landing cushion/landing impact
• LIDAR accelerometers
• (LIDAR LIght Detection And Ranging)
• similar principles of trigger points to 1st
  generation EDLS
• EDLS processing software
• generally similar
• LIDAR processing
• separate processor?
• balance of risk/cost/weight etc.

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Mars Rover Delivery 2/2
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Mars Sample Return (1/3)

• 3rd generation
• precision
• soft landing
• orbital entry
• choose site
• go/no go
• specific needs
• rocket powered descent
• LIDAR
• hazard detection and avoidance
• increased complexity
• scanning landing sites
• processing data/options
• updates due to spacecraft motion

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Mars Sample Return (2/3)
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Mars Sample Return (3/3)

• processing software (EDLS)
• similar core requirements
• LIDAR requirements
• increased processing volume
• hazard detection avoidance (HDA)
• processing power
• processing requirements increased
• logically separated processing requirements
• consider separate/increased processing power

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Sensors suite
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Actuators suite
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EDLS Test Requirements (1/2)

• software is mission-critical
• general testbed requirements
• reliable
• cost effective
• multiple mission support
• new requirements
• simulation of inflatable breaking device
• planetary surface simulation
• LIDAR simulation
• safety/certification considerations

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EDLS Test Requirements (2/2)
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Top-level EDLS Roadmap
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LIDAR Roadmap
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Conclusion

• key enabling technologies for Mars Rover Mars
  sample return
• inflatable braking device
• LIDAR
• continue work to develop
• guidance navigation control
• autonomous control of descent
• hazard detection avoidance and rendezvous
  docking
• planetary surface simulation
• test systems
• for testing and algorithm validation