Current NASA Human Exploration planning is capability-driven, following a “flexible path” of missions with increasing capability into the inner solar system. It includes the Moon, near-Earth asteroids, and Mars, where humans will orbit planets with deep gravity wells, rendezvous with small bodies, and telerobotically explore and sample planetary surfaces. The planetary science group at MSFC provides scientific and mission-based expertise for mission planning and operations for these diverse planetary surface environments, including the Moon, Mars, and near-Earth asteroids.

MSFC Planetary scientists provide Agency expertise in planetary surface environments and mission operations. We contributed to the NASA Natural Environments Definition Document/Design Reference documents that define engineering boundary conditions for the Moon. We serve on internal NASA committees such as NASA’s Optimizing Science and Exploration Working Group (OSEWG). We serve on Agency-wide teams to refine design reference missions and concepts of operation for human deep space exploration missions to Earth-Moon L2, near-Earth asteroids, and the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos in support of the ongoing Human Spaceflight Architecture Team (HAT).

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Since 2009, MSFC scientists have been part of the D-RATS science team, providing geological context and traverse protocols for crew activities, as well as being part of the science backroom to integrate science observations with mission operations. The science backroom has been based both on the Apollo and Mars Exploration Rover (MER) operation models, where traverse activities are understood in real time, using suit-mounted and rover-based video streams and data. These models emphasize the need for scientists to analyze and interpret information on time-scales that are unusually short (minutes to hours) by remote sensing or robotic mission standards, which presented significant challenges.

Dr. Barbara Cohen (second from left) served as the Science Lead in the remote science backroom at the European Space Agency for Desert-RATS 2011.

Nonetheless, test metrics show that real-time data return to the backroom allows for both greatly improved field operations and scientific return.

Continued collaboration between science, engineering, and operations is crucial for future expeditions, and MSFC planetary scientists are here to support these efforts. Current NASA Human Exploration planning is capability-driven, following a “Flexible Path” of missions with increasing capability into the inner solar system. It includes multiple destinations, where humans interact with and explore the surfaces of the Moon, Mars, and asteroids. Within NASA, we provide expertise to human exploration and new mission planning, including serving as project scientists for:

1. •New missions to Near-Earth asteroids
   

2. •Space environment
   

3. •Lunar Precursor Robotic Program
   

4. •International Lunar Network
   

5. •Robotic Lunar Lander
   

6. •Lunar Mapping and Modeling
   

7. •Discovery and New Frontiers proposals
   

8. •New science instruments
   

9. •In-situ resource utilization
   

10. •Regolith simulants
    

Lunar lander testbed at MSFC.