1. ESWT #7 2018 Rover operations concept
by Luc Joudrier (ESA) / P. Franceschetti (TAS-I)
ExoMars ESWT# Dec 2014

2. ROCC & EXM Ground Segment Architecture
Who does what?
2018 Rover
ESA
EDL &
Surface
ESA
ExoMars 2016
EDM
ExoMars 2016
Orbiter (TGO)
Cruise,
EDL
2016 EDM
Surface
NRO
NASA
EDL &
Surface
2018 Lander
ROSCOSMOS
ESA
UHF link during
EDL
MEX MOC
(TBC)
NASA
Ground
Station (TBD)
ESA
Ground
Stations
Russian
Ground
Station)
ESOC
NASA
ESA
ROSCOSMOS
ESA Relay
Coord.Office
(ERCO)
ExoMars 2016
Orbiter & EDM
MOC
2018 ROCC
UHF Radio
Telescope
For 2016
EDM EDL
ALTEC
ESOC
ESOC
TBD
2018 SPOCC
Science Ground Segment
ExoMars 2016
Orbiter SOC
ESA
Mission
Data Archive
Russian
Mission Data
Archive
ROSCOSMOS
Engineering activities
ESAC
ESA
Mission
Data Archive
sci ops
2016 EDM Surface
NRO
MOC
MaROS
ESAC
2016 EDM
PIs
NOMAD
CASSIS
ACS
FREND
NASA
NASA
Russian
Mission Data
Archive
IKI
ExoMars ESWT# Dec 2014

3. Rover Operations Concept
ROCC is integrating the Science Operations Centre (SOC) and is fully responsible to all the commands sent to the Rover and its instruments.
The commands are generated as a result of the planning process.
Strategic Planning
Prepare the coming plans (e.g. where to go next).
Refine the coming sols plans .
Tactical Planning
Refine the (up to two sols) Activity Plans for upload to the Rover including alternative activities.
Scientists at ROCC and supported remotely by their home base.
Timely provide the scientific assessments of the data supporting the strategic and tactical planning -> ROCC to PPL ICDs discussion
Fundamental: Assessments and data are shared within the ROCC (ref to Rules of the Road)
Scientific Archives are prepared at ROCC and sent regularly to ESAC-PSA.
Discussion about ROCC to PPL ICDs contributing to ROCC to ESAC ICD
More details in Sol#2
ExoMars Project <9 Dec 2014>
< ESWT#7 >

4. Rover Module operations per phase
ExoMars Rover Operating Scenarios Transition
Pre-Launch through Interplanetary Trip Scenario
Surface Operations Scenario
DMC Release through
Touch–Down Scenario
Rover Module commanded to execute at least 3 checkouts:
During the SC commissioning
Half way to Mars
Before the DM separation from the CM
Rover Module powered off
Rover Module powered on starting from PLTE
Surface Mission execution
ExoMars ESWT# Dec 2014

5. Rover Command & Control
Pre-Launch Phase: ROCC is responsible for the ExoMars Rover Module activities and will provide direct support to 2018 ESOC/MOC.
ESOC/MOC route the data to/from ROCC
Inputs and support from Science teams necessary to evaluate PPL Instruments behaviour
LEOP: limited operations: execution of the Rover Module checkout as part of the Spacecraft Composite IOCR. ROCC is responsible for providing direct support to 2018 ESOC/MOC whenever deemed necessary.
Inputs and support from Science teams necessary to support PPL checkout and to evaluate PPL Instruments behaviour
Cruise Phase: The Rover Module will mainly be in OFF status with the exception of the periodic checkouts (at least 2), the On-Board SW uploading and the Rover Battery charging.
ROCC is responsible for the ExoMars Rover Module activities and will provide direct support to 2018 ESOC/MOC
No real time operations
ExoMars ESWT# Dec 2014

6. Rover Command & Control
DMC Phase: The Rover Module is OFF until the beginning of the PLTE Phase (after the touchdown) when the Rover is powered on, executes a checkout and leaves the landing platform
Until Rover egress completion, 2018 ESOC/MOC is responsible for the joint (Rover + Surface Platform) operations
After the handover between 2018 ESOC/MOC and ROCC, ROCC is responsible for commanding & controlling the Rover Module
Inputs and support from Science teams necessary to evaluate PPL Instruments behaviour for the checkout
Based on the current planning, the checkout of the PPL instruments is going to be split into two parts:
the first executed soon after the Rover is powered-on and limited to the instruments supporting the egress preparation activities (e.g. PanCam)
The second executed once the Rover is on the Martian soil
Inputs and support from Science teams necessary to evaluate PPL Instruments behaviour are requested
ExoMars ESWT# Dec 2014

7. Rover Command & Control
Surface Phase: Rover Surface Operations Phase is a combination of the operations involving both the mobility of Rover and the analyses of selected Martian surface and sub-surface targets
This mission phase is under control of ROCC.
This mission phase will be performed during Mars daylight; night-time activities will be limited to support possible communications with the ESA TGO Data Relay Orbiter and, possibly, some data compression.
The Rover engineering and scientific supporting teams will be organised on working shifts, which could be different because of their roles and responsibilities, suitable to always assure the full support to the surface activities.
Indeed, along the evolution of the surface mission proper tailoring will be pursued to increase the efficiency in supporting the Mars tasks and to enhance the promptness of the Earth reply.
The supporting teams are responsible for rover surface activity planning, for data assessment, trend analyses, recovery procedures definition etc. etc.
The ground activities will require tight cooperation between engineering and science personnel to assure the accomplishment of all the mission goals.
Scientific data will be transferred to Earth following proper rules (critical data first) through ESA TGO Data Relay Orbiter that will get the data sent by the Rover
ExoMars ESWT# Dec 2014

8. Science decisions and trades
As a high level summary, the main objective of the rover is to acquire a sample and analyse it (and do this several times !). Survey instruments are all contributing to decide where is the right location to drill.
The Science activities on the ground must focus on the following questions:
From the current place of the rover, where is the most suitable site at a reasonable distance? Trade various options and establish the longer term plan (this site and then this next etc…) to be revised as part of the continuous strategic planning activities. Detailed analysis of the selected landing site will provide the initial inputs, complemented with all other measurements.
At the site, what are the local features that must be studied to allow selections of the drill site among possible candidates? Trade various candidates and number of measurements with the survey instruments.
What is the best drilling location and depth ?
What is the best ALD instruments measurement parameters and sequence to analyse the sample?
More details in Sol#2 about the Tools provided by ROCC and by Science Teams
ExoMars Project <9 Dec 2014>
< ESWT#7 >

9. Engineering Support
Support to the main scientific decisions and trades:
Localisation of the rover
Note that visual localisation is well progressing with Scisys under Airbus DS contract. VisLoc will implement the same algorithms that have been tested in the Atacama desert experiment SEEKER and SAFER.
Mobility assessment to the various desired targets
Drilling assessment of the various desired locations.
Energy assessment of the desired plan
More details in Sol#2 about the Tools provided by ROCC
ExoMars Project <9 Dec 2014>
< ESWT#7 >

10. Questions ?
ExoMars Project <9 Dec 2014>
< ESWT#7 >

11. ADDITIONAL SLIDES
ExoMars Project <9 Dec 2014>
< ESWT#7 >

12. Measurement Cycle Implementation Assumptions
The development of the Measurement Cycle is mainly based on the two ESA normative documents: Reference Surface Mission and PPL E-IRD
Every day, ROCC has to uplink the Activity Plans covering the following two sols of operations: in case of Decision Point, all the telemetry data necessary to prepare the Activity Plan shall be available at ROCC. In the other cases, the Activity Plan is prepared based on assessment of previously received telemetry data and the related data trend analysis
Nine Decision Points are ruling the Measurement Cycle operational sequence
Driving requirement:
Drill is retracted at sunset to prevent freezing of the rod.
Drill is re-positioned at next sunrise at the previous sol depth to start again the drilling activity
RSM OPTIMISATION SCOPE
ExoMars ESWT# Dec 2014

13. Measurement Cycle Implementation Assumptions
Differences introduced by TASI wrt the ESA Reference Surface Mission document
Drilling region characterization split over two sols because of the long duration of the operations
RLS calibration not executed in sol 4 (the sol previous the one in which RLS is operated) because of timing constraints
MOMA LD-MS operated in a dedicated sol because of thermal constraints (agreed after a joint discussion but not yet implemented in the ESA RSM)
The drilling sequence has been implemented considering loose soil down to 140 cm (instead of 130 cm) to squeeze as much as possible the drilling sequence in a reasonable time
Ma_Miss operations modified trying to make the duration of the activities compliant to the maximum allowed Rover working time (10 hours)
RSM OPTIMISATION SCOPE
ExoMars ESWT# Dec 2014

14. Vertical Survey Implementation Assumptions
The development of the Vertical Survey is mainly based on the two ESA normative documents: Reference Surface Mission and PPL E-IRD
Every day, ROCC has to uplink the Activity Plans covering the following two sols of operations: in case of Decision Point, all the telemetry data necessary to prepare the Activity Plan shall be available at ROCC. In the other cases, the Activity Plan is prepared based on assessment of previously received telemetry data and the related data trend analysis
Ten Decision Points are ruling the Vertical Survey operational sequence
Driving requirement:
Drill is retracted at sunset to prevent freezing of the rod
Drill is re-positioned at next sunrise at the previous sol depth to start again the drilling activity
The ESA Reference Surface Mission document does not report the specific operations composing the Vertical Survey. The detailed step sequence has been built based on the commonalities with the Measurement Cycle activities
RSM OPTIMISATION SCOPE
9-10/12/ 2014
Ref.:

15. ExoMars Rover_ Ground Segment Architecture
COVERED BY SLIDE #1
Located at ALTEC, Turin, Italy
9-10/12/ 2014
Ref.:

16. ExoMars Rover Communications Architecture
Cruise Phase
Comms Architecture
Should be covered by Michel Denis’
Presentation
9-10/12/ 2014
Ref.:

17. ExoMars Rover Communications Architecture
PLTE & Surface Phases
Comms Architecture
Should be covered by Michel Denis’
Presentation