ROBOTIC FIELD GEOLOGY: SCIENCE OPERATIONS ON THE MER MISSION

Field geology is an iterative process of scientific hypothesis formulation and testing, performed in a field setting. It is typically done by experienced field geologists, on foot, using simple tools and working with at most a few partners.

Recent developments in planetary exploration have allowed field geology to be practiced remotely on planetary surfaces, using robotic vehicles. While remote robotic field science allows exploration of environments not previously accessible to geologists, it presents a number of challenges not present in normal field work. These include limited mobility, limited data bandwidth, limited ability to manipulate soil and rock, navigation errors, long response times, and many others. The goal of robotic field geology is to overcome these challenges using some of the unique strengths of robotic exploration systems. These strengths include non-visual (e.g., infrared) remote sensing, analytical instrumentation not normally present in the field, and many experienced geologists working together as a team.

The processes used to perform robotic field geology on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project have been developed over nearly a decade. They place a strong emphasis on mission safety and success, using rigorous procedures and review processes intended to minimize procedural errors. While the procedures have much in common with others used in space flight, they have also been designed to allow for scientific creativity, and for a large team of scientists to function together in an effective way.

The talk will describe the strategic and tactical science operations processes used on the MER project, and will provide examples of geological campaigns conducted at Endurance Crater by the rover Opportunity, and in the Columbia Hills by the rover Spirit.