International Cooperation for Mars Exploration and Sample Return (1990) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
4 Possible Cooperative Mission Modes and Their Implications
4 Possible Cooperative Mission Modes and Their Implications
Pages 16-25
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 16... ...
Three levels of U.S.-USSR cooperation in intensive Mars exploration have been considered by the committee: q Independently conducted programs, q Split responsibilities and joint technical operations, and q A highly coordinated exploration program. Each of the possibilities also assumes that other nations and space agencies would play substantial roles in the planning and execution of Mars exploration within a framework largely defined by the U.S.
|
From page 17... ...
NASA has undertaken studies of possible future Mars exploration initiatives that might be carried out either by the United States with the participation of international partners or as, part of a truly joint international endeavor with comparable contributions from one or more major partners. As yet, the United States has not announced national plans to undertake any intensive investigations of the martian surface.
|
From page 18... ...
With respect to the discriminating factors: q Science return. Assuming that a commitment to achieve the scientific objectives is actually carried out, conducting independent programs may have little fundamental effect on accomplishing the scientific objectives; the United States is fully capable of accomplishing all Mars scientific objectives.
|
From page 19... ...
Split Responsibilities and Joint Technical Operations In this approach the United States and the USSR would undertake a significant level of joint technical operations within the context of one or more missions. The planning and execution of such missions would be conducted collaboratively, and the achievement of major mission objectives would depend on sustaining successful cooperative efforts from the time of initial mission design through to the completion of data analysis.
|
From page 20... ...
Missions can be envisioned in which the science could be successfully accomplished by either side even if the bilateral cooperation were truncated for political reasons during the mission planning or operation stages. However, such mission configurations either involve a considerable redundancy of effort, substantially offsetting the cost advantage mentioned above, or admit the possibility of a substantially degraded scientific return if full cooperation is not sustained through the project.
|
From page 21... ...
However, the technical, social; and political obstacles associated with inaugurating such a complex cooperative effort in the absence of prior experience could be expected to introduce delays that would be difficult to estimate a priori. Therefore, the committee is not convinced that mission modes involving such very intimate technical interdependence and joint activities at Mars would indeed lead to the most rapid initiation of Mars exploration.
|
From page 22... ...
A Highly Coordinated Exploration Program In this approach, the United States and the USSR would agree to conduct a highly coordinated program of intensive Mars exploration and sample return missions at roughly equal levels of scientific and technical commitment. The two sides would work together at all stages, including the initial planning of scientific objectives, experimental approaches, principles of sample collection, and site selection.
|
From page 23... ...
For example, in the case that both nations mount a complete surface-rover and sample return mission, it would be able to choose complementary landing sites and rover traverse paths so as to optimize the return of a diversity of samples, visit a wide variety of geological features and units, and deploy network instruments over a geographical region that enhances the scientific return from those instruments. While scientific, political, and social benefits of full cooperation would accrue from such a mission configuration, there would be little if any cost penalty, above the cost of conducting separate missions entirely.
|
From page 24... ...
The committee believes that this would relieve the large extraneous burdens and costs that otherwise could be associated with a cooperative program. However, there would remain the highly desirable possibility of exchanging scientific instrument packages built by one side and included on a vehicle of the other side.
|
From page 25... ...
Last update 9/6/00 at 12:02 pm Site managed by the SSB Web Group. To comment on this Web page or report an error, please send feedback to the Space Studies Board.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.