TOPIC: S1 Robotic Exploration of the Moon and Mars

• Techniques for cleaning of organics to the level of nanograms per square centimeter on complex surfaces (nondestructively and without residues) and for validation of cleanliness at this level or better;
  
• Nonabrasive cleaning techniques for narrow aperture occluded areas on spacecraft;
  
• Techniques for in situ (i.e., at the exploration site) cleaning and sterilization to prevent cross-contamination between planetary surface samples;
  
• Nondestructive and highly efficient sampling methods for detection of the remnants of microbial, particles, and molecular contamination on cleaned spacecraft surfaces;
  
• Methodology for the quantitative detection of viable microbial cells in the interior of non-metallic space-craft materials;
  
• Rapid cleaning validation methods with ultra high sensitivity for the major classes of biomolecules: proteins, amino acids, DNA/RNA, lipids, polysaccharides, etc.;
  
• A device or methodology for controlled measurement of microbial reduction at temperatures from 200-300°C to enable generation of microbial lethality curves. Rapid ramp-up and cool-down rates are critical to minimize the microbial killing that occurs during the ramp periods;
  
• Device or methodology for direct observation and evaluation of particles and biological contamination on spacecraft parts;
  
• Device or methodology for quantitative and homogeneous deposition of particles, microbial cells, and bio-molecules on material surfaces for cleaning, sampling, and contamination transport studies;
  
• System design concepts to enable facile and rapid use of cleaning and sterilization technologies during flight hardware assembly;
  
• System design concepts to maintain the integrity of cleaned and sterilized complex flight systems and/or subsystems; and
  
• System concepts that would facilitate spacecraft sterilization at the system level just before launch or in flight.
  

• Space-qualifiable, efficient (greater than 20% wall plug), lightweight, variable repetition-rate (1-60 MHz), tunable (± 0.1 nm) pulsed 1064-nm transmitter sources (diode-pumped fiber amplifier or bulk crystal la-ser/amplifier) with greater than 1 kW of peak power per pulse (over the entire pulse-repetition rate), and greater than 10 W of average power, and narrow (<10 pm) spectral width;
  
• Space-qualifiable, high-peak power (> 1.2 W), average-power (> 300 mW), operating wavelength less than 1000 nm single-mode-fiber pigtailed laser diode transmitters (includes necessary modulator; internal or external driver) with narrow spectral width (< 100 pm) supporting 4-ary pulse-position-modulation for data rates of 0.5 - 1000 Mbps with high wall-plug electrical-efficiency (> 25%);
  
• Space-qualifiable, reliable (> 3 years at 100 Mega photons per second continuous photon flux), photon counting 1064 nm and/or 1550 nm detectors with the gain greater than 1000, detection efficiency greater than 50%, very low (<0.1 MHz) additive noise, about 0.5 mm in diameter, bandwidth greater than 500 MHz, saturation levels >50Mcounts/s. and non-gated (continuous operation);
  
• Lightweight, compact, high precision (less than 0.1 micro-radian), high bandwidth (0-2kHz), inertial reference sensors (angle sensors, gyros) for use onboard spacecraft;
  
• Novel schemes for stray-light control and sunlight mitigation, especially for large (> 5 m) ground-based optical telescopes that must operate when pointed to within a few (about 3) degrees of the Sun;
  
• Low-cost, lightweight, efficient, r pigtailed laser diode transmitters including compact, high precision (one micro-radian accuracy) star-trackers for spaceflight application that can be integrated with an optical communications terminal;
  
• Novel techniques and technologies that will enable very low cost, large aperture (>5m equivalent aperture diameter) telescopes for ground or space-borne use;
  
• High power ground-based, relatively low-cost diode-pumped laser technology capable of reaching 100 kW average power levels in a TEMoo mode, for uplink to spacecraft;
  
• Artificial laser guide-star and beam compensation techniques capable of removing all significant atmospheric turbulence distortions (tilt and higher-order components) on an uplink laser beam;
  
• Novel techniques to reduce the development cost and risk of future space-borne optical communications transceivers (e.g. automatic focusing or alignment techniques);
  
• High BW Intersatellite Links (ISL) in Earth orbit and deep space ISL or possibly satellite to ground communications; and
  
• Systems and technologies relating to sub-microradian pointing, acquisition, and spacecraft vibration.
  

• Entry body systems and subsystems including lightweight aeroshells and thermal protection;
  
• Entry guidance algorithms/methods/techniques capable of reducing uncertainty in parachute deployment altitude, for missions employing bank-only control (i.e., no control of angle of attack) during hypersonic entry;
  
• Aerodynamic decelerator systems including supersonic and subsonic parachutes. Particular areas of interest include approaches that hold promise for delivering increased mass to the surface (e.g., increasing the Mach-Q deployment envelope beyond Viking-heritage capability) and techniques of reducing the cost of testing/validating the performance of new aerodynamic decelerator systems for use at Mars. Also of interest are para-guidance techniques for pinpoint landing;
  
• Terrain hazard detection approaches that provide real-time three-dimensional terrain mapping capability during parachute descent and powered terminal descent. In addition, compact, low-mass, high accuracy, and high bandwidth GNC sensors such as attitude and velocity sensors are highly desirable; and
  
• Lightweight, low-cost, hazard-tolerant touchdown system approaches including (but not limited to) airbag, shock struts, and structural crush zones; allowing landings in moderately cratered terrains with surface rock distribution encountered over a wide variety of Martian landing sites.
  

• Demonstrate fine-scale manipulations, either in situ or remotely, of a strawman 6-axis ultra-clean robot within the confines of a double-walled containment vessel. The robot can be current state-of-art. Demonstrate the use of different end effectors to manipulate small samples for observation. The task may require use and/or modification of current state-of-the-art control software.
  
• Demonstrate a sample container/carrier, possibly adapted from a container/carrier currently in use by semiconductor and/or pharmaceutical industries; that has the capability to be identified (labeled) and tracked, for use in cataloging, transporting, and tracking samples of various kinds; generally of approximately 100-micron size, and consisting of fines, dust, individual grains, and very small rocks, or gases; following the certification of these samples for release to a facility for long-term curation and distribution;
  
• Develop double-walled gloves for use within a double-walled containment vessel. Such gloves would perhaps require self-healing and/or warning systems, in case of a breach, and be compatible with ports developed for double-walled containment vessels; and
  
• Identify specific sterilization methods and techniques for use in sterilization of extraterrestrial samples. Determine the sterilization levels achieved for sample coupons defined and/or provided by a NASA-sponsored science/biosafety working group.
  

• A sensor, driver, and the power source designed for placement inside the container that is made of metal. The metal alloy that will be used will be determined at a later time;
  
• The sensor and its control electronics that provides power, data processing, and communications should not exceed the volume of 5-cm³;
  
• The device should be operational at temperatures that are as low as -70°C and as high as room temperature; and
  
• A miniature battery as power source is acceptable. Preferably, a wireless power transfer mechanism and a rechargeable battery that is designed for placement inside the container, would be preferred.
  

• A simple and reliable process of hermetically seaming and sealing a "coffee-cup" size container with a rock or soil sample;
  
• The process needs to simultaneously perform sterilization of the container sealed area and its external surface while releasing the container into an area that simulates a clean section of a lander;
  
• This process should "break-the-chain" of contact of an acquired soil or rock sample from the original area that simulates the environment of an extraterrestrial planet;
  
• The required process needs to simultaneously seal the contained sample while destroying any potential biological materials that may contaminate the external surface of the container;
  
• The process to sterilize the surface of a grapefruit-sized sample container in Mars orbit (e.g., pyrotechnic paint) requiring minimal power and minimizing effect on the sample container interior;
  
• The contained sample should be protected from any mechanical, chemical, or thermal damage during or after the activation of the "break-the-chain" process;
  
• The process needs to be computer simulated and allow a high degree of control of its parameters; and
  
• Demonstrate probability of success of the feasibility to seal the container while performing sterilization.
  

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