1. The Mother Goose Mission
Tom Meyer - Overview
Penny Boston - Science
Joe Martin - Instruments
Dan Scheld - Systems
Joe Berger - Mars Glider

2. History of Mother Goose Mission
Outgrowth of collaborative efforts
Scout Proposal
Seeking funding for individual components
ASTEP - Science
Boston NIAC Cave Research
SBIRs
Instrument development proposals
Doing in-house development

3. What is the Mother Goose?
Mission strategy for detection of life
Flying transformer robotic system
Mimics human field biologist
Autonomous search for life on Mars
Search at multiple spatial scales:
Aerial
Walking
Microscopic

4. Motivation and Goal Life often leaves tell tail biosignatures
Changes in physical appearance of surface
Chemical changes in surface material
Life prefers hospitable locations
warm, wet, protected
hidden in cracks, cervices, caves
The Challenge: narrow the field search from regional, to local, to microscopic
Remote control from Earth is impractical
The Goal: develop a robotic field biologist

5. Approach Mother Goose Overarching Concept Unique approach and goals
Intelligent site selection at all levels of encounter
Robotic mobility along a continuum of sequentially finer resolutions
Glider / Lander combines hazard avoidance and scientific site selection
Integrated guidance and data system serves glider, lander, walker and micro-robots

6. Mission Architecture - Entry
Entry capsule deploys Mother Goose glider
Glider wings inflate
Glider cruise phase begins
Begin remote sensing for navigation and science

7. Mission Architecture - Cruise
Integrated guidance and data acquisition
Mother Goose is a very bright bird, she
Navigates the glider while in flight
Collects remote sensing data
Searches for an optimal landing site
Navigates and takes data on the ground, and
Collects data from her micro-robot goslings

8. Mission Architecture - Surface
Mother Goose:
Picks safe landing site near science target
Walks to the science sites
Collects local data
Refines site selection
Deploys Micro-Robot Goslings
Wing provides power and communications

9. Mission Architecture - Goslings
MG deploys micro-robot goslings
Goslings penetrate cracks, crevices, caves
MG communicates high level commands
Goslings send data to Mother Goose
Goslings may be sacrificed or recovered for next site

10. (Picture credits - Gus Frederick)
Team
Penny Boston - Complex Systems
Dan Scheld, Joe Martin - Equinox Interscience
Joe Berger - Performance Software Intl
Jeff Hayden - Prescipoint Solutions
Tom Meyer - BCSP/National Link
(Picture credits - Gus Frederick)
FOR MORE INFO...

11. Human Emulation
in Robotic Missions
R.D. Frederick © 2001

12. The Field Scientist in the Wild

13. The Field Scientist In A Can
R.D. Frederick © 2001

14. Science Search Strategy
Mimic classic human-conducted field science
Aerial Recon Phase – Airborne Mother Goose
Walkabout Phase – Rover Mother Goose
Intensive Investigation Phase – Scientist Mother Goose
Access to “difficult” sites via microrobotic Goslings
Small
Autonomously acting
Multiple spatial scales
Bird’s eye view
Scientist’s eye view
Microbe’s eye view
Multiple data sets
Imaging
3 D Microscopy
Raman spectroscopy
Direct sensing of gases ic

15. Techniques: Technique Development Laboratory Analysis In Situ
Geochemistry
Mineralogy
Chemistry
2 
Laboratory Analysis
Geology
Biology
In Situ
Techniques
Technique
Development
Hydrology
Physics
Geophysics

16. Non-invasive Techniques
Surface detection methods
No sample removed
Leaves communities intact
Minimal disturbance

17. Planetary Protection Protocol for possible biological sites
Dirty/clean model
Suitable for humans
Contamination zone model
Suitable for mechanisms
P.J. Boston © 2001

18. Planetary Protection Aseptic reconnaissance Preliminary assessments
Long-term monitoring
Intermediates in chain of asepsis
Permanent Class IV+ containment
R.D. Frederick © 2001

19. Science Goals & Objectives
Recon Phase - Features
(TES, Radar, Imaging)
Water
Reduced gases
Temperature anomalies
Minerals & Biominerals
Outcrops
Shape
Color and pattern
Texture
Rover Phase – Site refinement
(Imaging)
Biominerals
Rover Phase – Microanalysis
(Microscopy, Spectroscopy)
Mineral grains
Soil properties
Microtextures
Biominerals
Biofabrics
Microfossils
Organic compounds
Organisms or parts
Gosling Phase – Seeking
(Imaging, Sensing)
Water
Reduced gases
Mineral & Biominerals
Outcrops
Shape
Color and pattern
Texture
Image of lithified fossil bacteria, filaments, and biofilm. Courtesy L. Melim, M. Spilde, & D. Northup.

20. Desert Surfaces On Earth
• High intensity sunlight and UV
• Low humidity (5-40% typically)
• Temperature extremes
• Low nutrients (usually)
• Mineral-rich (usually)
• Extensive weather,
e.g. high winds, flash floods, frost, etc.

21. Desert Caves On Earth No sunlight
High humidity (99-100% in the deep zone)
Temperatures relatively constant
Low nutrients
Mineral-rich
No weather
Photo by David Jagnow

22. Life in Mars Caves… Traces on the Surface? Visualization of order
Biotextures and structure
Geochemical traces
Change in oxidation states
Chemistry independent
Isotopic signatures?
Other disequilibria?
Energy sources
Energy flow
Growth
Reproduction
R.D. Frederick © 2001

23. Mother Goose Instruments
Joe Martin - Equinox Interscience

25. Glider Mode

26. Glider Mode Instruments
Wide FOV imaging . (0.42 kg).
The Mike Malin low resolution MARDI descent imager
from the ill-fated ‘98 Mars Polar Lander
73° FOV for aerial reconnaissance with a 7.1 mm focal length
IFOV: 1.25 mrad.
Thus at 1 km altitude; ground resolution 1.25 m
Thermal Emission Spectrometer (mini-TES) (1.9 kg)
A miniaturized TES evolved from MGS TES
reduced 14.4 kg to 1.9 kg, proposed for MESUR missions as mini-TES.
Spectral range: 400 to 5000 cm-1 (2-25 µm), 5 cm-1 resolution
Energy/sample = 4.4 W x 3.7 min/ sample / 60 min/hr = 0.27 W-hr/sample

27. Glider Mode Instruments (Cont.)
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) (2.4 kg)
A surface penetrating radar to determine buried water and water bearing rocks
GPR defined by Rolando Jordan (JPL) for Dave Paige’s proposed Mars Polar Pathfinder mission.
Folded dipole antenna on the bottom of the Pathfinder lander petal.
to probe the ground below:
depth of 4.5 km; depth resolution 2 m
100 MHz pulses
The MG antenna would be built into the skin of the lower surface of the glider.

28. Rover Mode

29. Rover Mode Instruments
Stereo Imaging (0.54 kg)
Panoramic stereo camera system;
Assess site geology and morphology and
select targets for investigation.
Use a version of 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)
MER system has 1024 x 2048 pixel CCDs, 280 µrad resolution
42.7 mm focal length optics for 16x16° FOV.
8 filters from 400 to 1100 nm
Analysis time: 10 sec/frame
62 Mp/frame (both cameras)

30. Rover Mode Instruments (Cont.)
Raman Spectrometer (RS) ( kg)
The roving robot presses its robotic arm against a rock.
Thin green or ultraviolet laser beam scans the rock,
Raman scattered light identifies photon wavelength shifting effect of molecular and crystalline structures in the target rock.
Potential Raman developments
Larry Haskin green light RS (0.7 kg); for minerals
Michael Storrie-Lombardi UV RS (1.1Kg); for organics or prebiotic molecules.
EIC labs (NASA SBIR); rugged, portable, high resolution RS with illumination Raman measurement through fiber optic extension.
Fiber optic extension: insert the fiber optic probe inside a crevice.

31. Raman Spectrograph EIC LABORATORIES, INC. Small Business Innovation
Research
Raman Spectrograph
EIC LABORATORIES, INC.
NORWOOD, MA
Rugged, portable, high resolution Raman
spectrograph with fiber optic sampling
INNOVATION
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Specific gas-phase sensing of hydrazine and other air contaminants
Novel micro-optics probe head allows point and shoot fiber optic sampling and monitoring from over 500 meters
10 times more compact than prior equipment and no moving parts
COMMERCIALIZATION
$3 million in sales in last two years
Patented Raman probe
New company division organized to provide commercial Raman instrumentation and services
Spectrograph with fiber optic sensor
GOVERNMENT/SCIENCE APPLICATIONS
Space applications: sensing hypergolic vapors; hydrogen monitoring; rapid analysis of minerals; compact, on-board chemical analysis
Commercial applications: chemical process monitoring, pharmaceutical analysis, forensics, environmental site characterization, and a general laboratory complement to IR spectroscopy
Kennedy Space Center
1988 Phase 2; SS-52; 10/18/95

32. Rover Mode Instruments (Cont.)
Mineral Identification by In-situ X-ray Analysis (MIBIXA) (0.4 kg)
The roving robot presses its robotic arm against a rock.
The surface is illuminated by X-rays,
Measures Bragg scattered X-rays and fluorescent X-rays.
MIBIXA
Proposed by Equinox as NASA SBIR
Deep depletion 600 x 600 CCD (e2v Technologies) measures:
photon energies from 200 eV to 20 keV
scattering angle of elastically scattered photons.
energy of fluorescent photons.
Carbon nanotube field emission cathode x-ray source (Applied Nanotechnologies, Inc.).

33. Rover Mode Instruments (Cont.)
Confocal Microscope (1.5 kg)
The roving robot presses its robotic arm against a rock.
The surface is illuminated by X-rays,
Measures Bragg scattered X-rays and fluorescent X-rays.
MIBIXA
Proposed by Equinox as NASA SBIR
Deep depletion 600 x 600 CCD (e2v Technologies) measures:
photon energies from 200 eV to 20 keV
scattering angle of elastically scattered photons.
energy of fluorescent photons.
Carbon nanotube field emission cathode x-ray source (Applied Nanotechnologies, Inc.).

34. Rover Mode Instruments (Cont.) Confocal Microscope (1.5 kg0) (Leica)
All out of focus structures are suppressed at image formation by an arrangement of diaphragms which, at optically conjugated points of the path of rays, act as a point source and as a point detector respectively. Out-of-focus rays are suppressed by the detection pinhole.
The focal plane depth is determined by the wavelength, the objective numerical aperture, and the diaphragm diameter.
To obtain a full image, the image point is moved across the specimen by mirror scanners. The emitted/reflected light passing through the detector pinhole is detected by a photomultiplier and displayed on a computer monitor.

35. Microbots Mode

36. Microbot Mode Instruments
Imagers (50g x 10 microbots = 0.5 kg)
Supercircuits Model: PC-169XS
High resolution color microvideo camera
1/3" Color CCD; 768(H) x 492(V); 377,856 pixels
Power: 1W
Interchangeable lens
Chemical Sensors (50g x 10 microbots = 0.5 kg)
Temp, pH, conductivity
Gas sensors
Anion, cation sensors

37. MOTHER GOOSE
Related Technologies & Robotics

38. Mother Goose MOTHER GOOSE Mission Systems MG I Astrobiology Mission
MOTHER GOOSE and Goslings
Enter Cave Site at Mars
Mother Goose TEAM
Equinox Interscience Inc.
Complex Systems Res., Inc.
Aerostar/Raven Industries
Boulder Center for Space Science/
National Link
MIT
Performance Software Associates
Oregon Public Education Network
ITN Energy Systems/Globalsolar
MOTHER GOOSE has Landed and Deposited Rover and Micro-Rovers
(Goslings) in Area Of High Scientific Interest.

39. MOTHER GOOSE Mission Systems MG II Astrobiology Mission
Mother Goose II TEAM
Equinox Interscience, Inc.
Complex Systems Res., Inc.
Aerostar International, Inc.
Boulder Center for Space Science/
National Link
MIT
Field & Space Robotics Lab
MD Robotics
for Canadian Space Agency
Performance Software Associates
Oregon Public Education Network
ITN Energy Systems/Globalsolar
Prescipoint Solutions

40. MOTHER GOOSE Mission Systems DDB Detectable Desert BioMarkers
DDB Layers of Investigation
“ROCKTASTER” Schematic
DDB TEAM
Equinox Interscience, Inc.
Complex Systems Res., Inc.
Performance Software Associates
Boulder Center for Space Science/
National Link
UTD, Inc.
Prescipoint Solutions

41. Autonomous Landing Techniques -WHY FLY in with Mother Goose
MOTHER GOOSE DELIVERY SYSTEM
Target Zone dependence is gone – WE LAND where the Science Demands
On-board Guidance (LEIF) particpates fully in the landing
LEIF system continuously monitors and learns from the evironment minimizing the unknowns to safe touchdown
Near Zero velocity touchdown requires no impact protection system
The configuration is inherently stable - no tip over – in addition, the LEIF system has sought out the inherently safest site closest to the science objective
NASA Smart Landers
Current Target Zones no smaller then 161x97 km (100x60 miles)
*Smart Lander Target Zones smaller but “undefined”
On-board guidance ends to early in landing
No ability to handle unknowns at the landing site
Must carry impact protection systems
Must carry additional capability to prevent tip over
Smart in this case really means “safer” than

42. Mission Technologies & Robotics

43. Mars Located vs Star Field Earth Relative Doppler Signal
LEIF– Landing Enabled by
Intelligent Functions
Mars Located vs Star Field
Earth Relative Doppler Signal Ø3 Ø1 Ø2
APPLICATIONS
Mars Sample Return
-Europa Lander
-Titan Organics Explorer Lander
-Mars Cargo Landers
-Comet Nucleus Sample Return
-Near Earth Asteroid Landers
SAILSaR TEAM
Equinox Interscience Inc.
Boulder Center for Space Science/
National Link
Prescipoint Solutions
Performance Software Associates
ITN Energy Systems
Limb View
Landmark View
Autonomous Pre-Entry
LEIF Pilots the Way!
Lune View
LEIF Provides Methods for Complete Autonomous Approach and Safe Landing
In Area of Scientific Interest.

44. LEIF– Landing Enabled by
Intelligent Functions

45. Next Generation Control for Scientific Spacecraft and Instruments
SAIF– Science Augmented by
Intelligent Functions
Next Generation Control for Scientific Spacecraft and Instruments
SAIF/LEIF Design Highlights
-Reduced Mass/Power Consumption/COST
-Functional Superiority
-Uniquely Synergistic Hardware/Software Design
-Extreme Dense Electronic Miniaturization
-Commercial Packaging
-In Development by Equinox and Partners
SAIF/LEIF TEAM
Equinox Interscience Inc..
Prescipoint Solutions
Performance Software Associates

46. SAIF-LEIF Systems
To Investigate and verify aspects of Landing on hostile planetary surfaces.
Frequent testing of approaches on local test ranges.
Key is the Autonomous Control System
LEIF (Landing Enabled by Intelligent Functions)
An integrated computer and control system based on:
Miniaturized electronics using HDI
Software derived from
Performance Software Anchor products
Based on successful IEC
commercial automation software
Proposed as NASA SBIR
Central Instrument Controller
-awarded phase I, Phase II not funded but rated highly.
FPGA based Programmable Direct Memory Access
designed by Beyond the Horizon
Simplified SAIF/LEIF Electronics
Unit Block Diagram

47. SAIF-LEIF Sytems LEIF Presented
Iceland Mars Polar Science Conference
LEIF Introduced by Dave Paige/UCLA
Full presentation on Equinox web site
Describes the Equinox thrust
Automated Landing Technology
Proposals by Equinox Interscience in DSF .
Development of LEIF
Flight demonstration
Autonomous Rendezvous
Fine Pointing Laser Tracker
Flight Demonstration (FPLTD)
Deep Space Comm.
Extended Effort
Propose Avionics Navigation System
Lockheed Martin for Pluto/Kuiper mission.
LEIF Applied to MOTHER GOOSE
Glider Control and Landing

48. Primary Landed Systems
Robotics Concepts & Notionals
BIG MAMA
Walker
6 legs
Stereo Vision
2 Micro Manipulators

49. Primary Landed Systems
Robotics Concepts & Notionals
UREY MISSION style Tethered Rover

50. Secondary Landed Systems
Robotics Concepts & Notionals
Gosling 1
Walker
4 legs
Micro Vis
Top Mounted Solar Cell
Micro Manipulator
Gosling 2
Walker
6 legs
Micro Vis
Top Mounted Solar Cell
Micro Manipulator

51. Secondary Landed Systems
Robotics Concepts & Notionals
MIT Micro-rover Concept
MIT Evolutionary Roadmap From Discrete
to Continuous Robotic Systems
Tilden (LANL) Skitter Bug Concept

52. Secondary Landed Systems
Robotics Concepts & Notionals
Investigations of
LIFE BELOW & LIFE “OUT THERE”
SPELEOSCOPE TEAM
Equinox Interscience Inc.
Complex Systems Res., Inc.
Boulder Center for Space Science/
National Link
Performance Software Associates
Oregon Public Education Network

53. Secondary Landed Systems
Robotics Concepts & Notionals
Speleoscope Locomotion Concepts

54. Secondary Landed Systems
Robotics Concepts & Notionals
Speloscope robotic variations
SPELEOSCOPE Team Concept
NASA (JPL) Snake
Tilden (LANL) Snake Concepts

55. Welcome The Future … & …Thank You!
EQUINOX INTERSCIENCE
Engineering Instruments of SCIence

56. The Mars Flying Wing Joe Berger
R.D. Frederick © 2001

57. The Mars Flying Wing Features: Low Wing Loading
High Lift over Drag (L/D)
Capable of Low Speed Landing
Autonomous Operation
Precision Landing
R.D. Frederick © 2001

58. The Mars Flying Wing Wing Performance Prediction: Approx 35:1 L/D
Speed Range from 8 to
40 Kts IAS
Full Stall Landing at Less
Than 8 Kts IAS
Highly Maneuverable Throughout
Flight Regime
R.D. Frederick © 2001

59. The Mars Flying Wing Wing Current Progress:
8 Foot Model Flying Successfully
Flight Controls Proven
12 Foot Model to Fly 3 Qtr 2002
Higher Performance Airfoil
High Tech Wing Tips with Winglettes
21 Foot Model
Higher Aspect Ratio
Flight Computer integrated to Video
Real-time RF link to Ground Station for Telemetry, Video
R.D. Frederick © 2001

60. Mars Flying Wing
The 8 Foot Wing:
With Pilot & Launch Assistant

61. Mars Glider Movie:

62. The Mars Flying Wing:
Mission
Accomplished!
R.D. Frederick © 2001