Main Workshop Technical Sessions

 

Airless Bodies

Robert Dillman, Olivia Schroeder, Alena Probst

This session features the exploration of airless bodies. Contributions can include science goals and drivers, mission concepts, descent technologies needed and in development, architectures for landers and rovers and instrumentation aiding scientific measurements. Papers on operation strategies and payload capabilities for current projects, as well as lessons learned and results from ongoing and past missions are also welcomed.

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Atmospheric Bodies

Milad Mahzari, Gregory Pinauld, and Tom West​

The focus of the Atmospheric Bodies session is on exploration of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Titan. Specific topics include science and science drivers, technologies, mission concepts, instrumentation, vehicle environments, and entry and descent systems. The session will cover current and future missions/proposals, including how lessons learned from previous missions impact current efforts. 

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Entry, Descent, and Landing Technologies

Alan Cassell, Karl Edquist, Rodrigo Haya Ramos, and Al Witkowski

Probe missions to a planetary body with an atmosphere involve aerodynamically decelerating the probe using entry technologies, while descent and landing technologies are used to dissipate the remaining kinetic energy after the entry phase and to reach the final target. Probe and lander missions to planetary bodies without atmospheres require propulsion and autonomous landing technologies. This session is focused on the engineering, physics and technology of these EDL phases and will cover topic areas that include, but are not limited to, entry vehicle and thermal protection system design; methods for assessing aerothermal environments; thermal and structural response; rigid/inflatable heat shields, aerodynamic performance; aerodynamic decelerators; aerobraking; retropropulsion; guidance, navigation and control (GNC) strategies; navigation sensors; terrain relative sensing and characterization; autonomous targeting; propulsion and touchdown systems; architecture transitions; and EDL instrumentation (e.g., aerothermodynamic sensor systems, sensors, hazard detection and avoidance, pinpoint landing, etc.).

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Innovative Concepts for Exploration

Justin Green, Dmitriy Shutin, and Eric Stern

This session invites submission of abstracts that propose novel and highly innovative future mission concepts, scientific measurement instruments, as well as technologies for solar system exploration. This includes, but is not limited to, non-traditional entry, descent, and landing concepts, multi-sensor/multi-probe and swarm approaches for in-situ exploration of solar system bodies, innovative solutions for reducing mission risk and/or life cycle costs. Preference will be given to visionary and outside-the-box ideas that have a potential to significantly advance state of the art in current exploration approaches, capabilities or technologies.

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In-situ & Underwater Exploration of Ocean Worlds

James Birch, Jacob Izraelevitz, Kakani Katija, Clara O’Farrell, Ryan Timoney

This session will focus on underwater exploration of Ocean Worlds including the study of the oceans on Europa, Enceladus, Titan, and Earth. Papers addressing science and science drivers, planned and proposed missions, mission concepts, technology development, ocean access methods, robotics, field testing, instrumentation, and related disciplines are welcome in the Ocean Worlds session. A particular purpose of the session will be to foster collaboration and communication between the planetary probes, astrobiology, robotics, ocean engineering, and oceanography communities in keeping with hosting IPPW2020 in the ocean research hub of Monterey, CA. Papers that address the study and exploration of ocean environments from a variety of points of view are especially encouraged.

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Mars Exploration

Ozgur Karatekin, Marcus Lobbia, Michelle Munk, and Michael Wright

This session will concentrate on current and proposed missions to Mars. Topics may include missions, science, technology, and systems dealing with the in-situ exploration of Mars, such as landers, aerobraking, or entry probes. Contributions to this session can address aspects such as atmospheric science and environment characterization, robotic and human EDL, and sample return.

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Modeling, Simulation, Testing, and Validation

Michael Barnhardt, Rafael Lugo, Lisa Peacocke, and Aaron Stehura

This session will focus on advancements in modeling and simulation of planetary probe systems during entry, descent, and landing (EDL) mission phases, including: flight dynamics; computational fluid dynamics (CFD); guidance, navigation, and control (GNC); materials and thermal protection systems (TPS); decelerator systems; integrated/optimized capabilities; and related disciplines. Current work in testing and demonstration techniques, model validation, and diagnostics are also a major component of this session. Work that advances the state-of-the-art of scientific theories, capabilities, or technologies, or compares/leverages both testing and computational models including data-driven modeling, is especially relevant. Preference is given to discussion of models, simulations, ground testing, flight tests, and validation applied directly to specific EDL missions and proposals, rather than general model development.

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Sample Return to Earth

Jörn Helbert, Scott Perino, and Michelle Rodio

This session will contain concepts and projects that have a sample return to Earth element to the mission architecture. The focus will be on the entry, descent, and landing aspect of the sample return phase, especially how the spacecraft and science instrumentations are designed to handle the planetary protection requirements and the high reliability expected of sample return to Earth. Contributions discussing sample acquisition systems and sample curation on Earth are also welcome.

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Science Instrumentation, Experiments, and In-Situ Measurements

Doug Adams, Manuel Dominguez-Pumar, and Siddharth Krishnamoorthy

Science instruments are a key component of planetary exploration missions. Scientific experiments in space exploration typically involve the development of instrument concepts and ideas through experiments and field campaigns. This session invites abstracts discussing instrument concepts, hardware, and field experiments aimed at demonstrating and developing scientific investigations for planetary exploration. Abstracts may include topics such as innovative concepts for previously infeasible measurements or report on progress made in developing instrumentation hardware or measurement techniques through experiments. Priority will be given to experiments or instrumentation geared towards in-situ measurements such as landers, probes, or aerial platforms.

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