Space Exploration

1
British National Space Centre

• Space Exploration
• The UK Vision and Objectives
• Dr David Parker
• Director of Space Science
• Washington
• November 2004

2
CONTENTS

• UK context and capability
• The UK Science Goals
• The UK Technology Goals
• Inspiration and Education
• Summary

Images credit G.Neukum DLR/ESA
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Space Exploration

• The UK Context and Capability

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The UK invests in space to use it for science,
enterprise and environment, not as an end in
itself.

• The British National Space Centre (BNSC) is a
  partnership of government bodies which use space
• The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research
  Council (PPARC) is the BNSC partner for Space
  Science
• PPARC provides UK funding for space science in
  tension against ground-based astronomy and
  particle physics
• For 30 years the UK has used the European Space
  Agency as its primary means of undertaking space
  science (2nd largest contributor) together with
  bilateral activities with NASA

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Our goal is to make Britain one of the most
competitive locations for science, research and
development and for innovationGordon Brown,
Chancellor of the Exchequer, 2004
ambition
commitment
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What this means for space exploration

• The UK is aiming for increased RD investment in
  areas that deliver real benefits
• space exploration has an opportunity
• But always more opportunities than funding
  available
• if we can make a convincing case.

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Through ESA, the UK has been involved in a wide
range of world-class space science missions
Huygens
XMM-Newton
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The UK Space Science Community

• 10 university space hardware groups and two
  national laboratories (the Rutherford Appleton
  Laboratory and the UK Astronomy Technology
  Centre)
• A further 31 Universities with Space-related
  undergraduate courses
• Over 100 large and small industrial companies
  involved in the ESA programme
• Very successful on World stage in real
  international competition

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The UK contribution to ESA includes

• On behalf of ESA, has performed the basic mission
  analysis for missions such as Rosetta, Venus
  Express, Mars Sample Return, Jupiter microsat
  orbiter, a 20 spacecraft asteroid swarm
  mission
• Is responsible for the platform and propulsion
  systems for most European planetary missions
• Is building and testing the solar electric
  thrusters for Bepi Colombo (Mercury mission)
• Has built and commissioned a complete
  infrastructure for operating a Mars lander
• Has end-to-end experience in implementing
  biological planetary protection
• Provides the operations software for most of
  ESAs scientific missions

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US/UK Collaboration in Space is

• Long standing
• Began with the launch of Ariel 1, the first joint
  UK/US science spacecraft, on 26th April 1962
• Beneficial to the UK science community
• UK scientists have won the largest non-US share
  of observing time on Hubble
• Wide ranging
• Covers solar-terrestrial physics astronomy
  planetary exploration fundamental physics in
  space (e.g. JWST, STEREO, LISA, SWIFT).

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Aurora and the UK

• Aurora is the exploration programme of the
  European Space Agency
• Its purpose is to prepare Europe to be a major
  player in the exploration (both human and
  robotic) of the Solar System
• After a national analysis of the opportunities,
  the UK has recently contributed new money to
  complete definition of the European plan
• Second largest contributor

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Exploration - UK Analysis

• Our approach
• Assess the objectives
• Evaluate the importance of the science
• and the relevance of the technology
• Consider the education/inspiration benefits as
  additional, not core rationale
• The benefits may be real, but more data is needed
• The UK has not participated in the ISS and does
  not have a technological expertise in the big
  infrastructure aspects of exploration
• Thus, in the near term, the UK has decided to
  focus on the robotic aspects (science and
  technology)

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• Aurora plans two Big Robotic Missions .
• Exo-Mars orbiter, lander and rover, focused on
  conditions for life
• Mars Sample Return (MSR), including sub-surface
  samples
• supported by 2 Technology Demonstrators
• A lander technology mission,
• A Earth Entry Vehicle Demonstrator (EVD), to
  prepare for MSR

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How is the UK Involved in studies of exploration?

• The UK has made a strong impact in the
  preliminary phase of the European Aurora
  programme since 2002
• Leading one of the two studies on the Entry
  Vehicle Demonstrator
• Leading one of the two studies on Mars Sample
  Return
• Leading one of the two Exo-Mars Rover studies
• Participating in all three Exo-Mars mission
  studies
• Provisionally selected to provide key instruments
  for the first large mission (Exo-Mars)
• Involved in a total of 22 study contracts

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Exploration

• 2. The UK Science Focus

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Goal Focus on Mars and its relationship to life
on Earth and elsewhere in the Universe

• In its Strategic Plan 2003-2008 PPARC identified
  Does life exist elsewhere? as one of the nine
  big science challenges for the next decade
• interconnected with exo-planet science (Darwin
  mission)
• search for pre-biotic chemicals throughput the
  Solar System (Rosetta, Huygens)

• Image taken by Europes Mars Express of Ophir
  Chasma, a northern part of the Valles Marineris
  canyon. ESA/DLR/G.Neukum

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UK Science Themes
Linked to terrestrial biology
interaction with biochemistry, microbiology
Signatures of Life how does life show its
presence ?
Linked to life in other solar systems
Environments for Life What is the habitable zone
in our Solar System ?
Limits of Life What are the extremes That life
can exist in ?
Is, or was, there life on Mars?
Platforms for life Explore the atmosphere,
cryosphere, hydrosphere
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Where is the UK Scientific Expertise ?

• The UK has experimentalists, theoreticians and
  instrument designers

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Technology for Exploration

• 3. UK Technology Priorities in Planetary
  Exploration

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Technology and Industy

• In 2004, the UK completed a technology mapping
  exercise for exploration
• Goal
• To identify the intersection of exploration
  needs wider benefits ( terrestrial spin-off)
  and UK strengths
• Process
• Consultation and workshop with UK Community
• 25 companies
• 25 universities/labs
• Output
• Five technology priorities

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UK Technology Priorities Participants
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Example 1 Miniaturised Instrumentation

• The miniature mass spectrometer built for Beagle
  2 is being adapted to medical diagnostic
  applications
• The Aurora Exo-Mars mission requires a lab on
  a chip sensor which uses anti-bodies to identify
  complex carbon chemistry e.g. micro-biology
• A UK is building a prototype
• The Health Protection Agency (Porton Down) is
  interested in portable instruments for homeland
  security applications able to sniff the
  presence of trace chemicals
• A Star-Trek style Tricorder is the goal

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Example 2 Autonomous Robotics and Software

• The Aurora programme includes an autonomous,
  mobile laboratory of life
• The Exo-Mars Rover
• UK strengths in
• Systems design (leading Phase A definition)
• Analysis of rover mechanics
• Miniature instruments
• Aerobots
• Software and operations environment

• The environment of Mars robotic missions is
• Remote
• Hazardous
• Non-deterministic
• An outstanding test-bed for advanced software

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UK Interests - Platform and Operations
Technologies

• Electric propulsion
• Large solar electric interplanetary missions in
  the inner solar system,
• Solar electric missions to Mars, Jupiters moons
  and NEOs,
• Nuclear electric interplanetary nuclear electric
  missions to the outer solar system.
• Design for the space environment
• Planetary protection including sample handling
• Radiation, thermal, etc tolerance of miniaturised
  instruments and systems,
• Materials and structures resilience to space and
  planetary environments,
• Characterisation of orbital, planetary and deep
  space environments.
• Deep Space communications
• Inter- agency orbiter, lander and
  communications relay networking,
• Seamless coverage during hazardous operations (eg
  EDL),
• Efficient data collection, storage and timely
  delivery to the point of use.
• Renewable energy sources
• Fuel cells, hydrogen storage and manufacture,
  batteries.

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Exploration

• 4. Education and Inspiration

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Rationale for Exploration

• To do world-class science
• To create technology which strengthens and grows
  the space sector
• To create technology which benefits the wider
  economy
• To train more people in the specific disciplines
  and skills of space, to benefit the wider economy
  
• To attract more people into science and
  engineering in general, to benefit the wider
  economy
• To express national culture through participation
  in a global endeavour

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Space and the General Public

• Space is high visibility and has high public
  support
• MORI opinion poll for Demos Think Tank in Feb
  2004
• 66 of UK general public support a Beagle
  follow-on
• 70 believe young people would be encouraged to
  enter science and technology because of UK
  involvement in space exploration
• 78 believe joining Aurora would be exciting for
  young people in the UK
• See www.mori.com

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5. Summary of Goals

• UK has a focussed science theme - conditions for
  life
• The UK can contribute relevant technologies and
  has a focussed agenda for new technologies
• Training for new generations of scientists and
  technologists
• Inspiration for young people in the role of
  science technology in the 21st Century society

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Conclusion and a Challenge

• The UK welcomes the US Vision for Exploration
• The UK supports ESAs Aurora programme in order
  to create a European capability
• The UK will focus on high return robotic
  missions
• Exobiology
• Sample Return
• The UK is encouraging ESA to engage with NASA and
  global partners to ensure coherence and maximise
  benefits
• Test cases for international collaboration?