Abstract
The Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains (BASALT) research project is investigating tools, techniques, and strategies for conducting Mars scientific exploration extravehicular activity (EVA). This has been accomplished through three science-driven terrestrial field tests (BASALT-1, BASALT-2, and BASALT-3) during which the iterative development, testing, assessment, and refinement of concepts of operations (ConOps) and capabilities were conducted. ConOps are the instantiation of operational design elements that guide the organization and flow of personnel, communication, hardware, software, and data products to enable a mission concept. Capabilities include the hardware, software, data products, and protocols that comprise and enable the ConOps. This paper describes the simulation quality and acceptability of the Mars-forward ConOps evaluated during BASALT-2. It also presents the level of mission enhancement and acceptability of the associated Mars-forward capabilities. Together, these results inform science operations for human planetary exploration.
Highlights
The concepts of operations (ConOps) and capabilities prioritized for investigation during Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains (BASALT) are based on the composite results and lessons learned from previous exploration analog missions, including the Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 18–21, and the Pavilion Lake Research Project (PLRP)
This paper describes the subjective assessments of acceptability, capability assessment, and simulation quality (Abercromby et al, 2013b) of the ConOps and capabilities evaluated during BASALT-2
As with the acceptability evaluations, all questions regarding capability assessment focused on evaluating the features and functions most critical for future spaceflight missions, not on evaluating specific implementations employed during BASALT-2
Summary
The Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains (BASALT) project is a science-driven research program designed to enable and enhance exploration and discovery during future human planetary missions. BASALT comprises Science, Science Operations, and Technology objectives. BASALT Science Operations and Technology seeks to evaluate concepts of operations (ConOps) and capabilities for their potential to enhance scientific return during future exploration extravehicular activity (EVA) on planetary bodies. The ConOps and capabilities prioritized for investigation during BASALT are based on the composite results and lessons learned from previous exploration analog missions, including the Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 18–21, and the Pavilion Lake Research Project (PLRP) (see Beaton et al, 2019, for an overview of the significant accomplishments and forward-work recommendations from these prior analogs)
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