The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project successfully landed two identical rovers on Mars in order to remotely conduct geologic investigations, including characterization of rocks and soils that may hold clues to past water activity. Two landing sites, Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum, were selected out of nearly 200 candidate sites after balancing science returns and flight system engineering and safety. Precise trajectory targeting and control was necessary to achieve the atmospheric entry requirements for the selected landing sites within the flight system constraints. This paper discusses the expected and achieved launch vehicle performance and the impacts of that performance on the first Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM-1) while maintaining targeting flexibility in accommodating additional project concerns about landing site safety and possible in-flight retargeting to alternate landing sites.
Mars Exploration Rovers Launch Performance and TCM-1 Maneuver Design
AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference and Exhibit ; 2004 ; Providence, RI, United States
2004-08-17
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Mars Exploration Rovers Propulsive Maneuver Design
AIAA | 2004
|Mars Exploration Rovers Propulsive Maneuver Design
NTRS | 2004
|AIAA-2004-4984 Mars Exploration Rovers Launch Performance and TCM-1 Maneuver Design
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2004
|AIAA-2004-4985 Mars Exploration Rovers Propulsive Maneuver Design
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2004
|