The 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) will attempt the first precision landing on Mars using a modified version of the Apollo Earth entry guidance program. The guidance routine, Entry Terminal Point Controller (ETPC), commands the deployment of a supersonic parachute after converging the range to the landing target. For very dispersed cases, ETPC may not converge the range to the target and safely command parachute deployment within Mach number and dynamic pressure constraints. A full-lift up abort can save 85% of these failed trajectories while abandoning the precision landing objective. Though current MSL requirements do not call for an abort capability, an autonomous abort capability may be desired, for this mission or future Mars precision landers, to make the vehicle more robust. The application of artificial neural networks (NNs) as an abort determination technique was evaluated by personnel at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC). In order to implement an abort, a failed trajectory needs to be recognized in real time. Abort determination is dependent upon several trajectory parameters whose relationships to vehicle survival are not well understood, and yet the lander must be trained to recognize unsafe situations. Artificial neural networks (NNs) provide a way to model these parameters and can provide MSL with the artificial intelligence necessary to independently declare an abort. Using the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission as a case study, a non-adaptive NN was designed, trained and tested using Monte Carlo simulations of MSL descent and incorporated into ETPC. Neural network theory, the development history of the MSL NN, and initial testing with severe dust storm entry trajectory cases are discussed in Reference 1 and will not be repeated here. That analysis demonstrated that NNs are capable of recognizing failed descent trajectories and can significantly increase the survivability of MSL for very dispersed cases. NN testing was then broadened to evaluate fully dispersed entry trajectories. The NN correctly classified 99.7% of descent trajectories as abort or nonabort and reduced the probability of an unsafe parachute deployment by 83%. This second, broader testing phase is discussed in this paper.


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    Title :

    Entry Abort Determination Using Non-Adaptive Neural Networks for Mars Precision Landers


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    2005 AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Controls Conference ; 2005 ; San Francisco, CA, United States


    Publication date :

    2005-01-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English







    Abort Determination with Non-Adaptive Neural Networks for the Mars Precision Landers (AIAA 2006-0149)

    Kranzusch, K. M. / American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2006


    Entry System Design Considerations for Mars Landers

    Lockwood, Mary Kae / Powell, Richard W. / Graves, Claude A. et al. | NTRS | 2001