Maximizing Science Data Return: A Fast, Cost-Effective Method to Simulate and Analyze Expected Data Return for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission
Fischer Cherissa · SpaceOps 2002 Conference · 2002
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will investigate Mars to a level of detail that will generate a 25-fold increase in data compared to previous missions, demanding time on an already crowded Deep Space Network (DSN). The MRO scientists and spacecraft provider will need to carefully design the spacecraft’s instruments, command and data handling (CD a spacecraft data flow model created using commercial-off-the-shelf software in a fraction of the time of previous approaches with significant schedule and cost savings. The modeling approach presented can be used to provide rapid, cost effective analysis of data flow needs during mission requirements definition, detailed design, assembly, test, launch, and operational phases of a spacecraft’s lifetime.