Tartarus: Exploring the Deep Basin Impact

Craters of Mars
Savas Mavridis
Project Option 2

Abstract

In Greek mythology, Tartarus is the deepest realm of the antiquated universe.

Tartarus is said to be as far below Hades as the Heavens are from the Earth. The main goal

of the Tartarus mission is to explore the deepest parts of the Martian surface, particularly

the Hellas and Argyre Planitiae. There exists speculation that these two basins are prime

candidates for the existence of water on Mars.

Finding evidence of liquid water on Mars is troublesome due to the low atmospheric

pressure. The atmospheric pressure on Mars coincides with the triple point of water at

around 6 mbar. The Hellas Planitia is one of the largest impact craters in the solar system,

lending it to its distinctive hyper-low elevation. Within this crater, pressures are speculated

to be just over 12 mbar (Haberle, et al., 2001). This leads us to conclude that the most

probable location for evidence of liquid water is within the Hellas Planitia (Making a Splash

on Mars, 2000). Although the pressure in the Argyre Crater is less prominent, its surface

features indicate that there may have been previous hydrological processes. The Argyre

Planitia is a companion crater on the surface of Mars with evidence of glacial activity due to

the presence of a sinuous ridge (Banks, et al., 2009; Kargel, 2014). Furthermore, the four

large channels surrounding the crater lend scientists to believe the basin was once a lake

(Parker, Clifford, Banerdt, 2000). Terrestrial intuition will have us believe hydrologic activity
is the cause of these formations but a recent theory has scientists questioning if a more

abundant chemical in the Martian atmosphere, Carbon Dioxide, developed the formations

(JPL, 2013).

With the primary goal of the mission being to explore these two craters, our stated

objectives include: analyzing the regolith to determine the composition of the minerals

present within the craters, gather evidence on the formations of the sinuous ridges in Argyre

and the banded flow structures in the Hellas Planitia, and determine whether water or

carbon dioxide created the structures in the basins. After gathering the information

necessary to answers these questions, the rovers will passively gather data on the surface

of the basins for two Martian years. This information will provide further insight into the

conditions present at the lowest points of Mars topography.

Two identical rovers will be sent to explore the basins and gather information.

Martian Crater Vehicle Cavendish (MCV-C), named after the British chemist credited with the

discovery of hydrogen, will land in the Hellas Planitia near the banded flow terrain in the

north-west portion at Martian Surface Coordinates (MSC) 39.26S 53.56E. Martian Crater

Vehicle Lavoisier (MCV-L), named after the French chemist who first classified carbon as an

element, will land near the sinuous ridge in the southern side of the Argyre crater at MSC

55.03S 319.20E. The rovers will be equipped with the highly reliable Alpha Particle X-ray

Spectrometer (APXS) to analyze soil samples that are taken on the surface (Jet Propulsion

Laboratory, n.d.). To mitigate unnecessary wear on the APXS and determine meaningful soil

test sites, the rovers will be equipped with the ChemCam utilized on the Mars Science

Laboratory. The ChemCam allows scientists on Earth to analyze rock at a distance and

rapidly determine whether the rock is sedimentary or volcanic. For the purposes of this
mission, we would like to avoid volcanic rock as we are aiming to study potential hydrologic

features on Mars (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, n.d.). The last important piece of equipment

that will be added to the rovers will be the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS).

The REMS will be used to collect environmental data within the craters allowing us to

understand the possible atmospheric conditions in the two planitiae (Jet Propulsion

Laboratory, n.d.).

Timeline

January 1, 2018-August 25, 2022 Pre-Launch Activities

Prelaunch activities will begin as soon as NASA green-lights the Tartarus mission.

Tartarus is a unique mission designed to send two separate identical rovers to two separate

landing sites. The MCV-C will land in the Hellas Planitia; the MCV-L will land in the Argyre

crater basin. As the landing sites have already been determined, the next step is to

determine a launch date. Using various resources available from the NASA Goddard website,

taking into consideration closest approaches of Mars, as well as providing ample time for

development of the rovers and launch vehicles, we have determined that the launch date

will be August 25th, 2022. The 336-day transfer will arrive July 27th, 2023. If the mission is

approved to begin at the start of the 2018 calendar year, we are provided with a four-year

lead on the launch date. This mission is designed to take advantage of previous techniques

used by NASA to free up the development time of novel landing procedures, a la the

Skycrane situation, encountered by the Mars Space Laboratory mission.

The primary focus during pre-launch activities will be the design of the Mars Crater

Vehicles. Our rovers will be designed to detect what processes formed key geological
features thought to be evidence of hydrologic activity. Most of the technology needed to

achieve these goals has already been designed and tested by the teams that worked on

Curiosity. The name of the game for the development of the MCVs is Recycle and

Repurpose. This mission is designed to save time and resources by utilizing the technology

we already have. Avoiding waste will inflate the return on investment from our

experimentation in the new environment we are exploring. While the rovers are both

projected to be smaller than the MSL, having two separate rovers as well as MCV-Ls

approach stage propulsion systems nets a higher payload weight. For this mission, the

appropriate launch vehicle would be NASAs Space Launch System. The SLS is projected to

launch no later than 2018. By the time we launch in 2022, the rocket will have had ample

time to be refined for reliability. The rovers should be completed by December 2021 and the

payload staged for assembly by July of 2022. The Rocket will be rolled out of the VAB at

Kennedy Space Center and staged for launch on the morning of August 25th.

August 25, 2022 Launch

This early in development, the precise launch time is impossible to predict. Many

factors must be considered on the day of launch to determine the launch window.

Atmospheric pressure, temperature, trajectories of space debris, etc. must all be observed

prior to launch, otherwise trajectory alterations must be performed hampering the efficiency

goals of this project (Heiney, 2012). From the data provided in Figure 1, we have determined

that the minimum delta V that must be reached is 3.9 km/s. The high thrust provided by the

SLS will easily accommodate these constraints set by the weight of our payload.

August 25, 2022-June 12, 2023 Cruise

The cruise stage will begin shortly after the vehicle escapes the earths atmosphere

on August 25th. During this phase, our team will conduct periodic flight health checks on the
spacecraft. These checks will be used to determine whether our trajectory is within an

acceptable margin of error. If the craft requires adjustments to maintain the 336-day

transfer, the only opportunity to guarantee a successful encounter with Mars is during the

cruise stage. We will also monitor communications between mission control and Tartarus

ensuring clear transmissions free of radio interference, antenna alignment issues, et al.

Furthermore, as the craft nears the approach stage, 90 days before entering the

atmosphere of Mars, the CES team will begin preparations for the approach.

June 12, 2023 July 27, 2023 Approach

The approach phase will begin 45 days before entering the atmosphere, on June

12th, 2023. During the approach phase, the Real-Time Operations Chief will begin intensive

preparation for atmospheric entry. Communications are expected to have a 14-minute delay,

therefore, we must begin running simulations of entry to foresee any possible issues due to

the dynamic Martian weather. If we notice any issues, we will be able to adjust accordingly.

On July 24th, our Flight Systems Manager will signal for the separation of the two rovers

above the Martian surface. Prior to separation, the payload is targeting the MCV-C landing

zone within the Hellas basin. After the separation, the MCV-L module will burn retrograde to

slow its velocity and land in the nearer (relatively speaking; eastward accounting for

trajectory and rotation of Mars makes the Argyre basin a shorter flight than Hellas) of the

two landing zones [Fig 2].

July 27, 2023-E+4hours Entry, Descent, Landing

On July 27th, 2023, we will perform our atmospheric entry, descent, and landing

operations. Our operations are modeled after the Mars Exploration Rovers procedures [Fig

3].

E-15mins: the cruise stages will separate

 E-0mins: At 125km above the surface of the Mars, both rovers are expected to begin

slowing down to Martian terminal velocity

E+244s: the parachutes will deploy 9.5 km above the surface

E+264s: Heatshields will separate

E+274s: Bridle Descent begins, lowering the rovers below the descent rockets

E+284s: Bridle Descent complete and radar ground acquisition begins

o 2.0km above the surface, the image acquisition begins and relays information

back to Earth allowing the team to analyze the progress of the descent

o Rockets will fire to slow descent ~120 m above the surface

o Airbags inflate 0.5s prior to rockets firing

o Bridle will be cut ~12 m above the surface and the lander will fly off to a safe

distance for crash down

E+355s: Rovers land, bounce, and roll to a stop

At a stop, the bags will slowly deflate. As the bags unfold, the rovers will orient

themselves to an upright position and prepare for first drive

E+4hours-Sol 2 First Drive Operations

First Drive operations will begin after numerous health checks on the rovers are

performed to confirm radio communications are intact. Once communications are

confirmed, we will test the rovers ability to drive forward 20ft, reverse 10ft, and perform a

360-degree turn in both directions. If these tests prove successful, the sensors will then be

tested. Once all tests register positive, the Real-Time Operations Chief will begin surface

operations.
Sol 2 Sol 1338+ Surface Operations
The first portion of Surface Operations require the rovers to navigate to their

respective coordinates. For the MCV-C, it will trek toward MSC 39.26S 53.56E. MCV-L will

navigate to MSC 55.03S 319.20E. Once both have reached their test locations, the

mission shifts to soil analysis. They will scan the surrounding areas for locations that will

prove fruitful for the collection of soil samples relevant to their designated mission:

determining whether water or carbon dioxide created the structures in the basins. Once

enough samples are collected to sufficiently determine the chemical makeup of the regolith,

the rovers will begin the secondary mission of passively collecting data on atmospheric

conditions within the basin for four Martian years.

Personnel

Project Manager
The Project Manager will be responsible for overall leadership of the Tartarus mission

including, but not limited to: Maintaining all budgetary concerns throughout the

development process, ensuring project deadlines are achieved, drive program growth,

and act as an advisor to all subordinate staff members.

The Project Manager will be the highest-ranking member of the team

Education Requirements: Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace),

Masters of Business Administration, PhD in Planetary Science

Project Scientist
Managing scientist responsible for detailing scientific objectives, overseeing

development of the scientific equipment to accommodate the mission objectives,

 monitors progress and quality of data retrieved during surface operations, and acts as

the managing officer of surface operations.

Second-in-command reports only to Project Manager

Education Requirements: Bachelor of Science (Chemistry, Geology, Physics), PhD in

Geology or Planetary Science

Chief Project Engineer

Reports to Project Manager and Project Scientist to design the Martian Crater Vehicle

and oversees the implementation of the payload to the SLS Rocket for launch.

Education Requirements: Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace),

PhD in Robotics

Real-Time Operations Chief

Real-Time Operations Chief is responsible for the missions operations from the Cruise

Stage through to the end of surface operations. The RTOC will be the primary operator

between mission control and the MCVs, relaying commands to operate the vehicles.

Education Requirements: Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace),

PhD in Robotics

Outreach

Outreach and marketing for the project will be conducted in three stages. The first

stage will consist of marketing the mission. The second stage will be conducted exactly one

year prior to arrival on mars and consist of a national tour. The third stage will begin from

the cruise stage until the end of the mission life, as a social media presence.
 The first step toward attracting an audience is creating a buzz. To do this, the team

will want to garner the publics attention through viral marketing. This portion is aimed

towards the youth and those who believe NASA is always hiding something. By leaking

information about a top secret NASA project, the internet will latch onto the slim

information that is initially offered. Multiple news sources will inevitably catch the buzz and

spread the word. The name Tartarus conjures an ominous image which will add to the

mystery of our mission. The end goal of this portion is to create publicity for the project, as

well as the rest of NASAs Mars Campaign. In this sense, any attention is good attention. Will

there be a fallout when the mission is revealed to be just a standard observatory Mars

mission? Of course. But at that point, the name Tartarus is well known and the audience will

be interested in further updates of the project as well as future Mars missions.

Once there is an audience and name recognition, the second phase will begin. Full sized

models of the two MCVs will be assembled and a team of promoters will tour the country

during the duration of the Tartarus transit. The tour will stop by at major universities and

large museums across the country. Key destinations will include major engineering schools

such as California Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of

Illinois at Urbana, and University of Wisconsin Madison along with top museums including

The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, The Hayden Planetarium in New York, and

the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. The content of the tours will include Working

for NASA, The Tartarus Mission Explained, and The Future of Mars Exploration. A tour

would allow our scientists and engineers an opportunity to reach out to the public and

garner support of Mars Exploration. When children hear about NASA, they know that people

work there and do important research, but it is not a tangible idea until they actually interact

with the scientists. An encounter like that will undoubtedly make the prospect of getting
involved in STEM activities more palatable for children, thereby inspiring the next generation

of engineers.

The final stage in our marketing strategy will be by giving the rovers a personality. Right

after launch, during the cruise stage, our team will post to Facebook and Twitter on behalf of

the rovers any and all updates from the rovers perspective. The theme will be two siblings,

brother and sister, getting along on the flight, getting into an argument prior to separation

and entry, and then competing to prove who the better rover is. Updates of the mission will

be conveyed through humor, wit, and banter. As buddy comedies and humorous twitter

accounts are almost always successful, there is little doubt that we can capture a wide

audience with this technique. Furthermore, by anthropomorphizing the robots, people will be

able to relate to their work. Collectively, this will create a high-profile mission that can plant

the seeds of interest for NASAs future.

This mission will be an intermediary mission between the iconic Curiosity landing and a

landmark manned Mars landing. Our outreach will stoke the flames of intrigue between the

two programs ensuring NASA is well received in the public eye. The more the public

appreciates the work done at NASA, the more pressure is applied to those who risk cutting

the budget to our space programs. Unfortunately, this is a real concern for our institution,

and we must continue to promote ourselves to further the success of manned space

exploration.
 Appendix

Figure 1: detailing trajectory of mission with dates, and delta V estimates (Foster, 2016)

Figure 2 (Left): proposed separation points and trajectory for entry, descent, and landing (Mellon, et al., 2011)

Figure 3 (Right): Entry, descent, and landing procedures

Abstract References
Haberle, R. M., C. P. McKay, J. Schaeffer, N. A. Cabrol, E. A. Grin, A. P. Zent, and R. Quinn (2001), On
the possibility of liquid water on present-day Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 106(E10), 2331723326,
doi:10.1029/2000JE001360.

Making a Splash on Mars. (2000). Retrieved from https://science.nasa.gov/science-

news/science-at-nasa/2000/ast29jun_1m/
Banks, M. E., N. P. Lang, J. S. Kargel, A. S. McEwen, V. R. Baker, J. A. Grant, J. D. Pelletier, and R. G.
Strom (2009), An analysis of sinuous ridges in the southern Argyre Planitia, Mars using HiRISE and
CTX images and MOLA data, J. Geophys. Res., 114, E09003, doi:10.1029/2008JE003244.
Kargel, J. S., (2014), Glacial Alpine Erosion in Argyre, Mars: A Lunar Contrast and Terrestrial
Similarity, 45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, March 17-20, 2014, Houston, Texas,
abstract no. 2467
Parker, T. J., Clifford, S. M., Banerdt, W. B. (2000), Argyre Planitia and the Mars Global Hydrologic
Cycle, 31st Annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, March 13-17, 2000, Houston, Texas,
abstract no. 2033
JPL. (2013, June 11). Retrieved January 15, 2017, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNXBfz1iVzc
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (n.d.). Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS). Retrieved from
http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/spectrometers/apxs/
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (n.d.). Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam). Retrieved from
http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/spectrometers/chemcam/
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (n.d.). Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS). Retrieved from
http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/environsensors/rems/

Timeline References
Foster, C. (2016, December 23). NASA Ames Research Center Trajectory Browser. Retrieved
February 5, 2017, from
https://trajbrowser.arc.nasa.gov/traj_browser.php?NEAs=on&NECs=on&chk_maxMag=on&maxMag
=25&chk_maxOCC=on&maxOCC=4&chk_target_list=on&target_list=Mars&mission_class=oneway&
mission_type=rendezvous&LD1=2022&LD2=2026&maxDT=1&DTunit=yrs&maxDV=6.0&min=DV&
wdw_width=365&submit=Search#a_load_results
Mellon, M. et al (2011, January 01). NASA Ames Research Center Interactive Mars Data Maps.
Retrieved February 1, 2017 from https://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/globalData/
Heiney, A. (2012, March 8). Aiming for an Open Window. Retrieved February 1, 2017 from
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/launchwindows.html
Desai, P. N., Knocke, P.C. (2004). Mars Exploration Rovers Entry, Descent, and Landing Trajectory
Analysis. Retrieved February 1, 2017 from
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20080013365.pdf