Rover Science Autonomy in Planetary Exploration: Field Analog Tests

Eldar Z.Noe Dobrea; Maria E. Banks; Roger N. Clark; David Wettergreen; Alberto Candela; Amanda Hendrix; Caitlin Ahrens; Ernie Bell; Abigail Breitfeld; Thomas F. Bristow; Sanlyn Buxner; Margaret Hansen; Gregory M. Holsclaw; Paul Knightly; Georgiana Kramer; Nandita Kumari; Melissa D. Lane; Audrey Martin; McKayla L. Meier; Ruby Patterson; Neil Pearson; Thomas Prettyman; Gregg A. Swayze; David Vaniman; Srinivasan Vijayarangan; Faith Vilas; Shawn P. Wright

doi:10.3847/PSJ/adaa78

Rover Science Autonomy in Planetary Exploration: Field Analog Tests

Eldar Z.Noe Dobrea, Maria E. Banks, Roger N. Clark, David Wettergreen, Alberto Candela, Amanda Hendrix, Caitlin Ahrens, Ernie Bell, Abigail Breitfeld, Thomas F. Bristow, Sanlyn Buxner, Margaret Hansen, Gregory M. Holsclaw, Paul Knightly, Georgiana Kramer, Nandita Kumari, Melissa D. Lane, Audrey Martin, McKayla L. Meier, Ruby PattersonNeil Pearson, Thomas Prettyman, Gregg A. Swayze, David Vaniman, Srinivasan Vijayarangan, Faith Vilas, Shawn P. Wright

Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A strategy for planetary exploration using a rover capable of science autonomy is presented. We encoded into a rover a set of driving hypotheses pertaining to the geologic origin of a field site and equipped the rover with the instrumentation needed to measure the observables related to the hypotheses, as well as the software tools to analyze them to a relatively high level of confidence. We investigated the effects of different exploration strategies that make use of rover science autonomy and compared the operational efficiency and science yield of three geological exploration scenarios: (1) standard human-directed exploration, (2) rover-directed exploration, and (3) astronaut/rover collaborative exploration. We show that exploration with a rover capable of science autonomy is operationally more efficient than the human-directed strategy, resulting in higher rates of data collection and hence a greater science yield per command cycle. Additionally, we explored and developed astronaut/rover collaborative exploration strategies and present a basic framework for effective planetary exploration that leverages the expertise of a science team, the efficiency of a science-autonomous rover, and the contextual abilities of astronauts.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	51
Journal	Planetary Science Journal
Volume	6
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/adaa78
State	Published - Feb 1 2025

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Geophysics
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.3847/PSJ/adaa78

Cite this

Dobrea, E. Z. N., Banks, M. E., Clark, R. N., Wettergreen, D., Candela, A., Hendrix, A., Ahrens, C., Bell, E., Breitfeld, A., Bristow, T. F., Buxner, S., Hansen, M., Holsclaw, G. M., Knightly, P., Kramer, G., Kumari, N., Lane, M. D., Martin, A., L. Meier, M., ... Wright, S. P. (2025). Rover Science Autonomy in Planetary Exploration: Field Analog Tests. Planetary Science Journal, 6(2), Article 51. https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/adaa78

Dobrea, EZN, Banks, ME, Clark, RN, Wettergreen, D, Candela, A, Hendrix, A, Ahrens, C, Bell, E, Breitfeld, A, Bristow, TF, Buxner, S, Hansen, M, Holsclaw, GM, Knightly, P, Kramer, G, Kumari, N, Lane, MD, Martin, A, L. Meier, M, Patterson, R, Pearson, N, Prettyman, T, Swayze, GA, Vaniman, D, Vijayarangan, S, Vilas, F & Wright, SP 2025, 'Rover Science Autonomy in Planetary Exploration: Field Analog Tests', Planetary Science Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 51. https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/adaa78

@article{537ef0f70bed4eb58d8afd8e4ac30da4,

title = "Rover Science Autonomy in Planetary Exploration: Field Analog Tests",

abstract = "A strategy for planetary exploration using a rover capable of science autonomy is presented. We encoded into a rover a set of driving hypotheses pertaining to the geologic origin of a field site and equipped the rover with the instrumentation needed to measure the observables related to the hypotheses, as well as the software tools to analyze them to a relatively high level of confidence. We investigated the effects of different exploration strategies that make use of rover science autonomy and compared the operational efficiency and science yield of three geological exploration scenarios: (1) standard human-directed exploration, (2) rover-directed exploration, and (3) astronaut/rover collaborative exploration. We show that exploration with a rover capable of science autonomy is operationally more efficient than the human-directed strategy, resulting in higher rates of data collection and hence a greater science yield per command cycle. Additionally, we explored and developed astronaut/rover collaborative exploration strategies and present a basic framework for effective planetary exploration that leverages the expertise of a science team, the efficiency of a science-autonomous rover, and the contextual abilities of astronauts.",

author = "Dobrea, {Eldar Z.Noe} and Banks, {Maria E.} and Clark, {Roger N.} and David Wettergreen and Alberto Candela and Amanda Hendrix and Caitlin Ahrens and Ernie Bell and Abigail Breitfeld and Bristow, {Thomas F.} and Sanlyn Buxner and Margaret Hansen and Holsclaw, {Gregory M.} and Paul Knightly and Georgiana Kramer and Nandita Kumari and Lane, {Melissa D.} and Audrey Martin and {L. Meier}, McKayla and Ruby Patterson and Neil Pearson and Thomas Prettyman and Swayze, {Gregg A.} and David Vaniman and Srinivasan Vijayarangan and Faith Vilas and Wright, {Shawn P.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.",

year = "2025",

month = feb,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/PSJ/adaa78",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "6",

journal = "Planetary Science Journal",

issn = "2632-3338",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Rover Science Autonomy in Planetary Exploration

T2 - Field Analog Tests

AU - Dobrea, Eldar Z.Noe

AU - Banks, Maria E.

AU - Clark, Roger N.

AU - Wettergreen, David

AU - Candela, Alberto

AU - Hendrix, Amanda

AU - Ahrens, Caitlin

AU - Bell, Ernie

AU - Breitfeld, Abigail

AU - Bristow, Thomas F.

AU - Buxner, Sanlyn

AU - Hansen, Margaret

AU - Holsclaw, Gregory M.

AU - Knightly, Paul

AU - Kramer, Georgiana

AU - Kumari, Nandita

AU - Lane, Melissa D.

AU - Martin, Audrey

AU - L. Meier, McKayla

AU - Patterson, Ruby

AU - Pearson, Neil

AU - Prettyman, Thomas

AU - Swayze, Gregg A.

AU - Vaniman, David

AU - Vijayarangan, Srinivasan

AU - Vilas, Faith

AU - Wright, Shawn P.

PY - 2025/2/1

Y1 - 2025/2/1

N2 - A strategy for planetary exploration using a rover capable of science autonomy is presented. We encoded into a rover a set of driving hypotheses pertaining to the geologic origin of a field site and equipped the rover with the instrumentation needed to measure the observables related to the hypotheses, as well as the software tools to analyze them to a relatively high level of confidence. We investigated the effects of different exploration strategies that make use of rover science autonomy and compared the operational efficiency and science yield of three geological exploration scenarios: (1) standard human-directed exploration, (2) rover-directed exploration, and (3) astronaut/rover collaborative exploration. We show that exploration with a rover capable of science autonomy is operationally more efficient than the human-directed strategy, resulting in higher rates of data collection and hence a greater science yield per command cycle. Additionally, we explored and developed astronaut/rover collaborative exploration strategies and present a basic framework for effective planetary exploration that leverages the expertise of a science team, the efficiency of a science-autonomous rover, and the contextual abilities of astronauts.

AB - A strategy for planetary exploration using a rover capable of science autonomy is presented. We encoded into a rover a set of driving hypotheses pertaining to the geologic origin of a field site and equipped the rover with the instrumentation needed to measure the observables related to the hypotheses, as well as the software tools to analyze them to a relatively high level of confidence. We investigated the effects of different exploration strategies that make use of rover science autonomy and compared the operational efficiency and science yield of three geological exploration scenarios: (1) standard human-directed exploration, (2) rover-directed exploration, and (3) astronaut/rover collaborative exploration. We show that exploration with a rover capable of science autonomy is operationally more efficient than the human-directed strategy, resulting in higher rates of data collection and hence a greater science yield per command cycle. Additionally, we explored and developed astronaut/rover collaborative exploration strategies and present a basic framework for effective planetary exploration that leverages the expertise of a science team, the efficiency of a science-autonomous rover, and the contextual abilities of astronauts.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85219145391&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85219145391&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3847/PSJ/adaa78

DO - 10.3847/PSJ/adaa78

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85219145391

SN - 2632-3338

VL - 6

JO - Planetary Science Journal

JF - Planetary Science Journal

IS - 2

M1 - 51

ER -

Rover Science Autonomy in Planetary Exploration: Field Analog Tests

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this