Autonomous Robots

In Spaaaaaaaace

By Aaron Murray, Lia Frederickson, and Erik George

Spirit, Opportunity, and Voyager Spacecraft
Spirit and Opportunity were twin, remotely controlled rovers part of the MER
mission (Mars Exploration Rover), to explore and gather data about Mars.

The Voyager Spacecraft on the other hand was launched with a original mission
of exploring and gathering data on Saturn and Jupiter.
The Mars Exploration Rovers
● Spirit and Opportunity
● Launched from Cape Canaveral, FL,
June 10 and July 8, 2003

● “Point and Tell” command system

● Mission to explore and collect data
from Mars
● Self-Sustainment system
Artist concept image of one of the MER rovers
 Voyager Spacecraft I & II
● Original Mission: Jupiter & Saturn

● Transmits data to Earth via DSN

(Deep Space Network)
● Flexible programming

● Launch Dates: August 20,

Artist Illustration of the Voyager I Spacecraft
September 5th
 The Equipment and Sensors
Mars Exploration Rover Voyager Spacecraft
● Panoramic Camera ● Television Camera

● Microscopic Imager ● Ultraviolet Sensors

● Alpha Particle X-Ray ● Cosmic-ray Sensors,

Spectrometer magnetometers
 Programming
● The MER is given a command ● The Voyager Spacecraft was
sequence from the rover’s flight programmed using the Viking
team CCS

● The Rover’s Compute Element
(RCE) is the Rover’s brain
● A communication interface called
a “bus” allows data to travel from
the RCE, instruments, and
sensors
● It also has the FDS and AACS
● The CCS relays commands and
manages memories for the FDS
and AACS
● In-flight programming, allowing
new routines/programs

Word Bank

CCS- Command Control System

FDS- Flight Data System,
AACS- Altitude Articulation Control System
 The Pros and Cons
Pros Cons
● More information about our ● No Return trip
solar system’s planets and
heliosphere ● Eventually will run out of power

● Not limited by human ● Remotely controlled-

limitations Susceptible to hacking?

● Cheap
Feats of the MER & Voyager
● Evidence of a past “Wet” Mars
● 5 new moons orbiting Saturn, G-Ring

● First “portraits” of the Solar System

● First Journey into the

Interstellar

“Portrait” of the Solar System, taken by Voyager Spacecraft

 700 Jobs provided
By the MER project, 7000 over the last eight years
Includes Test Technicians, Electronic Assemblers, etc.

Career-Long Devotions
Can be found when it comes to the Voyager Spacecraft project.
Example: Suzy Dodd.
 MER Rovers and the Voyager Spacecraft
In the future

MER Voyager
● Curiosity carries on the ● Programming changes,
legacy additional new routines

● 10x speed processor, 8x

memory
 Conclusion Questions
1. What was the Mars Rovers Spirit and Opportunity
mission?

2. How many jobs did the MER project provided?

3. Name one achievement the Voyager Spacecraft made

Thanks for Listening!