The Problem 🛰️

As a research student at the University of Michigan, working on a collaborative project with NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, our team was tasked with designing and developing a realistic mission architecture for a Mars Science Mission to inform studies of the Martian atmosphere essential for designing Entry, Descent & Landing (EDL) solutions for human exploration on Mars. Our specific goal was to develop the mission concept in a way that can leverage the novel Radio Occultation (RO) technology for remote sensing and atmospheric data acquisition between the 2-satellite constellation design.

MARiO : Mars Atmospheric Radio Occultation!!

I was mainly part of the Astrodynamics & Propulsion subteam and later moved on to work on Mission Operations & Ground System Architecture as well. Some of the main hurdles in this project can be listed as :
1. How many CubeSats do we send?
To meet the operational requirement of mapping the diurnal variability of the Martian environment, the ideal number of satellites needed to be deployed about 5-7. That's too many!!! However, to make it more feasible, we needed to work on multiple aspects of RO surface tracing and orbit design to accommodate the least number of satellites to achieve the best output.

2. The Propulsion Problem:
Determining the ideal propulsive unit for the Cubesats & optimizing the trajectory posed another challenge. We had to conduct trade studies for different space propulsion systems and analyze their feasibility and efficiency by comparing the performance metrics. Additionally, we had to calculate orbit configurations and design & optimize the trajectories to ensure correct placements of the constellation components for conducting successful RO.

Learn more about our project here.

The Solution!!

To address these challenges, our team worked collaboratively to develop a comprehensive plan that included problem definition, deriving & documenting requirements, and making the Sciences Traceability Matrices.

We conducted extensive research on multiple aspects of this project and I conducted thorough research & trade studies on available EP thrusters and analyzed their pros and cons based on performance metrics such as cost, weight, delta-V capacity, efficiency, longevity and feasibility.
Developed a comprehensive plan for implementing the chosen propulsion system while ensuring maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
We also utilized a Matlab code to calculate RO coverage and orbit configurations for individual CubeSats and design optimized trajectories while taking into account potential risks.
For each system & sub-system level component, we ran a strict Fault Tree Analysis for ranking our Risk assessment metrics to come up with potential mitigation strategies for every risk extremity.
By leveraging our collective expertise in Space Systems Engineering and mission Design concepts, we were able to develop a robust solution that met all of our project requirements.

The IMPACT !!!

"The MARiO team demonstrated excellent requirements decompositon to ideally articulate all the stakeholder needs & constraints."

Achieved a cost-effective solution that met all project requirements while also ensuring maximum efficiency
Successfully implemented the model-based systems engineering (MBSE) concept for project planning & the development of this Space mission scheduled for launch in 2029

"Excellent Traceability to mission goals, trade studies included various environment characterization and special commendation for Alternative Mission Designs! Excellent work!"

"Mars, the next big leap for mankind" : Realizing Cosmic Dreams Through Research