Foreword by Dave Lavery of NASA
Dave Lavery, Program Executive for Solar System Exploration and Science Missions Directorate at NASA Headquarters details why SCS and CMU have made such strong partners for NASA for nearly four decades.
CMU Heads to the Moon
Two SCS rovers are heading to the Moon, with the mission of igniting modern-day planetary exploration. Iris, a student designed and operated rover, and MoonRanger, powered by SCS researchers and Astrobotic, lead the way toward the exploration of new planets.
A Legacy of Research, Exploration, and Implementation
A selected timeline looking over some of the important contributions of of SCS and CMU led initiatives in space, as well as thoughts from leaders on the legacy of many years of work leading up to the exciting events ahead.
MoodBuddy, Mission Control and Math
SCS research teams are fast at work on strategies to implement the way we communicate in space. Be they on-planet, from mission-control, or secure communications in space, SCS leads the way in space communications.
Space Filter: Smart Satellites to Tame the Data Dump
A team from Carnegie Mellon aims to make satellites smarter, curating downloads to using machine learning to triage the data to work smarter within the satellite’s limited bandwidth, instead of leaving the task to those on the ground
Simulating Gravity
SCS researchers are designing and deploying a folded structure large enough to simulate gravity in space. Once in orbit the structure unfolds to its much larger size, which combined with its ability to spin, would approximate Earth's gravity.
A New Kind of Space Race
Robotics Institute researchers partner with academia, industry to reduce space "junk", making usable trillions of dollars of space equipment currently floating dormant in Earth’s orbit.
Automated Science in Space
NASA's Mars rovers strive for groundbreaking scientific discoveries as they traverse the Martian landscape. At the same time, the crews operating the rovers do all they can to protect them and the billions of dollars behind the mission. This balance between risk and reward drives the decisions surrounding where the rovers go, the paths they take to get there and the science they uncover.
Mars 2020 and Beyond…
Three SCS alumni who play instrumental roles in the Mars 2020 mission, discuss the accomplishments and challenges of the mission, as well as where the space program may be heading next.