Systems Engineering Seminar

November 10, 2009, 1:00 p.m.
Building 3 Auditorium

Abstract:

System Engineering Challenges of the Mars Science Laboratory
Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) System
A tale in three acts

Act One:
To land a rover of unprecedented size safely on the Martian surface requires developing a novel Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) system architecture and landing technique. This presented the first challenge, “what is the right EDL architecture?”

Act Two:
Having determined the basic architecture, how does one partition the requirements and design risk across the design critical subsystems (in this case primarily Mechanical and GNC) to risk level at a system level?

Act Three:
Once the PDR level design has essentially been risk leveled, how does one manage the evolving development risk, rebalancing as needed to keep minimum risk?

Biography:

Adam D. Steltzner
After a brief career in rock and roll, Adam joined JPL in 1991, in the Spacecraft Structures and Dynamics group. He has worked on several flight projects including Galileo, Cassini, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Exploration Rovers and Mars Science Laboratory as well as several mission proposals, pre-Phase A projects and technology development efforts. Initially employed as a structures and mechanics guy, he has, in recent years, gravitated towards landing events and Mars Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) systems. He was the landing systems engineer on the comet mission Champollion (cancelled) and the mechanical systems lead for EDL on MER. Currently he is the phase lead and development manager for EDL of the Mars Science Laboratory project.