• Provide a research environment with a realistic simulation of the logistics involved in long-range unmanned remote operations, and serve as infrastructure for conducting technology prize competitions designed to spur interest in the field.

• Provide an educational environment where K-12 students can learn about the challenges of operating on the moon, Mars, or other solar system destinations. Educational activities will be hosted remotely via telecommunications links, with a main theme of exploring, by robots, the different environments of the Solar System.

For this reason, MarsScape does not have to be located in a prime location, and the facility only has to accommodate the operating crew while able to cater to the entire United States and the world beyond.

MarsScape - Outside View (Picture courtesy of Ken Davidian, NASA Centennial Challenges Program)	MarsScape - Inside View (As viewed from a rover)

When creating a Mars environment simulator, one typically envisions the various physical factors that define this world - temperature, pressure, radiation, gravity, atmosphere, soil...

For robotic operations, however, probably an equally important factor is the long communication time delay between Earth and Mars. While the physical factors listed above influence the mechanical design of the robot, the communication delay influences the way it has to be operated.

As robotic tasks become more complex, remote operations and logistics will become a more difficult aspect of the overall problem, especially since most of the mechanics will have been worked out by several generations of rovers.

We envision the Mars Logistics Simulator as a tool to enable engineering schools to develop the methodologies and software that will be required for complex remote logistics operations. Currently, this type of know-how is very rudimentary. We would like to make it a formal field of study, a combination of engineering, planetary sciences, and industrial management.

The MLS is a generalization of the rules created for Spaceward's Mars Construction Challenge. It consists of a rough Mars analog landscape with various obstacles, a delayed communication link, and a set of rules that specify a standard "hands-off" procedure for sending a robotic "lander" into the environment.

In the simulator, participants have to control their mission through the communication link, starting with egress from the lander and ending with the successful achievement of a task. Control of the mission is typically conducted from a mission control center set up at the participant's home institution. Efficient conduct of the mission control center is a major part of the task.

As a precursor to most missions, the participants conduct preliminary scouting missions in which they get a chance to gain experience in remote operations and to test the performance of their basic hardware in the field.

With MarsScape, Spaceward aims to have a steady prize bounty outstanding towards such studies. Rather than having a single multi-million dollar prize, we would like to see a number of smaller $250K level prizes, with new ones being brought forward as existing ones are won.

SSD is the K-12 educational component of MarsScape. It aims to teach kids about Mars and other solar system destinations, from either a scientific or exploration point of view. In much the same way as with the MLS, schools embark on "missions" while controlling robots on the simulated environments.

The sessions are guided by a live host (using a WebEx connection), but the main theme is that of controlling a robot in the remote environments. Schools register and schedule classes in advance. The sessions are designed for one classroom at a time, and allow all kids to perform some activity at MarsScape.

All that is required of the schools is a broadband, web enabled classroom. We will send the schools a preparation kit in advance, and some follow-up material. There will be several "journeys" that classes can take.

We intend to start with a moon/Mars oriented program, but we will later expand the curriculum to include anything and everything space related. From the school's point of view, this experience can be richer than visiting a science museum, for a much lower cost, and with no interruption of their class schedule.

The MLS Explorer is a "lighter" version of the MLS, which brings together elements from both MLS and SSD, and is aimed at grades 9-12 with advanced science curriculums.

Instead of attempting very difficult tasks, the robots designed by the teams compete in standard races - an obstacle course, a treasure hunt, etc. MLS Explorer does not have a lander component, and our staff will assist the teams rather than be strictly "hands off" observers as in the case of MLS. We may assist schools by providing skeleton robot designs.

Prizes for MLS Explorer competitions will be at the $5K level, usually as stipends or scholarships.

Since the only interaction you have with the "Martian" environment is through the internet, there is no need for you to have to leave your lab or classroom!

To play, you will package your robots in a "lander", and ship them to us. We place your lander on the "Martian" surface, and hook you up through a 20-minute delayed internet connection.

To learn, your class interacts with our hosts and robots on Mars and the moon through their very own internet enabled mission control center - right at their classroom.