2e. Science_Lim.pdf
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This document is a scientific research summary detailing the Science Operations approach for NASA's VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) lunar mission, focusing on real-time collaborative exploration-science decision-making. The research describes an innovative operational architecture developed by an interdisciplinary team including an ethnographer, roboticist, and geobiologist, which integrates scientific support directly into mission operations to optimize exploration return and enhance response capabilities during lunar surface operations.
The team's key innovations include developing visualization and mapping tools with democratized data access, enabling fluid interactive data exploration in real-time, and creating efficient data export mechanisms compatible with popular analytical tools like MATLAB and ArcGIS. Multiple academic publications are referenced documenting the mission's science operations approach, including presentations at lunar and space operations conferences in 2021-2025. The research emphasizes the importance of shared data understanding and real-time feedback to significantly enhance exploration mission effectiveness, with potential extensibility to other mission architectures using distributed expertise systems.
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Text version
An ethnographer, a roboticist, and a geobiologist walk into an operational architecture
NASA Ames Science Integration and Operations Team
Dr. Zara Mirmalek Dr. David Lees Dr. Darlene Lim
Real-time collaborative exploration-science decisioning
The VIPER Science Operations team integrated real-time scientific support into the mission ops environment to optimize science/resource exploration return and to enhance the response capabilities of the VIPER team during surface operations.
The VIPER SciOps architecture ensures that science is decisionally prioritized across the mission system.
Our process is extensible to other mission architectures using distributed systems of expertise for remote work.
Real-time collaborative exploration-science decisioning
The integration efforts included guiding the development of the visualization and mapping tools that are used ubiquitously and collaboratively by the Science and Mission operations teams.
Democratized access to data and tools for all team members
Fluid, interactive exploration of data in real-time (as it is collected)
Efficient export, using pre-defined data packages and minimal mouse clicking, of relevant data by mission members co-located in the mission and science operations centers in a format readable by popular tools (e.g. MatLab, ARCGIS, JMP, Excel).
• Remote science work support, context and approach on NASA’s VIPER mission (Mirmalek et al., 52nd LPSC 2021)
• VIPER Science Operations: Science traverse planning perspectives, processes and tools (Lim et al., 55th LPSC 2024)
• VIPER Science Operations: Lunar Dynamic Science Table and Tracker Tool (Lim et al., 55th LPSC 2024)
• Lunar science real-time operations and mission systems integration definitions and practices from NASA’s VIPER mission (Mirmalek et al., SpaceOps 2025, ID#294)
• Lunar science operations visualizations and mapping tools on NASA’s VIPER mission (Lees et al., SpaceOps 2025, ID#295)
• NASA VIPER Mission’s Science Roles in the Mission Operations Center (Mirmalek et al., 56th LPSC 2025)
Optimizing exploration return through collaborative real-time science operations helps build more integrated and effective science systems.
By incorporating shared data understanding and real-time feedback into active decision-making, we can significantly enhance the value and impact of exploration efforts.
We look forward to connecting, exchanging ideas, and exploring opportunities for further application and development.
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .