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THE SUBSEA (SYSTEMATIC UNDERWATER BIOGEOCHEMICAL SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION ANALOG) PROGRAM WILL CONDUCT REAL (NON-SIMULATED) TELEROBOTIC SCIENCE TO UNDERSTAND THE HABITABILITY POTENTIAL OF OCEAN WORLDS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. OUR SCIENCE WILL INCLUDE OBSERVATION INSTRUMENT DATA GATHERING AND SAMPLE COLLECTION FOCUSED ON FLUID VENTING AT ISOLATED SEAMOUNTS IN THE DEEP OCEAN AS ANALOG ENVIRONMENTS TO HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS ON OTHER OCEAN WORLDS. WE WILL CONDUCT OUR SCIENTIFIC FIELDWORK FROM THE EXPLORATION VESSEL (E/V) NAUTILUS WHICH IS EQUIPPED WITH THE HERCULES AND ARGUS REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLES (ROVS). ACCESS TO THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IS ENABLED THROUGH IN-KIND SUPPORT FROM THE NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA) OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH (OER). THESE ROVS ARE CONTROLLED UNDER LOW LATENCY FEEDBACK CONDITIONS BY PROXIMAL (SHIP-BASED) HUMAN OPERATORS WHO ARE PROVIDED SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT AND EXPLORATION DIRECTION BY A REMOTE DISTRIBUTED SCIENCE TEAM (DST) WHO ARE LOCATED AT EXPLORATION COMMAND CENTERS (ECCS) THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND CONNECTED TO THE NAUTILUS VIA A TELEPRESENCE-ENABLED COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE. THE PROPOSAL WILL RESPOND TO ALL THREE CRITERIA IN THE PSTAR CALL: TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE OPERATIONS AND SCIENCE. WORK UNDERTAKEN AT WHOI WILL FOCUS PRIMARILY UPON SCIENCE ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM.

$1,011,333FY2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

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