Short Course

Extreme Environment Technologies
June 21-22, 2008

The topic of the two-day short course that precedes IPPW-6 is Extreme Environment Technologies. The course is designed to provide a comprehensive description of the environments encountered in the exploration of planets and bodies with atmospheres, past mission experiences in these environments, and the technologies and system design approaches that mitigate the risk of operating in extreme environments.  

In the morning of the first day, the course will focus on low temperature environments. The day will begin with description of past planetary entry probe missions, including architectures and technologies used in the missions, followed by a description of current mission studies to Titan and Mars.  The lectures, by specialists in the field, will describe state-of-the-art application of low temperature mobility systems (aerial, surface, penetrators), low temperature mechanism technologies, sensors and instruments for operation at low temperatures, and low temperature electronics. An additional lecture will focus on space qualification processes for extreme environment electronics and packaging. The second half of this day will be devoted to class exercises pertaining to the design of missions and systems for operation in low temperature environments.

The second day will begin with discussion of technologies for operation in high temperature/high pressure environments. The morning will consist of a series of lectures, given by experts in the field, covering topics such as: past Venus missions (including a review of architectures, issues, successes and failures) and architectures currently under consideration. Additional topics will include the design of high temperature/high pressure thermal control systems, high temperature energy storage systems, high temperature mechanisms, and sensors for operation at high temperatures. High temperature electronics as well as high temperature mobility systems will also be discussed.  The second half of this day will focus on class exercises pertaining to the design of missions and systems for operation in high temperature/high pressure environments.

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