Antipodes Project: Field Relay for Austrian Mars Mission Analog.

The ANTIPODES experiment is a multi-mission communications experiment

• testing the ability to establish contact between various Mission Control Centers, field crews and scientific backrooms and
• gather lessons learned on the workflows necessary to enable human Mars missions to benefit from the support of external Mission Control (on Earth or Mars orbit) entities as well as parallel landing parties on Mars.

The rationale behind ANTIPODES is to demonstrate that missions operated by international organizations, different working cultures as well as inhomogenous technical infrastructures can mutually assist during planetary surface missions.

(to be confirmed by MARS2013 Flight planning and MDRS 123, 124, 125 CDR’s)

Syntax: “A” stands for Antipodes, 12X for the MDRS mission, the last digit for the type of experiment

e.g. A123-1stands for MDRS Crew 123 doing experiment ANTIPODES 1.

• Having a broadband comm-check for everyone involved
• Verification of telemetry streams, lightning conditions, sound quality and verification of procedure versions and availability of experiment hardware
• The following connections are checked
  • Mission Control Wellington
  • MDRS
  • MDRS spacesuits (they do not have to be on EVA, can also happen in the suit room)
  • BASE (Morocco base station)
  • Aouda.X
  • Aouda.S
  • In particular, the communication between the MDRS EVA suits and the Aouda-suits shall be verified. In this case, a verbal account of a current activities/status could be given by each crew member.

Antipodes 1 experiment is now concluded.

1. t -1 hrs: establishing contact between MCC Wellington, MSC-Innsbruck, BASE & Aouda.X - verifying broadband access, go ahead from both Flight Directors. Announcing who is the suit tester for this EVA.
2.  t -0: Upon BASE  "GO" suit commences experiment, MCC Wellington follows the procedures
3.  t +10 min: loss of satellite signal, "no connection" between Aouda.X spacesuit and BASE, requesting hand-over
4.  t +11 min: MCC/W gets full telemetry stream, has a few minutes to adjust and get ready: verify connection to SAFETY, BASE, MDRS
5.  t +15 min: MCC/W takes over and continues experiment, e.g. sample site selection based upon video data
6.  t +30 min: MCC/W concludes procedure, BASE resumes operation and continuous experiment.
7.  t +45min experiment closure for MCC/W - opportunity for informal communication between all parties

BME @ BASE is monitoring at all times, OPS-lead, SAFETY and BME can interrupt and abort anytime.

Antipodes 2 experiment did not take place/ cancelled due to connexion issues.

1. t -60 min: establishing contact between MCC Wellington, MDRS & BASE - verifying broadband access, go ahead from both Flight Directors. Announcing who is the suit tester for this EVA.
2. t -0: Upon MCC/W "GO", MDRS crews commences experiment, BASE follows the procedures
3. t +10 min: loss of satellite signal, "no connection" between MDRS and MCC/W, requesting hand-over to BASE by MDRS
4. t +11 min: BASE monitors MDRS crew, has a few minutes to adjust and get ready: verify connection to MDRS
5. t +15 min: BASE takes over and continues experiment, e.g. sample site selection based upon video data
6. t +30 min: BASE concludes procedure, MCC/W or MDRS Habcom resumes operation and continuous experiment.
7. t +45min experiment closure for BASE - opportunity for informal communication.

MCC/W monitors at all times and takes over if necessary.

Click here for the procedures list step by step instructions and material list.

Antipodes 3 experiment is now concluded.

MDRS or MCC directs a CLIFBOTT experiment in Morocco.

1. t -30 min: establishing contact between MCC Wellington, MDRS & Aouda.X & BASE - verifying broadband access, go ahead from both Flight Directors. Announcing who is the suit tester for this EVA.
2. t -0: Upon BASE "GO", the Morocco crew continues/commences geosampling experiment, MDRS follows the procedures
3. t +10 min: loss of satellite signal, "no connection" between Aouda.X and BASE, requesting hand-over to MDRS by Aouda.X
4. t +11 min: MDRS monitors Aouda.X, has a few minutes to adjust and get ready: verify connection to Aouda.X
5. t +15 min: MDRS takes over and continues experiment, e.g. sample site selection based upon video data from mission.oewf.org/telemetry
6. t +30 min: MDRS concludes procedure, BASE resumes operation and continuous experiment.
7. t +45min experiment closure for MDRS - opportunity for informal communication. CONTACTS established connection to MDRS for a skype telecom to discuss the first impressions and lessons learned.

Antipodes 4 experiment is now concluded.

The radio language for Mumble/Plumble radios is based upon on communication rules commonly used in air traffic and emergency services. 

Call signs:

• MDRS-Station: MDRS-HABCOM
• EVA crew member @ MDRS: MDRS-ALPHA (BRAVO, CHARLY,... for additional analog astronauts?)
• Mission Control Wellington: CAPCOM-WELLINGTON
• Mission Support Innsbruck: CAPCOM-INNSBRUCK
• EVA crew member @ Morocco: “X-Ray” for AOUDA.X / “Sierra” for AOUDA.S
• Operator station at the Morocco field base: BASE

Common phrases used

• “ACK” = acknowledged (pronounced “Aye-See-Kay”)
• “Confirmed” = indicated the called party has understood and agrees
• “Affirmative” = yes: received, understood and agreed
• “Negative” = No
• “Copy” = confirmation, that the message was received and understood, it does not imply, that the receiver agrees to it.
• “Go ahead” = send you transmission
• “ETA” = Estimated Time of Arrival
• “Out” = This is the end of a transmission and no answer is required or expected.
• “Standby” = wait a minute, I am busy but I will come back to you.

Common call signs

• “BASE” = on-site Operations
• “Capcom” = Capsule Communicator in MCC
• “Flight” = Flight director
• “Safety” = Safety officer on-site
• “BME” = Biomedical Engineer

EMERGENCIES

Whenever there is an emergency situation (danger of significant damage or loss of life or equipment) in a PolAres setting, the safety officer, the suit tester, or the flight director may declare a “CODE RED”. This is ONLY to be used for real emergencies, NEVER, EVER use it jokingly in everyday language. This code is reserved for real trouble only. (If the team trains on simulated emergencies, the phrase “CODE ORANGE” is being used).

In such a case, any experiment is aborted, the local crew takes over and assess the situation and report as soon as possible back to THEIR MCC or OPS. FLIGHT decides further steps.