Low-Latency Teleoperations, Planetary Protection, and Astrobiology

Low-latency teleoperations (LLT), or "telepresence" allows for the control of almost any asset in essentially real-time and has significant potential to address potential planetary protection concerns and to enhance astrobiology exploration activities on both robotic and human missions to Mars and elsewhere in the solar system. LLT can assist with the search for extraterrestrial life and help mitigate planetary protection concerns as required by the UN Outer Space Treaty. LLT can help by allowing for real-time exploration of areas that may otherwise not be conducive to direct human contact. Crew members can search for, acquire, and robotically manipulate samples in real-time and engage in precise measurements and experiments without requiring the crew to be present in dangerous or otherwise problematic conditions or environments. LLT operations can be particularly effective in studying "Special Regions" - areas of astrobiological interest that might be adversely affected by forward contamination from humans or spacecraft contaminants during activities on Mars. Similarly, LLT can aid in addressing concerns about backward contamination that could impact mission implementation for returning Martian samples and crew to Earth.