The future of Mission Control

[willpittenger]

As both frequency of missions and distance increase, it will become tougher for ground based Mission Control managers to keep in touch. Either we have too many missions out there at once that we have to make the missions semi-independent like airlines or they get so far away that anything resembling real time communication becomes impossible. (On a mission to Alpha Centari, "Thanks Houston, but we solved that problem a year ago.")

So how do people see the role of Mission Control evolving over the years?

 

[trailrider]

I think communications will be subject to the laws of physics, given present technology, i.e., the inverse square law will apply. The further out you go, the slower comm will be in inverse proportion to the distance involved. For example, several years ago I was part of a simulation of a mission to Mars. The communications times were done assuming the two planets in conjunction (on opposite sides of the Sun). We used e-mail, rather than voice, and used about 45 minutes delay in replying to a query to Mission Control, Earth, by Mars Base. Thus, between "asked and answered" there was a considerable lapse in time. (I was simulating the Engineering officer at Mission Control.) What made it even more interesting was the fact that the "Mars Base" was actually located up in the foothills west of Denver, and there was IIRC cold and snow up there. They actually had a problem with the furnace, and requested real suggestions to their problem...but agreed to abide by the time delay!

What this will mean to missions further and further out is that they will need to be far more self-sufficient than is currently the case. Think of it like the first settlers to cross the Atlantic Ocean, or settlers crossing the North American continent before the advent of the telegraph!

Frankly, I feel this is the reason why we MUST establish bases on the Moon before proceeding on to Mars or the Near Earth Objects (asteroids)! While many excoriate the "waste of time and money" on the ISS, we have learned to construct complex structures in zero gravity. Some of the problems encountered have not been amenable to training in the neutral boyancy tank at JSC. But we have learned from them!

I believe the same will be true for bases on the Moon, giving us experience for Mars, while still giving us the fall-back position of being able to mount rapid rescue missions and communication that approaches instantaneous in the event of an emergency. At the same time, procedures can be developed for the slower comm times and greater distances!

Mission Control will progress toward being Mission Planning and Operations.

Ad LEO! Ad Luna! Ad Ares! Ad Astra!

 

[samkent]

“the inverse square law will apply. The further out you go, the slower comm will be in inverse proportion to the distance involved.”

Huuuh? Since when? Did Mr. Physics change his laws again?
Isn’t 4 lights years 3 years longer than 1 light year? Or am I in some twilight zone?

 

[trailrider]

“the inverse square law will apply. The further out you go, the slower comm will be in inverse proportion to the distance involved.”

Huuuh? Since when? Did Mr. Physics change his laws again?
Isn’t 4 lights years 3 years longer than 1 light year? Or am I in some twilight zone?

OK, maybe not "inverse square" in the exact technical sense, but certainly communications times will be double the further out you go. Yes, 4 light years is only one year longer than 3 light years, but the time differential between transmitted, received, replied to, and received is 2 light years DIFFERENCE. Even within our own solar system, the times get sufficiently long that a fast reply won't be practicable, and for intersteller distances, the time get huge. There are certainly examples of stars that have gone supernova, and collapsed into black holes or whatever, and we won't know it until the "years" portion of lightyears has passed. Even if we get a message from Alpha Centauri, or whereever, within 4.3 LY that some disaster occurred, about all we will be able to do is transmit a "Sorry about that!"

But, then again, if we can invent sub-space communications, as well as Warp drive, it will take care of all that! Unfortunately, Mr. Scott is dead! So for now, we are stuck with the Speed of Light limitations.

 

[vulture4]

Personnel at outposts, and on round-the-world sailing expeditions, tend to be pretty independent. Read Robert Byrd's book "Alone". Mission control is already considerably looser on ISS than Shuttle, with less intensity and longer periods of independent activity.

 

[samkent]

It's simple math. If the planet is 4 LY away then oneway radio communications will take 4 years. If you expect a reply then double the time to 8 years for the round trip.

Within our solar system we will still use two way communications. It will just be structured differently. Multiple questions along with multiple answers will be sent in both directions.
That way we will avoid this "Should I try this button?", wait, wait, wait.
It will be more like, "We have tried buttons 1 through 6, with the following results. What do you think?".