Language, Space, Time: Language, Space, Time: Anthropological Tools and Anthropological Tools and Perspectives in the Scientific Perspectives in the Scientific Exploration of Mars Exploration of Mars Roxana Wales, Ph.D. Roxana Wales, Ph.D. SAIC @ NASA Ames Research Center SAIC @ NASA Ames Research Center rwales@mail.arc.nasa.gov rwales@mail.arc.nasa.gov Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association American Anthropological Association December 2005 Washington, DC December 2005 Washington, DC Wales, AAA December 2005 1
Mars Exploration Rover Mars Exploration Rover Mission (MER) Mission (MER) ► Objective: Search for evidence of past water ► Objective: Search for evidence of past water Spirit on Mars on Mars ► ► Landed: January 2004 (launched July 2003) Landed: January 2004 (launched July 2003) ► Run for NASA by Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in ► Run for NASA by Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in Pasadena, CA. Ames Research Center Pasadena, CA. Ames Research Center contributed various teams to mission- - contributed various teams to mission including work practice evaluation. including work practice evaluation. ► ► Mission run on Mars time (Martian sol = Mission run on Mars time (Martian sol = Gusev Crater 24:39 in Earth time) for four months 24:39 in Earth time) for four months � Solar powered rovers � Solar powered rovers- - sunlight and sunlight and Opportunity daytime temperatures for cameras and daytime temperatures for cameras and other instruments other instruments ► Work ► Work � Planning for rover work across science � Planning for rover work across science and engineering teams with commands and engineering teams with commands sent to the rover on every sol for sent to the rover on every sol for execution on the next sol execution on the next sol Meridiani Planum Wales, AAA December 2005 2
Work on Earth that Results in Work on Earth that Results in Work on Mars Work on Mars Science Planning Science Team Natural Language Discussion Science Request/ Planning Meeting Software Engineering Team 1 Engineering Team 2 Rover Activity Planning software and Approval Sequencing and Commanding software Time delay Command Radiate commands to Rover on Mars Approval Meeting Wales, AAA December 2005 3
What is Needed to Support this What is Needed to Support this Work? Work? ► Can anthropological tools and perspectives contribute to ► Can anthropological tools and perspectives contribute to scientific exploration on Mars? scientific exploration on Mars? ► Yes Yes ► � Ethnographic methods, � Ethnographic methods, “ “mission ethnography, mission ethnography,” ” grounded theory grounded theory � � Relevance of the concepts of Language, Space and Time in Relevance of the concepts of Language, Space and Time in understanding domains and cultures understanding domains and cultures ► Developed: Developed: ► � A � A Language Language to communicate the specifics of the work to communicate the specifics of the work across the multiple teams and to the rover across the multiple teams and to the rover � A � A Space Space in which to work in which to work � A way to negotiate the differences between Mars � A way to negotiate the differences between Mars time time and Earth time time and Earth Wales, AAA December 2005 4
Ethnographic Methods for MER Ethnographic Methods for MER ► Data collection and analysis of: ► Data collection and analysis of: � field notes from in � field notes from in- -situ observation and participation situ observation and participation � video and photos � video and photos � documents and artifacts � documents and artifacts MER � information created in software � information created in software � system interactions between tools � system interactions between tools � information exchanged in meetings Data � information exchanged in meetings Data � nature of individual and group work � nature of individual and group work Data � Interviews (formal and informal) � Interviews (formal and informal) � Email information and exchanges � Email information and exchanges ► Research time Research time- - full time for three and a half years (2001 full time for three and a half years (2001 ► to 2004) to 2004) Wales, AAA December 2005 5
“Mission Mission” ” Ethnography Ethnography “ ► Participants in mission design process Participants in mission design process ► � Badged and taking up � Badged and taking up “ “real estate real estate” ” in meetings and in meetings and design sessions design sessions � Had access to personnel � Had access to personnel ► Expected to deliver recommendations to improve the ► Expected to deliver recommendations to improve the mission design mission design ► Data collection, assessment, analysis, recommendations Data collection, assessment, analysis, recommendations ► had to meet mission time lines had to meet mission time lines � Tests and trainings � Tests and trainings � Software and system freezes � Software and system freezes � Launch and Landing � Launch and Landing ► Decisions would be made with or without our Decisions would be made with or without our ► recommendations recommendations ► Engineering and Science brought real world practicality and ► Engineering and Science brought real world practicality and deadlines to the ethnographic process deadlines to the ethnographic process Wales, AAA December 2005 6
Devising a Language Language for for Devising a Work on Mars Work on Mars ► Scientists underestimated the complexity of language that ► Scientists underestimated the complexity of language that was needed to convey their work was needed to convey their work � Early mission scientists � Early mission scientists’ ’ concept of a name to identify work: concept of a name to identify work: � Target = � Target = “ “Pilgrim Pilgrim” ” ► Ethnography identified the need for an expert ► Ethnography identified the need for an expert “ “language language” ” for Martian work; grounded theory supported the for Martian work; grounded theory supported the development of that language development of that language � Mission names incorporating identifiers and relationships of obj � Mission names incorporating identifiers and relationships of objects. ects. � Observation Level = � Observation Level = IDD_Post IDD_Post Scratch_Plymouth Scratch_Plymouth Rock Rock ► ► Take several different kinds of in Take several different kinds of in- -situ (IDD) measurements of situ (IDD) measurements of feature Plymouth Rock, after scratching the rock with the RAT feature Plymouth Rock, after scratching the rock with the RAT � Activity Level = � Activity Level = Red single Pilgrim Red single Pilgrim ► Take a single frame image of the target spot pilgrim on ► Take a single frame image of the target spot pilgrim on Plymouth rock, using the red filter of the Pancam Plymouth rock, using the red filter of the Pancam Wales, AAA December 2005 7
Examples of Instrument Names, Methods and Other Examples of Instrument Names, Methods and Other Identifiers/Constraints for use in the Formalization of a Identifiers/Constraints for use in the Formalization of a Science and Engineering Language Language for Mars Work for Mars Work Science and Engineering Instrument Method and/or Other Identifiers/Constraints • Accordion • Accordion • Afternoon APXS • Afternoon • Approach • Approach •Haz • • Around Around • • Blind (for MiniTES activity Blind (for MiniTES activity •MB • • Between Between without a supporting image without a supporting image •MI • Contiguous (identify • Contiguous (identify or Pancam activity without a or Pancam activity without a •MiniTES whether Mast whether Mast target) target) •Nav Relative or Time Relative or Time • • Comparison Comparison relative in notes field relative in notes field •Pancam • Drive • Drive • Elevation • Elevation •RAT • Drive camera use methods • Drive camera use methods •Rover • Location/reference to • Location/reference to ”quick look quick look” ”, , “ “rubber neck rubber neck” ”, , ” a region or area a region or area •IDD (shorthand for two or “systematic systematic” ” “ more in-situ instruments in • Long • Long • Movie one obs) • Movie • Morning • Morning •PMA (shorthand for two • Rat • Rat • Morning after • Morning after or more remote sensing • Scratch • Scratch instruments in one obs) • • N, S, E, W (directions) N, S, E, W (directions) • Sniff • Sniff • • Pre Pre Note : PMA and IDD • • Surveys: Survey around, Surveys: Survey around, • • Post Post activities belong in between, covering, from . . between, covering, from . . separate observations. • Short • Short to, including to, including • Soil • Soil • • Sweep Sweep • • Tau Tau MER Mission Wales, AAA December 2005 8 • Trench • Trench 1-03-04
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