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Erisa Hines

Erisa Hines

Erisa K. Hines is a Mars Mobility Systems Engineer and Rover Planner for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL -NASA) in Pasadena, CA. Her job is significantly more complicated and difficult - than simply using GPS and satellite imagery to strategically optimize routes for NASA's Mars Rovercuriosity. "Mars rovers can only transmit direct-to-Earth for at most three hours a day due to power and thermal limitations, even though Earth may be in view much longer." And since Mars rotates on its axis, Curiosity is frequently turning its back on Earth. [undefined] As the Washington Post's Marc Kaufman put it, "Too bad there’s no AAA on Mars as the Curiosity rover faces equipment trouble." Among other terrain difficulties, razor sharp rocks can threaten to entirely disable Curiosity. [undefined] This keeps Erisa very busy finding "less problematic, less dangerous, more easily surmountable terrain" routes while still keeping Curiosity on course for its intermediate and long-term destination objectives. [undefined] (2 min. video)

Curiosity Rover was launched from Cape Canaveral on Nov. 26, 2011, at 15:02 UTC aboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft and landed on Aeolis Palus in Gale Crater on Mars on August 6, 2012. Erisa supported flying the rover from Earth to Mars during the Cruise portion of the mission as part of the Attitude control Systems (ACS) team. [undefined] She then joined the Systems team for entry, descent and landing (EDL) on Mars. NASA uses an extensive list of Acronyms in its business and operations - which its people, astronauts, etc. must memorize. [undefined] NASA makes its work look easy; it very much is not. Federal Aviation Administrator Air traffic controllers and Airline pilots similarly use acronyms, but NASA's list is more extensive. [undefined] Abbreviations once memorized both speed and facilitate communications.

Nov 2016: Erisa has experience with and strongly endorses -** virtual reality including using HoloLens. She spectacularly, virtually walked on Mars Lunar module pilot - ** serves as primary holographic tour guide on the route. Erisa appears as hologram - describing discoveries made by NASA scientists. [undefined] Buzz and Erisa's holographic tour of Mars is available at the Kennedy Space Flight Center Visitor Center in Titusville, Florida.

Education

High School - Wheaton High School, Wheaton, MO.

(Valedictorian of her graduating class [undefined])

B.S. - Mechanical Engineering (ME) with Minor in Mathematics, U. of Miami. M.S. - Aeronautics and Astronautics and M.S. - Technology and Policy, both from MIT.

See also:

  • Curiosity (rover)

  • Curiosity (rover) timeline

  • Mars Outpost

  • When We Left Earth

Exhibits and Videos:

References

[1]
Citation Linkywqaugeunhowzrcj.public.blob.vercel-storage.comErisa Hines with Astronaut Buzz Aldrin - Destination Mars.
Nov 20, 2016, 5:56 PM
[2]
Citation Linkmars.nasa.govNASA Gov - Mars, "Communications with Earth": How Fast and How Much Data the Rovers Can Send Back: The data rate direct-to-Earth varies from about 12,000 bits per second to 3,500 bits per second (roughly a third as fast as a standard home modem).The data rate to the orbiters is a constant 128,000 bits per second (4 times faster than a home modem).An orbiter passes over the rover and is in the vicinity of the sky to communicate with the rovers for about eight minutes at a time, per sol.In that time, about 60 megabits of data (about 1/100 of a CD) can be transmitted to an orbiter.That same 60 megabits would take between 1.5 and 5 hours to transmit direct to Earth.The rovers can only transmit direct-to-Earth for at most three hours a day due to power and thermal limitations, even though Earth may be in view much longer.Mars is rotating on its own axis so Mars often "turns its back" to Earth, taking the rover with it.The rover is turned out of the field of view of Earth and goes "dark", just like nighttime on Earth...
Nov 20, 2016, 6:14 PM
[3]
Citation Linkwashingtonpost.comThe Washington Post Newspaper, "Too bad there’s no AAA on Mars as the Curiosity rover faces equipment trouble", by Marc Kaufman, 6/9/2014: When the Curiosity rover set out last July on its much-anticipated drive to the Mars mission’s ultimate destination — the three-mile-high science prize called Mount Sharp — everyone knew the going might get rough.The terrain ahead was more rugged than anything experienced before, and the winter nighttime temperatures regularly plunged to 120 degrees below zero.The delay in getting to Mount Sharp is largely the result of one big, worrisome and time-consuming problem: damage to the rover’s wheels from their contact with sharp Martian rocks embedded in unyielding sandstone.Some gradual deterioration had been anticipated, but not the punctures and tears that began showing up late last year(2013).
Nov 20, 2016, 6:24 PM
[4]
Citation Linkitpro.co.ukIT Pro UK, "Microsoft HoloLens release date, rumours, specs & pricing: Microsoft announces HoloLens release date for Japan", 5/25/2016: NASA and Microsoft have collaborated to recreate the experience of walking on Mars, using HoloLens and the organisation’s vast planetary database.NASA used HoloLens to create a virtual tour of the red planet called ‘Destination: Mars’, opens this summer, and former astronaut Buzz Aldrin will serve as a holographic tour guide on the route.Curiosity Mars rover driver Erisa Hines will also appear as a hologram to describe discoveries made by NASA scientists.Users don a Hololens headset and are treated to actual, immersive "I am there" images of Mars collected by the fleet of orbiters and rovers currently occupying the red planet.
Dec 1, 2016, 9:53 PM
[5]
Citation Linkyoutube.comYouTube video, "Curiosity Rover Report: Rover Road Trip", by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, publ.5/8/2015, 2 mins: Narrated by Erisa Hines.Getting a head start on summer 2015, Curiosity planned a road trip to Logan’s Pass on Mars.Just like Earth-bound scientific research and exploration, the rover relies on a highway map and takes scenic detours (for scientific, research and information gathering reasons) along the way.
Mar 16, 2017, 11:08 PM
[6]
Citation Linkywqaugeunhowzrcj.public.blob.vercel-storage.com9/19/2016 Hi-Res image(give it a few seconds to load): Astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Erisa Hines - Destination Mars virtual reality arena, Kennedy Space Center.Photo credits: NASA/Charles Babir.
Mar 16, 2017, 11:20 PM
[7]
Citation Linkneatorama.comNeatorama, "Now That’s Rocket Science: An Interview with JPL’s Erisa Hines", by David K. Israel, 10/29/2012.Erisa Hines: Born and raised: Northeast of Kansas City, MO Grew up: On a farm with ponds to fish in and a horse Collected: She-Ra: Princess of Power dolls Self-confessed: Tomboy Passion growing up: Dancing (tap, jazz, ballet mix) At an early age: Taken with NASA shuttle program and wanted to be an astronaut, but also a veterinarian High School: Valedictorian of graduating class Undergrad: University of Miami (College of Engineering) Grad: MIT (Dual Master in Aerospace & Technology and Policy Program)...
Mar 16, 2017, 11:43 PM
[8]
Citation Linkspaceflight.nasa.govNASA Human Spaceflight, "Acronyms": from A-Z.
Dec 5, 2016, 5:43 PM
[9]
Citation Linkwww.jpl.nasa.govNASA JPL Video, "Curiosity Rover Report: Rover Road Trip", 5/8/2015 ~2 mins.: One of my jobs as part of the strategic route planning group is to use the orbital data that we have available to help find routes that are safe for Curiosity to traverse, and allow the scientists to visit the places they find interesting.From there the strategic route planning group developed a series of routes that we could review to find what we thought the best routes were through the corridor.On the highway map you can see two different colors of routes.The white routes are the routes that the strategic group believes are the best for Curiosity's wheels.The black routes provide other options that allow the science team to get into more rugged terrain that we still think is safe and traverseble for the rover.
Dec 1, 2016, 10:25 PM
[10]
Citation Linkfaa.govFederal Aviation Administration(FAA), "Abbreviations": from A-Z.
Dec 5, 2016, 6:01 PM
[11]
Citation Linkinverse.comInverse.com, "I (Virtually) Walked on Mars and It Was Awesome!", by Amy Thompson, 11/11/2016: Per Erisa: "Thanks to a partnership between NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Microsoft, I was able to roam around on the red planet, with Buzz Aldrin as my holographic guide.And it was awesome.In September, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex unveiled a new augmented reality exhibit, called Destination: Mars, and I’d been wanting to try it.The promotional material looked incredible, but I’ll admit, I was skeptical going in and really had no clue what to expect.Virtual reality headsets give me headaches, but HoloLens assures users that its augmented reality device — meaning a mix of holographic images and the real-world environment — won’t disrupt their vestibular system.They were right.The experience was nothing short of incredible."...
Dec 1, 2016, 9:40 PM
[12]
Citation Linktwitter.comTwitter account for Erisa K. Hines
Feb 24, 2017, 3:01 AM
[13]
Citation Linklinkedin.comLinkedIn, Erisa K. Hines
Feb 24, 2017, 3:02 AM
[14]
Citation Linkyoutube.comYouTube video, "Erisa Hines -- Jet Propulsion Laboratory", 3/8/2013, ~1 min.: Erisa Hines is currently the lead Mobility Systems Engineer for the Curiosity rover at JPL where they are still developing some new capabilities for the Mars mission.Before landing, she helped fly the rover from Earth to Mars during the Cruise portion of the mission as part of the Attitude Control Systems team.Prior to Curiosity, she worked on the DAWN Asteroid mission and Altair, a lunar lander design.Erisa was also part of the flight system engineering team and participated in "lunar G" (think zeroG) test flights in Houston.
Nov 21, 2016, 1:45 PM
[15]
Citation Linkyoutube.comYouTube video - Virtual Reality(VR), "Destination: Mars with Erisa Hines and Buzz Aldrin", 9/19/2016, ~0.5 min.: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex debuts limited-time experience that will take guests on a virtual adventure on Mars with Buzz Aldrin and Curiosity Rover driver Erisa Hines of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab.
Nov 21, 2016, 1:48 PM
[16]
Citation Linkmars.nasa.govNASA - Mars, "Erisa Hines Contributions - Mars Science Laboratory": Helped develop new capabilities for Curiosity's mobility system after landing.Before landing, supported flying the rover from Earth to Mars during the Cruise portion of the mission as part of the Attitude Control Systems team.
Dec 5, 2016, 5:28 PM
[18]
Citation Linkywqaugeunhowzrcj.public.blob.vercel-storage.comYouTube video, "Curiosity Rover Report: Rover Road Trip", by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, publ.5/8/2015, 2 mins: Narrated by Erisa Hines.Getting a head start on summer 2015, Curiosity planned a road trip to Logan’s Pass on Mars.Just like Earth-bound scientific research and exploration, the rover relies on a highway map and takes scenic detours (for scientific, research and information gathering reasons) along the way.
Mar 16, 2017, 11:08 PM
[20]
Citation Linkwww.youtube.comYouTube video, "Erisa Hines -- Jet Propulsion Laboratory", 3/8/2013, ~1 min.: Erisa Hines is currently the lead Mobility Systems Engineer for the Curiosity rover at JPL where they are still developing some new capabilities for the Mars mission.Before landing, she helped fly the rover from Earth to Mars during the Cruise portion of the mission as part of the Attitude Control Systems team.Prior to Curiosity, she worked on the DAWN Asteroid mission and Altair, a lunar lander design.Erisa was also part of the flight system engineering team and participated in "lunar G" (think zeroG) test flights in Houston.
Nov 21, 2016, 1:45 PM
[21]
Citation Linkwww.youtube.comYouTube video - Virtual Reality(VR), "Destination: Mars with Erisa Hines and Buzz Aldrin", 9/19/2016, ~0.5 min.: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex debuts limited-time experience that will take guests on a virtual adventure on Mars with Buzz Aldrin and Curiosity Rover driver Erisa Hines of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab.
Nov 21, 2016, 1:48 PM