One of NASA’s goals is to identify and characterize potentially habitable environments in the Solar System and beyond. While the search for evidence of extant and extinct life, and conditions supporting life in the Solar System, has primarily focused on Mars, there is strong evidence that a number of outer solar system moons (e.g., Europa, Enceladus, and Titan) harbor subsurface oceans. These “ocean worlds” may be the best places to search for extant life beyond Earth. However, due to the extreme environmental conditions and communications constraints, current mission operations practice of pervasive ground control supervision will be unproductive, and substantially autonomous operations will be required. This paper provides an overview of an autonomy software testbed simulation facility, the Ocean Worlds Autonomy Testbed for Exploration Research and Simulation (OceanWATERS) that NASA Ames Research Center is developing to spur the development of such autonomous operation capabilities.

Access the Conference Proceedings Paper on ASCE Library

One of NASA’s goals is to identify and characterize potentially habitable environments in the Solar System and beyond. While the search for evidence of extant and extinct life, and conditions supporting life in the Solar System, has primarily focused on Mars, there is strong evidence that a number of outer solar system moons (e.g., Europa, Enceladus, and Titan) harbor subsurface oceans. These “ocean worlds” may be the best places to search for extant life beyond Earth. However, due to the extreme environmental conditions and communications constraints, current mission operations practice of pervasive ground control supervision will be unproductive, and substantially autonomous operations will be required. This paper provides an overview of an autonomy software testbed simulation facility, the Ocean Worlds Autonomy Testbed for Exploration Research and Simulation (OceanWATERS) that NASA Ames Research Center is developing to spur the development of such autonomous operation capabilities.

**[Access the Conference Proceedings Paper on ASCE Library](https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483374.037)**

OceanWATERS: An Autonomy Software Testbed Simulation for Ocean Worlds Missions

Due to challenges with COVID-19, this 17th Biennial has been moved to April 2021 and will now be offered in a virtual format. This conference aims to bring the experience and knowledge of experts in the aerospace industry together to share and discuss the latest research and engineering techniques that effect the exploration and settlement of space. Presentations will be made in multiple concurrent symposia over three days. Topics will include: Granular materials in space exploration, Exploration in utilization of extra-terrestrial bodies, advanced materials and designs for aerospace and terrestrial structures under extreme environment, Structures in challenging environments, and Space engineering, construction, and architecture for Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Paper Proceedings: https://ascelibrary.org/doi/book/10.1061/earthandspace2021