Remote sensing studies are often based on simplified approaches describing the photon transport in absorbing and
scattering media. The main purpose of the present paper is to show the potentiality of modeling directly the transport
phenomena by mean of linear Boltzmann equation. Some details about the solution method of the integro-differential
equation are reported with a collection of results of relevance in planetary study domain. An inverse approach based on
artificial neural network is also proposed to retrieve the optical properties of planetary surfaces and its performances are
tested in various cases.
Crucial questions for possible utilization of Near Earth Asteroids include how to break asteroid materials down to
particle sizes that can be processed. This remained difficult to answer because of the limited number and resolutions of
images previous obtained through asteroid missions. Recently, the Hayabusa spacecraft obtained unprecedentedly high-resolution
images of a ~300m-sized asteroid, Itokawa, which gives unique opportunity to discuss the nature of surface
materials on a small asteroid. Hayabusa reveals that the asteroid is covered by fine- and coarse-grained materials,
including granules, pebbles, cobbles, and boulders up to tens of meters. Gravels on this small asteroid appear to be
loosely deposited along the gravitational equipotential surfaces. The existence of smooth areas as well as boulder-rich
rough areas indicate that gravels should have experienced migrations and segregations. Thus, the issue regarding the
breaking of asteroid materials appears to have been resolved naturally, at least for this asteroid, which has important
implications for future robotic missions dedicated to resource exploration and utilization.
If the goal of planetary exploration is to build a permanent and expanding, self-sustaining extraterrestrial civilization,
then clever and myriad uses must be made of planetary resources. Resources must be identified and evaluated
according to their practicality. A new economy should be devised based on resource occurrence, ore accessibility,
options for ore transport, material beneficiation, and manufacturing; end uses and demand; and full economic
cost/benefit assessment. Locating and evaluating these resources should be done with coordinated robotic assets
arrayed in orbit and on the surface. Sensor arrays and tandem on-ground means of physical manipulation of rocks
should incorporate highly capable onboard data processing, feature detection, and quantification of material
properties; intelligent decision making; a flexible capacity to re-order priorities and act on those priorities in carrying
out exploration programs; and human-robot interaction. As resource exploration moves into exploitation, sensors
working in tandem with robust physical manipulation will place increased emphasis on automation in effective and
safe robotic quarrying, tunneling, boring, and ore beneficiation. Any new global planetary economy will have to
weigh the efficiency of resource identification and utilization with full-spectrum cost/benefit assessment for human
health and safety, the environment, future habitability and sustainability, and human priorities in the development and
growth of civilization. It makes no sense to rove from one planet to another in a wave of resource use and depletion,
like interplanetary locusts. Robotic systems will open new worlds to human use, but they will also place a premium
on human ability to control exponentially growing consumption.
Future planetary exploration of the outer satellites of the Solar System will require higher levels of onboard
automation, including autonomous determination of sites where the probability of significant scientific
findings is highest. Generally, the level of needed automation is heavily influenced by the distance between
Earth and the robotic explorer(s) (e.g. spacecraft(s), rover(s), and balloon(s)). Therefore, planning missions
to the outer satellites mandates the analysis, design and integration within the mission architecture of semi- and/or completely autonomous intelligence systems. Such systems should (1) include software packages
that enable fully automated and comprehensive identification, characterization, and quantification of
feature information within an operational region with subsequent target prioritization and selection for
close-up reexamination; and (2) integrate existing information with acquired, "in transit" spatial and
temporal sensor data to automatically perform intelligent planetary reconnaissance, which includes
identification of sites with the highest potential to yield significant geological and astrobiological
information. In this paper we review and compare some of the available Artificial Intelligence (AI)
schemes and their adaptation to the problem of designing expert systems for onboard-based, autonomous
science to be performed in the course of outer satellites exploration. More specifically, the fuzzy-logic
framework proposed is analyzed in some details to show the effectiveness of such a scheme when applied
to the problem of designing expert systems capable of identifying and further exploring regions on Titan
and/or Enceladus that have the highest potential to yield evidence for past or present life. Based on
available information (e.g., Cassini data), the current knowledge and understanding of Titan and Enceladus
environments is evaluated to define a path for the design of a fuzzy-based system capable of reasoning over
collected data and capable of providing the inference required to autonomously optimize future outer
satellites explorations.
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