Meet the First Woman to Drive on Mars!

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/spotlight/20051109.html

Meet the First Woman to Drive on Mars!
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
November 09, 2005

First Steps with Toddler Robots

If it weren't for severe motion sickness, Dr. Ashley Stroupe might
already have several space shuttle flights under her belt. The child of
a NASA engineer, Stroupe devoured all things space-related during her
childhood. Her higher education path literally led to the stars;
astronomy was her first choice as an undergraduate, but the solitude of
that profession lost out to the lure of robotics, where she would have
the opportunity to help build and operate spacecraft that might one day
visit the planets she studied through telescopes.

Right before the Mars Exploration Rovers made history, Stroupe joined
JPL, and what a time to join the ranks. Holiday excursions were cut
short or non-existent and the lab simmered over from the heat of
anticipation. Last-minute meetings to ensure all was well filled
restless hours as the world prepared to focus on the dramatic rover
landings.

While the rovers were getting their "land legs," Stroupe was getting
used to working in an oversized sandbox. Deep in the corners of an
aging
building that was part of the original bones of JPL, toddler robots
train for possible future missions. Intended to precede humans to Mars,
these petite teams carry and integrate structural components,
simulating
remote habitat building.

"We want to send robots ahead of astronauts to build a safe habitat
that's already there when they arrive," said Stroupe. "Especially for
Mars, if you have to wait six months for a rescue, you want to make
sure
it's safe when you go."

Giving robots the ability to build habitats and search for resources
takes work. Rovers need a very specific set of instructions. "A robot
doesn't make assumptions," Stroupe explained. "The real challenge is
figuring out how to translate what we want it to do into step-by-step
instructions, then run the commands and see what it does. It's what I
imagine it would be like to watch a child take its first step or go off
to school. You get personal satisfaction from having caused that."


As the promise of the two veteran rover explorers on Mars grew,
Earthlings who worked on the project were called to work on different
missions. Just a few hundred feet down the road from the sandbox in a
nondescript eight-story building, Stroupe switched from prototypes to
actual rovers on Mars.

Initially, Stroupe was among a team of experts who interpreted data
sent
back by the rovers - analyzing the machines' movements and activities.
When still more engineers moved on to other projects, the mission team
began to recruit new drivers; experience driving on Mars wasn't
necessary - training would be provided. Stroupe was accepted and
driving
school began.

Getting Your Rover Driver's License

As with any driver's education class, you don't just hop into the
driver's seat at JPL. Stroupe shadowed a team of eight expert rover
drivers. Like responsible parents, skilled drivers hand down knowledge
to the newbies, including certain tricks and styles suited to the
distinct personalities and unique environments of each rover.

"It's like trying to drive a car by writing a computer program,"
Stroupe
said. "We have to tell it to turn a certain amount, drive a defined
distance, take a picture or use its autonavigation function that allows
it to reach goals on its own - all while ensuring its safety."

Training with robotics experts at Carnegie Mellon University, Stroupe
was well prepared to take on the hefty job of handling the rovers.
Still, realizing the enormity of actually controlling a rover on Mars
is
nothing less than awe-inspiring to her.

It Takes a Team to Raise a Robot

When someone casually mentioned to her that she was the first woman to
drive a rover on Mars, it came as a surprise to Stroupe. After all,
nearly half of the rover team is made up of women. Still, the title
makes her proud and she hopes it will be inspiring to other people who
want to be "firsts" in their fields.

"The most personal satisfaction is getting to work with these rovers
and
this incredible team. You can't do a project with just one or two
people. It's such a rare opportunity for me as an engineer to work with
scientists and engineers and feel like I'm making a real, significant
contribution to forwarding science and our understanding of our solar
system and universe. It's incredibly rewarding," she beamed. "And
whether anybody ever knows my name or not, they'll see my [rover]
tracks
- I guess I have made my mark on Mars!"