MARS OSSEs
Overview
Astronaut safety is a critical element of NASA's Moon to Mars initiative. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, in collaboration with Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI), is developing a Mars Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) Framework to help define requirements for a future Mars surface weather forecasting capability.
What is a Mars OSSE?
For the Earth, an OSSE framework is a software architecture designed to quantify how future observing systems could improve weather forecasting. An OSSE framework for Mars can provide measurable, decision-focused insights to support instrument design, observation strategies, and mission planning to enable the creation of a weather forecast capability on Mars within an allocated cost
Why Mars Weather Forecasting Matters
Human exploration of Mars requires real-time weather forecasting to reduce risk from dust storms, winds, and atmospheric density variability. Limited knowledge of day-to-day atmospheric conditions increases uncertainty for entry, descent, and landing and surface operations. A forecasting-focused OSSE framework helps address these challenges.
What The OSSE Framework Enables
The Mars OSSE Framework supports mission‑critical decisions by evaluating:
- Which observation types most improve forecast skill
- Which instrument configurations provide the highest value
- How observing system architectures can best support astronaut safety and operations
Point of Contact
Oreste Reale, PhD — Oreste serves as SSAI's Corporate Chief Scientist and has been an integral part of NASA Goddard in various capacities since 2001. He earned his PhD in Meteorology from the University of Maryland in 1996. Oreste combines remarkable scientific expertise (H index = 25) with a strong management background. He has secured uninterrupted funding from NASA since 2005, serving as Principal Investigator on various grants.