218 Development of the Mars Exploration Rover PRA (PSAM-0027)

This paper will discuss the Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) effort that occurred during the development of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER). The Rovers were launched 2003.June.10 (Spirit) and 2003.July.7 (Opportunity), and both have been two huge successes for JPL and NASA. Although designed for a 90-day mission, the Rovers have been operating for over two earth years. This paper will summarize the MER mission and vehicle, describe the PRA (both its development and results), and furnish a synopsis of the design changes the PRA facilitated. A companion paper will describe how the project used the PRA in more detail.