A Model-based Approach to Developing the Concept of Operations for Potential Mars Sample Return

Mars Sample Return (MSR) is a proposed multi-agency effort that would return soil and rock samples from the surface of Mars to Earth. Both the complexity of the potential missions, as well as the involvement of multiple geographically distributed organizations, presents a challenge from an information management perspective. In this paper, a Model-based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach to developing the Concept of Operations of a potential Mars Sample Return effort using the System Modeling Language(SysML) is presented.