The Verification & Validation of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Surface Mission Operations System

Leading up to its landing on Mars on February 18, 2021, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover Surface Mission Operations System (MOS) underwent a verification and validation (V&V) campaign consisting of a series of Super Thread Tests and Operational Readiness Tests. This V&V campaign emphasized incremental testing, mission scenario and capability coverage, and the Test-As-You-Fly approach wherever possible. Although the elements that comprise the Surface System underwent their own internal V&V campaigns, the system-level tests were vital in uncovering findings observable only through the integrated and flight-like nature of these Surface Mission Operations System V&V tests. The COVID-19 pandemic posed additional challenges, including limited facility access, constrained in-person activities, changes to operations paradigms, and evolving safety protocols in the midst of the testing campaign and preparation for surface operations. This paper describes the Verification and Validation campaign of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Surface Mission Operations System that led to the readiness for rover operations on Mars.