Comments on MEPAG Draft Mars Exploration Program Plan

cIclops · 2006-01-16 06:47:05

Prepared by Ray Arvidson et al, it's now available here and it's quick and easy to read!

The coments cover these proposed missions:

2011/2013 Scout and core science orbiter with telecoms capability
2016 Mid-rovers or Astrobiology Field Laboratory
2018 Scout
2020 Planetary Evolution and Meteorology Network
2022 Mars Sample Return Orbiter with Telecom
2024 Mobile Mars Sample Return

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SpaceNut · 2006-01-16 13:06:10

Much like your thread "Mars Scout 2006 AO for launch in 2011" may facets of Mars scouting for scientific reasons have been in the works for some time. Though until recent the sucess rate for these missions has been very low.

It is a comfort to know that a plan has been created for the next decade or so of robotic mission activity.

Program Goal: “Understand the evolution of Mars, the presence or absence of habitable zones, and if life formed or existed.”
Objectives for the Next Decade: “Follow the Water and Search for Habitable Zones.”
2011/2013: Determine: (a) atmospheric escape rates for key species, and (b) the detailed composition, abundance, and distribution of atmospheric trace gases (e.g., for methane).
2016: Determine if there were or are habitable zones and life, and how their development was related to the overall evolution of the planet, through surface observations using rover-based systems that acquire and analyze samples.
2020: Determine the structure and dynamics of the interior using seismic and heat flow measurements since these measurements are fundamental to understanding Mars as a system.
2022/2024: Return samples using rover-based collection systems in locations for which Earth-based sample analyses would maximize understanding of the evolution of the planet, habitable zones, and whether or not life developed or existed on Mars.

But are these all the things needed to put man on the surface or are there some that will not be needed....

cIclops · 2006-01-16 15:21:18

Much like your thread "Mars Scout 2006 AO for launch in 2011" may facets of Mars scouting for scientific reasons have been in the works for some time. Though until recent the sucess rate for these missions has been very low.
It is a comfort to know that a plan has been created for the next decade or so of robotic mission activity.
Program Goal: “Understand the evolution of Mars, the presence or absence of habitable zones, and if life formed or existed.”
Objectives for the Next Decade: “Follow the Water and Search for Habitable Zones.”
2011/2013: Determine: (a) atmospheric escape rates for key species, and (b) the detailed composition, abundance, and distribution of atmospheric trace gases (e.g., for methane).
2016: Determine if there were or are habitable zones and life, and how their development was related to the overall evolution of the planet, through surface observations using rover-based systems that acquire and analyze samples.
2020: Determine the structure and dynamics of the interior using seismic and heat flow measurements since these measurements are fundamental to understanding Mars as a system.
2022/2024: Return samples using rover-based collection systems in locations for which Earth-based sample analyses would maximize understanding of the evolution of the planet, habitable zones, and whether or not life developed or existed on Mars.
But are these all the things needed to put man on the surface or are there some that will not be needed....

It's a more general and accessible document, and even though it comments on Scout 2006 it seemed worthy of a new thread; I hope I didn't waste too much space

I'll take an opposite position and say that I'm uncomfortable with this business as usual, step by step planning approach that stretches into the distant future. I think we know enough now to put people on Mars especially with the upcoming MRO and MSL inputs. We don't need any of these missions.

SpaceNut · 2006-01-17 06:14:04

True stretching out the missions to Mars over decades is at best over planned business as usual. But what we need are the samples from the surface to assure that it would not be hazardous for man to set foot there and that does not happen until 2022 plus.

Who cares about the escape rate of atmosphere until you want to teraform for advance colonization, wasting the effort to determine habitable zones of mars past life is scientific curiosity but only if life were found in the samples does this matter, and finally geological stability is only an issue if you do plan on going further after the inital flags and foot prints down the path of colonization.

All these things that they want to do by probes can be done more quickly after an initial team gets there by setting up all the various instruments where we really want the data from.

Rxke · 2006-01-18 08:45:34

if they know the escape-rate of volatiles, that would be key to calculate where for instance the 'mystery' methane could come from.

But I agree. Samplereturn seems to get pushed back every year... It could tell us oh so much...

Proof that it's probably an order of magnitude harder than landing a Viking (which had a mass of 657kg(!) of which 85 kg was propellant and 91 kg was the scientific packageing... That was roughly 600 kg of hardware soft-landed, think about it...) or a MER...

cIclops · 2006-01-18 09:15:37

True stretching out the missions to Mars over decades is at best over planned business as usual. But what we need are the samples from the surface to assure that it would not be hazardous for man to set foot there and that does not happen until 2022 plus.

Phoenix and MSL should be able to adequately reduce the health risk of Martian dust. A sample return mission will cause yet another unnecessary delay to human exploration, and it's expensive too (estimated at $2 billion). People can bring back more and far better selected samples.

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#1 2006-01-16 06:47:05

Re: Comments on MEPAG Draft Mars Exploration Program Plan

#2 2006-01-16 13:06:10

Re: Comments on MEPAG Draft Mars Exploration Program Plan

#3 2006-01-16 15:21:18

Re: Comments on MEPAG Draft Mars Exploration Program Plan

#4 2006-01-17 06:14:04

Re: Comments on MEPAG Draft Mars Exploration Program Plan

#5 2006-01-18 08:45:34

Re: Comments on MEPAG Draft Mars Exploration Program Plan

#6 2006-01-18 09:15:37

Re: Comments on MEPAG Draft Mars Exploration Program Plan

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