Assessment of NASA's Mars Architecture 2007-2016 (2006) / Chapter Skim
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3 The Goals of NASA’s Mars Program
3 The Goals of NASA’s Mars Program
Pages 24-32
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From page 24... ...
The committee explicitly notes that all stated implementations, with current shortfalls, still require adequate technology, instrument development, research and analysis, and, especially, astrobiology programs in order to be successful. Two issues arise in consideration of the proposed architecture's ability to address NASA's Mars exploration goals -- the role of the Mars Scouts and the decision rules governing the selection of the mission to be launched in 2016.
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From page 25... ...
NASA needs to clarify how trade-offs between mission costs versus science will be made for the various launch opportunities to justify the rationale behind the proposed sequence of specific missions and the exclusion of others. Summary The committee cannot definitively say whether or not the revised Mars architecture addresses the goals of NASA's Mars Exploration Program because the architecture lacks sufficient detail with respect to science and cost to allow a complete evaluation.
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From page 26... ...
26 ASSESSMENT OF NASA'S MARS ARCHITECTURE 20072016 TABLE 3.1 The Mars Architecture and Its Responsiveness to the Goals of NASA's Mars Exploration Program Goals of NASA's Mars Exploration Program Mars Exploration Architecture Life Climate Geology Human Exploration Accomplishments Highest priority: Climate change as a None identified in None identified in to date and next establishing that life is central theme; history reporta reporta steps or was present on Mars, and process; emphasis or, if life never was on process present, understanding why not; distribution and history of water; sources of biologically usable energy; composition, states, and reservoirs of C, N, S, O, H, and P Improved Liquid water has been Primary progress has Geological evolution of Risks to humans can be knowledge present and weathered been from the Thermal planet from previous mitigated through precursor to date the crust; crust complex Emission Spectrometer, missions and current scientific investigations and diverse with early the Mars Orbiter Camera, MER rovers; geological (~20 identified) , with four sustained hydrological and the radio science diversity and complex having high priority: water cycle, episodic volcanic from Mars Global evolution; dynamo early accessibility near landing eruptions, and climate Surveyor; seasonal in planet's history and site, wind shear and cycles driven by cycles of dust, volcanic emissions may turbulence effects on obliquity; putative temperature, and water have helped provide landing, martian life effects observation of methane discerned; boundary active hydrothermal on Earth's biosphere, and layer observations are systems; previous beds adverse effects of dust on not complete; upper under salty groundwater mission hardware; also atmosphere only sparsely identified; chemistry level of radiation exposure, sampled; vertical mixing bounds deduced on but technical development and trace gas loss rates hydrological cycle on and flight systems on hold not yet examined surface; possible relation due to fiscal constraints to long-term orbital obliquity changes Potential May find water and/or Most promise from MRO to provide Phoenix for evaluation of outcomes of ice reservoirs; may MRO observations, identification of sites accessibility of water at near-term discover more lower atmosphere in with mineralogical high latitudes; MRO for investigations biologically significant greater detail; landed evidence of habitability, maps of atmospheric landing sites spacecraft will likely not and ground-penetrating properties; need both long constrain boundary-layer radar may find evidence and short-term atmospheric processes; surface- of groundwater and state and variability; MSL atmosphere aerosol subsurface ice; Phoenix for effects of dust on fluxes will remain to characterize landed systems; landed beyond observation; chemistry, mineralogy, mass increase from 0.2 to high latitudes of unique and isotopic composition 1.5 metric tons; MSL for importance of evolved gases in addressing human health subsurface soils and ices; MSL to provide detailed exploration of potential habitable site identified from orbit
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From page 27... ...
aD.J. McCleese et al., Mars Exploration Strategy 2007-2016, NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., 2006.
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From page 28... ...
Though such claims are easily made, demonstrating a definitive biosignature in situ will be the ultimate challenge. Consider the Human Exploration Sample Return Intensive Studies of Local Areas Orbital Global Surveys of Mars Research, Analysis, and Technology Programs FIGURE 3.1 Schematic of the programmatic elements of an optimum Mars exploration strategy.
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From page 29... ...
Many of these technologies are required simply to execute the missions planned for the coming decade, including new entry, descent, and landing capabilities for large rovers, complex sample-handling and distribution systems, and instruments capable of, e.g., in situ organic detection and age determination. With the inclusion of a Mars sample return mission, the technical complexities multiply to include possible near-surface and deep drilling,10 sample cache capabilities with pinpoint landing of subsequent landers, sample containment, and ascent vehicles.
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From page 30... ...
The validity of this strategy is currently in some doubt because of a combination of factors including budget, overweight instruments, the dynamical characteristics of the 2016 launch opportunity, and a high probability of dust storms that will complicate AFL's entry, descent, and landing profile.14 The importance of focused technology development as a strategic investment in the success of future missions cannot be overstated. Ensuring Optimum Science Return The Mars architecture as presented does not address the broad base of data analysis, the study of martian meteorites, technology development, and related activities.
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From page 31... ...
, the committee finds that it cannot definitively say whether or not the revised Mars architecture addresses the goals of NASA's Mars Exploration Program because the architecture lacks sufficient detail with respect to the science and the cost to allow a complete evaluation. The various mission options are, as stated above, incompletely defined, and the strategic approach to, and the selection criteria to distinguish among, various mission options are lacking.
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From page 32... ...
Recommendation: Clarify how trade-offs involving mission costs versus science were made for the various launch opportunities to justify the rationale behind the proposed sequence of specific missions and the exclusion of others. Recommendation: Maintain the Mars Scouts as entities distinct from the core missions of the Mars Exploration Program.
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