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6 Astrobiological Assessment of Current Mars Mission Archictecture
Pages 85-94

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From page 85...
... ACTIVE MISSIONS Missions that are operating at Mars and continuing to return data as of this writing include Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the two Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity)
From page 86...
... Its instrument complement includes a highresolution stereo camera, a visible/infrared mineralogical mapping spectrometer, a subsurface sounding radar altimeter, Fourier and ultraviolet/infrared spectrometers for atmospheric studies, and an energetic neutral-atoms analyzer for studying the properties of the upper atmosphere. The mineralogical mapping spectrometer -- known as its French acronym, OMEGA -- is able to map surface composition using reflectance spectroscopy by identifying characteristic absorption features.
From page 87...
... Image obtained by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft and provided courtesy of NASA/JPL/University of Arizona.
From page 88...
... Mars Science Laboratory The Mars Science Laboratory is an advanced rover mission designed to follow the highly successful Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. The primary goal of the mission is to assess Mars's potential as a past or present abode of life, that is, to determine whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life.
From page 89...
... is envisaged as being comparable in size, scope, and cost with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and capable of addressing a broad range of scientific objectives associated with the study of Mars's atmosphere and space-plasma environment. Its scientific goals and instrument complement are only partially defined at the moment.
From page 90...
... ExoMars ExoMars is the first flagship mission in the ESA's Aurora program of robotic and human exploration of the planets. It is a highly ambitious project involving a rover, an instrumented lander, and, possibly, an orbiting communications relay.8 The rover was conceived as being of roughly the same size as a Mars Exploration Rover, but having the ability to carry an MSL-class payload.
From page 91...
... , Robotic Mars Exploration Strategy: 200-201, JPL 400-1276, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., 2006.
From page 92...
... Meyer, and the Mars Advanced Planning Group, 200 Update to Robotic Mars Exploration Strategy: 200-201, Unpublished white paper, posted November 2006 by the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) at http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/reports/index.html.


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