Results from the MEPAG Human Exploration of Mars Science Analysis Group
- Paper number
IAC-08.A5.2.1
- Author
Dr. Jennifer Heldmann, NASA, United States
- Year
2008
- Abstract
Jennifer Heldmann1, James B. Garvin2, Joel S. Levine3, Ariel D. Anbar4, Mary Sue Bell5, R. Todd Clancy6, Charles S. Cockell7, Jack E. Connerney2, Peter T. Doran8, Gregory Delory9, Jay T. Dickson10, Rick C. Elphic11, Dean B. Eppler5, David C. Fernandez-Remolar12, James Head10, Mark Helper13, John E. Gruener5, Victoria Hipkin14, Melissa D. Lane15, Joseph Levy10, Jeff Moersch16, Gian Gabriele Ori17, Lewis Peach18, Francois Poulet19, James W. Rice20, Kelly J. Snook21, Steven W. Squyres22, James R. Zimbelman23 1NASA Ames Research Center, 2NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 3NASA Langley Research Center, 4Arizona State University, 5NASA Johnson Space Center, 6Space Science Institute, 7Open University, United Kingdom, 8University Illinois at Chicago, 9University of California, Berkeley, 10Brown University, 11Los Alamos National Laboratory, 12Center de Astrobiologica, INTA, Spain, 13University of Texas, 14Canadian Space Agency, 15Planetary Science Institute, 16University of Tennessee, 17IRSPS, University d’Annunzio, Italy, 18USRA, 19IAS, CNRS, France, 20Arizona State University, 21NASA Headquarters, 22Cornell University, 23NASM, Smithsonian Institution In March 2007, NASA’s MEPAG (Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group) chartered the Human Exploration of Mars Science Analysis Group (HEM-SAG) to prepare an analysis of the possible science objectives for the human exploration of Mars. HEM-SAG assumes 1) three crewed missions to the martian surface, 2) the earliest human landing is 2030, 3) the scientific objectives for the first human mission to Mars will be set on cumulative knowledge and priorities as of about 5-8 years before launch, 4) a program of robotic missions to Mars will occur between now and the first human mission and thus at the time of the first human mission, our present knowledge of Mars will be incremented by the results of these robotic missions. The HEM-SAG completed the following tasks: 1) Develop a projection of the content of the pre-human Mars robotic program, 2) Analyze the probable/possible evolution of our scientific goals and objectives for Mars up to the time of launch of the human mission in the context of the current MEPAG Goals Document, 3) Analyze the attributes of scientific objectives that would make them appropriate for human explorers, 4) Analyze the options and priorities for program-level scientific goals and objectives, 5) Analyze the scientific options for individual missions within the mission assumed program, 6) Conduct trade studies for parameters affecting the human mission architecture such as length of stay and number of sites visited by the human missions. This paper will review the current HEM-SAG findings. Issues addressed include, but are not limited to, 1) tradeoffs between using pressurized rovers versus unpressurized rovers and their various capabilities, 2) quantifying the level of robotic assistance for key science activities, 3) projecting 15-20 years ahead to quantify the level of in situ instrumentation required to support HEM missions, 4) outlining specific experiments and investigations to be conducted both inside and outside the Habitat while also providing estimated mass and volume requirements for each case, 5) potential mass fraction of long surface stay mission downmass available for science, 6) assessment of planetary protection protocols likely to be faced in return of Mars samples to Earth on HEM missions, 7) development of several Human Surface Reference Missions (HSRM) to provide detailed activities, instrumentation, and traverse maps for HEM missions, 8) compilation of a comprehensive listing of all relevant HEM science objectives, 9) evaluation of the effectiveness of multiple surface mission architectures.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)