Report MEPAG to the Planetary Science Subcommittee
Jack Mustard, MEPAG Chair
MRO HiRISE / U. Arizona / JPL / NASA
10/2/2008
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Developments in Mars Exploration Since June PSS Meeting
Phoenix mission has achieved many significant science goals Mars Science Laboratory continues development and still on track for 2009 launch but cost and schedule are major concerns Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) selected as the Scout for 2013 (B. Jakosky PI) Architecture planning for the next decade
International Mars Architecture for Sample Return (IMARS) Mars Architecture Tiger Team (MATT, P. Christensen, Chair) International Meeting on Mars Sample Return
Rover concepts in development for the 2016 opportunity 3rd Mars Science Laboratory Landing Site Workshop
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MEPAG Meeting Monrovia September 2008
Updates on the Mars Exploration Program Reports and discussion on:
Phoenix Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) MSL Mars Architecture Tiger Team International Mars Architecture for the Return of Samples (iMARS) 2016 opportunity planning
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Mars Sample Return
MEPAG and the NRC have previously concluded that MSR is essential to achieve NASA's scientific expectations for Mars During past year, MEPAG has supported iMARS in the preparation of a "potential plan" for an internationalized MSR
presented at the IMEWG meeting July 8, Paris -- well received Drew heavily on MEPAG's ND-SAG analysis
Long-lead funding for partnership-forming activity, technology development, and international coordination currently under consideration by ESA and NASA
IMEWG considering extending the charter of iMARS for another year Science planning is a major open issue to be worked
NASA developing possible architectures and feed-forward considerations leading up to MSR.
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Mars Science Laboratory
MSL landing site workshop
Community-based process, heavily supported by MEPAG. Workshop showed multiple compelling sites that could support the mission's scientific objectives (which in turn are crucial to NASA's strategic plan). Excellent cross-mission support between orbital and landed teams showed that a program of missions is more valuable than the sum of its parts.
MSL cost overruns
MSL cost overruns are negatively affecting not just ALL aspects of the Mars program, but also other sectors of PSD. MEPAG has not been asked to comment on this, but the negative consequences are obvious, including painful budget reductions to on-going limited-lifetime operating missions. MEPAG recognizes that the project team is doing everything it can to manage both cost and schedule, and encourages it to keep pressing for the 2009 launch window (the consequences of not making this timing are worse).
MSL cache. MEPAG has been asked to comment on the scientific usefulness of the MSL cache.
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Sample Cache for Mars Science Laboratory
In response to a Mars Exploration Program requested for community input regarding the scientific impact if the cache were to be deleted from MSL, the MEPAG Executive committee deliberated on the topic drawing strongly from two recent SAGs:
Joint NAI / MEPAG Mars Science Laboratory Caching Working Group: A. Steele Chair Science Priorities for Mars Sample Return: D. Des Marais and L. Borg, Chairs
The key findings are:
The cache was added late and not designed as a technical solution to MSR and is not adequately designed to meet planetary protection requirements The MSL cache samples would be of low scientific quality. The existence of the MSL cache would not bring a meaningful benefit to the design of MSR The MSL cache presents significant risks to meeting the science goals of MSL itself
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Olivine Low-Ca Pyroxene Phyllosilicate Fe-Phyllosilicate
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Multiple, Distinct Environments
Noachian is when phyllosilicate formation was most intense: Access to the source environments Hydrothermal system
Fractures as transport pathways for water, mineralization in fractures No mounds, spring deposits, but those are surface features and not expected to survive to the present
Lisa units
Pratt
Sedimentary Infill of trough, formation of sapping channel Regionally, layered units in crater floors, troughs Erosion in go-to site leaves outcrops of remnants of these processes
Subsurface groundwater or shallow crustal environment
Protected from destructive radiation environment Abundant chemical energy sources Fluid flow in the crust/groundwater transported nutrients/energy 10/2/2008
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3 km
500 m
Unaltered Noachian crust embedded in 200 m phyllosilicate-bearing formation
HiRISE Color
Low-Ca Pyroxene 10/2/2008 Phyllosilicate Fe-Phyllosilicate
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Revision of MEPAG Goals Document
Jeff Johnson (USGS), Chair Goal I: Life [Andrew Steele (Rotating off; Carnegie), Frances Westall (NEW, CNRS) ,Tori Hoehler (NEW, NASA Ames)] Goal II: Climate [Scot Rafkin (SWRI), Paul Withers (NEW, Boston Univ.)] Goal III: Geology [Vicky Hamilton (Univ. Hawaii), Jeff Plescia (APL/JHU)] Goal IV: Human Exploration [Abhi Tripathi (JSC), Jennifer Heldmann (NASA Ames)] Goal document location: http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/reports/index.html
2008 MEPAG Goals Document revision status
Community input provided via:
7th Mars Conference (July, 2007) On-line survey via LPI (August--September, 2007) 18th MEPAG meeting splinter sessions (February, 2008)
Goal I: Minor rewrites Goal II: Reorganized (present, recent, ancient climate; polar layered deposits) Goal III: Reorganized and reprioritized Goal IV: Changes to be made this Fall (after Design Reference Architecture document completed) 11
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Activities Since the last PSS Meeting
Finishing the update activities for the MEPAG Goals Document Strong participation in the MATT Participation in the International Mars Architecture for the Return of Samples (iMARS) process
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Mars Architecture Tiger Team Report
MATT looking at architectures to fill the gap between the previous two architectures and align the science architecture with potential budgets (at some level of augmentation over FY09 President's budget)
Previous two types of architectures: 1) A science-driven architecture based on the SMD plan and the recommendations of the NRC Decadal Survey, the MEPAG Goals committees, and the MEPAG Science Analysis Groups over the past 5 years 2) Budget-driven architectures based on the released President's 5-year budget (FY09-FY13).
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Mission Scenarios
Option 2018a#1 2018b#1 Preferred Scenarios 2018c#1 2020a 2020b 2022a 2022b 2024a 2016 MSR-O MSO MPR MPR MPR MPR MSO MPR 2018 MSR-L MSR-L MSR-L MSO Scout MSO MPR MSO 2020#2 MSO MSR-O MSR-O MSR-L MSR-L NET NET NET 2022#2 NET NET MSO MSR-O MSR-O MSR-L MSR-L Scout 2024 Scout Scout NET NET MSO MSR-O MSR-O MSR-L 2026 MPR MPR Scout Scout NET Scout Scout MSR-O Comments Funded if major discovery? Restarts climate record early; trace gases Gap in climate record; telecom? MPR helps optimize MSR Gap in climate record, early Scout Early NET; MPR helps MSR Early NET, but 8 years between major landers (MSL to MPR) Early NET; 8 years between major landers; late sample return
MSO = Mars Science Orbiter MPR = Mars Science Prospector (MER or MSL class Rover with precision landing and sampling/caching capability) MSR = Mars Sample Return Orbiter (MSR-O) and Lander/Rover/MAV (MSR-L) 10/2/2008 NET = Mars Network Landers ("Netlander") mission
FOOTNOTES: #1 Requires early peak funding well above the guidelines (see back-up slides for rough costs) #2 Celestial mechanics are most demanding in the 2020 and 2022 launch opportunities, but ATLAS V-551 capabilities presently appear to be 14 adequate
Future Planning
Evaluation, assessment of the science priorities for the 2016 opportunity
For lander/rover options:
Characterize the science opportunities enabled by precision landing ( 3 km) and evaluate science priorities for mission concepts Assess surface/subsurface sampling and caching Telecom implications if the MPR (Prospector) is the choice for 2016
Initiative in Comparative Planetary Climate (Venus, Earth, Mars) and Center for Mars Climate Assessment of the outcomes of the MATT activity and Red Team reviews Next MEPAG Meeting: March 3, 4 2008 Washington DC
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