MEPAG Report to the Planetary Science Subcommittee
Jack Mustard, MEPAG Chair December 3, 2009
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Recent Science Results
• Recent impacts excavate mid-latitude ground ice that sublimates in a few months
• Predicted by models and show the most equator-ward presence of water ice in the near surface
Byrne et al., Distribution of Mid-Latitude Ground Ice on Mars from New Impact Craters �Science 325. no. 5948, pp. 1674 - 1676, 2009
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Developments in Mars Exploration Since July PSS Meeting - MEPAG
• MEPAG meeting July 29-30, 2009 – Discussed Topical and MEPAG whitepapers as input to the
Decadal Survey – Achieved community consensus for programmatic direction
• MEPAG support to date for the Planetary Decadal Survey: – MRR-SAG – NET-SAG – MEPAG Position Papers
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Trace Gases in the Mars Atmosphere • The NASA-ESA Joint Instrument Definition Team (JIDT) submitted
their final report to NASA MEP and ESA in November 2009 – Consistent with earlier MEPAG SAG and NASA SDT deliberations and reports – Advocated a Trace Gas Science Payload for a 2016 ESA Orbiter mission lasting
1 Mars year that will also deploy an ESA demonstration Entry/Descent/Landing package upon arrival at Mars (surface life of a few days)
• Science goals of Detection, Characterization and Localization, in that priority order – Presented at Workshop on Mars Methane (see below) – Document to be posted on MEPAG Web Site
• Workshop on Mars Methane (Nov. 25-27, 2009, ESRIN, Italy) – Continued discussion of MEX PFS and ground-based telescopic observations
• Show similar ranges of methane abundances (0 – 50 ppb) • Different patterns of spatial/temporal variation (present observations seldom overlap)
– Models of atmospheric photochemistry cannot reproduce methane variations without postulating a very short methane lifetime (200 days vs 300 yrs)
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Mid Range Rover -SAG • Presentation given at MEPAG July 29 • White Paper submitted to Decadal Survey team • Analysis of first version of “MAX-C” mission concept
completed • Science concept presented to 1st meeting of Mars Panel • Mission concept presented to 2nd mtg of Mars Panel • SAG has finished its work and is issuing its final report • Mars Panel currently working with Mars Program
Office to further define and cost the mission for the Decadal Survey
• Dual Purpose:
1. Achieve compelling in-situ science related to the life question.
2. Make a definitive step towards sample return by assembling a returnable, scientifically-selected sample cache.
• Scientific equipment needed:
1. Contact and remote sensing instrumentation updated from that on MER. No analytic lab needed.
2. Sample acquisition and caching system.
• Landing site:
1. Selectable from orbital data, strong desire to send to a new site 6
Science Engineering Rover Sizing:
1. The rover needed to carry out this mission would be intermediate in size between MER and MSL (but much closer to MER).
Payload+Science Support Equipment Mass
5+16 kg ~15+50 kg 82+155 kg
MER MSL MAX-C
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Network -SAG • Evaluation and assessment of the science priorities for a
geophysical network mission for interior measurements (focus on seismology)
• Analysis of scientific return based on number of stations • Presentation given at MEPAG July 29 • Short, preliminary white paper delivered to Decadal
Survey • Presentation given to second Decadal Survey Mars Panel
November 4, 2009
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MEPAG Goal IV Update: Goal IV - Prepare for Human Exploration
• The MEPAG Goals Committee is updating Goal IV – This is in response to the release of “Human Exploration of Mars
Design Reference Architecture 5.0” NASA/SP-2009-566
• A panel has been assembled and is working the various objectives and investigations – Panel Membership: Abhishek Tripathi & Darlene Lim (co-chairs)
• Deanne Rogers, Jim Rice, Dean Eppler, Teresa Segura, David Kass, Greg Delory • Ex officio: Dave Beaty, Charles Budney
– Subject matter experts called in to support each objective
• Results will be presented at the next MEPAG meeting in March 2010
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2-Rover International Science Analysis Group (2R-iSAG)
• Requested Tasks – Given the ExoMars and MAX-C rovers as they are currently
defined, what cooperative science can be done? – Given some leeway with changes to the scientific capabilities of
MAX-C, and with lesser leeway on ExoMars, what additional cooperative science could be done?
• Panel Membership: – European scientists: Frances Westall (Co-Chair), Mark Sephton, Gian
Gabriele Ori, Angioletta Coradini, Fred Goesmann, Valérie Ciarletti – U.S. scientists: John Grant (co-chair), Mike Carr, Danny Glavin, Roger
Phillips, Sherry Cady. Joel Hurowitz – Ex Officio: Jorge Vago, Dave Beaty
• MEPAG sought community involvement and coordinated the content of 9 white papers
• The content of these papers were presented to the Mars Panel of the Decadal Survey
MEPAG Inputs to the Decadal Survey
• MEPAG also provided a site for the community to post papers, solicit input and comment, and seek support
• This resulted in 17 additional papers, some of which have been presented to the Mars Panel of the Decadal Survey
MEPAG Inputs to the Decadal Survey
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Priorities of Mars Exploration • MEP plans, MART, and MATT-3 have been presented and
discussed at the last four MEPAG meetings • MEPAG community agrees the science goals for the next decade
remain diverse and compelling • The MEPAG community expressed strong support for MSL,
MAVEN, the trace gas mission and returning to the surface to explore the diversity of environments
• Sample return can advance the greatest range of Mars science and make critical progress towards understanding if Life even existed
• The campaign for sample return (caching, launching, capture, return, analysis) allows for a measured approach with branching options was endorsed
• While not unanimous, the community consensus is to proceed as discussed
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Future Planning • Continue to provide inputs to the Planetary Science
Decadal Survey • Finish the current SAG work to be presented at the
next MEPAG meeting • Next MEPAG Meeting: March 17, 18, Monrovia CA