234 Planetary Geology: Understanding Mars Geology from Orbiter to Rover-Based Exploration: The G.K. Gilbert Award Session

Tuesday, 3 November 2015
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Room 344

GEOLOGY-RELATED SCIENCE OBJECTIVES AND SITE SELECTION CRITERIA FOR A HUMAN MISSION TO MARS

Paper number: 234-14
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 4:50 PM – 5:05 PM

Authors

Abstract

In response to a recent request from NASA, we evaluated the scientific objectives for a potential human mission to Mars in the 2030s. The scientific objectives, and corresponding martian site criteria, can be used in support of several further planning activities, the most immediate of which is the identification and prioritization of candidate landing sites and “exploration zones.”

Candidate scientific objectives were identified by considering intrinsic scientific merit, magnitude of the benefit of a proximal human, opportunity to make simultaneous observations from different vantage points, and opportunity to deliver scientific payloads of higher mass/complexity. Key amongst these objectives are those related to geological science: (1) Characterize the composition of surface units and evaluate the diverse geologic processes and paleoenvironments that have affected the martian crust; determine the sequence and duration of geological events, and establish their context within the geologic history of Mars to answer larger questions about planetary evolution; (2) Determine relative and absolute ages of geologic events and units, determine their history of burial, exhumation, and exposure, and relate their ages to major events through martian history; (3) Constrain the dynamics, structure, composition and evolution of the martian interior, to answer larger questions about planetary evolution. In addition, we have identified a list of 14 more detailed questions about the planet and its evolution (which will be refined based on discoveries in the next 2 decades).

These science objectives were used to construct a set of criteria for potential human landing sites on Mars. We are seeking broader community input and feedback on this planning: the first landing site workshop will occur on Oct. 27–30, 2015 in Houston, TX (http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/explorationzone2015/).

Current assumptions are that a future human landing site will lie in the center of a 100 km radius “exploration zone” with scientific regions of interest. The full package of scientific objectives would include contributions from geological science, astrobiology and atmospheric science. In addition, a mission of this type would have non-scientific objectives and limitations, including those related to ISRU and civil engineering.