T258 Planetary Exploration and Education: How We Learn about Our Solar System and Beyond

Wednesday, 12 October 2022
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
501

POST-MDT UPDATE ON THE INTERNATIONAL MARS ICE MAPPER MISSION

Paper number: T258-14
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 4:30 PM – 4:45 PM

Authors

Abstract

We will provide an overview of ongoing planning for the International Mars Ice Mapper (I-MIM) mission concept, which is being developed by the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) The mission’s overarching goal is to detect the location, depth, spatial extent, and abundance of near-surface (0-10 meters) water ice, and determine the geotechnical characteristics of its overburden. Finding locations on Mars with abundant, accessible, near-surface water ice as a potential natural resource is likely to drive the future landing site selection and characterization for the first human mission(s) to the surface.

The mission objectives and anchor payload – a polarimetric L-band (930 MHz) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) that would operate in side-looking imaging and nadir sounding modes – have been formulated through several years of concept development by the mission partners.

In addressing the mission goals, the concept is organized around three core Reconnaissance Objectives (RO): RO-1 Location and Extent of Water Ice; RO-2 Accessibility of Water Ice, and; RO-3 Candidate Human Landing Site Assessment.

As potential complements to the Reconnaissance Objectives, the partners established Supplemental Science Objectives (SSO) and Mission Support Objectives (MSO) to maximize potential returns on investment, including: SSO-1 Augmented Water Ice Inventory; SSO-2 Reconnaissance/Science Investigations of Opportunity; MSO-1 Operational Technology Demonstration – High Altitude Communications Relay Obiter(s), and; MSO-2 Complementary Payloads for Reconnaissance, Science, and Engineering.

A Measurement Definition Team (MDT) was internationally competed in 2021. The group comprises expertise in planetary science and human exploration, and was assigned three tasks to: (1) define the core measurements and payload required to achieve the ROs; (2) suggest augmentations in the form of science investigations and hardware that may be included, and: (3) develop a model concept of operations based on the findings of Tasks 1 and 2.

We will focus on the status of the current multilateral concept study for the mission, knowledge gaps I-MIM could fill, and highlights of the MDT report.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 54, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2022AM-380763

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