Future Mars Outpost architecture

Abstract

NASA's Mars Exploration Program includes science goals related to life, climate, geology, and preparation for human exploration. Many of the investigations needed to reach these goals are enabled by long-term, continuous surface presence with logistical support. These capabilities can be provided by a progressive series of missions that establish and maintain a long-lived robotic presence, i.e. a Mars Outpost. To investigate the issues associated with robotic outpost design, the JPL Mars Long Range Planning Team developed and studied a heuristic outpost scenario. Major goals of the study included identifying: (1) which science objectives benefit from an outpost setting, (2) technology needs to fulfill mission requirements, and (3) operational/logistical challenges associated with multi-mission planning. This paper describes an outpost designed with the aforementioned goals in mind. The design focuses on subsurface mapping and characterization, accomplished through seismic mapping and deep drilling.