The red planet

The goal of the Mars Exploration Program is to explore Mars and to provide a continuous flow of scientific information and discovery through a carefully selected series of robotic orbiters, landers and mobile laboratories interconnected by a high-bandwidth Mars/Earth communications network.

NASA’s Mars Exploration Program is a science-driven, technology-enabled study of Mars as a planetary system in order to understand:

• the formation and early evolution of Mars as a planet
• the history of geological and climate processes that have shaped Mars through time
• the potential for Mars to have hosted life (its “biological potential”)
• the future exploration of Mars by humans, and how Mars compares to and contrasts with Earth.

MEP’s programmatic goals are directly responsive to the Agency’s 2014 Strategic Plan. They include:

• maintaining a continuous scientific presence at Mars
• providing continuing improvements in technical capabilities of robotic Mars missions
• capitalizing on measurement opportunities that contribute to the advancement of knowledge required for future human exploration of Mars, in collaboration with the Human Exploration and Operation Mission Directorate (HEOMD) and the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)
• ensuring that scientific measurements that can enable human exploration of Mars are considered for flight, and that opportunities to fly instruments-of-opportunity and technology demonstrations from HEOMD and STMD are exercised on a mutually agreed upon basis
• supporting communications activities required for the successful conduct of MEP’s core science mission and NASA’s goals for helping to develop scientific literacy in the nation

There are several strategic, practical and scientific reasons for humans to explore Mars. Among them we know that Mars is the most accessible place in the solar system. Additionally, exploring Mars provides the opportunity to possibly answer origin and evolution of life questions, and could someday be a destination for survival of humankind.

In the strategic sense, exploring Mars demonstrates our political and economic leadership as a nation, improves the quality of life on Earth, helps us learn about our home planet, and expands US leadership in the peaceful, international exploration of space.

From a practical perspective we know that Mars is unique across the entire solar system in that it is a terrestrial planet with an atmosphere and climate, its geology is known to be very diverse and complex (like Earth), and it appears that the climate of Mars has changed over its history (like Earth).

Overall, many of the key questions in solar system science can be addressed effectively by exploring Mars. This endeavor also serves to inspire the next generation of explorers and dramatically expand human knowledge.

Scientific research to increase our knowledge of Mars as a planetary system is a key activity that NASA funds. The primary mechanism for providing this funding is what is known as Research and Analysis (R&A) programs. Scientists from all over the United States (university professors, NASA center researchers, etc.) submit research grant proposals to these programs. The proposals are peer reviewed and selected for funding based on the quality of science.

The dedicated Mars research program is the Mars Data Analysis Program (MDAP). The goal of MDAP is to enhance the scientific return of data collected during Mars missions. Data used in the program must be publicly available 30 days before the proposal submission deadline. Currently there are 108 active grants and 10 active NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowships (NESSF) for graduate students.

Mars research is also well represented in other R&A programs in the Planetary Science Division (primarily in the Solar System Workings and Habitable Worlds Programs).

Results of research activities are published in peer reviewed publications and presented at scientific conferences.