Abstract
As the new decade begins, new programmatic strategies to conduct more frequent, lower cost missions are beginning to be applied to deep space robotic science missions, such as the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. These new strategies include moving from cost-plus contracts towards fixed price contracts, commercial contractors increasingly sharing in development costs, finding launch opportunities through ride sharing and comanifesting payloads, and making use of smallsats and other spacecraft with off-the-shelf hardware. While these new practices are now being applied in many areas across NASA, they are not yet being widely implemented in the Mars exploration program, where large bespoke missions have become the dominant programmatic strategy. As the decadal survey for planetary science in the 2020’s begins its deliberations, it should consider how programmatic strategies that emphasize lower cost, more frequent missions to Mars can provide groundbreaking science return and enable the beginning of a new age in Martian exploration
Highlights
The Mars Exploration Program has made tremendous strides since the mid-1990s
The advancements of technology and capabilities in outer space by NASA and the commercial industry have presented a wealth of new opportunities for Mars exploration that would substantially increase the science return of the program
In contrast to the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, we propose here that the Mars commercial program request vendors to supply both the lander and the rover
Summary
White Paper Submission for the 2023-2032 Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey. Co-Signers: Nathan Barba, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech Susan Harkins Bertsch,NASA Johnson Space Center Janice Bishop, SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA Mackenzie Day, University of California Los Angeles Michael Evans, NASA Johnson Space Center Kenton Fisher, NASA Johnson Space Center David Flannery, Queensland University of Technology, Australia Timothy Glotch, Stony Brook University, NY USA. The University of Texas at Austin Laura Kerber, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech University Jack Mustard, Brown University, Providence, RI USA Charity Phillips-Lander, Southwest Research Institute Deanne Rogers, Stony Brook University, NY USA Adam Schilffarth, Xplore Inc. Sam Spencer, Etiam Engineering Australia
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