Terrestrial analogs to Mars: The NRC community decadal report

Abstract

In 2001, the US National Research Council, at the request of NASA, initiated a broad community survey of the current state of solar system exploration seeking recommendations for the coming decade. One of the studies was on Terrestrial Analogs to Mars. It is well recognized that interpretations of Mars must begin with the Earth as a reference. The most successful comparisons have focused on understanding geologic processes on the Earth well enough to extrapolate to Mars’ environment. Over the next decade, we will be entering a new phase of Mars study as the era of reconnaissance global mapping is ending and we begin to focus on detailed analysis at the regional to outcrop level. Recommendations from the Terrestrial Analogs to Mars community panel included: process studies at analog sites, field workshops, instrument and operations tests, and laboratory measurements. Coordinated deployment of airborne, spaceborne, field instrumentation, and personnel to several sites to test instruments and technology intended for Mars and to provide data for ongoing studies of terrestrial geologic processes relevant to Mars was the most important area recommended for support. Field workshops should be continued and expanded and could also include operation of field instruments, modeled after the Marsokhod field tests at Silver Lake and this workshop. Laboratory studies are needed to determine more fully the physical, spectral, and electromagnetic characteristics of Mars analog materials. Data archives were recommended to collect, document, and make available via the Web existing terrestrial data relevant to Mars studies. The establishment of Mars analog sites would also support human exploration objectives and could be used for effective outreach to better engage the public in the exploration of Mars.