Of the different objects within the Solar System, Mars has long had a special appeal, because of its resemblance to the Earth, the variety of science issues it poses, the possibility that life might have started there, and its potential for eventual human exploration. As a result all space agencies involved in planetary exploration are interested in participating in some way in Mars' exploration. Yet in this era of fiscal constraint, individual agencies and nations are finding it difficult to mount their own independent Mars exploration programs. One way of sustaining a healthy exploration program in this environment is through international cooperation. The International Mars Exploration Working Group has examined the science goals of Mars exploration, the currently approved missions of different agencies, the constraints and desires of those agencies for participating in future Mars exploration, and formulated a tentative plan for Mars exploration for the next decade. The plan includes multiple missions to Mars at every launch opportunity, and culminates in emplacement of a broadly international network of stations at the 2003 launch opportunity. The plan is tentative and fragile. While efforts were made to make the plan realistic, and consistent with funding expectations for the next several years, it will inevitably require change as some expectations are realized and others are not. At the time of writing, different elements of the plan are in different stages of implementation. In 1996, the Russians plan to launch a complex mission to Mars, including an orbiter, two small landers, and two penetrators. The various components each carry an international complement of instruments. The same year, the U.S. is to launch a small lander. In 1998, the Japanese are to send a spacecraft to characterize interactions of Mars with the solar wind. These are all missions that have been approved. Meanwhile approval is pending in the U.S. Congress for a Mars Program, that would include an orbiter in 1996 to recover most of the original Mars Observer objectives, and then multiple launches at subsequent opportunities. Discussions are also underway to design a Russian-launched mission in 1998 that includes a U.S. orbiter, a French balloon, and a Russian rover. In addition, the European Space Agency has received funding for studying how an international network mission in 2003 might be implemented. Because of the vulnerability of the exploration plan to funding and implementation problems, the International Mars Exploration Working Group will continue to meet to discuss implementation plans and to modify the exploration strategy should it become necessary. Moreover, several aspects of Mars exploration, in addition to the building, instrumenting and launching of vehicles to Mars, could benefit from an international approach. Examples are communication protocols between different vehicles, establishment of a communications infrastructure at Mars, adoption of uniform standards for scientific data, sharing of deep space communications facilities, and preparation of advanced missions such as sample return. Formulation of an international strategy is, thus, only a first step toward a broad international cooperative approach to Mars exploration.
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Aug 1, 2012
Tomaso M Belloni + 2
Open Access
