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Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the - Solar System ...

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• Characterize <strong>the</strong> local meteorology <strong>and</strong> provide ground truths <strong>for</strong> orbital climate<br />

measurements.<br />

Mission Design<br />

The mission studied <strong>in</strong>cludes two <strong>in</strong>dependent, identical spacecraft. Each spacecraft consists of a<br />

l<strong>and</strong>er, an entry system, <strong>and</strong> a cruise stage. These elements would be comb<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> a Phoenix-like<br />

architecture with a powered-descent l<strong>and</strong>er. The ma<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>strument on each l<strong>and</strong>er is a seismometer.<br />

The mission would nom<strong>in</strong>ally launch on a s<strong>in</strong>gle Atlas V 401 launch vehicle. Both horizontal<br />

(stacked) <strong>and</strong> vertical (parallel) launch configurations were considered. Although <strong>the</strong> latter configuration<br />

would mitigate <strong>the</strong> risk of separation failure of <strong>the</strong> first l<strong>and</strong>er affect<strong>in</strong>g deployment of <strong>the</strong> second l<strong>and</strong>er,<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>for</strong>mer configuration was ultimately chosen to simplify development <strong>and</strong> to <strong>for</strong>go <strong>the</strong> need <strong>for</strong> a larger<br />

launch vehicle. September 2022 was chosen as <strong>the</strong> nom<strong>in</strong>al launch date <strong>for</strong> this study, followed by<br />

typical cruise duration of some 6 months.<br />

Mission Challenges<br />

The concept was susceptible to common risks associated with Mars <strong>in</strong>-situ vehicles. The most<br />

prom<strong>in</strong>ent risks identified were failure of <strong>the</strong> entry, descent <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g (EDL) system of one or both<br />

l<strong>and</strong>ers. Due to <strong>the</strong> concept’s design heritage, most notably derived from <strong>the</strong> Phoenix mission, no<br />

significant technology development program was deemed necessary.<br />

Conclusions<br />

Both <strong>in</strong>strumentation <strong>and</strong> spacecraft architecture benefit from an established technology base <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong>re<strong>for</strong>e are considered at a high level of technological maturity. Most mission- <strong>and</strong> operations risks<br />

stem from <strong>the</strong> simultaneous launch <strong>and</strong> deployment of two spacecraft requir<strong>in</strong>g separate EDL. The<br />

mission was given lower scientific priority, however, than <strong>the</strong> Mars missions recommended <strong>in</strong> Chapter 9.<br />

MARS POLAR CLIMATE MISSION<br />

A mission concept study per<strong>for</strong>med by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory<br />

Overview<br />

A rapid mission architecture study was conducted to explore which science objectives related to<br />

<strong>the</strong> study of <strong>the</strong> martian climate via <strong>the</strong> record preserved <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> polar-layered deposits could be pursued by<br />

small- to moderate-size mission. Five concepts were studied: two orbiters, two stationary l<strong>and</strong>ers, <strong>and</strong> a<br />

mobile l<strong>and</strong>er.<br />

<strong>Science</strong> Objectives<br />

• Underst<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> mechanism <strong>and</strong> chronology of climate change on Mars.<br />

• Determ<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong> age <strong>and</strong> evolution of <strong>the</strong> polar-layered deposits (PLDs).<br />

• Determ<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong> astrobiological potential of <strong>the</strong> observable water-ice deposits.<br />

PREPUBLICATION COPY—SUBJECT TO FURTHER EDITORIAL CORRECTION<br />

D-8

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