The Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C): a potential Rover mission for 2018

Lisa M. Pratt; Carl Allen; Abby Allwood; Ariel Anbar; Sushil Atreya; Mike Carr; Dave Des Marais; John Grant; Daniel Glavin; Vicky Hamilton; Ken Herkenhoff; Vicky Hipkin; Barbara Sherwood Lollar; Tom McCollom; Alfred McEwen; Scott McLennan; Ralph Milliken; Doug Ming; Gian Gabrielle Ori; John Parnell; Francois Poulet; Frances Westall; Mars Mid-Range Rover Science Analysis Group; David Beaty; Joy  Crisp; Chris Salvo; Charles Whetsel; Michael Wilson

doi:10.1089/ast.2010.0462

The Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C): a potential Rover mission for 2018

Lisa M. Pratt^* (Corresponding Author)
, Carl Allen
, Abby Allwood^* (Corresponding Author)
, Ariel Anbar
, Sushil Atreya
, Mike Carr
, Dave Des Marais
, John Grant
, Daniel Glavin
, Vicky Hamilton
, Ken Herkenhoff
, Vicky Hipkin
, Barbara Sherwood Lollar
, Tom McCollom
, Alfred McEwen
, Scott McLennan
, Ralph Milliken
, Doug Ming
, Gian Gabrielle Ori
, John Parnell

Francois Poulet, Frances Westall, Mars Mid-Range Rover Science Analysis Group, David Beaty^* (Corresponding Author), Joy Crisp, Chris Salvo, Charles Whetsel, Michael Wilson

^*Corresponding author for this work

Geology and Geophysics

Indiana University
Lyndon B Johnson Space Ctr
California Institute of Technology
Arizona State University
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
NASA Ames Research Center
Smithsonian Inst
Goddard Space Flight Ctr
SW Res Inst
University of Toronto
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Arizona
Stony Brook University
Jet Prop Lab
Univ Paris 11
CNRS

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This report documents the work of the Mid-Range Rover Science Analysis Group (MRR-SAG), which was assigned to formulate a concept for a potential rover mission that could be launched to Mars in 2018. Based on programmatic and engineering considerations as of April 2009, our deliberations assumed that the potential mission would use the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) sky-crane landing system and include a single solar-powered rover. The mission would also have a targeting accuracy of ∼7 km (semimajor axis landing ellipse), a mobility range of at least 10 km, and a lifetime on the martian surface of at least 1 Earth year. An additional key consideration, given recently declining budgets and cost growth issues with MSL, is that the proposed rover must have lower cost and cost risk than those of MSL—this is an essential consideration for the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG). The MRR-SAG was asked to formulate a mission concept that would address two general objectives: (1) conduct high-priority in situ science and (2) make concrete steps toward the potential return of samples to Earth. The proposed means of achieving these two goals while balancing the trade-offs between them are described here in detail. We propose the name Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C) to reflect the dual purpose of this potential 2018 rover mission.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	127-163
Number of pages	37
Journal	Astrobiology
Volume	10
Issue number	2
Early online date	31 Mar 2010
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2010.0462
Publication status	Published - Mar 2010

Bibliographical note

We are grateful to these outside experts who assisted our
team in answering questions: Fernando Abilleira, F. Scott
Anderson, Paul Backes, Don Banfield, Luther Beegle, Rohit
Bhartia, Jordana Blacksberg, Diana Blaney, Karen Buxbaum,
Shane Byrne, John Eiler, Sabrina Feldman, Lori Fenton,
Kathryn Fishbaugh, Marc Fries, Matt Golombek, Bob Haberle, Samad Hayati, Michael Hecht, Arthur (Lonne) Lane,
Lucia Marinangeli, Richard Mattingly, Tim Michaels, Denis
Moura, Zacos Mouroulis, Mike Mumma, Scot Rafkin, Carol
Raymond, Glenn Sellar, Christophe Sotin, Rob Sullivan, Tim
Swindle, Marguerite Syvertson, Ken Tanaka, Peter Thomas,
Lawrence A. Wade, Ben Weiss, Richard Zurek, and the
MEPAG Goals Committee. Some of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. In the early parts of
this study, the contributions of Hap McSween were important.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 15 Life on Land

Keywords

Barberton Mountain land
Raman cross sections
Matian dust storms
Western-Australia
Meridiani-Planum
Omega/Mars express
magnetic-field
South Africa
Warrawoona group
Onverwacht group

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10.1089/ast.2010.0462Licence: Unspecified

Cite this

Pratt, L. M., Allen, C., Allwood, A., Anbar, A., Atreya, S., Carr, M., Des Marais, D., Grant, J., Glavin, D., Hamilton, V., Herkenhoff, K., Hipkin, V., Lollar, B. S., McCollom, T., McEwen, A., McLennan, S., Milliken, R., Ming, D., Ori, G. G., ... Wilson, M. (2010). The Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C): a potential Rover mission for 2018. Astrobiology, 10(2), 127-163. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2010.0462

Pratt, LM, Allen, C, Allwood, A, Anbar, A, Atreya, S, Carr, M, Des Marais, D, Grant, J, Glavin, D, Hamilton, V, Herkenhoff, K, Hipkin, V, Lollar, BS, McCollom, T, McEwen, A, McLennan, S, Milliken, R, Ming, D, Ori, GG, Parnell, J, Poulet, F, Westall, F, Mars Mid-Range Rover Science Analysis Group, Beaty, D, Crisp, J, Salvo, C, Whetsel, C & Wilson, M 2010, 'The Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C): a potential Rover mission for 2018', Astrobiology, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 127-163. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2010.0462

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abstract = "This report documents the work of the Mid-Range Rover Science Analysis Group (MRR-SAG), which was assigned to formulate a concept for a potential rover mission that could be launched to Mars in 2018. Based on programmatic and engineering considerations as of April 2009, our deliberations assumed that the potential mission would use the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) sky-crane landing system and include a single solar-powered rover. The mission would also have a targeting accuracy of ∼7 km (semimajor axis landing ellipse), a mobility range of at least 10 km, and a lifetime on the martian surface of at least 1 Earth year. An additional key consideration, given recently declining budgets and cost growth issues with MSL, is that the proposed rover must have lower cost and cost risk than those of MSL{\textemdash}this is an essential consideration for the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG). The MRR-SAG was asked to formulate a mission concept that would address two general objectives: (1) conduct high-priority in situ science and (2) make concrete steps toward the potential return of samples to Earth. The proposed means of achieving these two goals while balancing the trade-offs between them are described here in detail. We propose the name Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C) to reflect the dual purpose of this potential 2018 rover mission.",

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note = "We are grateful to these outside experts who assisted our team in answering questions: Fernando Abilleira, F. Scott Anderson, Paul Backes, Don Banfield, Luther Beegle, Rohit Bhartia, Jordana Blacksberg, Diana Blaney, Karen Buxbaum, Shane Byrne, John Eiler, Sabrina Feldman, Lori Fenton, Kathryn Fishbaugh, Marc Fries, Matt Golombek, Bob Haberle, Samad Hayati, Michael Hecht, Arthur (Lonne) Lane, Lucia Marinangeli, Richard Mattingly, Tim Michaels, Denis Moura, Zacos Mouroulis, Mike Mumma, Scot Rafkin, Carol Raymond, Glenn Sellar, Christophe Sotin, Rob Sullivan, Tim Swindle, Marguerite Syvertson, Ken Tanaka, Peter Thomas, Lawrence A. Wade, Ben Weiss, Richard Zurek, and the MEPAG Goals Committee. Some of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In the early parts of this study, the contributions of Hap McSween were important.",

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T2 - a potential Rover mission for 2018

AU - Pratt, Lisa M.

AU - Allen, Carl

AU - Allwood, Abby

AU - Anbar, Ariel

AU - Atreya, Sushil

AU - Carr, Mike

AU - Des Marais, Dave

AU - Grant, John

AU - Glavin, Daniel

AU - Hamilton, Vicky

AU - Herkenhoff, Ken

AU - Hipkin, Vicky

AU - Lollar, Barbara Sherwood

AU - McCollom, Tom

AU - McEwen, Alfred

AU - McLennan, Scott

AU - Milliken, Ralph

AU - Ming, Doug

AU - Ori, Gian Gabrielle

AU - Parnell, John

AU - Poulet, Francois

AU - Westall, Frances

AU - Mars Mid-Range Rover Science Analysis Group

AU - Beaty, David

AU - Crisp, Joy

AU - Salvo, Chris

AU - Whetsel, Charles

AU - Wilson, Michael

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KW - Barberton Mountain land

KW - Raman cross sections

KW - Matian dust storms

KW - Western-Australia

KW - Meridiani-Planum

KW - Omega/Mars express

KW - magnetic-field

KW - South Africa

KW - Warrawoona group

KW - Onverwacht group

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JF - Astrobiology

IS - 2

ER -

The Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C): a potential Rover mission for 2018

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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