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Group Project
2004
Academy Group Project:
Design
the Next Mars Scout Mission
As humankind prepares to extend its presence to Mars, we continue
to search for signs of life throughout the planet. To these ends, we propose
a “Scout” mission to examine the areological strata of Mars. This
endeavor will uncover the geologic history, investigate past and present biological
potential, and examine the potential human habitability of the planet. The primary
and secondary scientific goals follow. First, for subsurface history experimentation,
seismometers and heat probes will analyze core properties and stratification.
Secondarily/complementarily, spectroscopic analyzers (i.e., neutron and Mössbauer
spectrometers) will contend with subsurface chemistry in more direct searches
of conditions for life.
We intend to incorporate other complementary objectives, depending on mission
resources. These include the Martian magnetic properties and visual confirmation
of detail in rugged terrain. Several proposed multiplatform systems may accomplish
these objectives. Surface penetrators for passive and/or active seismology may
contain several other instruments (spectrometers, temperature probes). Small-scale
(gram - kilogram, and cm?) robotic explorers may perform the same science,
but to a differing degree.
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