A new report released on December 9, 2023, by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, in collaboration with researchers from Penn State University, outlines a comprehensive science strategy for future human missions to Mars. Commissioned by NASA, this document identifies key scientific objectives and proposes four distinct mission campaigns aimed at maximizing the scientific yield from the initial human landings on the red planet.
The report serves as a roadmap for government and industry decision-makers, guiding the scientific community and the public in understanding the strategic goals for Mars exploration. Scientists at Penn State contributed significantly to the report, with many serving on the steering committee and various panels, helping to shape the priorities in fields such as atmospheric science, astrobiology, biological and physical sciences, and human health.
Andrew Read, senior vice president for research at Penn State, expressed enthusiasm about the report’s implications, stating, “Penn State expertise helped shape the nation’s highest priority science objectives and recommendations for human exploration of Mars.” He emphasized the importance of establishing a framework that could enhance humanity’s understanding of Mars and our place in the universe.
Strategic Framework for Exploration
The 240-page report presents a detailed strategy that balances scientific aspirations with NASA’s current mission plans and technological capabilities. It functions as a guide for the first crewed missions to Mars, clarifying the objectives and rationale behind these exploratory efforts. James Pawelczyk, an associate professor of physiology and kinesiology at Penn State and a steering committee member, noted, “This report is considering exploration in a very different way than we have conducted human spaceflight before.”
Pawelczyk, who has extensive experience in spaceflight, highlighted the dual focus of the report: understanding Mars itself and studying the effects of the Martian environment on human physiology. He remarked on the profound experience of looking back at Earth from Mars, saying, “You’ll look up and somewhere among the star field will be a tiny, little bluish dot and that will be Earth.”
The report builds upon NASA’s existing Moon to Mars Objectives framework, which aims to use lunar missions as a testing ground for technologies needed for deeper space exploration. It not only reiterates current scientific goals but also identifies additional objectives that require focus.
Prioritizing Scientific Endeavors
A separate report will outline high-priority scientific objectives for the in-space phases of the crewed missions. James Kasting, an emeritus Atherton Professor of Geosciences at Penn State and steering committee member, noted the feasibility of sending humans to Mars within the next two decades. He emphasized the importance of establishing guidelines for planetary protection to ensure responsible exploration.
The report details critical scientific objectives prioritized into campaigns for the first three landings on Mars. Each campaign includes a roadmap outlining necessary equipment, landing site criteria (such as locations with accessible ice), and essential samples and measurements required before and after human arrival on Mars.
Additionally, the report considers factors like crew size and duration of stay on the Martian surface, which may influence how these scientific campaigns are prioritized.
“This has been a dream and an honor to conduct this report for the nation,” said Pawelczyk, who explained that the team consulted hundreds of subject matter experts to gather insights for the report. He remarked on the potential historical significance of the missions, stating, “If we’re successful, humans will have set foot on another planetary body, on another planet, for the first time. And the message we’re sending with this report is that science comes with us.”
In addition to the significant contributions from Penn State researchers, other experts were involved in the report. Laura Rodriguez, a staff scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, Bruce Link, chief science officer for Amentum, and Katherine Freeman, Evan Pugh University Professor of Geosciences at Penn State, all played vital roles in shaping the report’s findings.
As humanity stands on the brink of a new era in space exploration, this comprehensive report sets the foundation for a future where Mars may no longer be just a distant dream, but a stepping stone in our quest to understand the universe.
