The Human Exploration of Mars: Why Mars? Why Humans?

Transcription

1 The Human Exploration of Mars: Why Mars? Why Humans? Dr. Joel S. Levine Research Professor Department of Applied Science College of William and Mary Williamsburg, VA

2 MEPAG Human Exploration of Mars Science Analysis Group (HEM-SAG) Human Exploration of Mars Science Analysis Group (HEM-SAG) Team James B. Garvin (co-chair) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Joel S. Levine (co-chair) NASA Langley Research Center David W. Beaty Jet Propulsion Laboratory Ariel D. Anbar Arizona State University Mary Sue Bell NASA Johnson Space Center R. Todd Clancy Space Science Institute Charles S. Cockrell Open University, UK Jack E. Connerney NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Gregory Delory University of Illinois, Chicago Peter T. Doran University of California, Berkeley Jay T. Dickson Brown University Richard C. Elphic NASA Ames Research Center Dean B. Eppler NASA Johnson Space Center David C. Fernandez-Remolar INTA, Spain John E. Gruener NASA Johnson Space Center James W. Head Brown University Mark Helper University of Texas Jennifer Heldmann NASA Ames Research Center Victoria Hipkin Canadian Space Agency Melissa D. Lane Planetary Science Institute Joseph Levy Brown University Jeff Moersch University of Tennessee Gain Gabriele Ori University d Annunzio, Italy Lewis Peach USRA Francois Poulet IAS, CNRS, France James W. Rice Arizona State University Kelly J. Snook NASA Headquarters Steven W. Squyres Cornell University James R. Zimbelman NASM, Smithsonian Institution National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 2

3 Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 3

4 The Human Mission to Mars: Colonizing the Red Planet, 2010 National Aeronautics and Space Administration

5 How to Capitalize on the Unique Attributes of Human Explorers Unique attributes human explorers can bring to bear in comparison to robotic explorers: Cognition Rapidly recognize and respond to unexpected findings; sophisticated, rapid pattern recognition (structural/morphological biosignatures) Dexterity Humans are capable of lifting rocks, hammering outcrops, selecting samples, etc. much better than robotic manipulation Adaptability Humans are able to react in real time to new and unexpected situations, problems, hazards and risks Efficiency Robotic manipulation require several sols to accomplish what humans can do in a matter of minutes National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 5

6 Why Humans? Humans have unique capabilities for performing scientific measurements, observations and sample collecting. Human attributes to exploration: intelligence, adaptability, agility, dexterity, cognition, patience, problem solving in real-time, in situ analyses. More science in less time! Humans are unique scientific explorers. Humans can obtain previously unobtainable scientific measurements on the surface of Mars. Humans possess the abilities to adapt to new and unexpected situations in new and strange environments They can make real-time decisions. They have strong recognition abilities and are intelligent. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 6

7 Why Humans? (Concluded) Humans can perform detailed and precise measurements of the surface, subsurface and atmosphere while on the surface of Mars with state-of-the-art scientific equipment and instrumentation brought from Earth. The increased laboratory ability on Mars that humans offer, allows for dramatically more scientific return within the established sample return limits. The HEM-SAG envisions that the scientific exploration of Mars by humans will be performed as a synergistic partnership between humans and robotic probes, controlled by the human explorers on the surface of Mars. Robotic probes can explore terrains and features not suitable or too risky for human exploration. Under human control, robotic probes can traverse great distances from the human habitat covering distances/terrain too risky for human exploration and return rock and dust samples to the habitat from great distances. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 7

8 Why Humans? Biology/Life Earth-based investigations into the purported evidence for life in Martian meteorite ALH84001 have involved a great number of scientists utilizing many sophisticated instruments and techniques but remain controversial. Evidence of life on Mars, both past and present may be quite subtle. The selection of relevant samples and sampling environments requires the unique capabilities of humans (e.g., ingenuity, flexibility, efficiency) to interpret available clues in real time and to strategically execute a plan for investigation of hypotheses in situ (i.e., on Mars). Humans bring to planetary exploration the ability to quickly analyze and assess samples before they degrade locally or on return. Samples should still be returned to Earth because of the advanced analytical capabilities of terrestrial laboratories, but the increased capabilities humans provide on Mars, and the remarkable advances that have and will continue to be made in lab instrument miniaturization mean more science reaped without the restrictions of sample weight on return and a greater likelihood of satisfying the goals and objectives of the mission. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 8

9 Why Humans? Biology/Life (Concluded) We believe that the human element is value added to all aspects of the MEPAG Goals and Objectives. Technology development in the decades leading up to a human mission to Mars will determine the best synergistic fit between human and robotic exploration and perhaps technology challenges will be overcome to shift the balance of physical activity toward robotic assignment. However certain uniquely human attributes cannot be duplicated by or relegated to robots or to operations remotely operated by humans on a planet substantially separated in time and space from Earth. Only a human presence in mars mission surface operations activities can facilitate and achieve the ambitious scientific goals and objectives of MEPAG. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 9

10 58 Potential Exploration Sites on Mars The three reference mission sites are indicated in red. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 10

11 Potential Mars Landing Sites for Human Exploration 1. MEPAG HEM-SAG, 2008: Planning for the Scientific Exploration of Mars by Humans, 90 pages. Draft white paper for review posted March 2008 by the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) ( 2. Levine, J. S., J. B. Garvin and D. Beaty, 2010: Humans on Mars: Why Mars? Why Humans? Planning for the Scientific Exploration of Mars by Humans, Part 1. Journal of Cosmology, 12, ( 3. Levine, J. S., J. B. Garvin and J. B. Head, 2010: Martian Geology Investigations. Planning for the Scientific Exploration of Mars by Humans, Part 2. Journal of Cosmology, 12, ( 4. Analyses of 22 additional HEM-SAG Mars human landing sites: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 11

12 The Search for Extant Life: Potential Sites The NRC (2007) suggests a number of high priority targets that are based on evidence for present-day or geologically recent water near the surface: The surface, interior, and margins of the polar caps Cold, warm, or hot springs or underground hydrothermal systems Source or outflow regions associated with near-surface aquifers that might be responsible for the gullies that have been observed National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 12

13 The Search for Past Life: Potential Sites The NRC (2007) lists sites pertinent to geologically ancient water (and, by association, the possibility of past life), including the following: Source or outflow regions for the catastrophic flood channels Ancient highlands that formed at a time when surface water might have been widespread (e.g., in the Noachian) Deposits of minerals that are associated with surface or subsurface water or with ancient hydrothermal systems or cold, warm, or hot springs National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 13

14 Human Science Reference Mission to Address Biological Goals: Centauri Montes As a demonstration of how HEM-SAG envisions carrying out the biological goals, an HSRM was designed to the Centauri Montes region. Why Centauri Montes? The Centauri Montes region has drawn attention from astrobiologists as a result of the discovery by Malin et al. (2006) that a flow feature (gully) inside a crater wall has apparently been active in the last decade, thereby providing the intriguing possibility of episodic liquid water at or near the surface. This region has also been well documented for its concentration of young, volatilerich deposits and figures that feature prominently in recent MGCM simulations at different obliquities, which indicates that the eastern-hellas region should be receiving significant amounts of water-ice from the south pole (Forget et al., 2006). Centauri Montes is also at the head of major Amazonian/Hesperian outflow channels. The indicators of ice deposits and liquid water today, as well as the region being associated with outflow channels, provide ample local targets for the search for extant and extinct life. For geological investigations, this region has the attraction of all three primary Martian epochs being represented in close proximity. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 14

15 Human Science Reference Mission to Address Biological Goals: Centauri Montes How Do We Implement a Search for Extant Life Versus a Search for Fossil Life? (Assessing the human of human explorers on the search for extant life) Very carefully. The search for extant biology must be an important scientific goal/objective of human exploration. Humans have a great deal of experience in carrying out aseptic sampling of extreme environments on Earth to carry forward in this endeavour Human in in-situ analyses on Mars versus returning samples to Earth for analyses (Mass of instrumentation/equipment transported from Earth to Mars for in situ analyses on Mars versus amount of sample mass to be returned to Earth) Human habitat/work station: In situ sample analysis and cataloguing: Analyses that cannot be performed on Earth, e.g., tests for extant life Samples include rocks, drill cores, surface/atmospheric dust, ice, atmospheric gas Sample conditioning and preservation essential Human habitat LAB instruments for multiple objectives: Geology, Atmosphere/Climate and Biology/Life Emplacement of network stations for Geophysics, Atmosphere/Climate and even Biology/Life essential beyond initial landing site ( km radial from landing site) to be operated during and after humans return to Earth National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 15

16 Southeast Wall of an Unnamed Crater in the Centauri Montes Region August 1999 September 2005 (MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-1619, 6 December 2006) National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 16

17 Centauri Montes Region MOLA Scene of Hellas Basin Showing Location of Centauri Montes Region (Inside white square) Viking Context Image of Active Gully Crater at Centauri Montes (Inside red square) National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 17

18 Exploration of the Rim and Interior of the Gullied Crater Near Centauri Montes Crosses show geophysical sounding station sites along the traverse (yellow). National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 18

19 Comparison of Possible Traverses from Base Camp 50 km Radius from Base Camp 100 km Radius from Base Camp National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 19

20 Centauri Montes Mission Site Mission Landing Site and Traverses Geologic Traverse Plan National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 20

21 Potential Mars Landing Sites for Human Exploration 1. MEPAG HEM-SAG, 2008: Planning for the Scientific Exploration of Mars by Humans, 90 pages. Draft white paper for review posted March 2008 by the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) ( 2. Levine, J. S., J. B. Garvin and D. Beaty, 2010: Humans on Mars: Why Mars? Why Humans? Planning for the Scientific Exploration of Mars by Humans, Part 1. Journal of Cosmology, 12, ( 3. Levine, J. S., J. B. Garvin and J. B. Head, 2010: Martian Geology Investigations. Planning for the Scientific Exploration of Mars by Humans, Part 2. Journal of Cosmology, 12, ( 4. Analyses of 22 additional HEM-SAG Mars human landing sites: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology and the Human Exploration of Mars 21