[meteorite-list] NASA's Next Mars Rover Progresses Toward 2020 Launch

[Ron Baalke]

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6569

NASA's Next Mars Rover Progresses Toward 2020 Launch
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
July 15, 2016

After an extensive review process and passing a major development milestone, 
NASA is ready to proceed with final design and construction of its next 
Mars rover, currently targeted to launch in summer of 2020 and arrive 
on the Red Planet in February 2021.

The Mars 2020 rover will investigate a region of Mars where the ancient 
environment may have been favorable for microbial life, probing the Martian 
rocks for evidence of past life. Throughout its investigation, it will 
collect samples of soil and rock, and cache them on the surface for potential 
return to Earth by a future mission.

"The Mars 2020 rover is the first step in a potential multi-mission campaign 
to return carefully selected and sealed samples of Martian rocks and soil 
to Earth," said Geoffrey Yoder, acting associate administrator of NASA's 
Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "This mission marks a significant 
milestone in NASA's Journey to Mars -- to determine whether life has ever 
existed on Mars, and to advance our goal of sending humans to the Red 
Planet."

To reduce risk and provide cost savings, the 2020 rover will look much 
like its six-wheeled, one-ton predecessor, Curiosity, but with an array 
of new science instruments and enhancements to explore Mars as never before. 
For example, the rover will conduct the first investigation into the usability 
and availability of Martian resources, including oxygen, in preparation 
for human missions.

Mars 2020 will carry an entirely new subsystem to collect and prepare 
Martian rocks and soil samples that includes a coring drill on its arm 
and a rack of sample tubes. About 30 of these sample tubes will be deposited 
at select locations for return on a potential future sample-retrieval 
mission. In laboratories on Earth, specimens from Mars could be analyzed 
for evidence of past life on Mars and possible health hazards for future 
human missions.

Two science instruments mounted on the rover's robotic arm will be used 
to search for signs of past life and determine where to collect samples 
by analyzing the chemical, mineral, physical and organic characteristics 
of Martian rocks. On the rover's mast, two science instruments will provide 
high-resolution imaging and three types of spectroscopy for characterizing 
rocks and soil from a distance, also helping to determine which rock targets 
to explore up close.

A suite of sensors on the mast and deck will monitor weather conditions 
and the dust environment, and a ground-penetrating radar will assess sub-surface 
geologic structure.

The Mars 2020 rover will use the same sky crane landing system as Curiosity, 
but will have the ability to land in more challenging terrain with two 
enhancements, making more rugged sites eligible as safe landing candidates.

"By adding what's known as range trigger, we can specify where we want 
the parachute to open, not just at what velocity we want it to open," 
said Allen Chen, Mars 2020 entry, descent and landing lead at NASA's Jet 
Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "That shrinks our landing 
area by nearly half."

Terrain-relative navigation on the new rover will use onboard analysis 
of downward-looking images taken during descent, matching them to a map 
that indicates zones designated unsafe for landing.

"As it is descending, the spacecraft can tell whether it is headed for 
one of the unsafe zones and divert to safe ground nearby," said Chen. 
"With this capability, we can now consider landing areas with unsafe zones 
that previously would have disqualified the whole area. Also, we can land 
closer to a specific science destination, for less driving after landing."

There will be a suite of cameras and a microphone that will capture the 
never-before-seen or heard imagery and sounds of the entry, descent and 
landing sequence. Information from the descent cameras and microphone 
will provide valuable data to assist in planning future Mars landings, 
and make for thrilling video.

"Nobody has ever seen what a parachute looks like as it is opening in 
the Martian atmosphere," said JPL's David Gruel, assistant flight system 
manager for the Mars 2020 mission. "So this will provide valuable engineering 
information."

Microphones have flown on previous missions to Mars, including NASA's 
Phoenix Mars Lander in 2008, but never have actually been used on the 
surface of the Red Planet.

"This will be a great opportunity for the public to hear the sounds of 
Mars for the first time, and it could also provide useful engineering 
information," said Mars 2020 Deputy Project Manager Matt Wallace of JPL.

Once a mission receives preliminary approval, it must go through four 
rigorous technical and programmatic reviews - known as Key Decision Points 
(KDP) - to proceed through the phases of development prior to launch. 
Phase A involves concept and requirements definition, Phase B is preliminary 
design and technology development, Phase C is final design and fabrication, 
and Phase D is system assembly, testing and launch. Mars 2020 has just 
passed its KDP-C milestone.

"Since Mars 2020 is leveraging the design and some spare hardware from 
Curiosity, a significant amount of the mission's heritage components have 
already been built during Phases A and B," said George Tahu, Mars 2020 
program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "With the KDP to 
enter Phase C completed, the project is proceeding with final design and 
construction of the new systems, as well as the rest of the heritage elements 
for the mission."

The Mars 2020 mission is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. Driven 
by scientific discovery, the program currently includes two active rovers 
and three NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars. NASA also plans to launch a stationary 
Mars lander in 2018, InSight, to study the deep interior of Mars.

JPL manages the Mars 2020 project and the Mars Exploration Program for 
NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Caltech in Pasadena 
manages JPL for NASA.

For more information about Mars 2020, visit:

http://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020

News Media Contact
Guy Webster
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-6278
guy.w.webster at jpl.nasa.gov

Dwayne Brown / Laurie Cantillo
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726 / 202-358-1077
dwayne.c.brown at nasa.gov / laura.l.cantillo at nasa.gov

2016-187