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27 - The future of Mars exploration

from Part VI - Summary, Upcoming Missions, and New Measurement Needs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 December 2009

By
J. F. Bell III
Edited by
Jim Bell
J. F. Bell III
Affiliation:
Cornell University, Department of Astronomy, 402 Space Sciences Building, Ithaca, NY 14853-6801, USA
Jim Bell
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
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Summary

INTRODUCTION

The information, interpretations, and speculations in this book represent a snapshot in time. Planetary scientists are in the midst of what is – despite the cliché – truly a golden age of Mars exploration. Most of us hardly have time to catch our breath before some new, exciting image or spectrum or model result pops up on our computer screens – or, many times, in our newspapers and TV screens.

Trying to summarize the state of a rapidly moving scientific field such as the current exploration of Mars is challenging at best, futile at worst. However, the authors of the preceding chapters of this book have risen to the challenge admirably and have provided outstanding, timely summaries of the specific aspects of Mars science that are the main focus of this book: the composition, mineralogy, and physical properties of the surface. If this book had been written five years ago, it would have presented an entirely different perspective. It is humbling to also realize that if we had all waited to write this book five years from now, the data, interpretations, and speculations would also almost certainly again be significantly different from what is summarized here. Mars is a moving target, but at some point one has to let the arrow fly.

ENDINGS

If there ever were an optimal time to try to stop for a moment and grasp the implications of the stunning observations and discoveries of the past 15 years in Mars science, now might arguably be that time.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Martian Surface
Composition, Mineralogy and Physical Properties
 , pp. 627 - 630
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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References

Beebe, R., Chair, Assessment of NASA's Mars Architecture: 2007–2016, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC, 2006 (available online at www.nap.edu/catalog/11717.html).
Golombek, M., Grant, J., Vasavada, A. R., and Watkins, M., Landing sites proposed for the Mars science laboratory mission, Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf. XXXVIII, League City, Texas, LPI Contribution No. 1338, p. 1392, March 12–16, 2007.Google Scholar
Malin, M. C., Edgett, K. S., Posiolova, L. V., McColley, S. M., and Dobrea, E. Z. Noe, Present-day impact cratering rate and contemporary gully activity on Mars, Science 314, 1573–7, 2006.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marov, M. Ya., Avduevskyb, V. S., Akima, E. L., et al., Phobos-Grunt: Russian sample return mission, Adv. Space Res. 33, 2276–80, 2004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
NASA, Solar System Exploration Division Roadmap for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Technical Report CL#06–1867-A, Pasadena, CA, 2006 (available online at http://science.hq.nasa.gov/strategy/comm.html).
Smith, P. H. and the Phoenix Science Team, Overview of the Phoenix Mars Lander Mission, 4th Int. Conf. Mars Polar Sci. Explor., Davos, Switzerland. LPI Contribution No. 1323, p. 8010, 2006.Google Scholar
Smrekar, S. E., Zurek, R. W., Keating, G. M., et al., Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's first look at Mars, Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf. XXXVIII, League City, Texas, LPI Contribution No. 1338, p. 2126, March 12–16, 2007.Google Scholar
Vago, J. L., Gardini, B., Baglioni, P., et al., ExoMars: ESA's mission to search for signs of life on the Red Planet, Annu. Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf. XXXVII, League City, Texas, Abstract #1871, March 13–17, 2006.Google Scholar
Vasavada, A. R. and the MSL Science Team, NASA's 2009 Mars science laboratory: an update, Annu. Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf. XXXVII, League City, Texas, Abstract #1940, March 13–17, 2006.Google Scholar

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  • The future of Mars exploration
    • By J. F. Bell III, Cornell University, Department of Astronomy, 402 Space Sciences Building, Ithaca, NY 14853-6801, USA
  • Edited by Jim Bell, Cornell University, New York
  • Book: The Martian Surface
  • Online publication: 10 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511536076.028
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  • The future of Mars exploration
    • By J. F. Bell III, Cornell University, Department of Astronomy, 402 Space Sciences Building, Ithaca, NY 14853-6801, USA
  • Edited by Jim Bell, Cornell University, New York
  • Book: The Martian Surface
  • Online publication: 10 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511536076.028
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The future of Mars exploration
    • By J. F. Bell III, Cornell University, Department of Astronomy, 402 Space Sciences Building, Ithaca, NY 14853-6801, USA
  • Edited by Jim Bell, Cornell University, New York
  • Book: The Martian Surface
  • Online publication: 10 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511536076.028
Available formats
×