An Introduction
On Earth,
where we find water, nutrients and available energy we find life. Does
this hold true elsewhere? Mars may be a place where we can answer this
and other questions. There is evidence to suggest that, Mars may have
had liquid water at the planet's surface at different times in the past.
This is, in part, why Mars is of such interest to astrobiology and why
NASA is still actively exploring the red planet.
Did Mars
ever possess water on or below its surface?
Did these
environments ever support life?
We will
never know unless we send the right technologies to the right places
on Mars. The Mars Focus Group was established in December 1999 to help
determine where and how future Mars missions should go about looking
for answers.
The Mars Focus
Group - 2001
Jack
Farmer, Chair
Department of Geological Sciences
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ
jack.farmer@asu.edu
The Mars
Focus Group, chaired by Dr. Jack Farmer of the Department of Geology
at Arizona State University, makes recommendations to Mars Program planners
regarding landing site priorities and the science and technology of
mission implementation.
The group
comprises of scientists interested in orbital remote sensing to locate
favorable landing sites and to understand the planet's geological and
climatic evolution, in situ robotic analysis of rocks and soil,as well
as methods for life detection and planetary protection. Networking,
videoconferences, and annual workshops provide opportunities to share
ideas and address the goals and objectives of Mars exploration. Specifically,
the Mars Focus Group activities aim to promote a better understanding
of the early climate and volatile history of Mars, while providing input
to mission planners regarding the best landing sites to explore for
past or present biosignatures during upcoming missions.
Community-wide
forums have provided a basis for wide-ranging discussions and inputs
from NAI Co-Investigators and invited guests from the broader Mars community.
These recommendations have been presented to various planning groups
both within and outside of NASA.
In 2000,
the Focus Group developed and submitted a white paper recommendation
to aid planners in restructuring the Mars Program. This was presented
at the Mars Architecture meeting at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and
distributed in written form to many scientists and planning groups outside
of NASA.
In 2001
the MFG offered recommendations for landing sites for the 2003 Mars
lander mission, which were presented at the Mars 2003 Landing Site Workshop
held at NASA Ames in January 2001 and at the October
2001 Workshop in Pasadena. The group will also participate in scientific
discussions centered on the 2005 Mars orbital mission.
Other
activities under consideration include a Mars Astrobiology summer institute
focused on education and cross-training for NAI investigators and students,
as well as broadening the scope of the Mars Focus Group to include a
focused research component dealing with new technologies for in-situ
life detection.
NASA Priorities
These
activities address several goals outlined in the Astrobiology
Roadmap:
- Linking
Planetary & Biological Evolution
- Past
and Present Life on Mars
- Bringing
Life with Us Beyond Earth
- Planetary
Protection
The search
for extraterrestrial life means pushing the technological envelope.
NASA has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, and
in the sphere of astrobiology, the Mars Focus Group is helping to maintain
that tradition.
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