ROBOTIC EXPLORATION OF MARS

The spacing faring nations of Earth are now engaged in intensive studies of Mars utilizing robotic rovers, landers and orbiters. NASA’s scientific missions are performing a broad range of geophysical, geology and geochemistry investigations with particular emphasis being given to determining whether Mars may once have been habitable. At present, the missions employ highly capable instruments aimed, largely, at finding conclusive evidence that liquid water once persisted on the surface of ancient Mars. Entirely new in planetary science is the integration of diverse investigations and missions into a single coordinated program of exploration – a program that is producing exceptional science. Since 1997, in a period of only 7 years, a total of 6 missions have contributed enormously to our understanding of Mars while also making each successive mission’s investigations more successful scientifically. Current examples are the recent successes of the Mars Exploration Rovers that were enabled by the geomorphology and IR spectral mineralogy performed using data from the two proceeding orbiters, MGS and Mars Odyssey. Similarly, Mars Odyssey’s maps of subsurface hydrogen motivate the Phoenix 2007 lander mission bound for northern high-latitudes to investigate subsurface water ice. This paper is an overview of the past, present, and future scientific exploration of Mars. It also provides an introduction to papers that follow describing individual ongoing Mars missions, their discoveries, and the educational opportunities that they present.