SELECTING THE LANDING SITE FOR THE MARS 2020 ROVER

The Mars 2020 Science Definition Team (SDT) formulated a mission concept for a highly mobile rover to explore a site on Mars that likely was once habitable. The proposed mission is based on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover and would be delivered using the same basic Entry Descent and Landing (EDL) system. The SDT recommended threshold EDL requirements that include access to ±30° latitude and elevation up to –0.5 km in order to ensure access to a range of high priority sites.

Landing site selection criteria for Mars 2020 are driven by objectives of both in situ science investigations and returned sample science, and are broadly consistent with the findings of E2E-iSAG. Importantly, the merit and properties of compelling community proposed landing sites can define improvements in EDL capability for accessing unprecedented science potential tailored to mission with a diverse set of scientific goals including caching samples for possible return to Earth.

Relatively dust-free sites of high interest to astrobiological and sample caching studies are most typically found in places with steep slopes and or present-day wind erosion and these sites can be difficult to reach with as-flown MSL EDL system landing ellipses. Hence, the SDT concludes that range trigger should be a threshold EDL capability and strongly proposes inclusion of Terrain Relative Navigation as highest priority baseline so as to help ensure access to a sufficient number of high priority sites. Terminal Hazard Avoidance has less impact on access to unique classes of sites and is considered enhanced capability

Because Mars 2020 would be the first mission to cache samples for possible return to Earth it requires a landing site selection process differing from those previous and that acknowledges the potential legacy associated with returned samples. It is therefore crucial to involve the broad science community in proposing and evaluating candidate sites for the 2020 rover, thereby leading to science community consensus on the optimal site for meeting the mission goals. An effort to identify and evaluate candidate landing sites is expected to begin in earnest in 2014.