Mars Scout Program

The Mars Scout Program is a research program of NASA for the period from 2005 and is part of its Mars exploration program. This includes the Mars Scout missions the least costly projects ( 500 million dollars). Similar to the Discovery Program are limited scope and focus. The middle class of missions to Mars within the Mars Exploration Program is then the New Frontiers program comparable, with a budget of between 500 million to 750 million dollars. This further designed missions will be generally orbiter. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is the first mission of this class. Is the most elaborate and cost-intensive projects ( 750 million dollars to several billion dollars ), the flagship missions, the first of the Mars Science Laboratory ( MSL) be ( starting 2011).

Missions

The missions of the Mars Scout Program to be selected in each case by a contest in which various innovative proposals as possible of international scientists compete. So were the first Mars Scout mission next to the Phoenix probe, a Mars airplane, an orbiter to search for volcanic activity as well as a sampling mission for the Mars atmosphere in the final selection.

Mars Scout 1

The first mission of the program, Mars Scout 1, the Phoenix lander, which was launched on 4 August 2007 and 25 May 2008 ( UTC) successfully landed on Mars. The total price of the mission, including the launch vehicle and mission execution, is about 420 million dollars.

Mars Scout 2

Mars Scout 2 to be launched in 2013. Two mission concepts proposed 26 were selected for in January 2007, 2008 should be chosen from these two, the final mission. These concepts are:

  • Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution ( MAVEN ): An orbiter would answer questions about Mars climate and habitability of the planet and improve the understanding of dynamic processes in the upper Martian atmosphere and ionosphere.
  • The Great Escape: The mission concept is also designed as an orbiter. The spacecraft would study the structure and dynamics of the upper atmosphere of Mars, as well as potentially biogenic atmospheric components would (eg methane ) measured.

On 15 September 2008, the MAVEN mission was selected by NASA. You should start at the end of 2013.

Mars Scout 3

For 2018, the third mission of the program is provided. As Competition Entries also flying probes (aircraft, balloons ), penetrators, or concepts for units with walking, jumping or climbing skills in addition to conventional orbiters and stationary countries, expected.

Phoenix (spacecraft) Flagship Program Lander (spacecraft)
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