Mobile Instruments for Mars Exploration (MIMEs) (Characterizing Recurring Slope Linea)
Abstract
Definitive confirmation of current liquid water activity on Mars would be a major step in establishing the present day habitability of Mars and the possibility of extant life. The recurring slope lineae (RSL) are one of the most intriguing targets for exploring current water activity.
The RSL are identified as seasonally dependent streaks that darken and grow downward on steep (≥20°) slopes. Currently, they are best explained as intergranular briny water flows percolating through the top layers of the regolith, but orbital observations cannot provide a definitive confirmation. However, landing and probing near RSL presents a number of challenges to traditional mission architectures including stringent planetary protection requirements of a Mars special region mission. To this we propose utilizing two versions of the Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer Rover capable of traversing greater than 50 degree slopes and able to be cleaned to a greater then log 7 reduction in bio burden. These will be equipped with the Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe (TECP) and/or a miniature version of the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) to characterize RSL and establish habitability. Having multiple PUFFER agents increases the communication range of the field survey by using individual PUFFERs as repeaters. We will determine the permafrost freeze-thaw cycle that drives the underlying RSL processes at our field sites and characterize the chemical makeup of the flows. This will inform on the period of liquid phase and the available chemicals for biological processes. Overall, the MIME mission concept addresses fundamental NASA priorities of searching for life and habitable areas in our solar system. On Mars, present day habitability is still fundamentally tied to finding liquid water. The Curiosity rover has provided abundant evidence of Mars habitability 3 - 4 billion years ago in the active lacustrine system of Gale Crater. MIME will pursue evidence for modern day liquid flows, and hence modern day habitability. A confirmed detection of liquid activity near the surface of Mars would intensify the already robust debate about the suitability of exploring Mars not only for signatures of past life, but also for signatures of extant life.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFM.P44B..07C
- Keywords:
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- 1829 Groundwater hydrology;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 5215 Origin of life;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: ASTROBIOLOGY;
- 6225 Mars;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS;
- 6297 Instruments and techniques;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS