NextGen Mars Rovers
12 Jun 2012, 12:06 UTC
Next Generation MERs for Mars?, Future Planetary Exploration Blog
Marc's note: Van Kane, the author of the post has for several years posted interesting observations of various exploration missions. As someone not affiliated with the space program, but speaking strictly as an enthusiast, his comments are at times worth reading including this post which deals with NASA's Concepts and Approaches for Mars Exploration conference this week. BTW parts of the conference are being streamed live starting at 9:00 a.m. EDT.
"Example of proposed upgrades to the basic Mars Exploration Rover design for missions to Mars in 2018 and beyond. This particular upgrade would enhance the rover with next generation instruments and add capabilities to collect and cache samples for eventual return to Earth. "
"This week NASA will hold its conference on Concepts and Approaches for Mars Exploration. The space agency will use this meeting to hear new ideas for exploring the Red Planet. The planetary science community responded with a wide range of ideas for both future robotic and manned missions. The best ideas presumably will be incorporated into NASA's new Mars exploration plan for 2018 through 2033 to be released this summer."
