Mars Astrobiological Cave and Internal habitability Explorer (MACIE): A New Frontiers Mission Concept

Authors :: Kyle Uckert
Nancy J. Chanover
Karl L. Mitchell
Charity M. Phillips-Lander
J. G. Blank
A. Agha-mohamamdi
Kaj E. Williams
Javier Martin-Torres
Cansu Demirel-Floyd
Ákos Kereszturi
Roger C. Wiens
S. Shkolyar
Lydia Sam
N. Bardabelias
Anshuman Bhardwaj
David Flannery
Saugata Datta
J. Judson Wynne
Kurt D. Retherford
Timothy N. Titus
Alberto G. Fairén
Danielle Y. Wyrick
P. Boston
Publication Year :: 2021
Publisher :: arXiv, 2021.
Abstract: Martian subsurface habitability and astrobiology can be evaluated via a lava tube cave, without drilling. MACIE addresses two key goals of the Decadal Survey (2013-2022) and three MEPAG goals. New advances in robotic architectures, autonomous navigation, target sample selection, and analysis will enable MACIE to explore the Martian subsurface.<br />Comment: This paper was submitted to the Planetary and Astrobiology Decadal Survey in August 2020

Subjects :: Sample selection
Martian
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
geography
geography.geographical_feature_category
Habitability
FOS: Physical sciences
Mars Exploration Program
Astrobiology
Lava tube
Cave
Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM)
Geology
Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

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