Mars 2020 Exploration Rover Mission: Overview and Report of the Mars 2020 Science Definition Team (Mustard Report) - Potential Martian Biosignatures, Mars Sample Return Cache

This comprehensive ebook provides a complete guide to the ongoing plans for NASA's Mars 2020 rover mission. The Mars 2020 mission would explore a site likely to have been habitable, seek signs of past life, fill a returnable cache with the most compelling samples, and demonstrate technology needed for the future human and robotic exploration of Mars. There is a reproduction of the "Mustard Report" - the report of the Mars 2020 Science Definition Team (SDT) headed by Jack Mustard.

Contents: Objective A: Explore an Astrobiologically Relevant Ancient Environment on Mars to Decipher its Geological Processes and History, Including the Assessment of Past Habitability * Deciphering Geological Processes and History * Assessment of Past Habitability * Measurement Options and Priorities * Science Objectives Flow to Measurement Types * Implementation Options for Objective A * Objective B: Assess the Biosignature Potential Preservation Within the Selected Geological Environment and Search for Potential Biosignatures * Understanding Biosignatures and their Environmental Context on Earth * Potential Martian Biosignatures In Their Environmental Context * Organic Matter and Biosignatures * Objective C: Demonstrate Significant Technical Progress Towards the Future Return of Scientifically Selected, Well-Documented Samples to Earth * Attributes of a Returnable Cache * Objective D-1: Provide an Opportunity for Contributed HEOMD Participation, Compatible with the Science Payload and Within the Mission's Payload Capacity * ISRU * MEDLI+ * Surface Weather Station * Biomarker Detector System * Objective D-2: Provide an Opportunity for Contributed Space Technology Program (STP) Participation, Compatible with the Science Payload and Within the Mission's Payload Capacity * Range Trigger (high priority) * Terrain-Relative Navigation (high priority) * MEDLI (high priority) * MEDLI+Up (high priority) * Terminal Hazard Avoidance (medium-high priority) * Direct-to-Earth Optical Communication Terminal (medium priority) * Proximity Optical Communication Terminal (low priority) * Other Entry, Descent, and Landing Enhancements (low priority) * Improved Surface Operational Productivity (low priority) * Payload Instrument Options * Introduction * Proposed "strawman" threshold payload options * Payload Science Support Capability * Sampling Depth * Number of Samples to be Cached * Sample Preservation/Curation * Contamination * Strategies for Recognizing Contamination in Martian Samples - Blanks, Witness Plates and Spacecraft Materials * The Tissint Case History * Sample Processing/Transfer System * Surface Preparation * Operations Concept and Strategies * Time Spent Driving * Time Spent Conducting Fieldwork * Time Spent Coring/Caching * Landing Site Selection * Importance of a Potential Extended Mission to Science of Mars Sample Return * Sites of Interest are Challenging to Reach * Where to Land * Back to Gale? * Proposed 2020 EDL Capabilities * Mars 2020 Rover: Modifications from MSL * Planetary Protection * Proposed Revised Scientific Objectives for Mars 2020