NASA Unveils 20-Year Mars Exploration Plan: Robots, Life on Mars, and Budget Challenges

NASA has released its “Expanding the Horizons of Mars Science” plan and in the process outlined a high-level strategy for 20 years of Mars exploration, including robots. This will involve low-cost missions at every opportunity presented as well as a plan to take advantage of more commercial and international partnership opportunities and collaborations.

NASA’s Ambitious New Strategy for Mars Exploration

The draft version of NASA’s plan was first released in March 2023 and the finalised version is not far from this initial outline.

The plan largely focuses on NASA’s “science-driven robotic Mars program” which is a separate mission from Mars Sample Return and does not refer to any crewed missions. The document instead discusses how robotic missions may be able to gather evidence and answer some of the crucial questions about Mars, which could be a crucial precursor to more crewed missions.

There are three main themes in the document, the first is called “exploring the potential for Martian life,” and will look for any indication of life on the planet. The second theme, “supporting the human exploration of Mars,” will look for “synergistic observations” that may be able to prepare for further missions and maximise time and resources once they reach the Red Planet.

The third theme is “revealing Mars as a dynamic planetary system,” and includes other scientific focuses and learning as much as possible about Mars. 

NASA plans to send regular missions to Mars using smaller spacecraft. “This program is looking at changing the paradigm of how we think about Mars missions,” said Eric Ianson, director of the Mars Exploration Program. “Every opportunity there is when a launch window opens up, can we send something up?”

$100M Missions to the Red Plane

Smaller missions will cost between $100 million and $300 million each time and will focus on specific applications by sending a single instrument or small suite of instruments to Mars. A good example is the Mars Life Explorer lander concept.

Commercial companies may be required in partnership and collaboration. NASA has already awarded studies to nine companies to examine how feasible it is to deliver payloads to Mars and provide a communications system. Ianson said the studies were promising. “There really is some merit here and we think there is something that merited further studies and further work,” he said.

NASA’s 2025 budget proposal has already included $40 million to invest in Mars robotic exploration technologies. Specific budget breakdowns or mission plans have not yet been outlined but Ianson was also quick to explain the flexible nature of the document. “Obviously, we would love to do everything in the plan. However, that’s not realistic under challenging budget circumstances and competing priorities,” he said. “I look at this plan less as a roadmap but more as a menu of options to choose from, based on the availability of budget and the most pressing needs to support Mars science.”