title: Following the water, the new program for Mars exploration.
abstract: In the wake of the loss of Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander in late 1999, NASA embarked on a major review of the failures and subsequently restructured all aspects of what was then called the Mars Surveyor Program--now renamed the Mars Exploration Program. This paper presents the process and results of this reexamination and defines a new approach which we have called "Program System Engineering". Emphasis is given to the scientific, technological, and programmatic strategies that were used to shape the new Program. A scientific approach known as "follow the water" is described, as is an exploration strategy we have called "seek--in situ--sample". An overview of the mission queue from continuing Mars Global Surveyor through a possible Mars Sample Return Mission launch in 2011 is provided. In addition, key proposed international collaborations, especially those between NASA, CNES and ASI are outlined, as is an approach for a robust telecommunications infrastructure.
authors.affiliation: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA.
authors.forename: G Scott
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Hubbard
authors.forename: Firouz M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Naderi
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Garvin
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D005602:France; D007391:International Cooperation; D007558:Italy; D007564:Japan; D018535:Mars; D012106:Research; D012371:Robotics; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D013026:Space Flight / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018531:Spacecraft; D013048:Specimen Handling; D014481:United States; D018557:United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014867:Water