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Mars 2020

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

After the successful completion of the Mars Science Laboratory Mission with the rover Curiosity riding for more than 8 Km in one Martian year, NASA decided to prepare a new surface mission to be launched in 2020. This mission will be designed on the technical heritage of Curiosity but will aim to answer new science and technological questions. The rover will carry seven instruments to conduct geological assessments, determine the potential habitability of the environment, and directly search for signs of ancient Martian life. Scientists will use the instruments to select a collection of rock and soil samples that will be stored for potential return to Earth by a future mission (this function is called “cache” or “caching”). This set includes an instrument to assess the in situ resource utilization, extracting oxygen from carbon dioxide. The set of instruments will also assess possible hazards of the Martian environment for human health.

The mission will be launched in the...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNES/DSP/SME, Vétérinaire/DVM, Astro/Exobiology, 2 place Maurice-Quentin, 75039, Cedex 1, Paris, France

    Michel Viso

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  1. Michel Viso
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Correspondence to Michel Viso .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Viso, M. (2014). Mars 2020. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5189-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5189-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Mars 2020
    Published:
    31 March 2023

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5189-2

  2. Original

    Mars 2020
    Published:
    29 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5189-1

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