The Mars Surveyor Program architecture

The architecture of NASA's Mars Surveyor Program received intense scrutiny in 1998. The results to date of that effort are presented. After a review of the ongoing and near-term missions to Mars, the missions in the proposed architecture for launches in 2003 and beyond are described. The heart of the new program architecture consists of missions which will return samples of Martian rock and soil back to Earth for analysis. A primary scientific goal is to understand Mars as a possible abode of past or present life. Other key elements are Mars Micromissions, Telecommunications, and steps toward human exploration. Potential international partnering is key.