Instrumentation for Exploring Mars with High Science Return Small Payload Missions

The Mars Exploration Directorate at the JPL is sponsoring a study to examine technical feasibility of developing small spacecraft missions (SSc) capable of low-cost, compelling science. Low cost small spacecraft missions can enable unique mission concepts in higher risk classes creating opportunities for compelling science missions in regions that may be otherwise remain unexplored, as well as for constellations, networks, scouts, and fundamentally new measurements. Potential science instruments for Mars Exploration Analysis Group (MEPAG) high-priority investigations suited to small spacecraft mass, volume, power, and cost constraints include compact versions of a camera (e.g., Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Enhanced Engineering Camera (EECam)), Meteorology (e.g., MSL Meteorology Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA)), Seismometer (e.g., InSIGHT SEIS), Atmosphere and Trace Gases (e.g., MSL Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS)), Dust (e.g., ExoMars Micro Mars Environmental Dust (MicroMED)) analyzers, and fluxgate magnetometers (InSIGHT Mag). Two examples of low-cost mission concepts are LOKI (Localizing Organic Key Ingredients), an areostationary SmallSat orbital constellation designed to measure trace gases, and TH2OR, a time-domain EM sounder capable of water detection to a depth of many kilometers, which would be landed via a small high impact energy device (SHIELD).