SITE SELECTION FOR THE FIRST SUSTAINABLE MARS BASE Workshop Abstract #2001 D. C. Barker, MAXD, Inc. G. James, NASA JSC G. Chamitoff, Texas A&M University S. Clifford, LPI Exploration Zone Map #1002 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars 150 E 180 E 210 E 40 N Utopia Planetia V2 Dorsa Arcadia Planetia Phlegra EZ 39N, 172E 30 N Elysium Mons 1 39N, 172E 2 Exploration Zone Map #1002 All RROIs are SROIs but all SROIs are not necessarily RROIs ! 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Dome Structures Landing Zone SROI 1 & Base (25km x 20km) Tyndall S1 Alt -3960 m Crater S3 SROI 4 S4 S1 Fluidized 2 Craters Plains S1 S3 SROI 3 Units S3 RROI 3 S1 2 EZ S2 2 S1 100 km rad Hydrated Minerals S3 SROI 2 Sheet S1 Silicates Near 1 RROI 2 Surface Ice THEMIS Image RROI 1 EZ wide 39N, 172E 3 Exploration Zone Map #1002 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars TES Dust Cover Index (DCI) TES over THEMIS 1 39N, 172E 4 Exploration Zone Map #1002 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars TES Rock Abundance TES over THEMIS 1 39N, 172E 5 Landing Zone 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars 172 E Elevation Thermal Inertia Slope Albedo Dust Index 25km x 20km (larger than Avg: -3966 Avg: 240.2 Avg: 0.33 Avg: 0.156 Avg: 0.968 expected for precision Max: -3953 Max: 253 Max: 0.99 Max: 0.996 Max: 0.983 human landing) Min: -3985 Min: 233 Min: 0.03 Min: 0.025 Min: 0.949 average annual temperature ~(-73.15 C) 39 N Final Landing Sites and Base infrastructure could be moved widely in this region without altering access to primary resources (i.e., H2O) or areas of scientific interest t. 39N, 172E CTX Image 6 Landing Zone 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars 172 E • Low Altitude and Denser Atmoshere supports EDL design and operations, reduced radiation budgets, increases mining abilities (H 2O & CO2) • Moderate thermal inertia and albedo 39 N CTX Image 39N, 172E 7 Science ROI(s) Rubric 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars 2SROI Site Factors ZE UMS SROI1 SROI3 SROI4 RROI1 RROI2 RROI3 OR ND/ A ND/ OR Potential for past habitability ? ? ? ? ● ? ? Threshold Potential for present habitability/refugia ? ? ? ? ○ ? ? Astrobio Qualifying Potential for organic matter, w/ surface exposure ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Threshold Noachian/Hesperian rocks w/ trapped atmospheric gases ● ? ○ ○ ? ○ 1,3 Meteorological diversity in space and time ● ● ● ● ● ● 6,0 High likelihood of surface-atmosphere exchange ● ● ● ○ ● 4,2 Qualifying Key a iretirC etiS ecneicS etiS iretirC a Amazonian subsurface or high-latitude ice or sediment ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 6,0 ● Yes Atmospheric Science Atmospheric High likelihood of active trace gas sources ? ? ? ? ○ ? ? 0,1 Partial Support ○ or Debated Range of martian geologic time; datable surfaces ● ○ ● ○ ○ ○ ● 3,4 No Threshold Evidence of aqueous processes ● ● ● ● ● ○ ● 6,1 ? Indeterminate Potential for interpreting relative ages ● ● ● ● ○ ○ ○ 4,3 Igneous Rocks tied to 1+ provinces or different times ● 1,0 Near-surface ice, glacial or permafrost ● ● ● ● ● ○ ● 5,1 Noachian or pre-Noachian bedrock units ● ? ○ 0,1 Geoscience Qualifying Outcrops with remnant magnetization ● ? 1,2 Primary, secondary, and basin-forming impact deposits ? ? ● ● 2,0 Structural features with regional or global context ● ○ ● ○ ● ● 4,2 Diversity of aeolian sediments and/or landforms ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 6,0 8 Resource ROI(s) Rubric 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars 1 2 UM Site Factors ZE S SROI SROI SROI3 SROI4 RROI2 RROI3 RROI1 Engineering Meets First Order Criteria (Latitude, Elevation, Thermal Inertia) ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 6,0 Potential for ice or ice/regolith mix ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 6,0 ND/ OR 6,0 A Potential for hydrated minerals ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Quantity for substantial production ● ● ○ ○ ● ● ● 2 Threshold Potential to be minable by highly automated systems ● ● ● ● ● 5,0 Located less than 3 km from processing equipment site ● ● ● ● ● 5,0 esource Located no more than 3 meters below the surface ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 Accessible by automated systems ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 ater RW Potential for multiple sources of ice, ice/regolith mix and hydrated minerals ● ● ● ● ● ● 5,0 Key Qualifying Distance to resource location can be >5 km ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 Route to resource location must be (plausibly) traversable ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 ● Yes ~50 sq km region of flat and stable terrain with sparse rock distribution ● ● ● ● ● 5,0 Partial Support Threshold 1–10 km length scale: <10° ● ● ● ● ● ● 6,0 ○ or Debated Located within 5 km of landing site location ● ● ● ● 4,0 No Located in the northern hemisphere ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 Qualifying Evidence of abundant cobble sized or smaller rocks and bulk, loose regolith ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 ? Indeterminate Utilitarian terrain features ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 Civil Engineering Low latitude ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 No local terrain feature(s) that could shadow light collection facilities ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 Qualifying 7,0 Food Food Access to water ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 Production Access to dark, minimally altered basaltic sands ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Potential for metal/silicon ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 Potential to be minable by highly automated systems ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 5,0 ISRU and Civil Engineering Criteria Threshold Located less than 3 km from processing equipment site ● ● ● ● ● Located no more than 3 meters below the surface ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 6,0 Accessible by automated systems ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 7,0 Resource Resource Potential for multiple sources of metals/silicon ● ● ● ● ● 5,0 Metal/Silicon Qualifying Distance to resource location can be >5 km ● ● 2,0 9 Route to resource location must be (plausibly) traversable ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 5,0 EZ Geological Context 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Tyndall EZ 39N, 172E 10 Science ROI 1 The more you look, the more you question, the less you know! 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Tyndall • Entire EZ region (39E, 172N) Dome • Geoscience (mineralogy, geochemistry, Field petrology, weathering, atmospheric (TDF) interactions, age associations) – Subaerially extruded domes, cryptodomes, intrusive ice/magma interactions, mud volcanoes, ice rich regolith, obliquity variations, silica-rich volcanic rock. • Cross-cutting (potential ice rich CTX over deposits & construction THEMIS materials) (Rampey et al., 2007; Farrand et al., 2011; Michaut et al., 2013) 11 Science ROI 1 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Tyndall Dome Field CRISM Example (TDF) East fo EZ HiRISE Note: polygonal and “brain terrain” West of EZ 39N, 172E 12 Science ROI 2 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Hydrated Mineralogy • SE Quadrant of EZ • Geosciences (mineralogy, sedimentology, geochemistry, weathering, water/ice processes & history • Cross-cutting (potential water & construction materials) OMEGA over THEMIS 39N, 172Ec 13 Science ROI 3 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Fluidized • SW and NW Quadrants of EZ Impact Structures • Geosciences (impact processes, water/ice processes, weathering, age dating • Cross-cutting (potential construction MOC over THEMIS material, ice rich deposits) 39N, 172Ec 14 Science ROI 3 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars S HiRISE 39N, 172Ec 15 Science ROI 4 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Tyndal 170 E 171 E l ~75 km dia • NW Quadrant of EZ Crater • Geosciences (mineralogy, sedimentology, geochemistry, weathering, water/ice processes & history, impact processes CTX & HiRISE 39 N 39N, 172Ec 16 Tyndall Crater Hi RISE . Resource ROI 1 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Near Ice Mining • Surface GRS indicates regional water signature at a > 4 wt% level Ice • MARSIS-derived porosity of GRS over ~35% & volumetric ice content THEMIS of ~60% for the top ~60-80 m • Global Climate Models predicts regional ice accumulation during high obliquity 39N, 172Ec 18 Resource ROI 1 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Near Surface Ice Observations SE of EZ Site 2: HiRISE PSP_010440_2235 6-meter-wide, ~1.33 meter- deep crater Oct. 18, 2008, (left) and on Jan. 14, 2009. 43.2°N 164.2°E Each image is 35 meters across. 39N, 172Ec 19 A little on Mining/Extraction Where’s the Energy? 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars On Earth, Aluminum is obtained from the mineral bauxite (an aluminum oxide (Al2O3)) through the process of electrolysis. On Mars we have minerals and non-ore rocks. *We have yet to find an traditional “ore” deposit on Mars. • The melting point of aluminum oxide, over 2000oC requires lots of energy to melt the source material so that ions (Al3+ and O2–) are free to move to the electrodes for the electrolysis to work. On Earth, this process is ~6x more costly than the production Fe (reducing method: ore, coke and limestone). • Other melting points: • Iron (sulfide or oxide) ore: 1800 °C • Glass: 1400 °C to 1600 °C • Mafic minerals (e.g., pyroxene) 1000 to 1200 °C 43.2°N 164.2°E • Phyllosilicates: > 1000 °C 39N, 172Ec 20 Resource ROI 2 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Sheet Silicate / • Elevated levels through center of EZ High-Si Glass • Evidence of mineral alteration and precipitation hydrated silicates TES over THEMIS 39N, 172Ec 21 Resource ROI 3 1st EZ Workshop for Human Missions to Mars Arcadia ferric oxide nanoparticles/dust abundance (blue low, red high) Planta • Elevated levels through center of EZ Planes Materials • TES abundances as high as 0.2 (red) or ~10x low abundance areas (blue) • Evidence of mineral altern and precipi • Ubiquitous, low slope, medium and fine grained surface deposits –> enhancing mining, manufacturing, OMEGA 3D construction and traverse operations over MOLA Shaded • Potential for lave tube and tunnels Relief • Multiple elevated mineral assemblages across region 39N, 172Ec 22 RROI3 Potential Resource