[P-PS09] Mars and martian moons

[PPS09-P08] Towards Future Mars Missions: Insights from the ISAS Planetary Exploration Workshop and Symposium on Planetary Sciences

*Shotaro Sakai^1,2, Rina Noguchi³, Shunta Kimura⁴, Mizuho Koike⁵, Kei Masunaga⁶, Arihiro Kamada¹, Yasunori Nagata⁴, Hiromu Nakagawa¹, Tomohiro Usui⁴ (1.Department of Geophysics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 2.Planetary Plasma and Atmospheric Research Center, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 3.Faculty of Science, Niigata University, 4.Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 5.Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 6.Institute of Arts and Sciences, Yamagata University)

Keywords:Mars, Mars exploration, Future exploration

The Mars Splinter Session has been held twice a year since 2020 at the ISAS Planetary Exploration Workshop (ISAS PEWS) and Symposium on Planetary Sciences at Tohoku University. Initially, ISAS PEWS was established as a platform to facilitate the formation of ISAS Working Groups or Research Groups for future exploration missions. The Mars Splinter Session emerged as an integral part of this initiative. Led by early-career researchers specializing in Mars studies, the session has evolved into a well-established platform for strategic discussions, fostering constructive dialogues that align with JAXA’s Mars exploration roadmap. In its early stages, the session focused on identifying the scientific objectives of future Mars missions, determining the methodologies, observations, and measurements required, and selecting potential mission sites. Four key science interests were identified: atmosphere-cryosphere-lithosphere interaction, atmosphere-space interaction, life and organic geochemistry, and subsurface science. Corresponding methodologies and exploration sites were also discussed in detail. Given the rapidly developing landscape of Mars exploration planning, the session has reflected these changes. Since 2022, discussions have increasingly emphasized Mars landing missions, particularly in selecting landing sites that align with the four identified science interests. This presentation will provide an overview of the discussions conducted during the Mars Splinter Sessions, highlighting key findings and future directions.