MEPAG VM14 – 2nd Information Circular

2nd Information Circular
14th Virtual MEPAG Meeting (VM14)
Wednesday and Thursday, February 2–3, 2022
1:00 pm-5:00 pm ET

Members of the Mars community,

I cordially invite you to participate in the next virtual meeting (VM14) of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG), scheduled on Wednesday, February 2 AND Thursday, February 3, 2022, from 1:00–5:00 p.m. ET, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. PT (same time block for both days).

Meeting agenda and WebEx connectivity information (including how to enable closed-captioning support) can be found in the VM14 2nd Information Circular.

In advance of VM14 on February 2–3, I’m asking you to do a bit of ‘homework’ in preparation for our discussion on MEPAG plans and future program activities. The next several months will be an exciting time for formalizing the future of the Mars program, drawing on input from both inside and outside MEPAG. The forthcoming Decadal Survey report will provide high-level guidance for Mars exploration. Community activities such as MASWG and the upcoming Low-Cost Mars Missions Workshop will also provide guidance about what we can do in the next decade. It’s important, however, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to give their input during this planning process. 

For your homework, please come with your ideas that will augment these community efforts:

  • Is there something you think is missing from existing discussions/reports? 
  • What science theme brought forward by the community (e.g., MASWG, the MEPAG Goals Document) is most important, and what step(s) are necessary to best advance the science? 
  • Do you have a different mission ‘arc’ in mind than the examples in the MASWG report?  
  • Is there a vision of ‘What is next?’ you would like to communicate? 

By the May in-person meeting, we will have accumulated all community input in preparation of standing up one or more Science Analysis Groups (SAGs) to study this question of “What is next?” so that we don’t lose a potential opportunity to fly a competed mission before the close of the decade.

This meeting is open to all members of the Mars science community including our international colleagues, and I look forward to your participation.

Sincerely,

Dr. R. Aileen Yingst
MEPAG Chair