NASA SPACE SCIENCE ENTERPRISE MARS PROGRAM PLANNING REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NASA's Space Science Enterprise is soliciting inputs and ideas to its Mars exploration program planning process. This planning lead by NASA Headquarters is now underway and takes a two-decade look at robotic exploration of Mars, including the pathway for eventual human exploration. The opportunity to go to Mars occurs roughly every twenty-six (26) months. The plan concentrates with some level of specificity on the next few opportunities starting with 2005, and more conceptually on later opportunities through the end of the second decade of this century. In order to cast a wide net for capturing ideas, inputs are solicited through three (3) means: (1) a Request for Information (RFI) issued to aerospace industry early in June; (2) a workshop aimed at reaching individual scientists, technologists, and mission planners late in July; and (3)input from NASA Centers. A Mars planning team assimilates these inputs into a cohensive program late this Summer and the results will be subjected to reviews this Fall. The industrial RFI seeks inputs in several categories including: (1) Orbital Remote Sensing; (2) Surface Exploration; (3) Scouting and Aerial Exploration; (4) Subsurface Exploration; (5) In-Situ Scientific Analysis; (6) Sample Return; (7) Planetary Protection; (8) Telecommunications; (9) Evolution Toward Human Exploration; (10) International Collaboration; (11) Privatization; and (12) Public Engagement. For more information on the RFI visit web site: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/ in the near future. Sources other than aerospace industry should attend the workshop. The workshop is open to individual scientists, engineers, technologists, and other colleagues from academia, NASA centers, federal laboratories, the private sector, and international partners. The intent of the workshop is to provide an open forum for presentation, discussion, and consideration of various concepts, options, and innovations associated with a strategy for Mars exploration. For more information on the workshop visit web site: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/robomars/ WEB: RFI, http://marsweb1.jpl.nasa.gov/advcon and http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/robomars/. E-MAIL: RFI CBD, maryhelen.ruiz@jpl.nasa.gov. Posted 05/22/00 (W-SN457265).

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