Possible Approach to Exploring Mars

NASA is considering an approach to exploring Mars that could involve establishing a manned base on one of the Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos.

Establishing a base on one of the tiny moons before attempting to land on the planet itself would potentially have several advantages. Both bodies are believed to be captured asteroids, so studying one of them would be scientifically valuable, Mars aside. To the extant the same base used on Earth's airless, rocky Moon could be used to put a base on an airless, rocky moon of Mars, such a base might be established sooner and cheaper than a Mars surface ezpedition could be attempted.

From such a base, forays to the other moon could be mounted. Astronauts would have an extraordinary view of Mars. They could directly control a fleet of surface rovers. Instead of controlling rovers from Earth, as is done now, with the limitations imposed by the time radio signals need to travel between the two planets, astronauts on Phobos, say, could drive a rover on Mars virtually in real time. That would vastly increase the speed and range of a rover, and dramatically increase productivity. Finally, a base on a Martian moon could give future missions to the planet itself a relatively safe place to abort if something went wrong.

On the down side, based on Soviet/Russian data, both moons seem to be incredibly dusty-- as in dust perhaps feet deep. Maintaining equipment in such an environment would pose a real challenge. Establishing a lunar base will mean dealing with a significant dust problem, too, As many argue, Luna might be a school and a stepping stone to the rest of the Solar System.