[House Hearing, 117 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
WHAT DO SCIENTISTS HOPE TO LEARN
WITH NASA'S MARS PERSEVERANCE ROVER?
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE,
AND TECHNOLOGY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
APRIL 29, 2021
__________
Serial No. 117-11
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://science.house.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
44-364 PDF WASHINGTON : 2022
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY
HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas, Chairwoman
ZOE LOFGREN, California FRANK LUCAS, Oklahoma,
SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon Ranking Member
AMI BERA, California MO BROOKS, Alabama
HALEY STEVENS, Michigan, BILL POSEY, Florida
Vice Chair RANDY WEBER, Texas
MIKIE SHERRILL, New Jersey BRIAN BABIN, Texas
JAMAAL BOWMAN, New York ANTHONY GONZALEZ, Ohio
BRAD SHERMAN, California MICHAEL WALTZ, Florida
ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado JAMES R. BAIRD, Indiana
JERRY McNERNEY, California PETE SESSIONS, Texas
PAUL TONKO, New York DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida
BILL FOSTER, Illinois MIKE GARCIA, California
DONALD NORCROSS, New Jersey STEPHANIE I. BICE, Oklahoma
DON BEYER, Virginia YOUNG KIM, California
CHARLIE CRIST, Florida RANDY FEENSTRA, Iowa
SEAN CASTEN, Illinois JAKE LaTURNER, Kansas
CONOR LAMB, Pennsylvania CARLOS A. GIMENEZ, Florida
DEBORAH ROSS, North Carolina JAY OBERNOLTE, California
GWEN MOORE, Wisconsin PETER MEIJER, Michigan
DAN KILDEE, Michigan VACANCY
SUSAN WILD, Pennsylvania
LIZZIE FLETCHER, Texas
VACANCY
------
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
HON. DON BEYER, Virginia, Chairman
ZOE LOFGREN, California BRIAN BABIN, Texas,
AMI BERA, California Ranking Member
BRAD SHERMAN, California MO BROOKS, Alabama
ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado BILL POSEY, Florida
CHARLIE CRIST, Florida DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida
DONALD NORCROSS, New Jersey YOUNG KIM, California
C O N T E N T S
April 29, 2021
Page
Hearing Charter.................................................. 2
Opening Statements
Statement by Representative Don Beyer, Chairman, Subcommittee on
Space and Aeronautics, Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology, U.S. House of Representatives...................... 9
Written Statement............................................ 10
Statement by Representative Brian Babin, Ranking Member,
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives........... 11
Written Statement............................................ 12
Statement by Representative Frank Lucas, Ranking Member,
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of
Representatives................................................ 13
Written Statement............................................ 14
Written statement by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson,
Chairwoman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S.
House of Representatives....................................... 15
Witnesses:
Dr. Michael A. Meyer, Lead Scientist, Mars Exploration Program,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Oral Statement............................................... 17
Written Statement............................................ 19
Dr. Bethany L. Ehlmann, Professor of Planetary Science and
Associate Director of the Keck Institute for Space Studies,
California Institute of Technology; President, The Planetary
Society; Co-Investigator, Mars 2020 Perseverance mission
Oral Statement............................................... 29
Written Statement............................................ 31
Dr. Luther Beegle, Principal Investigator of the Mars
Perseverance Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman &
Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) Instrument, Jet
Propulsion Laboratory
Oral Statement............................................... 38
Written Statement............................................ 40
Dr. Tanja Bosak, Returned Sample Science Co-Lead, Mars 2020
Perseverance Rover; Professor and Lead of the Option in
Geology, Geochemistry, and Geobiology, Department of Earth,
Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
Oral Statement............................................... 49
Written Statement............................................ 51
Discussion....................................................... 55
Appendix: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
Dr. Michael A. Meyer, Lead Scientist, Mars Exploration Program,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration.................. 72
Dr. Bethany L. Ehlmann, Professor of Planetary Science and
Associate Director of the Keck Institute for Space Studies,
California Institute of Technology; President, The Planetary
Society; Co-Investigator, Mars 2020 Perseverance mission....... 74
Dr. Luther Beegle, Principal Investigator of the Mars
Perseverance Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman &
Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) Instrument, Jet
Propulsion Laboratory.......................................... 78
Dr. Tanja Bosak, Returned Sample Science Co-Lead, Mars 2020
Perseverance Rover; Professor and Lead of the Option in
Geology, Geochemistry, and Geobiology, Department of Earth,
Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology..................................................... 81
WHAT DO SCIENTISTS HOPE TO LEARN
WITH NASA'S MARS PERSEVERANCE ROVER?
----------
THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics,
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,
Washington, D.C.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 11:01 a.m.,
via Zoom, Hon. Don Beyer [Chairman of the Subcommittee]
presiding.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairman Beyer. It's 11:01, this hearing will come to
order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare
recess at any time. And before I deliver my opening remarks, I
want to note that today the Committee is meeting virtually, and
therefore I want to announce a couple of reminders to the
Members about the conduct of this hearing. First, please keep
your video feed on as long as you are present in the hearing,
even if you need to go get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Just leave the video on and come back. Members are responsible
for their own microphones. Also, please keep your mike muted
unless you are speaking. Finally, if Members have documents
that they wish to submit for the record, please e-mail them to
the Committee Clerk, whose e-mailing address was circulated
prior to the hearing.
So, good morning. Welcome to our witnesses. Thank you for
being here. On February 18, just a few months ago, millions of
people waited as the Mars Perseverance rover dove through the
Martian atmosphere at speeds of 12,000 miles per hour. It
implemented a complex sequence of operations, leading to the
rover's safe landing in Jezero Crater. The cheers upon
confirmation of the rover's successful arrival lifted us as a
nation after a year that had tried us like no other. I just
want to take a minute to celebrate and thank the people who got
us to this point. Completing development, assembly, launch, and
then landing, all while navigating the challenges of the COVID-
19 pandemic, is a shining example of the tireless dedication of
the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and partner teams, so I want to
thank them all for embracing the spirit of perseverance. And
speaking of the name Perseverance, I want to give a plug to
Alexander Mather, a middle student from Burke, Virginia who won
the naming contest for the Mars 2020 rover with the very
apropos name Perseverance.
Today we pivot our attention from launch and landing to
science and discovery. Joining us here today are a group of
experts who, no doubt, will whet our appetites for science as
Perseverance prepares to explore the remains of an ancient lake
and delta in Jezero Crater and search for signs of past life.
Perseverance's work isn't the beginning of a scientific
journey, it's a continuation of NASA's systematic robotic
exploring--exploration of the red planet that started over 50
years ago with the Mariner flybys in the 1960's and the Viking
landers in the 1970's. And I still remember so clearly those
photos. Perseverance is now the fifth U.S. rover and the ninth
U.S. landing craft--spacecraft to carry out science operations
on Mars-achievements that, to date, only the United States can
claim.
But next month China will attempt its first landing of a
spacecraft that will descend from the Tianwen-1 spacecraft
orbiting Mars. NASA spacecraft and others from the United Arab
Emirates, India, and Europe are also in orbit around Mars, but
make no mistake, Perseverance is a first. It's seeking what
some might consider the holy grail of Mars science, samples
that will be collected, stored, and returned by a future
mission to Earth for scientific analysis. A 2007 National
Academies report recommended that the highest-priority science
objective for Mars exploration must be the analysis of a
diverse suite of appropriate samples returned from carefully
selected regions on Mars. And in 2011, the National Academies
recommended the first step in a Mars sample return campaign as
the highest priority large-scale planetary science mission.
Perseverance's instruments and the samples it will collect will
allow scientists to trace the evolution of Martian climate,
geography, and the nature and complexity of any detected
organic material. Martian samples could also tell us more about
our own place in the Universe and our own very being.
Scientists tell us that when stars exploded in death, they
dispersed new elements throughout the universe, elements
including carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, which happen to comprise
our own makeup, and that explains that we're made of this very
stardust. Will Perseverance give us the opportunity to see
images of our elemental selves in Martian dirt? Armed with
multiple cameras and seven sophisticated science instruments,
Perseverance is about to begin the return on the years of hard
work and investment in the Nation's most advanced Mars rover to
date. That return is sure to bring scientific discoveries about
Mars, its habitability for past life, insights and knowledge to
help us prepare for sending humans there, and the inspiration
that propels our Nation to dream big, and our scientists,
engineers, mathematicians, and future explorers to embrace
ambitious challenges.
I have to confess that one of my favorite books is the Red
Mars, Blue Mars, Green Mars series from Kim Stanley Robertson,
and would recommend anybody watching in the hearing or on C-
SPAN-3 to go buy it and read it right away. And I hope that our
witnesses will continue to give us hope about the future of the
human beings on Mars.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Beyer follows:]
Good morning, and welcome to our witnesses. Thank you for
being here.
On February 18th, just a few months ago, millions of people
waited as the Mars Perseverance rover dove through the Martian
atmosphere at speeds of 12,000 miles per hour and implemented a
complex sequence of operations leading to the rover's safe
landing in Jezero Crater.
The cheers upon confirmation of the rover's successful
arrival lifted us as a nation after a year that tried us like
no other.
I want to take a minute to celebrate the people who got us
to this point.
Completing development, assembly, launch, and then landing
all while navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic is
a shining example of the tireless dedication of the NASA, Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, and partner teams.
I want to thank them all for embracing the spirit of
``Perseverance''
And speaking of the name, ``Perseverance'', I want to give
a plug to Alexander Mather, a middle school student from Burke,
Virginia, who won the naming contest for the Mars 2020 rover
with the very apropos name, ``Perseverance.''
Today, we pivot our attention from launch and landing to
science and discovery.
Joining us here today are a group of experts who, no doubt,
will whet our appetites for science as Perseverance prepares to
explore the remains of an ancient lake and delta in Jezero
Crater and search for signs of past life.
Perseverance's work isn't the beginning of a scientific
journey, it's a continuation of NASA's systematic robotic
exploration of the red planet that started over 50 years ago
with the Mariner flybys in the 1960s and the Viking landers in
the 1970s.
Perseverance is now the fifth U.S. rover and the ninth U.S.
landed spacecraft to carry out science operations on Mars-
achievements that, to date, only the United States can claim.
Next month, China will attempt its first landing of a
spacecraft that will descend from the Tianwen-1 spacecraft
orbiting Mars.
NASA spacecraft and others from the United Arab Emirates,
India, and Europe are also in orbit around Mars.
But make no mistake, Perseverance is a first.
It's seeking what some might consider the ``holy grail'' of
Mars science-samples that will be collected, stored, and
returned by a future mission to Earth for scientific analysis.
A 2007 National Academies report recommended that ``The
highest-priority science objective for Mars exploration must be
the analysis of a diverse suite of appropriate samples returned
from carefully selected regions on Mars.''
And in 2011, the National Academies recommended the first
step in a Mars sample return campaign as the highest priority
large-scale planetary science mission.
Perseverance's instruments and the samples it will collect
will allow scientists to trace the evolution of Martian
climate, geography, and the nature and complexity of any
detected organic material.
Martian samples could also tell us more about our own place
in the Universe and our very being. Scientists tell us that
when stars exploded in death, they dispersed new elements
throughout the Universe, elements including carbon, oxygen, and
nitrogen, which happen to comprise our own makeup.
They explain that we're made of this very stardust.Will
Perseverance give us the opportunity to see images of our
elemental selves in Martian dirt?
Armed with multiple cameras and 7 sophisticated science
instruments, Perseverance is about to begin the return on the
years of hard work and investment in the nation's most advanced
Mars rover to date.
That return is sure to bring scientific discoveries about
Mars and its habitability for past life, insights and knowledge
to help us prepare for sending humans there, and the
inspiration that propels our nation to dream big and our
scientists, engineers, and future explorers to embrace
ambitious challenges.
I look forward to our witness' testimony.
Chairman Beyer. So I look forward to our witness'
testimony, and I now recognize my friend, and the Ranking
Member of the Space Subcommittee, Dr. Brian Babin of Texas. Dr.
Babin?
Mr. Babin. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank
you to all these great witnesses that we're about to hear.
NASA's planetary science missions exemplify the American spirit
of exploration. They continue our very long tradition of our
Nation of discovery and scientific inquiry. Missions like
Perseverance expand humanity's reach throughout the solar
system, inspire the next generation of explorers, and maintain
technological expertise that is so important to our Nation's
economic and national security.
Our Nation once again experienced a collective 7 minutes
of terror as the Perseverance rover descended to the Martian
surface 2 months ago. It will continue our long history of
searching for evidence of past life, produce oxygen on the
Martian surface, and has also demonstrated the very first
controlled flight on another planet with our helicopter
Ingenuity. Perseverance builds on the success of the Curiosity
rover that landed on Mars nearly a decade ago, and the Spirit
and Opportunity original landings in 2004, not to mention the
1976 Viking landing, the 1997 Pathfinder landing, and the
Sojourner rover, and the more recent Phoenix and Insight
landing. The landers were also enabled by spacecraft like
Mariner, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the Maven spacecraft.
So far the United States is the only Nation to
successfully land and operate on the red planet. To be more
specific, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is the only entity to
do so successfully. Other nations have tried, and the Soviet
Union has even landed, but no other nation has landed and
operated for more than a few seconds. But even we have
experienced failures. With all of our success, it is easy to
forget that landing on Mars is a very hard task. We were
reminded of this in the 1990's with the loss of the Mars
Observer, the Mars Climate Orbiter, and the Mars Polar Lander.
Despite these losses, we remained undeterred.
Going forward, other nations continue to explore Mars.
Europe and Russia still operate the Trace Gas Orbiter around
Mars. India's Mars Orbiter Mission entered Mars orbit in 2014,
and the United Arab Emirates Hope mission, and China's orbiter
and rover entered Mars orbit in February. We also expect
another Russian and European ExoMars mission, and a Japanese
Mars/Moon exploration mission in a couple of years. Mars is
getting busy, and crowded, and for lots of reasons. Other
nations see the benefit of planetary exploration, and Mars
exploration in particular. Aside from the technological
advantages of Mars exploration, some nations, particularly
China, see this as a way to legitimize the Communist Party's
leadership. Debates about prohibitions on cooperation with
China are also coming to light as China prepares to land its
own rover on Mars. Cooperation is always a tricky subject when
it comes to space, and Mars is no different.
The Obama Administration canceled the ExoMars partnership
with Europe because of cost overruns with the James Webb Space
Telescope. That pushed Europe to partner up with Russia for
that mission. As Mars exploration becomes increasingly
international, Congress and the administration will have to
carefully weigh the pros and cons of partnerships, and the
impact of those partnerships on technology transfer and theft,
national security, human rights, and Communist Party
legitimacy. It is a privilege to partner with the world leader
in exploration, and they might have more to gain from
partnering with us than we do with them.
I look forward to many more exciting discoveries as we
embark on a future planetary mission to Mars, like the bold
sample return mission. NASA's Planetary Science Program
balances a vast portfolio of missions from large, medium, and
small sizes, and explores all of our solar system, including
the outer planets, asteroids, and hopefully even a return to
Venus in the future. I also look very much forward to
understanding how big ticket items like the Mars Sample Return
mission, the Europa Clipper mission, reconstituting the Nancy
Grace Roman Telescope under the Astronomy Division, as
significantly expanding the Earth Science Division, and how it
will impact the agency and other programs.
Thank you very much for our witnesses for appearing today,
and I look forward to your fascinating testimony. So, with
that, I'll yield back, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Babin follows:]
NASA's planetary science missions exemplify the American
spirit of exploration. They continue our long national
tradition of discovery and scientific inquiry. Missions like
Perseverance expand humanity's reach throughout the solar
system, inspire the next generation of explorers, and maintain
technological expertise that is so important to our nation's
economic and national security.
Our nation once again experienced a collective ``7 minutes
of terror'' as the Perseverance rover descended to the Martian
surface two months ago. It will continue our long history of
searching for evidence of past life, produce oxygen on the Mars
surface, and has already demonstrated the first controlled
flight on another planet with Ingenuity.
Perseverance builds on the success of the Curiosity rover
which landed on Mars nearly a decade ago, as well as the Spirit
and Opportunity rovers landings in 2004, not to mention the
1976 Viking landing, the 1997 Pathfinder landing and Sojourner
rover, and the more recent Phoenix and Insight landing. The
landers were also enabled by spacecraft like Mariner, Mars
Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and
the MAVEN spacecraft
So far, the United States is the only nation to
successfully land and operate on the red planet. To be more
specific, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is the only entity to
do so successfully. Other nations have tried, and the Soviet
Union even landed, but no other nation has landed and operated
for more than a few seconds. But even we have experienced
failures. With all of our success it is easy to forget that
landing on Mars is hard. We were reminded of this in the 1990s
with the loss of the Mars Observer, the Mars Climate Orbiter,
and the Mars Polar Lander. Despite these losses, we remained
undeterred.
Going forward, other nations continue to explore Mars.
Europe and Russia still operate the Trace Gas Orbiter around
Mars, India's Mars Orbiter Mission entered Mars orbit in 2014,
and the United Arab Emirates' Hope mission and China's orbiter
and rover entered Mars orbit in February. We also expect
another European and Russian ExoMars mission and a Japanese
Mars Moon Exploration mission in a couple years.
Mars is getting busy, and for lots of reasons. Other
nations see the benefit of planetary exploration, and Mars
exploration in particular. Aside from the technological
benefits of Mars exploration, some nations, particularly China,
see it as a way to legitimize the Communist Party's leadership.
Debates about prohibitions on cooperation with China are also
coming to light as China prepares to land its rover on Mars.
Cooperation is always a tricky subject when it comes to space,
and Mars is no different. The Obama Administration cancelled
the ExoMars partnership with Europe because of cost overruns
with the James Webb Space Telescope, which pushed Europe to
partner with Russia for the mission. As Mars exploration
becomes increasingly international, Congress and the
Administration will have to carefully weigh the pros and cons
of partnerships, and the impact of those partnerships on
technology transfer and theft, national security, human rights,
and communist party legitimacy. It is a privilege to partner
with the world-leader in exploration, and they might have more
to gain from partnering than we do.
I look forward to many more exciting discoveries as we
embark on future planetary missions to Mars like the bold
Sample Return Mission. NASA's planetary science program
balances a vast portfolio of missions, from large, medium, and
small sizes, and explores all of our solar system, including
the outer planets, asteroids, and hopefully even a return to
Venus in the future. I also look forward to understanding how
big ticket items like the Mars Sample Return Mission, the
Europa Clipper Mission, reconstituting the Nancy Grace Roman
Telescope under the astronomy division, and significantly
expanding the Earth science division, will impact the agency
and other programs.
Thank you to our witnesses for appearing today, I look
forward to your fascinating testimony.
Chairman Beyer. Mr. Babin, thank you very much. And with
that, I'm going to recognize the Ranking Member of the Full
Committee, Mr. Lucas, for an opening statement.
Mr. Lucas. Thank you for holding this hearing, Mr.
Chairman. When NASA's Perseverance rover landed on Mars in
February, and became the eighth craft to successfully land on
the Martian surface in a little over 40 years, every one of
these vehicles were American made, and each of these explorers
built on the technology and scientific knowledge gained from
the craft which came before it.
Dr. Meyer. I can't hear anything.
Mr. Lucas. Perseverance----
Dr. Meyer. Can anybody hear me?
Mr. Lucas [continuing]. An ambitious mission, continues
this legacy of innovation. The vehicle is searching for signs
of ancient life as we speak, and it's helping us gain a better
scientific understanding of the red planet. In addition to its
scientific mission, Perseverance is helping us demonstrate new
technologies, which will help aid future exploration of other
planetary bodies, both through robotic and human missions.
A few weeks ago we saw the launch of a small helicopter
named Ingenuity, which made the first powered flight on another
planetary body, which has now made three more flights, each
lasting longer, and traveling greater distances. In addition,
Perseverance includes a technology demonstration called MOXIE.
The instrument's purpose is to take the Martian atmosphere,
which is mostly carbon dioxide, and create breathable air. The
first demonstration was successful, producing more than 10
minutes of breathable air for an astronaut. Later, Perseverance
will collect several samples of Martian soil, which will be
left on the Martian surface. These samples will eventually be
retrieved by a future mission and return to Earth for research.
There are many other cutting edge and inspiring facets to
Perseverance, each of which are laying the groundwork for
future crewed exploration of Mars.
Though the U.S. has demonstrated unique leadership in
Martian exploration, we're not the only ones interested in
exploring the solar system. In the weeks leading up to
Perseverance's landing a craft managed by the United Arab
Emirates entered orbit. Additionally, another craft made by
China entered orbit, the first vehicle from that country to do
so. In the coming months China will attempt to be the second
country to join the U.S.
Dr. Meyer. Would you like me to----
Mr. Lucas [continuing]. In successfully landing a rover on
Mars. This comes little more than 2 years after China first
successfully landed a craft on the far side of the Moon, and
only months after China became the second country to
successfully return samples of lunar surface to the Earth. Less
than 12 hours ago China launched the first module of a new
space station, which it hopes to have completed by the end of
next year. With these recent moves, the Chinese Communist Party
has all but declared its intent to challenge U.S. leadership in
space. These recent examples serve as stark reminders of why we
need to avoid complacency in our space program. We must be
mindful of this as our Committee considers how best to increase
investments in basic research and develop a new generation of
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)
participants.
We have seen repeatedly the power of NASA's missions to
inspire future generations. I was pleased by the Biden
Administration's public support for the continuation of the
Artemis Program, which will return American astronauts to the
lunar surface this decade and lay the groundwork for future
human exploration of Mars. Now Congress must do our part and
ensure that NASA has the resources and the direction it needs
to execute this mission. I want to thank our witnesses for
being here today and sharing their experiences working on this
inspiring mission. I look forward to hearing ways this
Committee could then continue to inspire future generations.
Thank you, and I yield back my time, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Lucas follows:]
Thank you for holding this hearing, Mr. Chairman.
When NASA's Perseverance rover landed on Mars in February,
it became the eighth craft to successfully land on the Martian
surface in a little over 40 years. Every one of these vehicles
were American made and each of these explorers built on the
technology and scientific knowledge gained from the craft which
came before it.
Perseverance's ambitious mission continues this legacy of
innovation. The vehicle is searching for signs of ancient life
as we speak, and it's helping us gain a better scientific
understanding of the Red Planet.
In addition to its scientific mission, Perseverance is
helping us demonstrate new technologies which will help aid
future exploration of other planetary bodies, both through
robotic and human missions. A few weeks ago, we saw the launch
of a small helicopter named Ingenuity, which made the first
powered flight on another planetary body. Ingenuity has now
made three flights, each lasting longer and traveling greater
distances.
Additionally, Perseverance includes a technology
demonstration called MOXIE. This instrument's purpose is to
take the Martian atmosphere, which is mostly carbon dioxide,
and create breathable air. The first demonstration was
successful, producing about ten minutes of breathable air for
an astronaut.
Later, Perseverance will collect several samples of Martian
soil, which will be left on the Martian surface. These samples
will eventually be retrieved by a future mission and returned
to Earth for research. There are many other cutting-edge and
inspiring facets to Perseverance, each of which are laying the
groundwork for future crewed exploration of Mars.
Though the U.S. has demonstrated unique leadership in
Martian exploration, we are not the only ones interested in
exploring the solar system. In the weeks leading up to
Perseverance's landing, a craft managed by the United Arab
Emirates entered orbit. Additionally, another spacecraft made
by China entered orbit, the first vehicle from that country to
do so.
In the coming months, China will attempt to become the
second country to join the U.S. in successfully landing a rover
on Mars. This comes little more than two years after China
first successfully landed a craft on the far side of the Moon,
and only months after China became the second country to
successfully return samples of the Lunar surface to Earth. Less
than 12 hours ago, China launched the first module of a new
space station which it hopes to have completed by the end of
next year.
With these recent moves, the Chinese Communist Party has
all but declared its intent to challenge U.S. leadership in
space. These recent examples serve as stark reminders of why we
need to avoid complacency in our space program. We must be
mindful of this as our Committee considers how best to increase
investments in basic research and develop a new generation of
STEM participants.
We have seen repeatedly the power of NASA's missions to
inspire future generations. I was pleased by the Biden
Administration's public support for the continuation of the
Artemis program, which will return American astronauts to the
Lunar surface this decade and lay the groundwork for future
human exploration of Mars. Now, Congress must do our part and
ensure that NASA has the resources and direction it needs to
execute this mission.
I want to thank our witnesses for being here today and
sharing their experiences working on this inspiring mission. I
look forward to hearing ways this Committee can continue to
inspire future generations. Thank you, and I yield back my
time.
Chairman Beyer. Thank you, Mr. Lucas, very much. If there
are other Members who wish to submit additional opening
statements, your statements will be added to the record at this
point.
[The prepared statement of Chairwoman Johnson follows:]
Good morning. Thank you, Chairman Beyer, for holding this
hearing and giving us the opportunity to hear about the
exciting science to be gained from NASA's newest rover on Mars.
I would also like welcome our witnesses and thank you for
testifying. I expect that you are all working very hard
supporting the early surface operations of the rover. Some of
you may even be operating on ``Martian time'' to carry out your
tasks, and I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share
your expertise with us today.
I have often repeated my belief that NASA is a crown jewel
of the Nation's research and development enterprise. That is
clearly evident in the Mars Exploration Program's deliberate,
strategic approach to studying Mars, with new missions
successively building on past successes and knowledge gained
over time.
Those past missions made significant discoveries.
Scientists have learned that liquid water probably flowed in
many places on the surface of Mars, and that many of the
conditions required to support life as we know it likely
existed along with liquid water, at least in some places.
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission, which addresses the
consensus top priority of the National Academies' planetary
science decadal survey for a large flagship mission, is poised
to continue that record of achievement, and I am looking
forward to exciting new scientific advances coming from that
mission.
Perseverance's science mission will take the important leap
from the question of ``was it habitable?'' to ``was it
inhabited?'' as it investigates Mars and collects samples that
will eventually be returned to Earth for detailed study.
I look forward to hearing more from our witnesses about the
fundamental science they hope to conduct with Perseverance in
geology, astrobiology, atmospheric science, volcanology, and
minerology in addition to the applied science investigations
that will provide critical measurements in support of eventual
human astronaut-scientists on the surface of Mars.
Let me close by recognizing Perseverance as a testament to
the incredible achievements that our scientific and engineering
workforce can accomplish, even under the most trying of
circumstances. In addition, I am proud of the tremendous public
engagement I have witnessed with the NASA Mars program and the
Perseverance mission. It proves once again the important role
NASA's missions play in inspiring children and learners of all
ages.
Thank you, and I yield back.
Chairman Beyer. Let me now move to our witness
introductions. Our first witness is Dr. Michael Meyer, and Dr.
Meyer is a Senior Scientist at NASA Headquarters in the Science
Mission Directorate, and is the lead scientist for NASA's Mars
Exploration, and for the Mars Sample Return programs. He also
serves as the program scientist for the Mars Science Laboratory
Curiosity mission. During his career at NASA Dr. Meyer's held
many roles, focused on the study of life in the universe,
including as a Senior Scientist for Astrobiology. His primary
research interest is the microorganisms living in extreme
environments, particularly the physical factors controlling
microbial growth and survival. Dr. Meyer received his Bachelor
of Science degree in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute, and a Master of Science and a doctorate in
Oceanography from Texas A&M University. Welcome, Dr. Meyer, and
we will switch back to you----
Dr. Meyer. Can you----
Chairman Beyer [continuing]. In just a minute. I'm going
to introduce the others, and then we'll start with you, Dr.
Meyer.
Our second witness is Dr. Bethany Ehlmann, Professor of
Planetary Science and Associate Director of the Keck Institute
for Space Studies at Caltech. Dr. Ehlmann is co-investigator
(Co-I) on the Mastcam-Z and the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable
Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics &
Chemicals) instrument teams in the Mars 2020 Perseverance
rover. She's also a member of the science team for the Spirit
and Opportunity Mars Exploration Rovers, and an affiliate of
the Dawn orbiter team during its exploration of the largest
asteroid and dwarf planet Ceres. Dr. Ehlmann's research focuses
on the minerology and chemistry of planetary surfaces, remote
sensing techniques and instruments, astrobiology, and science
policy and outreach. Her primary focus is unraveling Mars's
environmental history and understanding water in the solar
system. Dr. Ehlmann received her undergraduate degree from
Washington University in St. Louis, a Master of Science and a
doctorate in Geological Sciences as a National Science
Foundation graduate fellow at Brown University. So welcome, Dr.
Ehlmann.
Our third witness is Dr. Luther Beegle, Principal
Investigator (PI) of the Mars Perseverance Scanning Habitable
Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and
Chemicals, SHERLOC, Instrument at the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. As a principal scientist the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Dr. Beegle is responsible for conducting NASA
funded research as a PI and Co-I in planetary science, focusing
on detection and characterization of organic molecules for the
identification of potential biosignatures. Dr. Beegle received
a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Astronomy from the
University of Delaware, and a Master of Science and Physics,
and a doctorate in Astrophysics, from the University of Alabama
at Birmingham. So welcome, Dr. Beegle, and I'm sure our
president will be pleased to know we have a University of
Delaware graduate here.
And our final witness is Dr. Tanja Bosak, a Professor of
Geobiology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and
Returned Sample Science Co-Lead of the Mars 2020 Perseverance
Rover. Dr. Bosak's research focuses on how microbial processes
leave chemical, mineral, and morphological signals in
sedimentary rock. Her lab uses research approach to explore to
explore modern geochemical and sedimentological processes,
interpret to the co-evolution of life in the environment during
the first 80 percent of Earth's history, and look for signs of
past life on Mars. Dr. Bosak received her undergraduate degree
in Geophysics from the Zagreb University, and a doctorate in
Geobiology from the California Institute of Technology. So
welcome, Dr. Bosak.
So we will start with Dr. Meyer, and you each have 5
minutes. Dr. Meyer, floor is yours.
TESTIMONY OF DR. MICHAEL A. MEYER,
LEAD SCIENTIST, MARS EXPLORATION PROGRAM,
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Dr. Meyer. Thank you. Chairman Beyer, Ranking Member
Babin, and Members of the Subcommittee, I am honored to appear
before the Subcommittee to discuss Mars science, and the role
the Perseverance rover plays in NASA's broader Mars exploration
program. Mars has captured the public's imagination as the
planet in our solar system most similar to Earth. Both planets
formed 4.5 billion years ago, and are the only planets to have
known to be able to support life. Nevertheless, this
transformation over time to the present has followed
dramatically different paths. By studying Mars, we can learn
about our history as well.
NASA's Mars Exploration Program studies Mars as a
planetary system in order to understand its extreme climate
variation on different timescales, its history of geological
processes that have shaped Mars through time, its potential to
have hosted life, and its future exploration by humans. As we
learned about Mars, the strategy has evolved from follow the
water, to explore habitability, to seek signs of life, and has
brought us to the threshold of sample return with the
Perseverance mission.
Perseverance is the most sophisticated rover ever to have
been sent to the red planet, with a name that embodies NASA's
passion, and our Nation's capability to take on and overcome
challenges. As such, Perseverance will contribute to all four
of NASA's high level goals of Mars during this exploration. In
addition, Perseverance will collect and carefully select rock
and regular samples for a future return to Earth.
Perseverance has already achieved at least five firsts.
Terrain relative navigation enabled the descending spacecraft
to avoid hazards. Perseverance landed in a place too dangerous
for previous missions to land, but with terrain relative
navigation, we could, and we did. The helicopter Ingenuity was
the first aircraft in history to make a powered and controlled
flight on another planet, a true Wright Brothers moment.
SuperCam captured the sounds of Martian wind, and the first
audio of laser zaps on another planet. The Mars Oxygen In-Situ
Resource Utilization Experiment has extracted 99 percent pure
oxygen out of the Martian atmosphere, a resource for future
rockets and humans. And Perseverance is the first leg of a
round trip to Mars by caching samples on the surface.
All of us get to ride with Perseverance. The Perseverance
mission carries more cameras than any interplanetary mission in
history. This has allowed NASA to watch its own mission land on
another world, and for the public to share in the experience.
We have accomplished much, and will continue to do so because
of the Mars exploration program. NASA's Insight mission will
spend its extended mission listening for Mars earthquakes.
NASA's other rover, Curiosity, continues to make exciting
discoveries during the climb up Mount Sharp, just now entering
the sulfate unit, which is a window into the Mars history when
the planet became cold and dry.
NASA is also studying Mars from orbit, with the Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, Odyssey, with ESA's (European
Space Agency's) Mars Express missions, expanding our
understanding of the dynamic planet we see today. For example,
the science community has been able to piece together the
anatomy of the 2018 global dust storm, the storm that ended
NASA's Opportunity mission. We now understand the probability
and the progression of global dust storms and their effects,
thereby reducing the risks of future missions.
As the program has brought us to the sample return, this
will be the first time samples will be brought back from
another planet. It involves three missions, and a close
collaboration with the European Space Agency. Once back on
Earth we can analyze the samples in ways we can't on Mars. We
can use instruments too large and too complex to send to Mars,
and we can save material for future generations. Using
instruments that have not yet been invented, and addressing
questions that no one has yet thought of. NASA's Mars
Exploration Program continues to lead the world in learning
about Mars, and developing the technology that allows us to
delve deeper into the secrets of the red planet, making
significant progress in its goals of searching for life,
understanding Mars climate, understanding Mars geology, and
preparing for human exploration.
I want to thank Congress for their steady and generous
support of Mars science, and I would be happy to any
questions--answer any questions that you may have. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Meyer follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairman Beyer. Thank you, Dr. Meyer, very much. I promise
you, we're all very excited about Mars science. Now let me
introduce Dr. Bethany Ehlmann for her testimony.
TESTIMONY OF DR. BETHANY L. EHLMANN,
PROFESSOR OF PLANETARY SCIENCE
AND ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
OF THE KECK INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES,
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY;
PRESIDENT, THE PLANETARY SOCIETY;
CO-INVESTIGATOR, MARS 2020 PERSEVERANCE MISSION
Dr. Ehlmann. Thank you. Chairman Beyer, Ranking Member
Babin, Members of Subcommittee, I appreciate all of your work
to support science and exploration, and thank you for the
opportunity to appear today. Our team was thrilled February 18
when JPL delivered our one-ton rover to the surface of Mars.
I'm going to focus on the big picture science questions
answerable at Mars, and how we conduct our exploration, while
my colleagues will discuss the instruments and sample return
portion.
For me, and I think for many of us, there is just a DNA of
exploration in us as humans. We're drawn to ask profound
questions. Are planets like our Earth rare, or are they common?
Is there life elsewhere in the universe? One of the reasons I
study Mars among all solar system planets is that Mars is a
linchpin to answering these questions.
The different fates of Earth-like worlds in our solar
system are recorded on Earth, Venus, and Mars. But what's
special about Mars is that there's a vast rock record that
spans the interactions of the interior of the planet, the
atmosphere, the climate that record what makes a planet
habitable over its first billion years. I draw the
Subcommittee's attention to the Mars Architecture Strategy
Working Group Report from November that goes far more deeply
than I can in 5 minutes on these questions, reviewing the
findings of our program, reaffirming the priority of sample
return, and identifying how to move forward in the next decade
about the interaction between science--scientific exploration,
human exploration, and the growing commercial space sector,
because, as was mentioned, it's an exciting time right now at
Mars, 11 operating spacecraft from five different agencies.
So what does Perseverance do? Perseverance is both a
science mission, like past rovers, and it's the first step in
an ambitious three mission sequence to return samples to Earth.
We've already accomplished a number of our technology goals, so
what remains is to study the region's history, climate, look
for signs of life. We act as a robot geologist, but I now want
to move to my slides that I have, because we have a wealth of
data from the Mars Exploration Program, and if we go ahead and
move on to the first time step, I can talk about why this is
important, and what we have learned, and what we will learn.
What I'm showing here is a hill-shaped topography map of
Mars, because Mars today is a cold, dry desert, like the
Antarctic dry valleys. Two decades of exploration, though, have
discovered thousands of outcrops of rock across the surface.
Everywhere you see a colored dot on this image, it's a mineral
that formed in the presence of water. Some clay minerals, like
you form in soils, some from aquifers underground, some salts.
Now, there are thousands of places to explore, but we have
gotten to a handful of them so far. You can see the
Perseverance rover site is in a concentration of these exciting
rock outcrops west of the Isidis Basin.
If we zoom in to where we have chosen to go with this Mars
2020 rover on the next slide, what we see here is beautiful, 45
kilometer, Jezero Crater. I hope, if you look to the--
particularly to the left of Jezero Crater, what's exciting is
that there is a landscape of 4-billion-year-old rocks.
Particularly in the lower left you can see a series of rock
mesas and outcrops, erosion planing off the historical record
of Mars conveniently for us to drive through. And indeed the
white dot is where we are right now on Mars. The white line is
a notional traverse that we hope to undertake over the next 2
years.
In Jezero Crater, you can see it's a bit special. Over to
the east there's an outflow channel. That's where water once
drained out. To the north and to the west, there's an inflow
channel that once drained in, and this is where Jezero Crater
once had a lake. If we zoom in to the west, you can see this
beautiful delta landform. Here I'm showing false color infrared
data from one of the orbiters, the Mars Reconnaissance orbiter
in our Exploration Program. The yellows and the purples are
volcanic formed minerals. The greens are clay and carbonate.
Clay and carbonate rocks are water formed. If you were on
Earth, you would go to them to find the fossils.
If we go to the next slide it highlights, you know, just
the amazing Mars coordinated Exploration Program, snapping our
descent to the surface, with the HiRISE (High Resolution
Imaging Experiment) instrument seeing Perseverance land at this
landform that we worked for 20 years to find as the target of
our exploration. I'll end with the final graphic, which is hot
off the presses from the Mastcam-Z instrument, and really, I
hope, reveals the tantalizing detail of what's to come. You can
see the sands and the rocks of our landing site, the distant
crater rim 10 kilometers away that we will eventually climb out
on, but not before exploring these sediments and deposits ahead
of us, so it's a rubbly landscape, and we've got to just make
the first decisions about how to drive through it.
But as we finish off here, you see the mesas of the delta
coming into view, those rocks that record the history of the
lake. We're going to drive up to them with our instruments,
sample them to select the best ones to bring back to Earth. So
I look forward to reporting on our findings in the years to
come.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Ehlmann follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairman Beyer. Dr. Ehlmann, thank you very much. Those
look like mountains I would like to climb. Dr. Beegle, the
floor is yours.
TESTIMONY OF DR. LUTHER BEEGLE,
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR OF THE MARS PERSEVERANCE
SCANNING HABITABLE ENVIRONMENTS
WITH RAMAN & LUMINESCENCE FOR ORGANICS
& CHEMICALS (SHERLOC) INSTRUMENT,
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
Dr. Beegle. Chairman Beyer, Ranking Member Babin, and
Members of the Subcommittee, I'm honored to appear before this
Subcommittee on behalf of the California Institute of
Technology to discuss the Mars Perseverance mission. On
February 18, 2021 the Perseverance touched down in Mars' Jezero
Crater. As we just saw, roughly about 3.5 billion years ago,
Jezero Crater was the site of an ancient lake. Orbital images
show that Perseverance has landed, in fact, right in front of
what was once a river delta. Places like this can concentrate
biologic activity, and are known to be excellent sources of
preservation of organic molecules. We have high hopes for this
location--what this location may hold for science.
All evidence points to Mars being more Earth-like in its
early history, with rivers, lakes, and a large ocean
potentially filling the southern hemisphere. At roughly the
same time that life was starting on the Earth, water also
flowed across the surface of Mars. We believe that many of the
same conditions we think would be required for life on Earth
were present on Mars at this time, including chemical energy
sources and access to organic carbon.
On Earth many things have changed since life began a
billion years ago. Key clues to the origin of life on our
planet have largely been erased by weathering, erosion, and
plate tectonics. On Mars, by contrast, there's little evidence
of plate tectonics, and the surface has been less affected by
these other processes, thus Mars is a much better preserved
ancient rock record. Rocks on Mars could preserve key evidence
of planetary formation, clues to its habitability, and
potentially signs of macroscopic life.
Perseverance's payload has seven instruments that will
analyze samples for future return to Earth. I am the principal
investigator for an instrument called SHERLOC, which stands for
Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for
Organics and Chemicals. SHERLOC was developed to search for
clues with an astrobiology relevant mission and relevant
environment on Mars. Starting soon, SHERLOC will identify--work
to identify habitable environments, and see what we can do
regarding Mars's history.
SHERLOC enables sensitive detection characterization and
spatially resolved correlation of trace organic minerals and
material within the Martian--within Martian outcrops. SHERLOC
can identify potential biosignatures in the Martian surface and
near subsurface. It does this by combining microscopic imaging
and Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy to map a postage sized
stamp of the Martian sample. Two microscopic cameras, the
Autofocus and Confection Imager, or ACI, and the Wide Angle
Topographic Sensor for Operations and Engineering, or WATSON,
obtain high resolution images of the surface to identify
textures and features smaller than 30 microns.
The Martian surface is an inhospitable for most organic
molecules due to high ultraviolet radiation and oxidizing
conditions. Perseverance has an abrasion tool to get to the
protected interior of rocks, where organic molecules have been
shown by NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, or Curiosity, to
exist. Organic molecules that SHERLOC can identify are found in
life as we know it, but a number of these have also been found
in meteorites, or known to be created through abiotic chemical
processes on the Earth. This is why we call any findings by
SHERLOC potential biosignatures, rather than to claim--rather
than claiming to have an instrument capable of unambiguous life
detection.
Minerals can also be a form of biosignature. Biology can
create distinctive signatures that can be observed in
assemblages of astrobiology relevant materials. The presence of
such assemblages in minerals in association with organics can
be an important component in evaluating whether something may
have been produced or brought about through biologic processes.
SHERLOC will be looking for these types of features. The Mars
2020 mission is designed to collect well-characterized samples
that have high scientific value. When these samples are
eventually returned to Earth, they will be analyzed by state-
of-the-art instruments, some of which cannot be flown to Mars
for a variety of reasons. Some of these instruments have not
even yet been invented. The combination of knowing where a
sample came from, and multiple lines of evidence within that
sample, should be able to get us closer to answering the
tantalizing question of whether life existed, or ever--or
exists on the next planet out from the Sun.
Finally, I have given many talks at schools focusing on
the Mars 2020 mission, and SHERLOC in particular. I usually end
those talks by reminding the students the samples we are
collecting will be arriving back on Earth in the 2030's, that
by pursuing a career in science and engineering, they can help
answer the questions that we are currently waiting to answer.
As we inspire the next generation of researchers, I imagine all
the wonderful things that we will be able to accomplish, and
all the big questions we will be able to answer from these
samples. I would be happy to answer any questions you have.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Beegle follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairman Beyer. Dr. Beegle, thank you very much. And our
grand finale, Dr. Bosak, floor is yours.
TESTIMONY DR. TANJA BOSAK,
RETURNED SAMPLE SCIENCE CO-LEAD,
MARS 2020 PERSEVERANCE ROVER;
PROFESSOR AND LEAD OF THE OPTION IN GEOLOGY,
GEOCHEMISTRY, AND GEOBIOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF EARTH,
ATMOSPHERIC, AND PLANETARY SCIENCES,
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Dr. Bosak. Chairman Beyer, Ranking Member Babin, and
Members of the Subcommittee, thank you so much for inviting us
to share our delight with this mission so far. And it's
really--it is great just to see you all excited about
tomorrow's science.
Because--I think we are all excited because we are, just
at the beginning of a truly exciting time with the landing of
the Perseverance rover in Jezaro Crater that Bethany showed.
We'll be able to identify and collect samples of rocks, soils,
and minerals from this known location on Mars, and the return
of the samples to Earth is likely to transform our views of
planetary evolution, climate, habitability, and even the origin
of life. And this is an ambitious endeavor, and one that will
inspire the children of today to learn more about science and
technology.
Why it's ambitious? Well, we are bringing samples back
from Mars. But--not only that, but for the first time we really
will dare to ask the question of whether these samples contain
something that may have been life. We are looking for life on
other planets, and this is a very old question. For millennia,
in fact, people have wondered whether there is life outside of
Earth, and how--and when life began, what conditions are
necessary to get life started. And so far Earth is the only
known planet with life. Scientists like myself find the early
signs of life in some of the oldest sedimentary rocks in the
Earth that are 3.5 billion years old. However, if you ask us
how life began, we'll start hemming and hawing, and that's
simply because we don't have the answer to that. We--nobody
knows.
So to answer this, some scientists are trying to
synthesize organic molecules that are presence in all living
cells, and even make proto-cells in test tubes. Other
scientists look at old rocks in the Earth, but there are few
preserved rocks on Earth that are old enough to tell us what
our planet even looked like more than 3.5 billion years ago,
and this is where Mars comes in. It has this amazing history.
The Mars 2020 mission will collect more than 30 pencil
sized samples of rocks and soils in and outside of Jezaro
Crater, and many of these rocks are older than 3.5 billion
years. They attest to a warmer Mars that contained liquid water
at the surface. If those conditions lasted long enough, they
may have supported microbial life. So, if--sample these rocks,
and analyze them on Earth, we really can open the window into a
time that we currently know little about.
So the samples from Mars have to be returned to Earth to
be analyzed. We heard that already from Michael and Luther. The
analysis to look for life in rocks, one has to cut them, one
has to make thin slices of them to look through them, one needs
the best microscopes because we are looking for microbial life.
Everything that old has to be microbial. We also need other
types of instruments to characterize the organic molecules that
may be present, and all sorts of other chemicals, even to tell
exactly how old those rocks are. We need different types of
instruments. We simply cannot miniaturize all that and fit that
many instruments in a single room.
So once the samples come back, scientists will analyze
them for decades, just like they're still doing with the rocks
brought back from the Moon by Apollo, and this was more than 50
years ago. The analysis of Martian samples would determine how
and when different rocks formed over--altered by water, how and
when did the climate on Mars change, and how to best prepare
for human exploration of Mars. Some of the rocks might even
contain organic matter, or remains of former microbial cells.
So, all in all, the samples brought back from Mars have the
potential to revolutionize our understanding of whether life
was ever present on Mars.
And, even if you don't find life--I get this question a
lot, ``So what if you don't find life?'' By looking at samples
from early Mars, we can always learn a lot more about organic
molecules and processes that preceded life on Earth because of
all this great age on these samples. And some of the findings
that arise from the samples may even challenge our current
interpretations of wife--what life is, or how to detect it. A
lot of the findings, if not all of the findings, you'll also
motivate future missions to Mars.
All this is great, but it's much greater than science.
Since Perseverance landed, I've talked to hundreds of people,
or to radio shows, and to schools, and I received dozens of e-
mails from just random people from all over the world and from
all walks of life. And what these e-mails and this personal
communication has shown me is that Mars exploration inspires
people to engage with science and technology because it
resonates with people's innate curiosity about themselves, and
our own place in the universe, and that curiosity in turn
inspires us to do more. So I will be happy to answer any of the
questions you may have.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Bosak follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairman Beyer. Thank you, Dr. Bosak, very much.
Fascinating opening comments. I'll recognize myself now for 5
minutes for questions, and Dr. Bosak, I'm going to come right
back to you. So you're our geowhatever.
Dr. Bosak. Geowhatever.
Chairman Beyer. Geowhatever. Is the geology on Mars as
varied as it is on Earth, in terms of the elements themselves,
and the potassium, and carbon, and zinc, and--you know,
basically are the building blocks there as they would be on
Earth?
Dr. Bosak. Mars is a rocky planet, and this is one of the
reasons why we are so fascinated by it. It is so close to
Earth. It is really the closest planet to Earth, and it does
consist--because it's rocky, these rocks are the source of all
the elements we need--well, a lot of the elements, such as iron
and calcium, all of the stuff that goes into bones and so on.
So Mars has all of that.
Now, the question of organics is a very interesting one,
so carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, because rocky planets get these
elements probably--and water as well--later in their history.
Still really, really early in the big scheme of things, but
later in the history, and we think a lot of that material came
from asteroids and comets, so from elsewhere in the solar
system. And so by looking at these old rocks from Mars, this is
one of the--actually aspects of the mission, and the return
sample that is most exciting to me--we could start asking how
much delivery was taking place. What is this background
delivery of these compounds that are needed for life to rocky
planets?
Chairman Beyer. Thank you very much. Dr. Meyer, you've
been a specialist in astrobiology. Dr. Bosak earlier talked
about, you know, life evolving, you know, trying to understand.
Was the organic soup ever there, the lightning? You know, our
limited understanding of how life evolved on Earth, could those
conditions have been on Mars also?
Dr. Meyer. Well--so that's actually one of the big
questions. We think so, and that's half the reason why we're
looking, but, in all honesty, there's three major theories
about how life got started on this planet, and we don't have
very good evidence to point one way or the other. And, as Tanja
talked about, rocks on Mars--over 50 percent of the rocks on
the surface are ancient, and here on Earth they're few and far
between, and they've been worked over. So evidence of exactly
what was going on in the first billion years of terrestrial
planet history, we don't have a very good record on Earth, and
we think the record is on Mars. So whether or not we had the
organic soup, and lightning that caused life, or whether or not
it was a hydrothermal vent, these are things that going to Mars
can help us sort out.
Chairman Beyer. Thank you very much. And, Dr. Ehlmann, as
our planetary scientist, we saw Elon Musk last week, the week
before, talk about terraforming Mars. Is there enough water
there to justify that? Can you see transforming the Mars
environment sufficient for human life?
Dr. Ehlmann. Well, I will say that the premise is correct
in that Mars is the closest potentially habitable world, right?
It is really the only one that has an atmosphere today, as well
as abundant water resources. We know right now, you know, the
water is in solid ice, so the question is can--does the ice
melt now naturally, right? That's a question Perseverance won't
answer. Is there modern life that could be associated with this
ice? I think I'd actually like to answer that before we send
humans.
But regardless, terraforming Mars would be hard, so--I'm a
planetary scientist, but I'm also a geologist by training, and
I know that to make a planetary atmosphere thick for humans to
breathe, you have to figure out some way to produce oxygen, you
have to figure out some way to thicken the atmosphere so that
it's warm enough, and on Mars lots of the water and the carbon
dioxide are actually trapped in rocks, so hard to release. I
would love to send humans to Mars to explore. Changing the
whole planetary climate, maybe not so much.
Chairman Beyer. Yeah. I love the optimism, in any case. Is
there enough gravity there to hold an atmosphere?
Dr. Ehlmann. There is, and Mars has an atmosphere today.
It's a little less than 1 percent of the thickness of Earth's
atmosphere. It's 96 percent carbon dioxide, but very, very,
very thin.
Chairman Beyer. That's great. Thank you. Dr. Beegle, very
quickly, do we have enough talent in the pipeline? You know, we
worry so much about STEM education----
Dr. Beegle. We do. We have some very--I look at the
postdocs and graduate students that are working on
Perseverance, and had worked on the development of
Perseverance, and there's some outstanding talent coming up,
and even more on the way as we continue to push people in a--
well, not push people, but inspire people to go into science
and technology. We have a great pool to draw from.
Chairman Beyer. That's very encouraging to hear. Let me
now recognize my friend Dr. Babin for his 5 minutes of
questions.
Mr. Babin. Absolutely fascinating. I just want to thank
all four of you for being here, giving us your testimony, and,
Mr. Chairman, thank you for having this. I guess my first
question would be for Dr. Bosak. I proudly represent the
Johnson Space Center (JSC) here in Houston, where many
brilliant, hardworking government employees and contractors
also work here. JSC is at the center--or presently charged with
curation of extraterrestrial samples, and is home to the Astral
Materials Acquisition and Curation Office. JSC has experience
curating samples from the Apollo Moon landings, meteorites,
cosmic dust, and the Genesis, Stardust, and Hayabusa missions,
and will process samples from the Osiris Rex mission. The Mars
Perseverance mission is gathering and storing samples for an
eventual Mars sample return mission--fascinating--which is
still in the planning phase.
From your perspective as the co-lead on returned sample
science for the Perseverance rover mission, does NASA plan to
store and curate Mars sample returns at Johnson? And what
impediments are there to using JSC's Astral Materials
Acquisition and Curation Office, and the unique capabilities
that JSC possesses? Because I would like to do everything that
I possibly can to eliminate whatever impediments those might
be.
Dr. Bosak. Unfortunately, I'm not--well, not
unfortunately. We are really responsible--the team of Mars 2020
mission, the Perseverance rover mission, is responsible to--for
recognizing, identifying, and collecting the best samples, and
the plans for curation, storage, later allocation, are all
under development by the Mars Sample Return Program. So I think
the plans are being developed not by necessarily the members--
the teams members of Mars 2020. I think Michael can speak more
to that.
Mr. Babin. OK. Dr. Meyer, can you speak to that?
Dr. Meyer. Yeah. I mean, Johnson is long recognized for
their expertise in astral materials, and I think they do a
fantastic job, and we are targeting Johnson to be the
implementation lead for the samples that come back from Mars.
Where the facility is actually located hasn't been determined
yet, and part of that is just whatever other factors are coming
into play. And, as an example, we're right now on an
international group, competitively selected, trying to work out
what the requirements are for the facility because, as you
know, the Mars samples are unique, and they have some
challenges of not only keeping them pristine and doing the best
science that you can on them, but also keeping them contained
while you're trying to do the science, at least initially.
And--so we're going to--you know, we would like to open
that up and have--when we figure out, really, what the
requirements are, and what our capabilities are, in terms of--
facility that we can do, Johnson will lead that effort, in
terms of determining where the actual facility is.
Mr. Babin. OK. Thank you. And I guess your testimony also
highlights how Perseverance is paving the way for future crewed
missions to Mars by demonstrating oxygen production with a
MOXIE instrument, and the use of terrain relative navigation
that you had mentioned. Can you speak to how terrain relative
navigation will also assist future Artemis missions to the
Moon, and how it could be incorporated into human landings?
Dr. Meyer. Yeah. Well, certainly the issue with--
particularly with Mars, and in the--and the Moon is that
there's a time delay between when something happens and when
people on Earth actually get to see it. So when you're trying
to pick precise landing, you know, you want to land next to the
equipment you left, you know, that you put there for your
humans to go to, or resources that are available, you need
precision landing. And terrain relative navigation has shown us
that we can do it autonomously. And so for that we know that we
can put things on the surface of another planetary body, and
put humans right next to them so they can use them.
Mr. Babin. Thank you very much. And now, for Dr. Beegle,
is the Perseverance rover looking for signs of life or signs of
ancient life? If NASA is only searching for signs of ancient
life, is this because the instruments are too complex, or
perhaps too costly, to search for extant life, or because NASA
doesn't believe that Mars is capable of harboring life more.
Understanding that you may be a little biased as a Mars
researcher, how should this information play into
considerations of whether to continue exploring Mars, or to
focus more on Venus, Europa, Ganymede, Titan, or other
celestial bodies?
Dr. Beegle. So we're looking for signs of ancient life
because we simply don't believe that Mars is habitable, at
least to the upper few centimeters, today. But as Dr. Ehlmann
has pointed out, that Mars is the most Earth-like planet, and
if life started there, we would assume that life would--if we
find that--signs of ancient life, we could tie it back to what
started life on the Earth, and Europa and Ganymede may have had
different origins of life, if it started there at all. So while
we could find it if it was there, I--we don't expect any extant
life to be present.
Mr. Babin. OK.
Dr. Ehlmann. If I----
Mr. Babin. Did somebody want to say something?
Dr. Ehlmann. If I could just briefly add, I think--wanted
to emphasize--Luther noted--Dr. Beegle noted that it's the
upper centimeters that we don't think are habitable, but once
you get down a meter, or maybe a few, it gets a lot better.
You're out of the radiation, you might be near some ice or
water. So that's the place to look on Mars.
Mr. Babin. Well, you know what, I didn't get a chance to
ask you a question, Dr. Ehlmann, but thank you very much for
that answer. And I could go on for the next 1 hour at least,
but I'll have to yield back, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Chairman Beyer. And, Dr. Babin, I think we're going to do
at least a second round, because our curiosity is large. And--
--
Mr. Babin. Absolutely.
Chairman Beyer. And with that, I'd love to introduce
perhaps the greatest enthusiast for Mars exploration in the
U.S. Congress, the author of the Mars 2033 bumper sticker that
many of us have, Congressman Perlmutter.
Mr. Perlmutter. And I'm sorry I don't have that today,
because I'm in California, but I've got to tell a story. So,
Dr. Bosak, your question--or your comment about the enthusiasm
of people, you know, reaching out to you--so I chair a
different--Committee on Financial Services, the Banking
Subcommittee, and I was getting interviewed by the Wall Street
Journal just as Perseverance was landing a month or two ago,
whenever it was, and I couldn't talk about banking. All I could
talk about with this guy from the Wall Street Journal was the
Perseverance landing, and it's because I was so excited about
it. And I am excited about the efforts and the successes that
you've had so far.
And Dr. Babin, you know, I mean--a lot of times you can't
have success without, you know, a few trials and errors, and
we've had those too. But this one seems to be--you know, each
time you try something--Ingenuity it took you, you know,
reprogramming it a little bit before it could take off. You
know, the cameras, Dr. Beegle, seem to be working fantastic. We
haven't quite tried the drilling yet, I don't think, but, you
know, you're taking these one step at a time. So I want to talk
about MOXIE, and I want to talk about Ingenuity, if I could.
And so explain to me the process--what's going on with
MOXIE as we're figuring out how to create oxygen on this
planet, which will benefit us, you know, in many different
ways? And I just open all of these questions to all the
panelists, so jump in as you choose. Dr. Beegle?
Dr. Beegle. So I can explain what's going on with MOXIE.
And MOXIE had--did a run the other night where they take
CO2 out of the atmosphere, and they turn that
CO2 into breathable oxygen, or oxygen that could be
used for rocket fuel. They run overnight. It's a wonderful
instrument, and they created enough that you could breathe on
Mars for 10 minutes, which doesn't sound like a lot, but really
is. It's the start of that whole process, and it's a
fascinating instrument.
Mr. Perlmutter. Anybody else want to talk about MOXIE? And
then we'll get to Ingenuity. OK.
Dr. Meyer [continuing]. It's OK, what I would like to
mention is that the way it does it is it splits the molecule,
so it strips the two oxygens off of the carbon, and that's how
it's generating oxygen. So it's kind of a neat process. It
takes a catalytic converter, but it's a test. And the volume
depends on how big of a thing you want to use.
Mr. Perlmutter. Great, the old catalytic converter. That's
amazing. So, Dr. Meyer, do you see this as sort of a precursor
of some kind of bigger system that would then, you know, enable
our--if--so I am a big proponent of human space exploration,
and hope to see our astronauts on Mars by 2033, and I wish I
had my bumper sticker for you, but I don't. Do you see this as
something that will--we could put together to really provide
oxygen for our astronauts, or for fuel? I mean, in it--so, you
know, a massive kind of approach to this?
Dr. Meyer. So how I see the real advantage is is that you
can put a system for--like MOXIE onto the surface of Mars, and
have it operating for years, and then send humans, or then send
your return spacecraft, and you can make use of that oxygen
that has been generated.
You know, one of the things to keep in mind is that rocket
fuel is an oxidant and a reductant, so, like--something like
methane or ethanol, and then the oxygen. Well, the oxygen is
actually the heavier part, so this goes a long way in making--
getting to the surface of Mars with something you can return--
if you make most of the mass of your fuel on the planet itself,
it's a huge advantage.
Mr. Perlmutter. Great. To the geologists, how are you
going to use Ingenuity to help you explore a little bit of the
geology up there?
Dr. Ehlmann. I guess I'll start, and then hand it over to
Professor Bosak. So, you know, Ingenuity is a technology
demonstration. You know, it wasn't even originally part of the
mission, but I think that is part of the reason that we
explore, and that is part of the reason the U.S. Space Program
is so outstanding is that we dare to do audacious things, like
fly a helicopter on another planet. Like, wow. And you know
what? We figured out how to do it. It worked.
And so Ingenuity is going to, you know, on its final
flight, scout out some of the terrain around us, we hope
getting a closer view than what we have from orbit, but what I
think's super important is how it paves the way for future
exploration technology. There are already folks at JPL who are
talking about, ``Well, you know, what if, instead of carrying a
tiny little 500 gram cell phone camera, could we put 5
kilograms of science payload on there so we could fly down the
canyons of Mars from spot to spot, taking images, making
chemical measurements?'' So I think what's important about
Ingenuity is it's paving the path for future exploration.
Mr. Perlmutter. Thank you very much. My time is expired.
Mr. Chairman, I love this stuff. I yield back.
Chairman Beyer. That is obvious, Congressman Perlmutter,
and we're all so fortunate. Let me now recognize the Ranking
Member of the Full Committee, the past Chairman of the Science
Committee, Congressman Frank Lucas.
Mr. Lucas. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I address my
questions to the panel in general. This Committee's always
promoted a balanced portfolio at NASA, and we worked very hard
to--by the informed nature of the National Academies Decadal
Studies. Our Committee's always been very supportive of
planetary science missions throughout the solar system. Given
the number of Mars missions during the last decade, how would
you recommend we balance the planetary science portfolio in
future years? Anyone that's willing to touch the wire, I'm
happy to listen.
Dr. Ehlmann. Well, sure, I'll touch the hot wire. So
what's most important is that, you know, scientists, we need to
get together and prioritize our science, and then communicate
those messages to Congress, to the President, and so we're in
the process of doing that right now through the National
Academies Planetary Decadal Survey process. So over the last,
you know, year, year and a half, we've been trying to hash out
that question, arguing amongst ourselves, ``Well, what is the
right balance between outer solar system, inner solar system,
small missions, big missions?''
You know, I think the answer is we need a Mars exploration
program because Mars is unique. Mars is special. Mars sample
return is an enormous investment, but it pays it back. It pays
it back in terms of proving how we can come, and then go, and
then bring back. We would want to do that before humans, and
the science return, as Professor Bosak said, will be amazing.
So we need to have that balance, and we--I can say the
Planetary Decadal Survey looks forward to communicating to
Congress its relative prioritization.
Mr. Lucas. Absolutely. Perseverance has----
Dr. Beegle. And I'll also----
Mr. Lucas [continuing]. Already demonstrated--please.
Dr. Beegle. Sorry. I'll also add that we do the other
missions as well, so there is a balance for working on the
Europa--the orbiter mission right--on Europa flyby mission
right now, Europa Clipper, and there is the--I think there is
the balance--I think most people in the community think there
is a decent balance.
Dr. Meyer. And I would just like to add one thought, if
that's OK. It's balancing the science of planetary sciences,
not necessarily equal number of targets, in terms of missions.
And in some ways Mars has an advantage because of the amount of
information that we can learn from exploring Mars, and the
short--let's say the not so long time to get there and get the
information back. So it has a little bit of an advantage, so I
don't feel so bad that we've had so many missions to Mars,
because they have really returned--fantastic amount of data.
And I don't envy Bethany's job on the decadal to--helping sort
out what those priorities are.
Mr. Lucas. Absolutely. Perseverance has already
demonstrated multiple technologies that'll assist in the future
human exploration of the Moon and Mars. And to help Mr.
Perlmutter achieve all those goals, what are some of the
examples of technology demonstrations on future planetary
missions which will further assist human exploration throughout
the entire solar system? Again, I'm trying to help Mr.
Perlmutter.
Dr. Meyer. I'll take a quick crack at that, and hopefully
my other--fellow witnesses will chime in. But there are things
that will really help human exploration that we actually
haven't demonstrated yet, and that is, for instance,
rendezvousing in space with your spacecraft, testing out
operations--so one of the challenges are--I used to do field
work, and there's a world of difference between doing something
where you're 3 days away from help, like a hospital or food
sources, compared to multiple years. And so I think one of the
key parts of Gateway, and the Artemis Program, is, in fact,
testing out your operations and your housing for the astronauts
to be reliable on the long term.
Dr. Beegle. I would also add that there's an aspect of
autonomy that we don't talk enough about. There's a couple
versions of autonomy. One is the rover drives itself, but
there's also the idea that the rover can figure out how it's
working, and how it's functioning, and what its basic
mechanical state is. As we develop more and more autonomy to--
for the rover to figure out what's going on, that helps in
human spacecraft because you will have the human rovers, and
equipment, and things like that, really be able to understand
how well it's functioning, whether or not it's about to break
down, which is something that would be very valuable for human
missions.
Mr. Lucas. My time's expired. I wish to thank the panel
for those insights, and yield back to the Chairman.
Chairman Beyer. Thank you, Congressman Lucas. I now
recognize the Congressman from greater New Jersey, leaders on
education and labor, Congressman Norcross.
Mr. Norcross. Thank you, Chairman, appreciate it. And the
people who are on this call, you can just see the smiles
because it's things that we believe passionately about. As a
young man, you know, the Mercury, Gemini, I was one of those
kids that got NASA tech briefs when they used to be put out on
paper. I had no idea what I was looking at, but it's that sort
of driving force that keeps me and so many involved because
it's about what we're learning.
I want to talk about private investment. If you Google
private space, you'll get 25 different companies, so I sort of
split those into two categories, those who are facilitating
different components, whether it's the rocket or the
instruments. The other side of that is private investment into
space. What do you think drives the private investment for the
future, and I'm assuming this is way in the future, to either
Mars, to an asteroid, or others. What would drive them that
there is a payback, and when do you think that would happen? I
know it's a wide open question, but at some point you do all
the work, and somebody comes in and takes the profit out of it,
but where do think that--and where do you think it would be?
And that's for all three. Love to hear that.
Dr. Ehlmann. Guess I'll start us off. So there's, you
know, private industry has been--has always played a huge part.
You know, so many of the procurements for our rovers and
instruments are from private companies, so big role. I think
what you're poking at, though, is that that role seems to be
changing a little bit, and I think it's driven by the
increasing access to space, driven by lower launch costs, and a
number of companies are competing in that arena, just lowering
the cost of access.
The other thing that's happening is with small sats, and
with commercial technology in orbit, there are many more
entrants into this field, many more private companies, small
private companies, building components, so I think the
motivation is largely profit, that we see a market in space.
And I think one of us--the challenges for us as planetary
scientists is to think about how to extend that market to
enable more exploration and more activity. It's happening at
the Moon, with the Commercial Lunar Space Flight Program. I
want to highlight the lunar CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload
Services) program, which I think can be extended to Mars if we,
like, for example, regularize the delivery, or set up, you
know, comm infrastructure contracts to provide communications
from rovers and landers back, these are things industry could
do, so we have to think about what's the right role--what's the
right contracting vehicle to have, you know, shared risk, for
example, in some of the development, and how do we incentivize
that? Some people want to go anyway, right, just to go. Like,
Elon Musk is an example, right? Others, they see the market,
and so we need to think about how to incentivize that to enable
more exploration.
Mr. Norcross. If I could, just to sort of narrow the
focus, I--plenty of investment to getting things out there, the
Rocket Lab, SpaceX, the list goes on. Moving beyond what we
already know as commercial space around our planet, the Moon,
Mars, or others, what's going to drive them into that next
spot? You know, how long did it take to really get private
investment around our own planet from when we started this
game, right? 40 years. Where do we think this is going, and
what would drive them to go to, like, Moon, or back to Mars?
What do you see as a reason for them to go there?
Dr. Beegle. I will----
Dr. Meyer. I'll----
Dr. Beegle [continuing]. Say that there's--well, there's--
I'll just say real quick that there is a cadre of companies
that are looking into asteroid mining, and that is something
that is--it seems to be picking up speed, so that would be the
first commercial aspect of return on investment that
potentially would be made 1 day. But, beyond that, that's--I
will defer to Mike Meyer--Dr. Meyer.
Dr. Meyer. Well, I am certainly not the expert, and this
is highly speculative, but I remember----
Mr. Norcross. Absolutely.
Dr. Meyer [continuing]. Talk about 15 years ago at a
Committee on Space Research assembly, and it's actually--the
person said, ``We will be at Mars with humans sustainably when
it becomes''--``when you're able to do it for tourism.'' And
when I heard that I thought the person was nuts. But then the
more I thought about it, and the more I had to answer my cell
phone, the more I thought, ``What a great pleasure it'd be
where you get someplace where you're so far away that you can't
have regular conversations with everybody else who wants to
talk to you, but you could actually take a vacation, and you
would be someplace entirely exotic for an extended period of
time.'' And it makes more sense to me now.
Mr. Norcross. Can I suggest a CODEL (congressional
delegation)? Maybe to Mars, Mr. Chairman? Thank you, I yield
back.
Chairman Beyer. We'll request--we'll ask the Full Chairman
and the Ranking Member for permission to schedule that CODEL.
Thank you Mr. Norcross. I now recognize a Congressman known for
many reasons, but best known as the Congressman from Cape
Canaveral, Mr. Posey.
Mr. Posey. Thank you, Chairman Beyer, and Vice Chairman
Babin, for holding this very, very interesting hearing.
Dr. Meyer, you mentioned that just getting a spacecraft to
launch during the pandemic was no easy feat, and I assume
especially considering the 2-year window. Can you describe some
of the challenges that COVID-19 posed to launching on time, and
how NASA and ULA (United Launch Alliance) were able to work
together to overcome those challenges?
Dr. Meyer. Yeah. I mean, this is something that, with only
being able to talk for 5 minutes in the beginning, is something
that I wasn't able to delve into, so thank you very much for
the question. I think it is a tremendous heroic effort. And, as
you mentioned, just getting a spacecraft to a launch pad on
time to meet the planetary window, that's a huge challenge.
And, as we know, in the past, we don't always make it, and this
time, having COVID show up, you know, basically in the middle
of what's called ATLO, Assembly, Testing, and Launch
Operations, it was tremendous.
And--so one of the things that really struck me was the
whole operation team down in Florida had to basically form
their own COVID bubble. So they had to be with each other all
the time, which is maybe not necessarily a bad thing, but, you
know, they had to self-isolate in preparation to going to
Florida, and then while they're at Florida, and then how did
you do summer rotation? It was an extreme challenge because
that was the only way that you could actually get together and
work on the equipment that you have to send to another planet.
Otherwise--you can't do it all by Zoom.
Mr. Posey. Well, thanks, that's a great answer. In your
conclusion you state NASA's Mars Declaration program continues
to lead the world in learning about Mars and developing
technology that allows us to delve even deeper into
[inaudible]. I was just wondering, with this being the ninth
mission to have a U.S. spacecraft successfully land on Mars,
what are some of the secrets that might be----
Dr. Meyer. Well, this is a public meeting. Do you want me
to reveal those secrets?
Mr. Posey. Well----
Dr. Meyer. Yeah.
Mr. Posey. What do some people hope we will find? On the
best view of things what could we discover?
Dr. Meyer. You mean what we may find on Mars? Or are you
talking about what the challenge--the--sort of the--how do we--
how have we been successful? I'm----
Mr. Posey. No, just----
Dr. Meyer. I'm kind of----
Mr. Posey. Yeah, I think you mentioned that as we delve
deeper into the secrets of the red planet with each mission,
what might we be looking forward to finding out about Mars?
Dr. Meyer. So--yeah. So--OK. Well, as been mentioned, Mars
is very similar to Earth, and--some aspects to it that I think
are absolutely fascinating. One of them is it's gone through
huge transformations in its climate, and this happens on
multiple time scales. And--but the record is--what the planet
actually did is there. And so, in some ways, we can look at
those rocks and determine, well, what happens when you increase
the atmospheric pressure by twice as much, or 10 times as much,
or, you know, even as much as Earth? You can look at how very--
how the tilt of the planet has varied the climate. It really
helps you to test your climate models on another planet where
they--the planet itself has done the testing for you. It's done
the experiments. And so then you get a much better idea of how
a planet behaves with its atmosphere when conditions change.
And it's kind of simple in terms of--for instance, on
Earth, while we're increasing the CO2 in our
atmosphere, and we have models that kind of tell us what we
think is going to happen, Mars has some great examples of
extreme variability that will tell us--and give us a much
better idea of how that's gone back and forth. And, real quick,
I think this has already been mentioned, but certainly should
never be forgotten, if life got started on Mars, there are
still places where we think that life could be there today, and
that's going to be a real challenge. And let's say the last--
that we can think of as scientists is in the deep subsurface
in--where we think that there are potential aquifers. So that's
one of those--almost a horizon goal, in terms of looking for
life on Mars.
Mr. Posey. Well, that's super interesting, and I thank you
for explaining that to us. And I see my time has expired, so I
yield back, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Beyer. Thank you, Mr. Posey, very much. Now
recognize the gentleman from Florida, Governor Crist.
Mr. Crist. Hello, Mr. Chairman. How are you today?
Chairman Beyer. Excellent.
Mr. Crist. Great, great. Is it my turn? I'm sorry, I
couldn't hear you for a minute.
Chairman Beyer. Yes, it is your turn.
Mr. Crist. Thank you. Thank you so much, and I want to
thank the witnesses for being with us today. Dr. Bosak, can you
discuss what you are trying to find on Mars that would indicate
microbial life, and how you will know definitively if life does
exist on Mars, please?
Dr. Bosak. Yes. So we are looking for past life. We are
looking for life as it may have looked like 3.5 billion years
ago, or even earlier, so we are not looking for current life.
And basically----
Mr. Crist. You're looking for dead life, is that what
you're saying?
Dr. Bosak. Dead life, exactly. So what we are looking for
are fossils----
Mr. Crist. OK.
Dr. Bosak [continuing]. Fingerprints of some fossil life.
And I can actually show you some examples of rocks that would
tell me, just based on their shapes, that there must have been
some life there. And that's probably the holy grail of we--what
we can hope for by this mission, just to see something in the
field. But, because we are looking for life that--really, from
everything we know about life--microbial, we will have to bring
samples back, and we will have to analyze these samples with--
it won't be one person who looks at one sample with one
instrument and says, ``I think I see an outline of a cell, some
former microbial cell'', and--so we are talking something that
is microscopic. But there will be another team that has to look
at that outline and say, ``Yes, I see organic carbon in
there.'' And then there will be another team looking at the
same outline and saying ``Yes, we see some concentration of
elements that usually go with carbon in living organisms.'' And
then someone else will have to measure the shapes and sizes of
all these features, and say, ``Yeah, they really are
consistent, and we cannot think of any processes that can
create that.'' It can't be just oil bubbles, or something--you
know, some asteroid delivered some material. So there will be a
lot of different tests that'll have to go--because it's an
extraordinary claim. And before we make those kinds of
announcements, we will have to really make--as certain, based
on the knowledge of the time, that this could be life. We'll--
everything else.
Mr. Crist. Wonderful. Thank you. Dr. Ehlmann, you note in
your testimony that the rock record on Mars extends much
further back in time than what is preserved here on Earth.
Based on what we know of Mars right now, do you think it's
possible that we could find signs of life on Mars that are
older than the first signs of life on Earth?
Dr. Ehlmann. That's actually a great question. The oldest
life that people sort of agree upon on Earth in the fossil
record is about 3.5 billion years old. There are hints of
earlier life, you know, maybe as far as 3.8, but the problem
with our Earth is that, one, we have tectonic plates that
deform the rocks, that heat them, that mess up the textures.
And also, frankly, new Earth life eats organics from old life,
so our life itself is destroying the record of past life on
Earth. So, yes, I do think it is possible--it looks like all
the conditions existed on Mars 3.5 billion years ago to create
habitable environments. The record is much more pristine,
though, because it's sort of captured frozen in time over 50
percent of the surface. So we have lakes, rivers, aquifers,
like underground in Florida, and hydrothermal systems, all of
which are different types of environments to look for life.
Mr. Crist. Wonderful. Dr. Meyer, when talking about the
possibility of life on other planets we hear a lot about liquid
water, and looking for signs that conditions are right for
water to exist. What are some other known requirements for life
as we know it to exist on other planets?
Dr. Meyer. Yeah, it is broader than water, because, you
know, with water at least we find that consistent, and we don't
have to argue about it with life here on Earth, and what we
think life is--you know, what the potential for life is in our
solar system. But yeah, there are certain major things that
should also be there. One of them is, of course, the right
elements, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur.
Those are the things that we're all made out of. That's what
everything that's alive on Earth is made out of, so you would
hope you have those. You probably want certain compounds. You
may want some trace elements, because they're important for
enzymes to work, and that sort of thing.
The other is, in fact, energy, and this may be a more
challenging one to look for for extraterrestrial life because,
if you don't have enough you can't do anything, if you have too
much, the energy is too much, and it destroys what complexity
is liable to evolve. So those other things are sort of other
things you would look for. And, in fact, one of the great
things that Curiosity did within the first year of its mission
is, in fact, it found everything that we can think of that are
required for life, and that's why we can now say, yes, barely,
at least early Mars could have supported life, if it ever got
started there, because it has all the right ingredients.
Mr. Crist. Great. Thank you, Doctor, and, Mr. Chairman,
I'll yield back. My time has expired. Thank you.
Chairman Beyer. Thank you, Governor, very much. And we can
move to a second round for anyone who's brave enough to hang in
there. But I completely understand, as busy as our schedules
are right now, if Members have to go off to other things. So
let me begin, and, by the way, thank you, Dr. Babin, for co-
chairing this with me.
First I want to apologize to our panelists for having Andy
Weir appear before the Space Subcommittee before you, you know,
and we actually packed the room with press. But, anyway, that's
just--on sample return, and maybe this is a question for Dr.
Beegle, are we dependent on the human space flight to Mars to
retrieve it, or can it be retrieved in the meantime?
Dr. Beegle. That's a great question, and the answer is
that we can retrieve it in the meantime. There is a series of
missions that are proposed that Dr. Meyer could talk more about
that will go pick up the samples that we're collecting, and
eventually bring them back in the 2030 timeframe. And all that
can be done robotically.
Chairman Beyer. So 2030, so a couple years ahead of the
Perlmutter schedule for human space flight to Mars?
Dr. Beegle. Yes.
Chairman Beyer. OK, excellent. Great. Let me ask a deep,
existential question for you guys. Of the four of you--and I
rarely ask for--the whole panel a question, but I'd love to
know where each of you are on your belief that there is other
life in the universe, that life seems to be so unique, and
consciousness itself so unique. Dr. Bosak, can I start with
you?
Dr. Bosak. Certainly. I will tell you this, one of my
favorite, if not my favorite science fiction book is ``His
Master's Voice'' by Stanislaw Lem. He was brilliant. And it is
not so much about whether there's life, but about the people's
need to look for signs of life, and interpret signals, and keep
interpreting signals. The whole book is about this whole field
of science, and people being fascinated by a tiny signal they
captured from some star, and arguing about whether it's a
signal at all. So I think part of the excitement--and I
wouldn't--I think this--consciousness that makes us unique. I
think the search makes us unique. It----
Chairman Beyer. Could----
Dr. Bosak [continuing]. Really makes us something bigger
than just, you know, microbes converting energy to live. But
then again, if I start thinking about life, I think mostly--I'm
a microbiologist, really, so I think of life mostly as
microbes, and that probably doesn't have too much
consciousness, yet it can be really easily spread. And, in
fact, even the ancient Greeks talked about seeds that could
travel from stars and planets to other planets. And this is the
really cool thing about this mission, and the sample return,
because we can actually test some of that. There is a strong
idea that maybe life even started on Mars, and then it was
transferred to Earth early on. And we can start playing with
these ideas. We can look at these samples and see how similar--
if anything we find, how similar it is----
Chairman Beyer. Well, thank you----
Dr. Bosak [continuing]. Like----
Chairman Beyer [continuing]. For the book recommendation--
--
Dr. Bosak. It's great.
Chairman Beyer [continuing]. Just--begin with. Dr.
Ehlmann, is there other life in the universe? I mean----
Dr. Ehlmann. I----
Chairman Beyer [continuing]. Your leap. I know--you know,
just--what do you think?
Dr. Ehlmann. Yeah. I--this is one of the reasons we
explore. I think there is, and I think many people think it
would be strange that in the vastness of the universe, with--
and billions of stars, each of which have many planets, that we
are the only ones. But if--I agree with Professor Bosak that
it's the search that matters. It's the search that's inspiring.
And, you know, just even thinking about our own solar system,
the question was asked earlier about the portfolio of
exploration and balance, we now have the technical capability
to look for life on Mars, on Europa, on Enceladus, on Venus. We
should do it, because this is an inspiring journey that really
will inspire the whole country to do hard things. And let's
start the questions with the life questions in our own solar
system, where we can access the planets, while we keep using
telescopes to look beyond.
Chairman Beyer. Thank you very much. Dr. Meyer, I guess,
since you call yourself an astrobiologist, that that may be
implicit in your title, but what do you think?
Dr. Meyer. Yeah. I--that's a big yes. I mean, as Bethany
says, there's, like, 100 billion stars in the galaxy, and
there's 100 billion galaxies. It would be absolutely,
spectacularly amazing and hard to believe if there wasn't life
out in the universe. The real question is how common is it? You
know, because if it's on the other side of the universe, how
likely it is that you'd ever find it, or notice it. And so the
real question is commonality.
And, as Bethany says, you know, in our own solar system,
we see multiple places that are--have real potential, and we
are the first generation of people on this planet that can
actually do experiments, can actually go and look, and answer
the question how common life is in the universe.
Chairman Beyer. That's very cool. I'm going to use my
extraordinary power as Chair and let myself go over because I
want to hear Dr. Beegle's ideas also.
Dr. Beegle. So I agree with Dr. Meyer, Dr. Ehlmann, and
Dr. Bosak that life is--the odds of life not existing elsewhere
in the universe are very slim, that--the questions we ask
ourselves a lot is the--how--is there more than just single-
celled organisms? It took a long time on Earth before life
revolved from the single-celled organism to multi-celled
organisms, and that's the question we continue to ask and
ponder, which is a much more difficult question, because it
involves understanding the evolution of life on different
planets, and you have no idea what the conditions are like, and
that's the question that we really are trying to sink our teeth
into.
Chairman Beyer. Thank you very much for--and I ask this
because--well my favorite recent book is Max Tegmark's ``The
Mathematical Universe'', who finishes with a strong argument
against there being other life. And he says in any room full of
scientists he'll ask who believes in life elsewhere in the
universe, and every hand would go up, and then he argues
against. But I'm not going to try to recreate the argument, but
it is interesting. However, I will like to recreate the
Congressman from Denver, Mr. Perlmutter, for his questions.
Mr. Perlmutter. Thanks, Mr. Chair. And he sent me that
book, and I'm trying to wade through it. It's a pretty heavy
math book, but--he's trying to educate us as part of this
Subcommittee.
So, Dr. Meyer, let me start with you. When I was talking
to Dr. Ehlmann about Ingenuity, she said it was an audacious
addition to the project. So how--and for the others, how do you
get your experiments--you know, once you've decided we're going
to send another rover up to Mars, I mean, how does Dr. Bosak
get her experiment on your--on the trip? So let me start with
you, and then I'd like to hear from their side how they manage
to get their experiments as part of the whole process.
Dr. Meyer. Yeah, it--well, I'll put it this way. It's
quite a gauntlet, in terms of what's needed, but as we've done
for Curiosity, and we also did for Perseverance, we put a call
out that says we're going to send a mission to Mars, this is
what the goal is, send us your proposal for an instrument, and
we'll see how it all fits together. And so it very much is open
competition for people to propose whatever they think is
applicable to the goal, right? And--very rigorous competition.
It is--it's actually very hard to go through the whole process,
and then you have to choose--you have to narrow it down to
those things that will fit on the mission from all the
excellent proposals that you receive. And then there's a little
bit of a give and take where you don't want to send two of the
same instrument, you want to make sure they complement each
other. You want to make sure one instrument doesn't use all the
resources on the mission. So there's a little bit of making
sure they fit well together.
But the real process is individuals, obviously experienced
in having a whole team behind them, proposing what they think
would be the best instrument, and then the whole review process
to select that, and that's been extremely successful so far.
Mr. Perlmutter. Great. Dr. Bosak, how did you get involved
with this project?
Dr. Bosak. I answered one of these proposal calls. When
all the instruments already had been selected, and really
advanced in the works to get on the rover, there was a proposal
call by the Mars program to select participating sample
scientists, and they were looking for people who actually work
on samples in laboratories, because they wanted to ensure that
people who--that people think about how to collect a sample,
how to orient a sample. And there is a diverse team of us who
were selected, so we wrote proposals about what we could do
with these samples, and how we would take notes to document and
tell people why we selected certain samples.
Mr. Perlmutter. Great. Dr. Beegle, how did SHERLOC become
part of this?
Dr. Beegle. It's a pretty simple process. Back in the mid
1990's we started thinking about ideas on how to send something
to Mars to look for life. You write a proposal, you write more
proposal, you write another proposal. You have to go in and do
the scientific rationale behind what measurement you're going
to do at the same time you're doing the engineering to show
that you can actually do it. There's a lot of instruments that
fail on one of those two things because it's a very complex
environment, scientifically, to make a measurement, and it's a
very complex environment from a--temperature, pressure,
radiation, and everything else, that--you have to show--
vibrations--you have to get your technology to work.
You write a bunch of proposals, you write a bunch of
papers, you get scientific buy-in, and then in 2012 we knew
that there was going to be an announcement of opportunity. We
spent a year writing the proposal, we submitted the proposal,
proposal got accepted. There were 58 different concepts that
went into that call, and we were one of seven that got
selected. And then the fun really begins, where you actually
have to build your instrument that's the size of a room down to
a size of a shoebox, and show that it works. It's a fun
process.
Mr. Perlmutter. Well, it sounds--starting in the 1990's,
it sounds like you were able to perfect it over a period of
time, so thank you. Dr. Ehlmann, what about you?
Dr. Ehlmann. I guess I'll talk bout something that people
don't always talk about, which is kind of the failure aspect of
instrument proposals--or not failures, but lack of selection.
So, you know, I'm privileged to be part of two extraordinary
instruments, one led by Dr. Beegle, I'm part of his team, and
then Dr. Jim Bell at Arizona State, part of his team. I also
led a team that proposed an instrument, one of the 50 or so to
the rover. We ranked Category One, which is as high as you can
possibly rank, but in the end we weren't selected. Reasons of
balance, reasons of--but this is where, as scientists, we
compete, and then we collaborate, and we do both
simultaneously, and that's what brings the best ideas to the
forefront.
I've gone through this process again, a different mission,
different competition, different call, one of NASA's small sat
competitions, and I'm the Principal Investigator of Lunar
Trailblazer, a small satellite going to the Moon that will map
its water. So it's a process. Sometimes you win, sometimes you
don't, but you keep going forward to do the best science, and
bring the best instruments and missions to light.
Mr. Perlmutter. Thank you very much. I yield back, Mr.
Chair.
Chairman Beyer. Congressman Perlmutter, thank you so much.
It's--I love serving on this Committee with you. And this
brings our hearing to a close, but I do have one final
question, is--after Mars, Europa? What do you think?
Dr. Ehlmann. Europa for sure, Europa Clipper mission.
Chairman Beyer. OK.
Dr. Ehlmann. Enceladus would be great too. Venus, all
sorts of good things.
Chairman Beyer. But Europa we could actually land on,
right? And water, and----
Dr. Beegle. One of the missions--I think the next mission
to actually look for extant life, what--as Bethany--Dr. Ehlmann
pointed out earlier was--is drilling, is getting underneath the
surface of Mars, and/or Europa, and/or Enceladus to--that
protected environment, where there's liquid water on Europa and
Enceladus, and where there might be aquifers on Mars. That
would be the one thing I would advocate for.
Chairman Beyer. Well, thank you all very much. This is
definitely the most fun Science Committee hearing we've had
since the folks who discovered gravitational waves came and
spoke to us. And much more fun than Andy Weir, actually, so--so
we hope we'll have you back. We look forward to all the
progress you're going to make, not just on Perseverance or Mars
Sample Return, but for humanity, because you really do inspire
everything else that we do, so we're very, very grateful.
And let me finish with the official closing. Before we
bring this hearing to a close, I want to thank our witnesses,
of course. The record will remain open for 2 weeks for
additional statements from the Members, and for any additional
questions the Committee may ask of the witnesses. So, with
that, you are excused, lunchtime, the hearing is now adjourned,
and thank you very much.
[Whereupon, at 12:35 p.m., the Subcommittee was
adjourned.]
Appendix
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Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
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