Mars: The Interesting Bits Options

[Doug M.]

Inspired by the recent story about ExoMars site selection. So they want to land someplace that has evidence of water, someplace with sedimentary rocks, someplace ancient... and someplace safe. Oh, and also low latitudes. That's not explicitly stated, but ExoMars is using solar panels, so they're not likely to pick a spot at 50 degrees north.

Here's a thing: if you're just casually looking at a map of Mars, what jumps out at you as interesting-looking places to poke around? I'd say three: the big volcanoes, the Valles Marineris, and the Hellas Basin. But Hellas seems to be a perpetual also-ran, and the volcanoes and the VM don't even get a mention.

Is there any prospect of a mission to any of these regions? Is the main constraint that it's too dangerous, too rugged, or that those areas are less scientifically interesting?


Doug M.