NAI Principal Investigator Named in Mars Scout Selections

Bruce Jakosky, PI of NAI’s University of Colorado, Boulder Team, has been selected to develop his Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, mission proposal. His was one of just two proposals selected for future robotic missions to Mars.

Dr. Jakosky and his team will receive initial funding of approximately $2 million to conduct a nine-month implementation feasibility study. Following these detailed mission concept studies, NASA intends to select one of the two proposals by late 2007 for full development as a Mars Scout mission. MAVEN would provide first-of-its-kind measurements and address key questions about Mars climate and habitability and improve our understanding of dynamic processes in the upper Martian atmosphere and ionosphere. Congratulations Bruce!

Four of the five selected investigators in this competition have been or are currently supported by the Astrobiology program, including the following program elements: NAI, ASTEP, ASTID, and the former NSCORT program in Exobiology. [Source NAI Newsletter]