Martian Exploration of Lava Tubes (MELT) with ReachBot: Scientific Investigation and Concept of Operations

TL;DR

This paper proposes using ReachBot, a robot with extendable limbs, to explore Martian lava tubes for astrobiological research, outlining mission operations, science goals, and risk mitigation strategies.

Contribution

It introduces a novel robotic approach with a detailed concept of operations for exploring Martian lava tubes, addressing current exploration challenges.

Findings

Potential for scientific return in astrobiology

Framework for deploying ReachBot on Mars

Analysis of mission risks and mitigation strategies

Abstract

As natural access points to the subsurface, lava tubes and other caves have become premier targets of planetary missions for astrobiological analyses. Few existing robotic paradigms, however, are able to explore such challenging environments. ReachBot is a robot that enables navigation in planetary caves by using extendable and retractable limbs to locomote. This paper outlines the potential science return and mission operations for a notional mission that deploys ReachBot to a martian lava tube. In this work, the motivating science goals and science traceability matrix are provided to guide payload selection. A Concept of Operations (ConOps) is also developed for ReachBot, providing a framework for deployment and activities on Mars, analyzing mission risks, and developing mitigation strategies