Mars exploration motivates the search for extraterrestrial life, the development of space technologies, and the design of human missions and habitations. Here, we seek new insights and pose unresolved questions relating to the natural history of Mars, habitability, robotic and human exploration, planetary protection, and the impacts on human society. Key observations and findings include: – high escape rates of early Mars' atmosphere, including loss of water, impact present-day habitability; – putative fossils on Mars will likely be ambiguous biomarkers for life; – microbial contamination resulting from human habitation is unavoidable; and – based on Mars' current planetary protection category, robotic payload(s) should characterize the local martian environment for any life-forms prior to human habitation. Some of the outstanding questions are: – which interpretation of the hemispheric dichotomy of the planet is correct; – to what degree did deep-penetrating faults transport subsurface liquids to Mars' surface; – in what abundance are carbonates formed by atmospheric processes; – what properties of martian meteorites could be used to constrain their source locations; – the origin(s) of organic macromolecules; – was/is Mars inhabited; – how can missions designed to uncover microbial activity in the subsurface eliminate potential false positives caused by microbial contaminants from Earth; – how can we ensure that humans and microbes form a stable and benign biosphere; and – should humans relate to putative extraterrestrial life from a biocentric viewpoint (preservation of all biology), or anthropocentric viewpoint of expanding habitation of space? Studies of Mars' evolution can shed light on the habitability of extrasolar planets. In addition, Mars exploration can drive future policy developments and confirm (or put into question) the feasibility and/or extent of human habitability of space.
<p>We give an update on ILEWG EuroMoonMars Results, with emphasis on activities and field campaigns that took place in 2019-2020 including lunar astronautics events during 2020 pandemics. We present life and research at Moonbase from EuroMoonMars campaigns EMMIHS HISEAs, EMMPOL Poland that simulated science and operations at future Moonbases. EuroMoonMars is an ILEWG programme&#160; following up ICEUM declarations as a collaboration between ILEWG, space agencies, academia, universities and research institutions and industries .</p><p><strong>EMMIHS campaigns (EuroMoonMars-IMA International Moonbase Alliance- HiSEAS): </strong>EuroMoonMars 2018-20 supported field campaigns at&#160; IMA HI-SEAS base on Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. The International Moonbase Alliance (IMA), an organization dedicated to building sustainable settlements on the Moon, has been organising regular simulated missions to the Moon or Mars at HI-SEAS. In 2019, the EuroMoonMars campaigns were launched at HI-SEAS, bringing together researchers from the European Space Agency, VU Amsterdam, ILEWG and IMA. Six scientists, engineers, explorers, journalists spent two weeks at the HI-SEAS station performing research relevant to both the Moon and Mars there. Research and technological experiments conducted at HI-SEAS will be used to help build a Moonbase .</p><p><strong>EuroMoonMars during 2020 Pandemics </strong>We had to replan and adapt EuroMoonMars workshops and fields events. A number of hybrid and virtual events could be organized following safety distancing instructions. We conducted 35 weekly plenary EMM teleconferences (Fridays 17h CET) and many EMM splinter groups meetings.</p><p><strong>2020/06 EMM Iceland CHILL-ICE Scouting. </strong>A small team explored locations and collaborations for installing a deployable research habitat in lavatube for May 2021.&#160;</p><p><strong>2020/10 EMMPOL EuroMoonMars Poland. </strong>We were able to organise in controlled safety conditions 2 one-week Moonbase isolation simulations, in order to conduct a number of research investigations, human factors studies, with 5 crew supported by a remote support team.</p><p><strong>*Acknowledgements: </strong>We thank ILEWG EuroMoonMars field campaigns crew 2016-2020 (including the EMMIHS crew and remote support team from EMMIHS 1-4 and &#160;EMMPOL1 &2 .</p>
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