Mars reconnaissance lander: Vehicle and mission design

► A case for more mobile and diverse Mars surface science is developed. ► Preliminary mission and vehicle requirements for a hopping vehicle are derived. ► A cumulative range of around 200km in 1 km flights, over 4 years appears feasible. ► Such a mission could visit several geologically diverse terrains. ► We present an illustrative traverse across Hypanis Valles/Xanthe Terra.