Teleoperation from Mars orbit: A proposal for human exploration

An effective program for Mars exploration should proceed in steps. The best strategy for the initial human missions to Mars may be to put the humans into Mars orbit and explore the surface by telerobotic operation. This could provide the benefits of human exploration at greatly reduced risk and cost. Telecontrol of Mars surface robots from a Mars-orbital habitat would give human nearly “real time” virtual presence with minimum time delay, allowing high-fidelity virtual exploration of the surface. It is a cheaper, simpler, and safer way to explore, and hence it will be a faster way to investigate a wide variety of locations, from the polar caps to near-equatorial canyon regions. Teleoperation also enhances planetary protection in both directions, protecting Mars from contamination by Earth life and keeping humans from exposure to possible Mars microbes, and has the potential for valuable spin-off technologies.