Keith’s note: The Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) has issued a summary of Acknowledgements, Findings, and Statements of Support/Concern. Full document below.
MEPAG Hybrid Meeting #43
Acknowledgements, Findings, and Statements of Support/Concern
Meeting held: April 21-23, 2026*
Statements released for community review: July 1, 2026
*Additional content added after this date due to major changes to the Mars Exploration Program
Executive summary
The success of the Mars Exploration Program remains one of the most significant
achievements by NASA in the modern era and is the result of over 30 years of
strategic planning undertaken by NASA and the Mars scientific community.
The current set of planned Mars activities within MEP does not reflect the Mars
Future Plan or Decadal Survey priorities and does not lay out a clear long-term
strategy for scientific exploration of Mars and preparation for human exploration.
—- Because of these changes, the US is facing a 10-year gap in competed science
mission and payload opportunities at Mars, despite a clear set of scientific and
exploration priorities for robotic and human exploration and strategies for filling
key knowledge gaps outlined by these documents.
The negative impact of these changes to MEP are magnified by significant and ongoing
budgetary uncertainty within NASA.
Full MEPAG document (pdf)
