NASA'S Mars 2020 Project

NASA's next robotic rover mission to the Red Planet - known as Mars 2020 - will be equipped with seven science instruments to further scientific understanding of Mars and demonstrate new technologies, including an experiment to produce oxygen from carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere that will support the Agency's goal of sending humans to the planet in the 2030s. While the $2.4 billion Mars 2020 Project will utilize new and modified technology, particularly with respect to its on-board instruments, the Project will also use a significant amount of heritage technology from MSL in an effort to reduce mission costs and risks. The rover will have the capability to travel about 12 miles from the landing site, and the plan is to spend at least 1.25 Mars years (28 Earth months) exploring the surrounding region. We assessed NASA's management of the Mars 2020 Project relative to achieving technical objectives, meeting milestones, and controlling costs. Our specific objective was to assess how emerging challenges could affect the mission and whether the project plan is based on complete, reliable, and accurate cost, schedule, and risk information. To complete this work, we reviewed key project planning documents, reviewed NASA policies and procedures, and interviewed NASA management, among others.