US Academies Pinpoint Search for Life as Prime Scientific Goal for Crewed Mars Missions

On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, the United States National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a comprehensive document detailing the scientific blueprint for future human exploration of Mars. This extensive 240-page report, commissioned by NASA, lays out the fundamental scientific benchmarks that must be achieved during the initial crewed expeditions to the Red Planet, which are currently slated for the 2030s.

The overriding conclusion driving these forthcoming missions is the paramount importance of searching for evidence of past or extant life, alongside assessing prebiotic chemistry within the designated exploration zones. The report, co-chaired by Linda Elkins-Tanton of the University of California, Berkeley, and Dava Newman of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, articulates eleven high-priority scientific directives. These recommendations are designed to ensure that the first three human landings on Mars yield maximum scientific return, forming part of a proposed sequence of four distinct campaign phases.

The most favored mission architecture involves a three-part approach. This sequence begins with an initial crewed visit lasting 30 Sols (Martian days). This would be followed by an uncrewed cargo delivery, culminating in the main astronaut mission lasting 300 Sols. To maximize research productivity, the report mandates the establishment of a permanent scientific laboratory on the Martian surface. Furthermore, it stresses the absolute necessity of returning samples to Earth after every crewed expedition.

The document also calls for the institution of a regular 'Human-Agent Teaming' summit. This coordination body would be crucial for harmonizing the efforts between robotic assets, human explorers, and artificial intelligence systems. Effective synergy between these elements is seen as key to unlocking complex scientific objectives efficiently during the limited time astronauts spend on the surface.

Significant consideration is given to landing site selection. Preference leans toward regions situated in low to mid-latitudes, characterized by diverse geology and the confirmed presence of water ice close to the surface. Indeed, the third-ranked campaign, which is heavily focused on the life-detection mandate, even contemplates the possibility of deep drilling, potentially reaching depths of 2 to 5 kilometers where liquid water might still persist.

Beyond the purely scientific objectives, the report addresses the critical aspect of planetary protection. It urges NASA to continue its collaborative efforts in refining guiding principles. This ongoing refinement is necessary to ensure that astronauts can investigate potentially habitable regions without introducing risks to the planet's native environment or compromising the integrity of the search for life.

Ultimately, this published document sets the scientific agenda for NASA as it moves toward sending humans to Mars in the 2030s. It firmly reaffirms that the quest for extraterrestrial life remains the central pillar of these ambitious space endeavors. The successful execution of these recommendations will undoubtedly build upon the operational experience gained through the Artemis program, which is focused on returning humans to the Moon and will serve as a vital proving ground. Preliminary timelines for returning Martian samples to Earth—an alternative path NASA is exploring to the current Mars Sample Return program—are tentatively set for either 2035 or 2039.