NASA is collaborating with three international space agencies on the Mars Exploration Ice Mapper mission, designed to chart accessible ice reserves for future astronauts on the Red Planet.
China's Tianwen-1 mission, launched in July 2020, seeks to investigate water ice distribution beneath Mars' surface and map its geological features. NASA shares this priority. On February 3, 2021, the agency announced a partnership with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Italian Space Agency (ASI).
The Mars Exploration Ice Mapper will identify exploitable ice deposits for upcoming human missions. Initially, the partners will evaluate mission feasibility, with potential for additional agencies to join.
If approved, the mission could launch in 2026, using a low circular orbit probe equipped with radar to pinpoint ice locations, depths, extents, and volumes. The radar will also assess overlying dust and rocks, which could impact access (see image below).
This reconnaissance is vital for resource planning as humans arrive on Mars. Extracting local ice is essential for sustainable bases and colonies, far more practical than shipping water from Earth.
Beyond resources, the mission offers key science: potential core drilling to probe for ancient microbial life traces, plus insights into Mars' climatology and geology.
