NASA and three international partners have signed an agreement to cooperate on a proposed mission to search for ice deposits under the surface of Mars, a precursor for human missions there.
NASA said it signed a “statement of intent” with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Italian space agency (ASI) regarding the International Mars Ice Mapper. Under that agreement, the agencies will study concepts for the mission and potential roles and responsibilities.
NASA introduced the mission concept in its fiscal year 2021 budget proposal a year ago. The spacecraft would launch as soon as 2026 and go into orbit around Mars, using a radar to search for deposits of ice below the Martian surface that could be studied by future missions to the Martian surface, including human missions.
The 03 agencies have agreed to establish a joint concept team to assess mission potential as well as partnership opportunities.
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