Martian Meteorites and Mars Exploration

Dear Researchers,

The planet Mars is a vital focus of planetary exploration. Latest discoveries by the Curiosity rover strongly suggest that higher concentrations of organics are deeper in the subsurface of the red planet. Explanations for increases in localised methane abundances also remain elusive. On Earth, martian meteorites are the only source of subsurface samples that may shed light on these recent discoveries, whether abiotic and geochemical or perhaps even biological.

Recent missions to Mars have provided us with a wealth of knowledge regarding the properties of the surface of the red planet. We also know a great deal about the mineralogy, petrology, chronology and stable isotopic properties of martian meteorites. With new Mars missions in view, it is important to integrate and condense this knowledge in order to extend our scientific objectives. To achieve this, we propose on focusing on the following special topics:

• The exhaustive characterization of available Martian meteorite samples. This means summarising the mineralogy, petrology, chronology and geochemistry recorded in them.
• To provide a comprehensive account of Mars exploration in situ combined with the forensic study of Martian meteorites.
• To target possible locations that martian meteorites were ejected from the martian surface by integrating remote sensing observations of Mars.
• To relate this knowledge with future missions in order to acquire a maximum possible information yield.
• To investigate the habitability of the surface/subsurface of Mars.
• To develop new methods and instrumentation for the study of the surface/subsurface of Mars and design an efficient sample-return mission.

In this issue, we would like to expand on the above topics by accepting review papers summing up the current knowledge on Mars crustal/mantle processes, which should also act as roadmap for future investigations, focusing on yet solved problems and identifying new ones. We would also like to investigate the habitability of Mars historically, presently, microscopically and macroscopically. We intend on making this issue a resource of information and contemplation, supporting a new era of planetary research.           

Dr. Elias Chatzitheodoridis
Dr. Hitesh Changela
Guest Editors

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