The Mars Exploration Program (MEP) is a sustained, multi-mission effort managed by NASA to understand the climate, geology, and potential for life on Mars. It coordinates orbiters, landers, and rovers to build a comprehensive scientific picture of the planet over many mission cycles. The program relies on sequential missions where discoveries from one spacecraft drive the objectives of the next.
The new rover architecture is heavily funded through the MEP budget.
Related terms
MER
The Mars Exploration Rover mission was a NASA project that sent robotic rovers to the Martian surface.
MGS
The Mars Global Surveyor was a NASA orbital mission that mapped the Martian surface and weather.
Mars rover
A Mars rover is an automated motor vehicle designed to travel across the surface of Mars.