Experts Weigh In: Key Risks, Technologies, and Next Steps for Mars Missions: AM XI Report now Avilable
Explore Mars, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the summary report from the Eleventh Community Workshop for Achievability and Sustainability of Human Exploration of Mars (AM XI), which was held March 25–27, 2025 at the Lockheed Martin Global Vision Center in Arlington, Virginia. AM XI assembled leading experts from NASA, industry, academia, and the policy community, who were tasked with developing a pragmatic path forward for sending humans to Mars.
During the workshop, which was co-chaired by Dr. Ali Bramson (Purdue University) and Dr. Sydney Do (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), participants addressed mission architecture, critical technology development, risk mitigation, the international landscape, and the increasing role of commercial partnerships.
“In both his Inaugural Address and his speech to the Joint Session of Congress in January, President Trump recommitted to the goal of landing humans on Mars,” stated Explore Mars CEO, Chris Carberry. “The AM XI Report outlines critical technologies and capabilities that we need to perfect before we can accomplish that historic goal.”
AM XI participants focused on such topics as better utilization of the International Space Station (ISS), commercial space stations, and the Moon to enable human missions to Mars; investing in and demonstrating critical technologies and capabilities needed to conduct successful Mars missions; and reinitiating the Mars landing site selection process.
“Sending astronauts to Mars will be one of the boldest and riskiest endeavors ever attempted,” stated AM XI Co-Chair, Sydney Do. “Key questions explored in AM XI included: What level of risk is acceptable when sending humans to Mars? How do we accomplish human exploration in a programmatically sustainable and responsible way? What next steps are needed to understand and manage these risks?”
Workshop participants unanimously agreed that ensuring the safe return of astronauts and the safety of the public are paramount. However, our understanding of the hazards to astronaut health, the technologies needed to enable their mission, and the risks to the general public with the launch and return of planetary vehicles from Mars is still incomplete. The AM XI report recommends the highest priority activities needed to better understand these risks and build the capabilities needed to enable human missions to Mars.
“Our entire understanding of what is needed to send humans to Mars is built upon our deep legacy in space science and exploration across the Solar System. These existing activities, as well as our decades of accumulated knowledge and expertise, need to be maintained and built upon in order for us to ensure safe and successful human missions to Mars,” stated AM XI Co-Chair Ali Bramson.
Maintaining the United States’ global leadership by robust investment in space science and exploration is paramount to accomplishing the historic event of humans setting foot on the surface of Mars.
