Mars scientific investigations as a precursor for human exploration.

In the past two years, NASA has begun to develop and implement plans for investigations on robotic Mars missions which are focused toward returning data critical for planning human missions to Mars. The Mars Surveyor Program 2001 Orbiter and Lander missions will mark the first time that experiments dedicated to preparation for human exploration will be carried out. Investigations on these missions and future missions range from characterization of the physical and chemical environment of Mars, to predicting the response of biology to the Mars environment.

The International Space Life Sciences Working Group.

The International Space Life Sciences Working Group (ISLSWG) is made up of representatives from five space agencies: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES), the Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR, formerly the Deutsche Agentur fur Raumfahrtangelegenheiten or DARA), and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). The group met for the first time in 1989, and since that time has developed a Strategic Plan and has taken concrete steps to implement this plan. The result is a closely coordinated international program of Space Life Sciences which will enable optimal utilization of space flight opportunities.