The Expedition One Biology Program follows four phases of study. Each phase is progressively linked to the overall program, in order to refine and develop a scenario for conducting biological research on Mars. Phase One is focused on EVA Exploration Operations - learning what are the most effective tools, technologies, and strategies for conducting biological fieldwork of interest on Mars. Phase Two is focused on EVA Science Operations - learning what are the most effective procedures and strategies for detailed investigations of specific sites on Mars for their biological interest. Phase Three is focused on Mars-Analog Science - obtaining data from the desert environment to conduct Mars-analog biological studies. Phase Four is focused on integrating the Mission Science Scenario - conducting sampling experiments to obtain data for Mars-analog studies, and learning how to develop an effective mission science plan for Mars.

The first phase starts at the deepest level of goals, and subsequent phases pursue higher goals.

Level Zero: the biological goals.
Level One: products of the biological goals.
Level Two: investigating what data we are collecting, what actions we need to produce.
Level Three: investigating what specific human skills are required to obtain the data desired and to deliver the actions desired; and how to technologically obtain the data desired and how to deliver the actions desired.

1. Determine the microbial diversity of microhabitats.
   
   • Produce a survey/database of microbial diversity.
     
   • Investigate the operational requirements for scouting and surveying for microbial diversity - what observations need to be made, what samples collected, what measurements to be taken?
     
   • Investigate different traverse strategies for efficient scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate vehicle mobility options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate data-logging options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate spacesuit dexterity requirements for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate options for sampling and measuring instruments specific to this science goal. Test a variety of sample collection methods for basic scouting of microhabitats.
     
   • Investigate the level of expertise that is necessary in the field for this goal.
     
   • Study EVA constraints that affect identification procedures.
     
   • Produce a survey/database/map of desert microhabitats in a variety of geological settings.
     
   • Study the feasibility of effectively communicating geological information from the hab to the biology field scientist, and study what information must be supplied by the geology team to establish the proper context for biological investigations as requested by the field biologist.
     
   • Investigate different traverse strategies for efficient scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate vehicle mobility options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate data-logging and data-transmission requirements for this operational goal.
     
   • Investigate spacesuit dexterity requirements for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate options for sampling and measuring instruments specific to this science goal. Test a variety of sample collection methods for basic scouting of microhabitats.
     
   • Investigate the level of expertise needed in the field to provide efficient and relevant observations necessary for communicating answers to field requests.
     
   • Study EVA constraints that affect identification procedures.
     
   • Experiment with site selection criteria for exploring for microhabitats.
   
   
2. Determine the capacity for microbial life to thrive in the area around MDRS.
   
   • Produce a map/analysis of biological richness in the area around MDRS.
     
   • Investigate how to measure the biological richness of a site.
     
   • Investigate different traverse strategies for efficient scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate vehicle mobility options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate data-logging options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate spacesuit dexterity requirements for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate options for sampling and measuring instruments specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate the level of expertise that is necessary in the field for this goal.
     
   • Study EVA constraints that affect field procedures.
     
   • Experiment with site selection criteria for exploring for microhabitats
     
   • Study in situ and laboratory techniques for data analysis of microbial richness.
     
   • Investigate data-processing requirements for this goal.
     
   • Investigate mobility and dexterity requirements for in situ data analysis.
     
   • Assessment of ability to return to exact location to retrieve data-logging instruments and samples.
     
   • Investigate the level of expertise that is necessary in the field and in the lab for this goal.
     
   • Study EVA constraints that affect field procedures.
     
   • Study to find effective methods of identifying microbial communities in situ and in the lab.
     
   • Experiment to define what the minimum amount of laboratory analysis that should be done at the station before returning samples to Earth.
     
   • Experiment to study how microorganisms are identified in the field and in the lab.
     
   • Experiment to study what data needs to be obtained in the field for making on the spot decisions, and how to manage that data.
     
   • Study to find the most effective means of measuring CO2 respiration in situ and in lab.
     
   • Investigate different traverse strategies for efficient scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate vehicle mobility options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate data-logging options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate spacesuit dexterity requirements for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate options for sampling and measuring instruments specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate the level of expertise that is necessary in the field and in the lab for this goal.
     
   • Study EVA constraints that affect field procedures.
   
   
3. Determine the relationship between microenvironmental factors and water availability to the distribution of microbial life in a temperate desert.
   
   • Discovery and characterization of microbial ecosystems in the desert environment.
     
   • Study methods to effectively survey the past and present water distribution.
     
   • Investigate different traverse strategies for efficient scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate vehicle mobility options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate data-logging options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate spacesuit dexterity requirements for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate options for sampling and measuring instruments specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate the level of expertise that is necessary in the field for this goal.
     
   • Study sampling methods for microenvironments.
     
   • Investigate different traverse strategies for efficient scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate vehicle mobility options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate data-logging options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate spacesuit dexterity requirements for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate options for sampling and measuring instruments specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate the level of expertise that is necessary in the field for this goal.
     
   • Experiment to test feasibility of tele-robotic or autonomous robotic sampling of microenvironments.
   
   
4. Determine the biogeochemical variety of the area.
   
   • Map the biogeochemical variety of the area.
     
   • Study what soil analysis procedures are the most effective in the lab.
     
   • Investigate data-logging options specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate options for sampling and measuring instruments specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate the level of expertise that is necessary in the lab for this goal.
     
   • Study to discover most effective way of soil typing in the field. What data can only be obtained in the lab?
     
   • Investigate different traverse strategies for efficient scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate vehicle mobility options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate data-logging options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate spacesuit dexterity requirements for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate options for sampling and measuring instruments specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate the level of expertise that is necessary in the field for this goal.
     
   • Integrate area geology (escarpments, regolith, washes, and ephemeral basins) with geochemical analysis of soil types in order to determine the best sampling sites. Determine the best method of documenting samples collected for soil analysis. Determine locations to insert sampling devices.
     
   • Investigate different traverse strategies for efficient scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate vehicle mobility options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate data-logging options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate spacesuit dexterity requirements for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate options for sampling and measuring instruments specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate the level of expertise that is necessary in the field for this goal.
   
   
   
5. Identify both temporal and spatial biological distributions.
   
   • Map the temporal and spatial biological distributions.
     
   • Investigate different traverse strategies for efficient scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate vehicle mobility options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate data-logging options for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate spacesuit dexterity requirements for scouting / surveying specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate options for sampling and measuring instruments specific to this science goal.
     
   • Investigate the level of expertise that is necessary in the field for this goal.
     
   • Investigate the mapping and data-processing requirements for this science goal.

Additional goals include:

Development of a Long Term Experiment Research (LTER) Program database
Development of a LTER Program database

• Site Identification
  
• Exploration Operations
  
• Data logging in the field
  
• Consult with Geology for geological feature identification
  
• Science Operations
  
• Query database-- prior to mission, construct a queryable database, in consultation with IT mission specialists
  
• Suitable data to be collected
  
• Experimental Results
  
• Exploration Operations
  
• Repeatability
  
• Science Operations
  
• Laboratory analysis
  
• Database Management
  
• Incorporate laboratory studies
  
• Incorporate last season's data (Rupert/Butler)
  
• Determine range of variability of parameters with continuous logging and repeated sampling.

Post-Mission Analysis of Expedition One Biology Program:
a. Did the sites selected adequately represent the biogeochemical variety of the area?
b. Did the sites selected adequately represent the microhabitat diversity of the area?
c. Construct profiles of biological activity in relation to geology
d. Identify both temporal and spatial biological distributions
e. Evaluate all methodology.
f. Evaluate the integration of biology with the science mission, and with Expedition One as whole.