International Mars Exploration Working Group
Forum for coordinating international Mars exploration strategy.
The International Mars Exploration Working Group (IMEWG) is a regular meeting forum where space agencies and institutions share information and discuss joint strategies for exploring Mars. Created in 1993, its purpose is to ensure all members are aware of each other’s plans, reducing redundant work, and to identify opportunities for collaboration across different stages of exploration. The original members included NASA, ESA, several European national agencies, and the space agencies of Japan and Russia.
Initially, IMEWG was tasked with developing an international exploration strategy beyond existing missions, coordinating future programs, and assessing the feasibility of a global Mars network mission as the next step after the 1996 launch window. Its first set of recommendations, covering launch opportunities from 1996 to 2003 and proposing an International Mars Network, was presented at the 1994 COSPAR Symposium in Hamburg and later published. The group’s charter was revised in 1996 to focus on maintaining an ongoing international strategy, coordinating missions, and examining next steps beyond current plans. Meetings have also provided a chance to consider how mission failures (such as those in 2000) affect future programs.
Later IMEWG initiatives have addressed topics like exobiology, planetary protection, Mars Sample Return, lower-cost missions, common technical standards and interoperability (for example, data relay), radioisotope power systems, terrestrial Mars analog sites, and preparations for human exploration. In mid-2006, IMEWG established the iMARS (international Mars Architecture for the Return of Samples) Working Group to develop a plan for an internationally led Mars sample return mission. A second iMARS phase was launched in 2014 to draft a mission architecture and science management plan for returning samples from Mars.
In 2024, the IMEWG Terms of Reference were updated again, with objectives now stated as: sharing information and plans for national and international Mars programs; encouraging international cooperation and coordination in program development; facilitating system interoperability and minimizing duplication; and exploring opportunities for collaborative and coordinated missions.
- Founded
- 1993
- Field
- Mars exploration coordination
- Type
- International working group
- Key initiative
- iMARS Working Group (chartered 2006)
- Members
- Over 25 agencies including NASA, ESA, CNSA, ISRO, JAXA, Roscosmos
Lore & Background
IMEWG was initially chartered with goals to produce an international strategy for Mars exploration beyond approved missions, provide a forum for coordination, and examine possibilities for an international Mars network mission as the next step beyond the 1996 opportunity. The first IMEWG recommendations on an international strategy, covering launch opportunities from 1996 to 2003, included an International Mars Network and were presented at the COSPAR Symposium in Hamburg in 1994 and published. The charter was updated in 1996 with refined goals: produce and maintain an international strategy, provide a forum for coordination, and examine possibilities for next steps beyond currently defined missions.
Reader's Guide
The International Mars Exploration Working Group has served as a key coordinating body for global Mars exploration since its conception in 1993. By bringing together major space agencies such as NASA, ESA, CNSA, ISRO, JAXA, and Roscosmos, IMEWG has helped prevent duplication of effort and fostered collaboration on missions and standards. Its initiatives have covered exobiology, planetary protection, Mars Sample Return, lower cost missions, common standards and interoperability, radioisotope power systems, terrestrial Mars analogues, and preparations for future human exploration. The iMARS Working Group, chartered in 2006, developed a potential plan for an internationally sponsored Mars sample return mission, with a Phase 2 group constituted in 2014. IMEWG meetings have also allowed reflection on mission losses, such as in 2000. The group's 2024 Terms of Reference updated objectives to share information and plans, encourage international cooperation, facilitate interoperability, and explore collaboration opportunities. Its legacy lies in sustained coordination that has shaped the international approach to Mars exploration.
Did You Know?
- IMEWG was conceived in 1993 with founding participants including NASA, ESA, several European national agencies, Japan, and Russia.
- The iMARS Working Group was chartered by IMEWG in mid-2006 to develop a plan for an internationally sponsored Mars sample return mission.
- IMEWG's 2024 Terms of Reference updated objectives to include facilitating interoperability of Mars exploration systems and minimizing duplication.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the International Mars Exploration Working Group?
IMEWG is a recurring coordination forum that brings together national and international space agencies to align their Mars exploration plans. Rather than acting as a governing body, it provides a structured space for members to share strategies and identify where joint efforts would make sense.
When was IMEWG founded and what problem was it meant to solve?
The group was established in 1993 so that participating agencies could keep each other informed about their respective Mars missions. Its core purpose is to reduce duplicated research across programs and to surface natural collaboration opportunities at every phase of Mars exploration.
Which space agencies are part of IMEWG?
The working group now includes more than 25 member agencies, among them NASA, ESA, China's CNSA, India's ISRO, Japan's JAXA, and Russia's Roscosmos. Its original founding circle in the early 1990s was narrower, centered on NASA, ESA, several European national agencies, and the space programs of Japan and Russia.
What is the iMARS Working Group and how does it fit into IMEWG?
iMARS is a dedicated sub-initiative chartered in 2006 under the broader IMEWG umbrella. It gives a specific, high-priority Mars mission area its own coordination track within the larger forum.
Why does IMEWG matter for the future of Mars exploration?
Without a shared forum, agencies risk spending billions on overlapping studies or missing obvious synergies. IMEWG gives the international community a regular mechanism to synchronize timelines, divide research tasks, and pursue joint missions that no single agency could realistically fund on its own.
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