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The aim of this study was to investigate potential small mission architectures that would further ESA's exploration objectives at Mars post-Mars Sample Return (in the 2030s) or potentially in parallel with MSR (if sufficiently low cost).

Human exploratory missions to the Moon or Mars are widely considered as the next logical steps in human space exploration and, lately, settlement. Such space exploration or settlement activities involve humans spending long periods of time in space and, with increasing distance from Earth, no abort possibilities. Crews on such missions have to be self- sufficient, not only concerning food, drink and waste, but also with respect to medical treatment. Health issues are raised by the environmental conditions in space, such as the influence of altered gravity, radiation and isolation.

The International Space Station (ISS) is slowly approaching the end of its mission. The European Space Agency (ESA) and its international partners are considering new mission targets for the future of human space exploration in the post-ISS era. Highest ranked on the list of potential targets are a return to the Moon, Near-Earth Objects or asteroids, the moons of Mars (Phobos, Deimos) and, as the ultimate target, the surface of Mars.

The activities carried out in the phase 0 deal with the mission concept and, in particular, with the interplanetary analysis and contributions to the mission requirements. The activities can be summarized as follows:
- study of the state of the art of Mars landers, with focus on issues such as the launcher, the interplanetary trajectory, the type of planetary approach, the design of the spacecraft, the layout, the mass and power budgets, the aerodynamic parameters, the entry, descent & landing strategy;