MCMC Science

In addition to model development, the Mars Climate Modeling Center (MCMC) conducts cutting-edge scientific research on the past and present atmosphere and climate of Mars.

The Mars Climate Modeling Center (MCMC) conducts atmospheric and climate science research using the NASA Ames Mars Global Climate Models (MGCMs), advancing our understanding of Mars’ climate today, in its ancient past, and as a target for future exploration.

Mars’ climate is governed by three interacting cycles — dust, water, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) — that vary across seasons and from year to year. MCMC scientists use the MGCMs to study these cycles and the processes that drive them, including:

• Dust storms and dust transport – Investigating the mechanisms that lift, transport, and remove dust in the Martian atmosphere, including the onset and evolution of regional and global-scale dust storms.
• Water and CO₂ cycles – Studying the seasonal exchange of water and CO₂ between the atmosphere, polar caps, and surface, and the clouds that form as a result.
• Atmospheric dynamics – Examining circulation patterns, wave-mean flow interactions, and the extension of the MGCM into the middle atmosphere to better connect the lower and upper atmosphere.
• Ancient Mars and habitability – Reconstructing past climate states, including the role of asteroid and comet impacts, to assess when and where conditions may have supported liquid water and habitability.
• Mission support – Applying model results to landing site selection and characterization, atmospheric entry planning, and interpretation of data from current and past Mars missions.

This research is carried out by a team of civil servant and contractor scientists, postdoctoral researchers, and students, often in collaboration with universities and other NASA centers. You can read more about individual MCMC team members and their science on the Group Members page. A full list of MCMC research papers, conference presentations, and technical reports is available on the Publications page.

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Lane Painter

Operations Specialist, Mars Exploration Program, NASA Headquarters

Operations Specialist, Mars Exploration Program, NASA Headquarters

Lane Painter is an Operations Specialist supporting the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

His work focuses on advancing innovative robotic mobility capabilities, next-generation commercial space models, and international engagement that support NASA’s robotic science exploration of Mars, with the goal of enabling greater science return and exploration capability at lower cost.

Painter is a co-lead for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program Science Transport and Robotic Innovation for Deployment and Exploration, or STRIDE, an activity focused on assessing and maturing emerging commercial mobility systems, including surface and aerial robotic systems, that could support future Mars exploration missions.

Painter also serves on the leadership team for the International Mars Exploration Working Group, or IMEWG, supporting NASA’s engagement with the multilateral forum of space agencies and government institutions focused on coordinating shared Mars exploration priorities. Through this work, he helps facilitate international dialogue on robotic Mars exploration, science priorities, technology development, mission planning, and long-term cooperation across the global Mars exploration community.

Prior to joining the Mars Exploration Program, Painter was part of the University of Chicago’s Human-Robot Interaction Lab, where he supported research at the intersection of robotics and human-machine teaming.

Painter earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in Industrial Systems, Manufacture, and Management from the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

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