This photomontage shows tubes containing samples from
Mars, as collected by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. The agency’s Mars
Sample Return Program plans to bring these samples back to study them in
state-of-the-art facilities on Earth.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
To maximize chances of successfully bringing the first Martian rock and
sediment samples to Earth for the benefit of humanity, NASA announced Tuesday a
new approach to its Mars Sample Return Program. The agency will simultaneously
pursue two landing architectures, or strategic plans, during formulation,
encouraging competition and innovation, as well as cost and schedule savings.
NASA plans to later select a single
path forward for the program, which aims to better understand the mysteries of
the universe, and to help determine whether the Red Planet ever hosted life.
NASA is expected to confirm the program – and its design – in the second half
of 2026.
“Pursuing two potential paths
forward will ensure that NASA is able to bring these samples back from Mars
with significant cost and schedule saving compared to the previous plan,” said
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “These samples have the potential to change the
way we understand Mars, our universe, and – ultimately – ourselves. I’d
like to thank the team at NASA and the strategic review team, led by Dr. Maria
Zuber, for their work.”
In September 2024, the agency
accepted 11 studies from the NASA community and industry on how best to return
Martian samples to Earth. A Mars Sample Return Strategic Review team was charged with assessing the studies and then
recommending a primary architecture for the campaign, including associated cost
and schedule estimates.
“NASA’s rovers are enduring Mars’
harsh environment to collect ground-breaking science samples,” said Nicky
Fox, who leads NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “We want to bring those back
as quickly as possible to study them in state-of-the-art facilities. Mars
Sample Return will allow scientists to understand the planet’s geological
history and the evolution of climate on this barren planet where life may have
existed in the past and shed light on the early solar system before life began
here on Earth. This will also prepare us to safely send the first human
explorers to Mars.”
During formulation, NASA will
proceed with exploring and evaluating two distinct means of landing the payload
platform on Mars. The first option will leverage previously flown entry,
descent, and landing system designs, namely the sky crane method, demonstrated with the Curiosity and Perseverance missions. The second
option will capitalize on using new commercial capabilities to deliver the
lander payload to the surface of Mars.
For both potential options, the
mission’s landed platform will carry a smaller version of the Mars Ascent
Vehicle. The platform’s solar panels will be replaced with a radioisotope power
system that can provide power and heat through the dust storm season at Mars,
allowing for reduced complexity.
The orbiting sample container will
hold 30 of the sample tubes containing samples the Perseverance lander has been
collecting from the surface of Mars. A redesign of the sample loading system on
the lander, which will place the samples into the orbiting sample container,
simplifies the backward planetary protection implementation by eliminating the
accumulation of dust on the outside of the sample container.
Both mission options rely on a
capture, containment and return system aboard ESA’s (European Space Agency’s)
Earth Return Orbiter to capture the orbiting sample container in Mars orbit.
ESA is evaluating NASA’s plan.
For more information on NASA’s exploration of Mars, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/mars
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