NASA announced that they have successfully finished the conceptual design phase of the system requirement review for the Mars Sample Return Program a mission proposed to collect rock and dust samples from Mars back to Earth. In the conceptual design phase, a team will evaluate the architecture for the safe return of scientifically selected Martian samples which are currently being collected by the Perseverence rover in the Jezero Crater, bearing traces of past water flow.
This architecture campaign to bring back Mars samples to Earth is NASA and the European Space Agency’s joint contribution to carrying a smooth mission in the future and increasing chances of success. According to an associate administrator for science at NASA, “The conceptual design phase is when every facet of a mission plan gets put under a microscope. There are some significant and advantageous changes to the plan, which can be directly attributed to Perseverance’s recent success at Jezero and the amazing performance of our Mars helicopter.”
According to NASA Perseverance will be transporting Martian samples via Sample Retrieval Lander, launched on Mars surface in the mid of 2020 as a part of the Mars Sample Return campaign which carries the Mars Ascent Vehicle led by the European Space Agency (ESA).
NASA also stated that in this sample return campaign they will not include the Sample Fetch Rover rather the Sample Retrieval Lander will take its place including two recovery helicopters, taking 29 flights at Mars, and surviving more than its originally planned lifetime.
NASA includes the ESA’s Earth Return Orbiter and Capture, Containment, and Return System in the vital element list for carrying this program. They have also decided on launch dates for the Earth Return Orbiter and Sample Retrieval Lander respectively in 2027 and 2028. The sample return date to Earth would be expected in 2033.
The ESA director of Human and Robotic Exploration, David Parker said, “ESA is continuing at full speed the development of both the Earth Return Orbiter that will make the historic round-trip from Earth to Mars and back again; and the Sample Transfer Arm that will robotically place the sample tubes aboard the Orbiting Sample Container before its launch from the surface of the Red Planet.”
NASA’s associate administrator added, “Working together on historic endeavors like Mars Sample Return not only provides invaluable data about our place in the universe but brings us closer together right here on Earth.”
According to reports, the first step needed for the Mars Sample Return Campaign has already started since the landing of Perseverance on February 18, 2021, on Jazero Crater. Perseverance has collected almost 11 scientifically approved rock core samples and one atmospheric sample. NASA says that returning Martian samples to Earth will let scientists examine them via sophisticated instruments to analyze more about Mars and traces of life on it.
