NASA is gradually finalizing its Mars Sample Return (MSR) program with a new contract with Lockheed Martin valued at a potential $194 million.
The agency announced on February 7 that it has selected aerospace company Lockheed Martin to build the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) over the next decade or longer. This small rocket will return the most pristine samples from the Red Planet back to Earth.
Simulation image of the rocket launching Mars samples off the planet’s surface to begin their journey back to Earth – (Photo: NASA)
Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Science, stated: “The Mars Ascent Vehicle represents an early and concrete step towards completing this ambitious project. Our goal is not only to land on Mars but also to be able to take off from this planet.”
“We are nearing the end of the concept phase for the Mars Sample Return mission and the pieces are coming together to bring the first samples from another planet back to Earth. Once returned, these samples can be studied using the most advanced tools available – which are too complex to transport into space,” Zurbuchen added.
The Mars Sample Return effort is a joint endeavor between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). The project is progressing smoothly thanks to NASA’s Perseverance rover, which landed on the Red Planet in February 2021. Key next steps are expected to take place in the mid-2020s, with the launch of two additional missions: a sample retrieval lander led by NASA (SRL) and an Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) from ESA.
SRL will deliver an ESA “fetch rover” and the MAV to the surface of Mars. The fetch rover will transport the samples collected by Perseverance or the locations where this rover has stored them to the MAV, which will then launch them into orbit around the Red Planet. A container holding the samples will subsequently connect with the ERO, which will bring them back to Earth as early as 2031.
“This groundbreaking effort will inspire the world with a mission to collect samples from another planet. It is an important step towards sending the first astronauts to Mars, fulfilling America’s top planetary science priority. It also demonstrates our commitment to global partnerships, ensuring NASA remains a leader in exploration and discovery,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson shared.
NASA officials stated that the newly announced MAV contract has a potential value of $194 million. Work on the contract will begin on February 25 and will last for six years. During this time, Lockheed Martin will develop various MAV test equipment as well as flight hardware.
The Mars Sample Return (MSR) program aims to revolutionize human understanding of Mars by returning rock and soil samples selected by scientists. These samples will be studied using the most advanced tools in the world. The mission will fulfill the goal of solar system exploration, a high priority since 1980.
This strategic collaboration between NASA and ESA will mark the first mission to return samples from another planet to Earth. The samples collected by the Perseverance rover while exploring the ancient river delta represent the best opportunity to understand the early evolution of Mars, including the potential for life.
