Business
NASA Looking for New Ways to Return Perseverance Samples From Mars
SpacePolicyOnline · By Marcia Smith ·
The Brief
- NASA will begin assessing new strategies in January to return Perseverance rover Mars samples to Earth.
- NASA ended an earlier Mars Sample Return mission last year because of cost concerns.
- The assessment was discussed at a virtual NASA Town Hall meeting for the planetary science community.
Why it matters
The Perseverance samples remain on Mars without a funded return path, so the choice of strategy affects when and whether planetary scientists can analyze them in Earth laboratories.
Who’s affected
- planetary scientists
- space mission planners
- anyone following NASA Mars exploration budgets
- #mars
- #nasa
- #perseverance
- #sample return
- #planetary science
In January, NASA will begin assessing new strategies to return the samples now being collected by the Mars Perseverance rover to Earth. The agency ended an earlier Mars Sample Return mission last year because of cost concerns. At a virtual NASA Town Hall meeting for the planetary…
Timeline
NASA is scheduled to begin assessing new sample return strategies (January, as reported)
SpacePolicyOnline reports NASA is looking for new ways to return Perseverance samples
SpacePolicyOnline.com
NASA Looking for New Ways to Return Perseverance Samples From Mars