This artist's concept of a proposed Mars sample return mission portrays a rocket-powered descent stage lowering a sample-retrieving rover and an ascent vehicle to the surface. The ascent vehicle is in the large cylinder, protecting it from the harsh Martian environment. The rover, with solar-panels in folded position, sits to the right of it. The ascent vehicle would receive samples of Martian rocks that are to be collected by a previous mission and retrieved by the rover. Then it would launch the samples into Martian orbit for a rendezvous with a spacecraft that would carry them to Earth.
NASA and the European Space Agency are collaborating on proposals for a mission to gather samples of Martian rocks and bring them to Earth after 2020. This illustration depicts preliminary concepts, not finished design.
Name | Value | Additional Values |
---|---|---|
Target | Mars | |
System | ||
Target Type | Planet | |
Mission | Mars Sample Return (MSR) | |
Instrument Host | Mars Sample Return | |
Host Type | Rover | |
Instrument | ||
Detector | ||
Extra Keywords | Artwork, Color | |
Acquisition Date | ||
Release Date | 2011-06-20 | |
Date in Caption | ||
Image Credit | NASA/JPL-Caltech | |
Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14264 | |
Identifier | PIA14264 |