PIA14266: Rendezvous in Martian Orbit (Artist's Concept)


Rendezvous in Martian Orbit (Artist’s Concept)

Caption:

This artist's concept of a proposed Mars sample return mission portrays the capture of a collection of Martian samples by a spacecraft orbiting Mars. The samples would have been collected on Mars by a rover and lifted to orbit by an ascent vehicle. After this rendezvous, the orbiter would fire its main thruster to escape Mars orbit and begin a return trip to deliver the sample container to Earth.

Background Info:

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.

Cataloging Keywords:

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/PIA14266
Identifier PIA14266