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.
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/PIA14266 | |
Identifier | PIA14266 |