NASA and ESA agree on next steps to return samples from Mars to Earth – NASA Mars Exploration

The agency’s Perseverance rover will set up the first sample repository on Mars.

The next step in the unprecedented campaign to return scientifically selected samples from Mars was taken on October 19 with a formal agreement between NASA and its partner ESA (European Space Agency). The two agencies will proceed to establish a sample tube repository on Mars. The sample depot or cache is located in “Three Forks”, an area near the base of an ancient river delta in the Jezero Crater.

This cache will contain samples of carefully selected rocks on the Martian surface – samples that may help tell the story of Jezero Crater and the evolution of Mars, and may even contain signs of ancient life. Scientists believe core samples from the delta’s fine-grained sedimentary rocks, deposited in a lake billions of years ago, are the most likely to contain clues as to whether microbial life existed when Martian climate was very different than it is today.

“Never before has a scientifically curated collection of samples been collected from another planet and brought back to Earth,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, deputy administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “NASA and ESA have reviewed the proposed location and Martian samples that will be used for this cache as early as next month. When this first tube is positioned at the surface, it will be a historic moment in space exploration.”

The Sample Cache – a duplicate set of the collection Perseverance will keep on board – is part of a robust plan to ensure the mission’s success. The Perseverance rover will be the primary means of transporting the collected samples to the Mars launch vehicle as part of the campaign. The Three Forks depot serves as a backup and houses the duplicate set.

“The choice of the first repository on Mars makes this exploration campaign very real and tangible. Now we have a place to revisit the samples,” said David Parker, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration. “Being able to execute this plan so early in the campaign is a testament to the skills of the international team of engineers and scientists working on Perseverance and Return of the Mars sample. The first repository of Mars samples can be seen as an important de-risking step for the Mars Sample Return campaign.”

The first step of the campaign is already underway. Since Perseverance landed at Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021, the rover has explored 13.2 kilometers of the Martian surface and collected 14 rock core samples during its first two scientific campaigns. As part of its first scientific campaign, the rover explored the crater floor – a former lake bed – and found igneous rocks that form deep underground from magma or from volcanic activity on the surface. The second science campaign was highlighted by examining sedimentary rocks formed as particles of different sizes were deposited in the once watery environment.

The rover also collected an atmospheric sample and three witness tubes. Witness tubes contain material that helps identify potential terrestrial contamination in the tubes that may have originated from the rover during sampling.

“While a significant mission milestone will have occurred once these tubes have been dropped, it does not mean that Perseverance exploration or sample collection is complete – far from it.” said Perseverance project scientist Ken Farley of Caltech in Pasadena, California. “Next we will drive to the top of the delta to an area that appears geologically rich on satellite imagery to conduct scientific surveys and collect more rock cores. Mars Sample Return will have a lot of great stuff to choose from.”

Another important milestone is the entry of the Mars sample return program into the preliminary design and technology completion phase, known as Phase B, on October 1st. During this phase, the campaign focuses on completing technology development, engineering prototypes, evaluating software and legacy hardware, and other risk mitigation activities.

More about the campaign

The NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return Campaign will revolutionize human understanding of Mars by bringing scientifically selected samples to Earth for study with the world’s most advanced instruments. The campaign would fulfill a solar system exploration goal that has been a high priority since the 1970s and in the last three Planetary Decadal Surveys of the National Academy of Sciences.

This strategic partnership between NASA and ESA would be the first mission to bring back samples from another planet and the first launch from the surface of another planet. The samples collected by Perseverance while exploring an ancient river delta may offer the best opportunity to uncover the early evolution of Mars, including the potential for life. By better understanding the history of Mars, we would improve our understanding of all rocky planets in the solar system, including Earth.

Learn more about the Mars Sample Return Program here:

https://mars.nasa.gov/msr/

News media contact

Dewayne Washington/Karen Fox/Erin Morton
NASA Headquarters, Washington
301-832-5867 / 202-358-1275 / 202-805-9393
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DC Eagle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.
818-393-9011
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