NASA to delay Mars Sample Return, switch to dual-lander approach

spacenews.com ^ | March 27, 2022 | Jeff Foust —

[BenLurkin]

NASA plans to delay the next phase of its Mars Sample Return campaign and split a lander mission into two separate spacecraft to reduce the overall risk of the program.

At a March 21 meeting of the National Academies’ Space Studies Board, Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for science, revealed that NASA and the European Space Agency had agreed to revise the schedule and design for upcoming missions that will return samples being cached by the Perseverance rover to Earth.

Original plans called for the launch of both a NASA-led Sample Retrieval Lander and ESA-led Earth Return Orbiter in 2026. The lander, using an ESA-built rover, would collect the samples cached by Perseverance and load them into a rocket called the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), which would launch them into orbit. The orbiter, using a NASA-provided collection system, would gather the samples and return them to Earth in 2031.

The single-lander approach would require a larger heat shield, estimated to be 5.4 meters in diameter, which in turn would require a larger payload fairing for the rocket launching it. The design also had “unproven” entry, descent and landing capabilities and would require electric propulsion on the cruise stage to increase its payload performance.

A dual-lander approach, he said, could make use of the same landing system used by Perseverance and, before that, Curiosity.

[BobL]

I think the minority content in the project didn’t meet the requirement. Now they have time to take care of the problem.

[algore]

I have no kind words for Nasa.

I still have my commemorative launch medallion I got from the agency right before the Challenger launch.

Probably worth more than the Shuttle at this point

[butlerweave]

NASA does nothing without being 200% Diversity and it’s destroying the place

[GaltAdonis]

"... the Challenger launch ..."

That fateful day I and some co-workers were attending a
computer data communications trade show in Greenbelt,
Maryland along with thousands of other people.

I noticed that Hughes Telecommunications was roping off
their display booth and closing it down. I asked one of
the Hughes people: "Why?".

The Hughes guy said: "Because of the disaster".
I and my three co-workers all responded unison:

"WHAT Disaster???"

That is how I found out about it.

It seems that Hughes Aerospace had a man named Ronald McNair
on the Challenger as a mission specialist. They were
shutting down the display booth out of respect.

Ronald E. McNair - (2nd African American - or African of any
nationality - in space)

That concludes today's history lesson.

[Fester Chugabrew]

It will be a remarkable day when tangible substance(s) from Mars is handled directly my mankind.

[blackberry1]

Mars is a fools errand. Everyone knows that place is not inhabitable. Why waste huge sums of money on this?

A colony on the moon has tons more logic and potential usefulness.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Or…they could let Elon Musk do it and it would work right with one lander. /s