So far he has collected 28 pipes of rock samples and soil from Martian waiting for delivery on earth. Credit: NASA
NASA has set the goal of returning rock samples and ground from the surface of Mars in the 1930s. The mission would represent the first time that the scientific champions of another planet have been returned to Earth. But the space agency said she needed another year to determine how to do it.
The administrator of NASA Bill Nelson and Nicky Fox, associated administrator for the direction of the scientific mission of the space agency, said that officials would not have decided on a return mission profile of Mars until mid -2026, at most Soon. The space agency will weigh two different options, or “landing architectures”, one that would use technology proven by NASA and another that would enlist commercial partners.
The return program of the Mars sample is a joint initiative of the NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) which has so far collected 28 pipes in the titanium level containing samples of sizes of cigars carved by the nasa perseverance rover by the lake bed by Mars’ Jezero Crater. The mission of returning the samples should make the story with the first round trip and the launch of the rocket from another planet, as well as the first time that the most spatial have landed on Mars at the same time.
“It is the first mission of humanity that brought scientific champions from any planet right here to Earth for the study using our cutting -edge structures,” said Fox. “Not only will they help NASA to give priority to the areas of the red planet could be the most fruitful for our future research led by astronaut, but they will also lead to more incredible scientific discoveries on how it was the land before life, in addition to what the life could have been like on Mars – and in fact, as it might appear in the future.
NASA in April sent a reason for help with the performance of the sample of Mars, which according to an analysis of the independent revision council of 2023 is greater than $ 6 billion compared to the budget. The report provided that he would not return the Marzian champions until 2040, a temporal sequence in the Tuesday called “unacceptable”.
The agency’s request returned 11 studies from the community and the NASA space sector. In the end, NASA opted for two options, with the key difference as a sample recovery lander is delivered to the surface of the planet.
Option 1 is the Sky Crane method, which NASA previously used perseverance and another rover, curiosity, on Mars. Both vehicles have the size of a car and needed extra energy to land.
In the same way, the performance of the sample of Mars requires the delivery of a landing platform containing a lander and MARE (MAV) fiery vehicle – the rocket that will raise the champions in the Orbito Mars – on the planet. The Sky crane would have deployed a parachute and small rocket boosters to slow down before depositing the landing platform on the surface using a cable. Fox said the vehicle must be about 20 percent bigger than what perseverance has achieved.
At the same time, NASA will evaluate what its commercial partners can do.
“Option 2 is examining the possibility of entering commercial skills: a heavy Lander with existing commercial partners,” said Nelson.
NASA administrator mentioned Spacex and Blue Origin, two of NASA’s major contractors, but said that a team will evaluate all the options. According to Fox, a commercial lander would not be able to directly deposit a landing platform on the surface such as Sky Crane.
Both mission profiles would require a redesigned landing platform that will bring a Lader and a smaller version of the MAV previously expected for the mission. The platform sample loading system will be updated to brush the powder from the sample containers and its solar panels will be replaced by thermoelectric generators Radioisotopo (RTG).
“It might seem that we are making it more complicated, but in reality this provides energy and warmth through the season of powder storms on Mars,” said Fox. “This actually allows us to reduce complexity and … allows us to bring the champions previously back.”
According to Nelson, the Sky Crane option would cost $ 6.6 billion and $ 7.7 billion, a “distant cry” compared to the previously expected $ 11 billion. The commercial option would cost between $ 5.8 billion and $ 7.1 billion.
“One of these two options is creating a much more simplified version, faster and less expensive than the original plan,” said Nelson.
The agency believes that the new options can return Marzian samples already in 2035 or until 2039 And he made a request: at least $ 300 million for the return program of the Mars champion.
“The background line of $ 300 million is what Congress should consider,” Nelson said. “And if they want to get this thing back on a direct return before, they will have to put more money in it, even more than $ 300 million in the tax year 2025. And this would be the case every year in the future. “
According to Fox, with updated mission options, the first launch date for the return orbiter of Esa land – which will tear the champions from the orbit of Mars and will bring them back to Earth – is 2030. The return lander of the Sample could launch the following year, she said.
But NASA’s engineers will need at least another year to evaluate the options.
“Whatever the path we go on,” said Fox, “there is a job to do to take us to a point where we can say:” Yes, this is the mission with which we go on. This is when we confirm the budget. This is when we confirm the program. “
Note of the editor: This story appeared for the first time Fly.
