Bringing Mars Rock Samples Back to Earth

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Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover NASA Mars Mission European Space Agency Mars Exploration Space Science Mars Samples Red Planet Research Mars Material Study Space Campaign Ambitious Space Project Ancient Life on MarsMars Mission Animation Spacecraft Collaboration Mars Study Campaign Mars Research Mission Mars Sample Analysis Mars Exploration Animation Planetary Science Mars Rover Campaign Make sure to incorporate these tags appropriately when sharing your content to increase its visibility and reach on relevant platforms.

November 17, 2022

NASA and the European Space Agency are developing plans for one of the most ambitious campaigns ever attempted in space: bringing the first samples of Mars material safely back to Earth for detailed study. The diverse set of scientifically curated samples now being collected by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover could help scientists answer the question of whether ancient life ever arose on the Red Planet.

Bringing samples of Mars to Earth for future study would happen in several steps with multiple spacecraft, and in some ways, in a synchronized manner. This short animation features key moments of the Mars Sample Return campaign: from landing on Mars and securing the sample tubes to launching them off the surface and ferrying them back to Earth.

Animation is contributed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the European Space Agency, Goddard Space Flight Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center

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