NASA had announced the contenders for the mission to return the samples gathered by the Mars rover Perseverance. Along with SpaceX, the initiative will include Lockheed Martin, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Blue Origin, Quantum Space, Northrop Grumman and Whittinghill Aerospace.
SpaceX has proposed a demonstration landing on Mars in 2029 to NASA for the Mars Sample Return mission. The company’s plan outlines using Starships for sample return missions, encompassing takeoff from Earth, landing on the Red Planet, and returning.
NASA was highly impressed by SpaceX’s exceptional team, which possesses the required expertise for the mission and enjoys the support of the agency’s esteemed Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The company stated that using Starship will significantly enhance the size and weight of the descent and ascent vehicles.
Lockheed is NASA’s primary partner for the Orion spacecraft that completed a mission to the Moon as part of the Artemis 1 programme. The company highlighted the space agency’s track record of achieving ground and orbital missions to Mars. NASA acknowledged that Lockheed possessed the required expertise for the demanding mission.
Furthermore, Blue Origin plans to use its expertise in lunar landers to facilitate the retrieval of samples from Mars. The Blue Mars Lander’s impressive goal of using engines only during the mission’s launch, descent, and landing stages has thoroughly impressed NASA. The agency states that this approach simplifies the vehicle by removing the need for complex components like a heat shield, parachutes, and an airbag.
Furthermore, Jeff Bezos’ company plans to work with ESA on a mission to bring back samples from Mars using the Earth Return Orbiter. In 2033, the plan aims to bring back 30 pieces of material from Mars.
In early June, SpaceX successfully conducted its fourth Starship launch attempt.
