NASA is considering two new strategies to return crucial samples from Mars to Earth by the 2030s, a major step forward in the search for answers about the potential for life beyond our planet.
The proposals, which replace the original Mars Sample Return program, aim to reduce complexity, cost, and mission duration. The agency will decide between the two options by the second half of 2026.
One strategy relies on technology used by NASA’s Perseverance rover, while the other utilizes new commercial capabilities and partners to deliver a “heavy-lift vehicle” lander. Both plans require landing a Mars Ascent Vehicle on the Martian surface, which will be loaded with samples collected by Perseverance.
The new strategies are more streamlined than the original plan, but each contains similar architecture. The platform that will land on Mars will carry a smaller version of the Mars Ascent Vehicle and have solar panels replaced with a system that can supply power and heat during dust storms.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says the samples hold the key to understanding the planet’s geological history and evolution of climate. Returning them to Earth as soon as possible will allow scientists to study them in state-of-the-art facilities.
The European Space Agency is currently evaluating NASA’s new plans, while China has also expressed interest in returning samples from Mars. However, Nelson emphasizes that the US approach should not be compared to a “grab and go” mission like China’s proposed Tianwen-3 mission. Instead, the US aims to provide a detailed history of what Mars was like millions of years ago.
The samples are expected to contain 30 layers showing different ages of material and rocks, which will help scientists answer one of humanity’s biggest questions: Was there life on Mars millions of years ago?
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/07/science/nasa-mars-sample-return-options/index.html