A new mission was recently announced by NASA: let's talk about the program Mars sample return, which involves launching a rocket directly from the planet Mars.
If the operation were to occur, we would be faced with the first ever launch to another planet.
The transport and analysis perspectives on Mars could change drastically. Experts would have access to much more material, collected directly on the red planet and then transported to Earth with the help of a rocket.
Mars Sample Return, the Perseverance rover is already on Mars
His task will be to collect certain samples of material, before sealing them in a tube and taking them to the launch base. Here, the samples will be loaded onto an ascent vehicle, then launched into orbit via a rocket.
The material will then be brought back to Earth by the spacecraft, designed specifically to achieve this goal.
The NASA rocket and outside aid
The Mars Sample Return mission to Mars could prove to be extremely complex. NASA has in fact decided to ask for help from a second company, Lockheed Martin.
At the moment, the company has obtained a contract for the construction of the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), the vehicle that will take the samples into orbit.
To complete the launch, NASA will need a rocket about 3 meters (10 feet) tall, with more than 45 centimeters (1,5 feet) in diameter. UPI). A test run will obviously be performed with the MAV prototype, before even sending it to Mars.
The realization of the MAV is a central part of the Mars Sample Return project, and must be perfect in all its parts. The conditions he could encounter on Mars (freezing temperatures, dust storms, minimal amounts of oxygen) could put him to the test.
This groundbreaking initiative is set to inspire the world as the first round-trip robotic mission retrieves a sample from another planet - a significant step that will ultimately help send astronauts to Mars.
Bill Nelson, NASA administrator
The probable launch date? It should be 2026, but we will have to wait for further confirmations.
