NASA Forms New Team to Review Mars Sample Return Program

NASA has recently formed a new strategy review team tasked with evaluating and potentially revising the architecture of the Mars Sample Return Program. This program is essential for deepening our understanding of the solar system and exploring the possibility of life on Mars.

The newly established team will assess 11 studies conducted by various NASA centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and industry partners. Their goal is to recommend a primary mission architecture that includes detailed cost and schedule estimates.

The Mars Sample Return Program aims to bring Martian samples back to Earth by the 2030s. This initiative, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, seeks to enhance our knowledge of Mars’ geological history, its climate evolution, and the potential for ancient life on the planet.