NASA is narrowing down its approach to bringing back precious rock and sediment samples collected by the Perseverance rover on Mars. The agency is considering two main architectures, one involving a 'sky crane' landing system similar to the one used for the Curiosity rover, and the other relying on private industry to develop the landing hardware. The estimated cost of the mission has ballooned from $3 billion to $8-$11 billion, with a potential arrival date of 2040.
Jam packed issues filled with the latest cutting-edge research, technology and theories delivered in an entertaining and visually stunning way, aiming to educate and inspire readers of all agesThis photomontage shows each of the sample tubes deposited by NASA 's Perseverance Mars rover at the Three Forks sample depot, as viewed by the WATSON camera on the end of the rover's robotic arm.
Going with the sky crane would result in an MSR cost of $6.6 billion to $7.7 billion, Nelson said today. The commercial option — which NASA didn't discuss in detail, citing concerns about proprietary technologies and designs — would be a bit cheaper, at $5.8 billion to $7.1 billion. Both options would put the same hardware down on the Martian surface — a lander that sports a small rocket called the Mars Ascent Vehicle .
"One is, it gives us the opportunity to operate during dust storm season. And the surface ops timeline is one of the main drivers here, to make sure we've got time to transfer the 30 tubes," Gramling said during today's press conference.
NASA Mars Sample Return Perseverance Spacecraft
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