POT gave details of how it will collect samples from Mars to send them back to Earth. The space agency has made adjustments to the original plan and said Perseverance will be responsible for transporting the Martian rocks to the recovery module before they are returned via the MAV (Mars Ascent Vehicle) rocket. If the calculations are correct, the first samples will arrive on our planet in 2033 for analysis.
The Mars Sample Return Program, which will pave the way for human exploration beyond the Moon, will be a joint mission with ESA. NASA has confirmed that this program close to completion of the conceptual design phase. The most obvious change at this stage is that the mission will no longer be required to use a search rover to transport samples.
After success Perseverance and resourcefulness Helicopter, NASA decided to assign this task to both. Rover takes care of deliver rock samples to the recovery module. Perseverance will be supported by two recovery helicopters based on the Ingenuity design, although these will have secondary capabilities.
performance and durability of both vehicles played a decisive role in making this decision. Recently, Ingenuity set a new record and flew on April 8, where it traveled for almost three minutes at a speed of 19 kilometers per hour. NASA helicopter Since arriving on Mars, he has already made 29 flights.a real milestone considering he was programmed to survive for a month, which takes over a year.
Because of this helicopters based on the Ingenuity design they will replace the search rover and the second lander. Rocks recovered from Jazero Crater by Perseverance will be transported to NASA’s recovery module, which will carry the MAV and an ESA-designed sample transfer device.
How will rocks from Mars get to Earth?
The process of collecting and delivering samples from Mars it is difficult and it is estimated that it will last more than ten years. Persistence is on a mission to extract rocks that will help us understand Mars’ geological past. The first one was received at the end of September 2021, although there were doubts whether it could be soldered inside the tube.
A rover moving across what was once a lake will take all the samples to recovery module will be sent to Mars between autumn 2027 and summer 2028. The module will land in Jazero Crater and will carry the MAV lifting machine, a rocket in which all tubes will be loaded with retrieved samples. The rover will then enter the Martian atmosphere to be intercepted by an Earth return orbiter (ERO) is an interplanetary spacecraft developed by Airbus.
ERO is the last part of the mission, the purpose of which is to return samples to Earth. airbus ship It will use a combination of chemical and electrical propulsion to reach Martian orbit. It will measure about 39 meters and weigh 6.5 tons thanks to a series of giant solar panels that will allow it to better capture energy.
ESA and NASA team up to ensure mission success
The interplanetary ship will have a system for intercept the container with the sample and transfer it to the return vehicle known as the Earth Entry System (EES). ERO will take the EES to Earth and eject it as soon as it approaches our planet. The last step is to get the Martian Rocks after the capsule has landed.
NASA calculations show that we will receive samples from Mars in 2033. Once the concept phase is complete, the space agency will begin a preliminary design period in October. This phase will last 12 months and will serve to complete the development of technologies and create engineering prototypes of the main components of the mission.
The next decade will be decisive for Perseverance, which has already collected 11 rock samples and one atmospheric sample.
Source: Hiper Textual
