Mission Concept

Mars Sample Return, a joint campaign being planned by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), would be a multiple missions and components, with the goal of bringing Mars rock, loose surface material, and gas samples to Earth for detailed laboratory analysis.

Quick Facts

1. Interactions with Multiple Vehicles: The first time several vehicles (a lander, a rocket, and multiple helicopters) would land on the surface of Mars at the same time.

Artist's concept of a lander surrounded by round fuel tanks and circular solar panels on the surface of Mars. A rover at a distance in the background.

2. First Rocket Launch From Another Planet: First launch from the surface of another planet with the Mars Ascent Vehicle.

A small rocket soars over a solar-powered lander spacecraft on Mars.

3. Seeking Ancient Answers: The delivery of the first set of carefully selected samples to Earth from a place known to be friendly to life in the distant past.

A metal instrument containing a small sample of Mars.

4. First Round-trip Mission to Another Planet: ESA's Earth Return Orbiter would be the first spacecraft to: make a roundtrip journey from Earth to Mars and back, bring back samples from Mars to Earth, and propel itself out of Mars orbit.

A boxy spacecraft with wide solar panels is depicted over Mars.

5. Earth Entry System Provides Free Fall Landing: The Earth Entry System would be the first sample return vehicle designed to complete a free fall landing (at approximately 90 mph [about 145 kph]). Mission engineers designed the spacecraft to land safely without a parachute.

A glowing cloud of superheated gas is forming around this space capsule in this artist's concept.

A Team Effort

Mars Sample Return is a joint campaign being planned by NASA and the ESA (European Space Agency). Mars Sample Return would entail multiple missions and components, with the goal of bringing Mars rock, loose surface material, and gas samples to Earth for detailed laboratory analysis.

The Mars Perseverance rover is the first leg of this international, interplanetary relay team. Its job is to collect and cache samples on Mars. A Sample Retrieval Lander would land near or in Jezero Crater, bringing a small rocket on which the samples collected by Perseverance would be loaded. Once the sample cache is launched off the Red Planet, another spacecraft would capture it in Mars orbit, and then bring it to Earth safely.

These first collected and returned samples could answer a key question: Did life ever exist on Mars? Only by bringing the samples to Earth can we truly answer the question by using the most sophisticated, state-of-the-art labs, at a time when future generations can study them using techniques yet to be invented.

The NASA/ESA Mars Sample Return symbol features three lines curving toward a bright star, symbolizing the road to a sample return.
NASA/ESA

The Interplanetary Relay Team

  • The Perseverance rover is highlighted in this artist's concept of the five vehicles in the Mars Sample Return fleet.
    The Mars Perseverance rover is the first leg of this international, interplanetary relay team. Its job is to collect and cache samples on Mars.
    NASA/JPL-Caltech

    Mars Perseverance Rover

    The Mars Perseverance rover is the first leg of this international, interplanetary relay team. Its job is to collect and cache samples on Mars.

  • The Mars Sample Return Lander, an octagonal platform surrounded by solar panels, is highlighted in this artist's concept of the Mars Sample Return fleet.
    NASA's Sample Retrieval Lander would be the first ever to bring along a rocket — NASA's Mars Ascent Vehicle, to help achieve the goal of bringing the samples safely to Earth for study.
    NASA/JPL-Caltech

    Sample Retrieval Lander

    NASA's Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL) would be the first ever to bring along a rocket — NASA's Mars Ascent Vehicle, to help achieve the goal of bringing the samples safely to Earth for study.

  • The Mars Sample Return rocket is highlighted and shown in flight in this artist's concept of the Mars Sample Return fleet.
    The Mars Ascent Vehicle would be the first rocket ever to launch off the surface of another planet, and would transport the sample tubes containing Martian rock, atmosphere, and loose surface material into orbit around Mars.

    Mars Ascent Vehicle

    The Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) would be the first rocket ever to launch off the surface of another planet, and would transport the sample tubes containing Martian rock, atmosphere, and loose surface material into orbit around Mars. 

  • A small Mars helicopter is highlighted and shown in flight in this artist's concept of the Mars Sample Return fleet.
    The Sample Recovery Helicopters are modeled after the successful Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, carried to the Red Planet by NASA's Perseverance rover. These specialized rotorcraft would be a secondary method of sample retrieval for the campaign.

    Sample Recovery Helicopters

    The Sample Recovery Helicopters (SRH) are modeled after the successful Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, carried to the Red Planet by NASA's Perseverance rover. These specialized rotorcraft would be a secondary method of sample retrieval for the campaign.

  • The Earth Return orbiter is highlighted in this artist's concept of the Mars Sample Return fleet.
    The Earth Return Orbiter (ERO), provided by ESA, would be the first interplanetary spacecraft to capture an object in orbit around another planet and make a full round trip to Mars and back.

    Earth Return Orbiter

    The Earth Return Orbiter (ERO), provided by ESA, would be the first interplanetary spacecraft to capture an object in orbit around another planet and make a full round trip to Mars and back. 

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Mars Perseverance Rover

Sample Retrieval Lander

Mars Ascent Vehicle

This illustration shows NASA's Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) in powered flight. The MAV will carry tubes containing Martian rock and soil samples into orbit around Mars, where ESA's Earth Return Orbiter spacecraft will enclose them in a highly secure containment capsule and deliver them to Earth.

Earth Return Orbiter

The Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) is one of the flight missions making up the Mars Sample Return campaign to bring martian rock and atmospheric samples back to Earth.