Official NASA announcements, press releases, or project timeline updates

NASA Awards $10M in Contracts for $1.5M, 90-Day Mars Sample Return Studies

Jun 7, 2024, 09:50 PM

NASA is advancing its Mars Sample Return Program by commissioning 10 studies to explore more affordable and faster methods for returning samples from Mars to Earth. The agency has awarded $10 million in contracts to several companies, including Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Quantum Space, Northrop Grumman, and Whittinghill Aerospace. These studies, part of a $1.5 million, 90-day study contract, will examine innovative mission designs and elements capable of delivering samples collected by the Mars Perseverance rover. Lockheed Martin, in particular, will leverage its extensive experience in deep space and Mars-specific missions. The Mars Sample Return mission aims to enhance our understanding of how habitable worlds like Earth form and evolve.