NASA Explores Sky Crane and Commercial Options for Mars Sample Return by 2035-2039

Jan 7, 2025, 10:19 PM

NASA has announced a revised strategy for its Mars Sample Return Program, aiming to reduce costs and expedite the timeline for bringing Martian samples back to Earth. The agency plans to explore two landing options: one utilizing the proven 'sky crane' technology used in previous Mars missions like Curiosity and Perseverance, and another involving new commercial capabilities from companies such as SpaceX or Blue Origin. The revised plan is expected to cut costs to between $6.6 billion and $7.7 billion for the sky crane option, and between $5.8 billion and $7.1 billion for the commercial option. NASA aims to return the 30 sample tubes collected by the Perseverance rover as early as 2035, with a latest possible return date of 2039. The mission will use a radioisotope power system instead of solar panels, and the samples will be captured by the European Space Agency's Earth Return Orbiter. The final decision on the chosen architecture is slated for 2026.