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After NASA solicited and then selected a fresh round of proposals for its Mars sample return program, a freedom of information request made by an X user in Australia has shared details of the agency’s selection process. NASA announced the list of finalists for its Mars sample return proposal request earlier this month, and in this list were big ticket names in the space industry, such as SpaceX and Lockheed Martin.
Now, the document sheds more light on the details of their plans to bring back samples collected by the Perseverance rover from the Martian surface, and within these details is a tentative timeline for SpaceX’s plans to land on Mars.
SpaceX Offers NASA A Mars Demonstration Landing In 2029 For Sample Return Project
NASA released the request for a fresh set of proposals to recover samples collected by Perseverance on Mars in April after the previous project drew criticism for its excessive costs. In response, the space agency received 48 proposals, and among these, seven proposals made the cut in June. In this list, SpaceX, Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin stood out from the pack due to their existing partnerships with NASA for the Artemis program. SpaceX is NASA’s first choice to land humans on the Moon, with Blue Origin also having won a lunar lander contract.
SpaceX’s plan involved using Starship for the Mars sample return, and the source selection document for the proposals shares additional details. These share that SpaceX plans to use Starship for all aspects of the Martian journey. This includes lift off from Earth, transit in space, a Martian landing and the final ascent for Earth return. NASA was impressed, in particular, by SpaceX’s “very strong team,” which not only has the required experience for the mission but also “support” from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
SpaceX has proposed a 2029 demonstration landing, with Starship also allowing for “ significantly larger mass/volume” for the lander and ascent vehicle, according to NASA.
While SpaceX’s proposal shared Starship as the vehicle of choice for the mission, Lockheed proposed an “end-to-end architecture assessment based on a commercial approach.” While this doesn’t specify a vehicle, Lockheed is NASA’s lead contractor for the Orion spacecraft, which has already flown once to the Moon for the Artemis 1 mission. Lockheed also touted its “proven track record across multiple landed and orbital missions[s]” to Mars in its proposal, and NASA agreed that the firm has the right skill set to execute the complex mission.
As for Blue Origin, like SpaceX, it also plans to use its experience with the lunar lander mission to return the Martian samples. Called the Blue Mars Lander, the vehicle impressed NASA with its aim to only use thrusters for the entry, descent and landing (EDL) phase of the mission. This makes the vehicle relatively simple, according to the space agency, as it removes the need for complex components such as the heat shield, parachutes and airbags.
Blue Origin also plans to work with the European Space Agency (ESA) on its Mars sample return proposal, relying on the agency’s Earth Return Orbiter (ERO). The plan calls for a single engine accent vehicle to transfer the samples to the ERO, and it proposes a 2033 return date with 30 samples.