Will NASA be able to return Mars samples to Earth? New audit raises doubts

[smp]

From Space.com:
"NASA's bold plan to get pristine samples of Mars to Earth for analysis is facing major challenges, according to a new report.
Design, cost and scheduling are all significant obstacles, an audit report of NASA's Mars Sample Return (MSR) Program by the agency's Office of Inspector General (OIG) finds."

https://www.space.com/nasa-mars-sample- ... ruary-2024

smp

[Graeme1858]

That would be a shame if they can't collect the samples.

I never did understand why they programmed Percy to leave the samples all over the place instead of collecting and collating as he went.

Graeme

[Lady Fraktor]

This was another mission thought up by someone who has no clue to the amount of nearly impossible things that would have to happen multiple times to become reality.
I used to be amazed at what NASA could do, now I am just baffled.

[AstroBee]

That would be a shame if they can't collect the samples.

I never did understand why they programmed Percy to leave the samples all over the place instead of collecting and collating as he went.

Graeme

I agree. Just keep the individual samples onboard in their separate containers and eject them all at one location. Now the retriever only has to get to one location to pick them up.
Or better yet, don't even bother trying to retrieve samples unless they are onboard the return vessel.

[Gfamily]

According to this article from NASA, the plan is that a complete set of samples will be held on Perseverance itself, from which they may be collected.
However, in case that's not possible, a set of samples has been deposited on the surface close to each other. This will allow them to be collected (hopefully) in one go.
So, they're doing both - they have the option of collection of the full set from Perseverance itself, as well as an emergency cache in case collection from the rover is impossible.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-per ... rs-samples

It was a good question though, and led me down a very welcome rabbit-hole that I wouldn't otherwise explored. Thanks for that.

[Graeme1858]

According to this article from NASA, the plan is that a complete set of samples will be held on Perseverance itself, from which they may be collected.

Cheers for that.

Graeme

[smp]

From the BBC:
"Nasa: 'New plan needed to return rocks from Mars'"

"The US space agency says the current mission design can't return the samples before 2040 on the existing funds and the more realistic $11bn (£9bn) needed to make it happen is not sustainable."

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68819153

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[helicon]

Don't have the room in the budget currently for an $11 billion expenditure on this project it seems. Expensive rocks, to be sure!

[Gfamily]

Give ISRO, the Indian space agency, a contract for $1-2bn and they could probably have a good chance of bringing the samples back..