Mission Artwork

Mars Sample Return

In this scene, a large rover has delivered samples back to the small rocket carried by the lander. Known as the MAV or Mars Ascent Vehicle, it would carry samples up to Mars orbit. At that point, it was supposed to rendezvous automatically with a French CNES Orbiter which would fly the samples to Earth.

This type of rover/MAV MSR mission scenario may occur sometime in the next decade but the "Groundbreaking MSR" is now under serious consideration for 2013 - which would make it the first attempt at returning samples from Mars.

 

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