According to the plan, the Perseverance rover will collect soil samples and leave sealed test tubes on the planet's surface. A new rover will then be sent to Mars to collect these tubes and deliver them to the launch pad, where they will be loaded into a rocket. We are talking about the first rocket launched from another planet. After that, it will dock with an orbiting spacecraft that will deliver the samples to Earth.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently announced a contract with Lockheed Martin to build the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) to carry samples from the Martian surface into orbit.

NASA acknowledges the challenges in building the Mars Ascent Vehicle, saying the rocket must be able to withstand Martian harsh environments where it can encounter cold temperatures and dust, as well as a different atmosphere. The vehicle must also be compatible with the rover that will collect the samples.

The goal is to launch a sample retrieval lander in 2026. Until then, the Mars Ascent Vehicle must be designed, developed and tested. The terms of the contract in the amount of 194 million dollars should begin to fulfill this month.

We are nearing the end of the conceptual phase of this Mars sample return mission. Now we are preparing to bring home the first samples from another planet. Once delivered to Earth, they can be studied with modern instruments too sophisticated to be transported into space.

Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for Science at NASA Headquarters

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