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After NASA solicited and then selected a new 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 request earlier this month, and the list included 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 return samples collected by the Perseverance rover from the Martian surface, and within those details is a tentative timeline for SpaceX’s plans to land on Mars.
SpaceX offers NASA a demonstration landing on Mars in 2029 for the sample return project
NASA issued a request for a new 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 them, seven proposals made the cut in June. On this list, SpaceX, Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin stood out from the pack because of 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 winning a lunar landing contract.
SpaceX’s plan includes using Starship for the Mars sample return, and the source selection document for the proposals shares additional details. These indicate that SpaceX plans to use Starship for all aspects of Martian travel. This includes liftoff from Earth, transit into space, a landing on Mars, and final ascent back to Earth. NASA was particularly impressed by SpaceX.”very strong team“, which not only has the necessary experience for the mission, but also “SUPPORTING“from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
SpaceX has proposed a demonstration landing in 2029, with Starship also allowing “ significantly greater mass/volume“for the landing and ascent vehicle, according to NASA.
While SpaceX’s proposal singled out Starship as the vehicle of choice for the mission, Lockheed proposed a “end-to-end architecture evaluation based on a commercial approachWhile it doesn’t specify a vehicle, Lockheed is NASA’s prime contractor for the Orion spacecraft, which has already flown once to the Moon for the Artemis 1 mission. Lockheed also promoted the “record proven during multiple missions on Earth and in orbit[s]Mars in its proposal, and NASA agreed that the firm has the right skills 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 Martian samples. Called the Blue Mars Lander, the vehicle impressed NASA with its intent to use only propellants 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 heat shields, 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-driven vehicle to transfer the samples to ERO and proposes a return date of 30 samples in 2033.