NASA recently announced the awarding of contracts to seven companies, including industry giants such as SpaceX And Blue Originwith the aim of studying cheaper methods of bringing it back to Earth rock samples from Mars. This initiative represents a significant step in the search for traces of extraterrestrial life and in the in-depth study of the red planet.
The space agency launched a call to industry last April, inviting companies to come up with innovative ideas to bring Martian rocks back to Earth at a cost lower than the $11 billion under the current plan, known as Mars Sample Return (MSR ), and in a shorter time frame, by 2040. The response was significant, with 48 proposals received, including the NASA selected seven companies to conduct more detailed studies.
An ambitious challenge: reduce costs and times
Each of the selected companies will receive up to $1.5 million to conduct 90-day studies. The winners include five of NASA’s major contractors, whose inclusion comes as no surprise, and two smaller companies. The administrator of NASABill Nelson, expressed his enthusiasm for the vision that these companies, centers and partners will present, underlining the importance of discovering valuable information about the red planet more quickly, less riskily and at lower cost.
Currently, the Rover Perseverance is busy on Mars in the collection of several dozen samples of rock dust, soil and Martian air, preserved in special titanium tubes. These precious samples will then be brought back to Earth to be analyzed in depth, in the hope of finding clues to the presence of extraterrestrial life.
A collaboration between large and small companies in the space sector
Among the companies selected for the studies are Lockheed Martinthe only one to have built a spacecraft capable of successfully landing on Mars, Northrop Grummanpartner in the development of the Mars Ascent Vehicle, Aerojet Rocketdyneknown for its rocket boosters, and the giants SpaceX and Blue Originboth engaged in the development of spacecraft for the Artemis program’s lunar missions.
Even two small businesses, Quantum Space And Whittinghill Aerospacewill conduct studies for NASA, demonstrating how this initiative involves realities of different sizes and skills.
An exciting future for Mars exploration
There Mars Sample Return mission represents one of the most complex challenges ever faced by NASA, but the involvement of these companies and partners in the search for innovative solutions bodes well for the future of exploration of the red planet. With their contribution, the space agency aims to carry out this mission more quickly, cheaply and safely, paving the way for new discoveries that could change our understanding of the universe and life outside Earth.
