Guide
Everything our newsroom has reported on space technology, drawn from 1 original stories.
The Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission is a joint NASA-ESA effort to bring Martian rock and soil samples to Earth for the first time.
Source: How the 2026 Mars Sample Return Mission Works: A Step-by-Step ExplainerThe mission utilizes a complex three-stage relay: collection by Perseverance, launch by the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), and orbital capture by the Earth Return Orbiter.
Source: How the 2026 Mars Sample Return Mission Works: A Step-by-Step Explainer“Instead of taking the lab to Mars, we are bringing Mars home to our most powerful instruments.”
The mission uses the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), a small two-stage solid rocket landed on the surface, to blast the sample container into orbit.
Source: How the 2026 Mars Sample Return Mission Works: A Step-by-Step ExplainerThe samples are planned to land at the Utah Test and Training Range within a specialized, high-durability containment capsule.
Source: How the 2026 Mars Sample Return Mission Works: A Step-by-Step ExplainerPerseverance is equipped with 43 titanium sample tubes, intended to be filled with a diverse set of rock cores, regolith, and atmospheric samples.
Source: How the 2026 Mars Sample Return Mission Works: A Step-by-Step ExplainerHumanity's most ambitious retrieval project involves a multi-stage interplanetary relay to bring Martian soil back to Earth.
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