Next Big Mars Goal: Bringing Samples Home From the Red Planet
Mars Sample Return Rocket This artist's concept shows a Mars Sample Return lander and its return capsule lifting off from the Red Planet. NASA/JPLMars planners suggest a robot-to-human hand-off in space. NASA's next Mars moves should focus on bringing chunks of Mars back to Earth, possibly in a hand-off between a robot and an astronaut, according to a new planning document. Involving humans in a space-based rock swap would ensure the sample is protected and Earth is protected - and it would probably make sense anyway, given the timing and budget constraints for NASA's Mars plans. NASA's Mars Program Planning Group final report, released Tuesday, lays out several options NASA could pursue to bring samples of Mars rocks to Earth-based scientists, one of the key goals outlined in a major 2011 scientific priorities list. NASA is weighing those options but won't announce its choice until early 2013, when the president releases his...