Mars sample return mission. Artwork of concepts for a proposed Mars sample return mission. Here, a rocket-powered descent stage is lowering a sample-r

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Mars sample return mission. Artwork of concepts for a proposed Mars sample return mission. Here, a rocket-powered descent stage is lowering a sample-retrieving rover and an ascent vehicle (inside cylinder) to the surface of Mars. The ascent vehicle would receive samples of Martian rocks that are to be collected by a previous mission and retrieved by the rover. Then it would launch the samples into Martian orbit for a rendezvous with a spacecraft that would carry them to Earth. NASA and the European Space Agency are collaborating on proposals for a mission to gather samples of Martian rocks and bring them to Earth after 2020.

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Size: 4976px × 4238px
Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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