The companies, which include Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Quantum Space and Northrop Grumman, will conduct ten studies lasting three months.
In addition, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins are also conducting studies.
Once completed, NASA aims to assess all studies to consider changes or enhancements to the Mars Sample Return architecture.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the Mars sample return mission would be one of the "most complex" ever undertaken by the US space agency. “It is important to get this done more quickly, with less risk and at lower cost,” he said.
“I am excited to see the vision these companies, centers and partners bring to the table as we look for new, exciting and innovative ideas to uncover the great cosmic mysteries of the Red Planet,” Nelson said.
NASA has been involved in numerous missions over the past century to determine the early history of Mars and understand the formation and evolution of habitable worlds, including Earth.
NASA's Mars Sample Return is a strategic partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) that has been a long-term goal of international planetary exploration for the past two decades.
In addition, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins are also conducting studies.
Once completed, NASA aims to assess all studies to consider changes or enhancements to the Mars Sample Return architecture.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the Mars sample return mission would be one of the "most complex" ever undertaken by the US space agency. “It is important to get this done more quickly, with less risk and at lower cost,” he said.
“I am excited to see the vision these companies, centers and partners bring to the table as we look for new, exciting and innovative ideas to uncover the great cosmic mysteries of the Red Planet,” Nelson said.
NASA has been involved in numerous missions over the past century to determine the early history of Mars and understand the formation and evolution of habitable worlds, including Earth.
NASA's Mars Sample Return is a strategic partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) that has been a long-term goal of international planetary exploration for the past two decades.
