{"id":527791,"date":"2023-09-21T18:52:38","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T22:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=527791"},"modified":"2023-09-27T18:57:52","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T22:57:52","slug":"nasa-releases-independent-reviews-mars-sample-return-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/mars-sample-return\/nasa-releases-independent-reviews-mars-sample-return-report\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Releases Independent Review\u2019s Mars Sample Return Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples of rocks and soil being collected from the Martian surface by NASA's Mars Perseverance rover.\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1920w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=300&h=169&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=768&h=432&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=1024&h=576&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=1536&h=864&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=400&h=225&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=600&h=338&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=900&h=506&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=1200&h=675&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples of rocks and soil being collected from the Martian surface by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover. <\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Credit: NASA\/ESA\/JPL-Caltech<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>The agency established the board in May 2023 to evaluate the technical, cost, and schedule plans prior to confirmation of the mission\u2019s design.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An Independent Review Board (IRB) looked at NASA\u2019s current plans and goals of the first mission to return samples from Mars, and NASA is establishing a team to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to bringing home the first sample collected from Mars, this highly complex mission would include the first launch from the surface of another planet, as well as the first in-orbit rendezvous at another planet. <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/msr\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Mars Sample Return<\/a> is a partnership with ESA (European Space Agency).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNASA has plans for a robust Moon to Mars exploration approach,\u201d said Nicola Fox, NASA\u2019s associate administrator for science. \u201cMars is rich destination for scientific discovery and understanding the red planet supports the agency\u2019s Artemis program to ultimately send humans to Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The board provided its report to NASA earlier this month, which noted the scientific importance of the mission, but expressed concerns over the mission\u2019s budget, among other areas. After a two-month evaluation, they provided the agency a report with 20 findings and 59 recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMars Sample Return is a very complex program and campaign with multiple parallel developments, interfaces, and complexities,\u201d said Orlando Figueroa, chair of the independent review board. \u201cThe development of this historic effort follows many decades of strategic investment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA established the Independent Review Board in May 2023 to evaluate the technical, cost, and schedule plans prior to confirmation of the mission\u2019s design. The board interviewed a wide variety of NASA and external experts to understand the program\u2019s scope and management, technical approach, schedule, and funding profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In response to the report, NASA has set up a team \u2013 led by Sandra Connelly, NASA\u2019s deputy associate administrator for science \u2013 to review the Mars Sample Return report. The team will make a recommendation by the second quarter of fiscal year 2024 regarding a path forward for Mars Sample Return within a balanced overall science program. The agency will delay its plans to confirm the official mission cost and schedule until after the completion of this review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIndependent review boards like the one we commissioned for Mars Sample Return help review whether we\u2019re on the right track to meet our mission goals within the appropriate budget,\u201d said Connelly. \u201cWe thank the board for its work, and now our job is to assess the report and address if there are elements of the program that need to change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA\u2019s planned Mars Sample Return campaign would fulfill one of the highest priority solar system exploration goals identified by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in the past three decadal surveys. Returning samples will revolutionize our understanding of Mars by bringing scientifically selected samples to Earth for study using the most sophisticated instrumentation around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A copy of the Independent Review Board\u2019s Mars Sample Return report is available online at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news\/reports\/index.html\">https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news\/reports\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dewayne Washington \/ Karen Fox \/ Alana Johnson<br><\/strong>NASA Headquarters, Washington<br>301-832-5867 \/ 202-358-1275 \/ 202-358-1501<br><a href=\"mailto:dewayne.a.washington@nasa.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dewayne.a.washington@nasa.gov<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:karen.c.fox@nasa.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">karen.c.fox@nasa.gov<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:erin.morton@nasa.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">erin.morton@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2023-135<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The agency established the board in May 2023 to evaluate the technical, cost, and schedule plans prior to confirmation of the mission\u2019s design. An Independent Review Board (IRB) looked at NASA\u2019s current plans and goals of the first mission to return samples from Mars, and NASA is establishing a team to respond. In addition to [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":383465,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[10712,3229,2807,2658],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[12651],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA Releases Independent Review\u2019s Mars Sample Return Report","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/mars-sample-return\/nasa-releases-independent-reviews-mars-sample-return-report\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/mars-sample-return\/nasa-releases-independent-reviews-mars-sample-return-report\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint"},"articleSection":"Missions","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jet Propulsion Laboratory"}],"creator":["Jet Propulsion Laboratory"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["The Solar System","Mars Sample Return (MSR)","Mars","Planets"],"dateCreated":"2023-09-21T22:52:38Z","datePublished":"2023-09-21T22:52:38Z","dateModified":"2023-09-27T22:57:52Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA Releases Independent Review\u2019s Mars Sample Return Report\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/mars-sample-return\/nasa-releases-independent-reviews-mars-sample-return-report\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2023-09-21T22:52:38Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"The Solar System,Mars Sample Return (MSR),Mars,Planets\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Jet Propulsion Laboratory\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":3,"time_ago":"9 months","featured_image":{"id":383465,"file":"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA25326\/PIA25326~large.jpg","title":"Mars Sample Return Concept Illustration","alt":"This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples of rocks and soil being collected from the Martian surface by NASA's Mars Perseverance rover.","caption":"This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples of rocks and soil being collected from the Martian surface by NASA's Mars Perseverance rover.  NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) are developing concepts for the Mars Sample Return program, designed to retrieve the rock and soil samples Perseverance has collected and stored in sealed tubes. In the future, the samples would be returned to Earth for detailed laboratory analysis.  The current concept envisions delivering a Mars lander near Jezero Crater, where Perseverance (far left) collects samples. A NASA-provided Sample Retrieval Lander (far right) would carry a NASA rocket (the Mars Ascent Vehicle). Perseverance would gather sample tubes it has cached on the Mars surface and transport them to the Sample Retrieval Lander, where they would then be transferred by a Sample Transfer Arm provided by ESA onto the Mars Ascent Vehicle. The arm is based on a human arm, with an elbow, shoulder, and wrist. The Mars Ascent Vehicle would launch a container with the sample tubes inside into orbit. Waiting in Mars orbit would be an ESA-provided Earth Return Obiter, which would rendezvous with and capture the Orbiting Sample Container using a NASA-provided Capture, Containment, and Return System. This system would capture and orient the container, then prepare it for return to Earth inside the Earth Entry System.  Also depicted is one of two Sample Recovery Helicopters NASA will develop to be transported to Mars on the Sample Retrieval Lander, just as the Ingenuity helicopter was carried on the Perseverance rover. The helicopters would serve as backups to Perseverance in transporting sample tubes to the Lander.  https:\/\/photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov\/catalog\/PIA25326"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527791"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=527791"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527791\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":527796,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527791\/revisions\/527796"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/383465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=527791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=527791"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=527791"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=527791"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=527791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}