page_title: Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars
hierarchical_section_title: Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerogel: Though with a ghostly appearance like an hologram, aerogel is very solid. It feels like hard styrofoam to the touch.
context_page_description: The Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars is a mission concept for a Mars air and dust sample return. It was a semi-finalist at the Mars Scout Program along with four other missions in December 2002. The SCIM mission would be designed to skim through the Mars atmosphere without landing or entering orbit. It would collect samples in an aerogel and take them back to Earth on a free-return trajectory.
  The success of fellow Discovery program mission Stardust was noted as supporting future sample return missions, and in particular supporting the SCIM concept. This Stardust mission was similar in that it returned extraterrestrial material to Earth with an unmanned robotic spacecraft.
context_section_description: The Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars (SCIM) is a mission concept for a Mars air and dust sample return. It was a semi-finalist at the Mars Scout Program along with four other missions in December 2002. The SCIM mission would be designed to skim through the Mars atmosphere without landing or entering orbit.  It would collect samples in an aerogel and take them back to Earth on a free-return trajectory.
  The success of fellow Discovery program mission Stardust was noted as supporting future sample return missions, and in particular supporting the SCIM concept. This Stardust mission was similar in that it returned extraterrestrial material to Earth with an unmanned robotic spacecraft.
caption: A block of aerogel in a person's hand
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