According to Louis Friedman, Executive Director of The Planetary Society, a Mars sample-return mission is often described by the planetary science community as one of the most important robotic space missions, due to its high expected scientific return on investment.
Menurut Louis Friedman, Direktur Eksekutif The Planetary Society, misi sample return Mars sering digambarkan oleh komunitas ilmu planet sebagai misi ruang angkasa robot "cawan suci", karena yang tinggi diharapkan ilmiah return-on-investasi.