Mars Sample Return | APPEL Knowledge Services

Artist concept of the Earth Return Orbiter (ERO)–one of the flight missions making up the Mars Sample Return campaign to bring martian rock and atmospheric samples back to Earth. This European Space Agency (ESA) orbiter would be the first interplanetary spacecraft to capture samples in orbit and make a return trip between Earth and Mars. Credits: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC

NASA Exploring Mars Sample Return Architecture

January 29, 2025 // by Kevin Wilcox

Sky Crane landing, commercial options are being considered to return samples from Mars to Earth.

A rock on Mars with two holes where the rover's drill obtained chalk-size samples. The rover’s Delta Campaign has collected samples that scientists are eager to examine in laboratories on Earth. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Perseverance’s ‘Tantalizing Suite of Rocks’

September 26, 2022 // by Kevin Wilcox

Rover’s journey over ancient dry lakebed on Mars yields surprises.

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter sits on Airfield D, near the Perseverance rover on the surface of Mars. NASA has added two Ingenuity-class helicopters to the design of the Mars Sample Return campaign as backups for sample retrieval. Credit: NASA

NASA, ESA Finalizing Design of Mars Sample Return

August 15, 2022 // by Kevin Wilcox

Campaign will employ a pair of helicopters and rely on Perseverance.

The Perseverance Rover is lowered to the surface of Mars by the Descent Stage, via nylon cables. A camera aboard the descent stage captured this shot. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Perseverance Team Overcomes Seven Minutes of Terror

February 23, 2021 // by Kevin Wilcox

Rover lands safely on Mars, begins mission that includes sample return work.

In this illustration, NASA's Mars 2020 rover uses its drill to core a rock sample on Mars. Those samples, stored in hermetically sealed tubes, are the first step of the Mars Sample Return Campaign. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA and ESA Partner to Return Core Samples from Mars

January 27, 2021 // by Kevin Wilcox

Intricate, robotic space mission could hold key to decades of scientific discovery.