Lockheed Martin Awarded , NASA Contract for Rocket , To Launch From Mars.
Engadget reports that NASA hopes its Mars Sample Return Program will help the agency retrieve rock, sediment and atmospheric samples from Mars.
.
That project has reportedly taken another step forward.
.
Lockheed Martin has been announced as the company that will build the first rocket to be launched from another planet.
.
Engadget reports that the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) will be a small, lightweight rocket that serves a crucial role in NASA's ambitious plan.
.
The contract, which is reportedly worth up to $194 million, will see Lockheed design, develop, test and evaluate the integrated MAV system.
This groundbreaking endeavor is destined to inspire the world when the first robotic round-trip mission retrieves a sample from another planet — a significant step that will ultimately help send the first astronauts to Mars, Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator, via Engadget.
The MAV will be brought to the surface of Mars via a Sample Retrieval Lander.
.
The lander will serve as the MAV's launch pad for its return trip to orbit.
.
Once in orbit, the European Space Agency Earth Return Orbiter will snatch the rocket using NASA's Capture, Containment and Return System.
According to Engadget, NASA's plan is to have the samples back on Earth sometime in the mid-2030s.
.
We are nearing the end of the conceptual phase for this Mars Sample Return mission, and the pieces are coming together to bring home the first samples from another planet, Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA headquarters, via Engadget
