Lockheed Martin wins the Contract to Bring Back Mars Sample to Earth

NASA has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin to build a rocket that will bring the first sample of Martian rock to Earth in the 2030s. NASA's Perseverance Rover has been collecting samples from different parts of Mars since landing on Earth's neighbours a year ago.

NASA said in a statement that the small and lightweight rocket will be the first to take off from another planet, bringing back atmospheric samples from the surface of Mars.

The goal of this mission is to find traces of ancient life on the planet. Once the samples are collected, they will be brought to the Earth for more sophisticated tests that are only possible on Earth. Gathered samples will be launched back to the Earth by using the Lockheed Martin rocket as a key element. 

According to NASA, the contract for this “Mars Ascent Vehicle” has a potential value of $194 million. The mission will be launched in 2026 at the earliest. The mini-rocket will be carrying another rover that will be responsible for collecting the samples left behind by Perseverance. 

Once the samples are placed in the rocket, it will take off and put them in orbit around Mars, where they will be captured by another vessel, which will complete the final flag of the journey back to Earth. The last vessel and the rover are being developed under the direction of the European Space Agency.