[meteorite-list] International Group Plans Strategy for Mars Sample Return Mission

[Ron Baalke]

Dec. 10, 2007

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726
dwayne.c.brown at nasa.gov

RELEASE: 07-269

INTERNATIONAL GROUP PLANS STRATEGY FOR MARS SAMPLE RETURN MISSION

WASHINGTON - NASA and an international team are developing plans and 
seeking recommendations to launch the first Mars mission to bring 
soil samples back to Earth. The ability to study soil from Mars here 
on Earth will contribute significantly to answering questions about 
the possibility of life on the Red Planet. Returned samples also will 
increase understanding of the useful or harmful properties of Martian 
soil, which will support planning for the eventual human exploration 
of Mars.

A task force named the International Mars Architecture for Return of 
Samples, or IMARS, recently met in Washington to lay the foundation 
for an international collaboration to return samples from Mars. NASA 
hosted the meeting. IMARS meeting participants included 
representatives from more than half a dozen countries and NASA, the 
European Space Agency, or ESA, the Canadian Space Agency and the 
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. 

IMARS is a committee of the International Mars Exploration Working 
Group, or IMEWG. The group was formed in 1993 to provide a forum for 
the international coordination of Mars exploration missions. 

"The potential paradigm-changing science from Mars samples makes this 
mission a high priority of the National Academy of Sciences," said 
Doug McCuistion, NASA's Mars Exploration program director, Science 
Mission Directorate, Washington.

"The exciting progress being made by the IMARS team is contributing 
directly to making this mission a reality in the next decade, All 
spacefaring nations have a standing invitation from IMEWG to 
participate in IMARS."

Scientists reviewed past engineering work on a Mars sample return 
mission, international science priorities, and sample receiving 
facility requirements. The IMARS team made significant progress in 
many of the key issues associated with the integration of science and 
engineering challenges. The team established a common strategy for 
launching a Mars sample return mission and achieving scientific 
objectives that can be met only by returning Martian soil to Earth. 

"For Europe this is a major step to shape the future of the ESA Aurora 
Exploration Programme in 2008," said Bruno Gardini, ESA's Exploration 
Program Manager. The Aurora Programme is part of Europe's strategy 
for space, initiated by ESA in 2001 to create and implement a 
long-term European plan for robotic and human exploration of the 
solar system.

The next steps in preparing for a Mars sample return mission includes 
more detailed international trade studies on engineering and mission 
specifics, greater detail on science and sample requirements, and 
definition and requirements for Earth-based facilities. IMARS will 
address the technical issues in upcoming meetings, along with 
preliminary discussions of the possible roles of interested nations 
and agencies. 

For more information about NASA's Mars Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mars

	
-end-