Mars Sample Return |
Mars Sample Return |
Apr 7 2006, 07:32 AM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 370 Joined: 12-September 05 From: France Member No.: 495 |
Next phase reached in definition of Mars Sample Return mission
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMJAGNFGLE_index_0.html |
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Jul 2 2007, 08:40 PM
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Director of Galilean Photography Group: Members Posts: 896 Joined: 15-July 04 From: Austin, TX Member No.: 93 |
On the surface that sounds like a good idea, only sending the "retrieval system" to the interesting caches, but I think that would end up being just as complicated as the BSG style missions. The retrieval system would end up requiring rover-like mobility, since it has to reach the cache in the previous mission. It could probably forgo most instruments, but it would still be a large, precision landed rover. It makes more sense to develop a sample return canister/rocket to be taken on each Mars mission, with the rendevous occuring in space instead of on the ground. The space retrieval bus could even collect multiple canisters before returning home.
-------------------- Space Enthusiast Richard Hendricks
-- "The engineers, as usual, made a tremendous fuss. Again as usual, they did the job in half the time they had dismissed as being absolutely impossible." --Rescue Party, Arthur C Clarke Mother Nature is the final inspector of all quality. |
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