The Mars Sample Return campaign is unlike anything we have ever tried to accomplish.

Yes, samples have been brought back from space before. From the Moon. And from asteroids. And even from the tail of a comet. But never from Mars.

An international team of experts have been selected by ESA and NASA to form the Measurement Definition Team – a group of brilliant minds who will support the planning for a facility that would receive the samples from Mars. 

The future facility would need to protect the samples from terrestrial contamination that could interfere with the scientific measurements. At the same time, the facility must keep samples contained while they are catalogued and tested. 

NASA’s Perseverance rover takes a sample from a rocky area named “Berea” by the science team. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The latter purpose of the facility – to keep them initially contained – makes the difference between Mars Sample Return and other sample return missions. The reason for the containment is the potential for life on Mars.

During the next six to nine months the team of 23 experts from 10 countries will be responsible for outlining the types of analyses that would be carried out inside the facility, propose the instruments for key measurements, and the most efficient sequence of analyses.

Using the recommendations from the team, NASA and ESA will set the requirements for the design of the sample receiving facility.