"We think we're going to be able to come forward with a plan," Jeff Gramling, director of the Mars Sample Return (MSR) Program at NASA headquarters, told a Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) meeting on Nov. 6. "Some interesting things have come out through these studies, and I think we're going to be able to help the [MSR] architecture . . . that hopefully results in our cost estimates coming down."
"I am optimistic, but let's keep in mind the fundamental complexity of the first roundtrip mission to the surface of another planet is never going to be easy," he added.
Returning a cache of scientifically selected rock, regolith and atmospheric samples from Mars could reveal whether life ever existed on another planet besides Earth, as well as provide insights into the evolution of the Solar System.
"For half a century, NASA has engaged in a systematic effort to determine the early history of Mars, assess its biological potential and understand the formation and evolution of habitable worlds, including our own planet," said Lindsay Hays, NASA senior scientist for Mars exploration.
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