NASA has modified the Mars Sample Retrieval Program, which is planned for the Perseverance rover to bring back rock samples collected from the Jezero crater. Instead of sending the Sample Retrieval Vehicle to the Red Planet as originally planned, the program will now take advantage of Perseverance itself and support it by sending two helicopters aboard Ingenuity.
NASA and ESA have been collaborating on the Specimen Recovery Program for the past few years. The original plan was to send the ESA-manufactured Sample Return Vehicle to retrieve samples and return them to a rocket to be intercepted by the Return-to-Earth Orbiter. But, the New York Times reported, the rover’s design became too large to fit on the return rocket with a lander. NASA would have to use a lander for each.
The Sample Retriever is not planned to reach Mars until 203, but NASA thinks Perseverance can continue to operate until then, with the confidence that the Curiosity rover can continue to operate for 11 years. According to the revised plan, Perseverance will proceed towards the landing craft and deliver 30 rock samples to be loaded into the rocket.
If Perseverance experiences a problem during this time, the lander will land closer to the reconnaissance vehicle, and backup helicopters will then fly in to collect samples. The helicopters are modeled similarly to the Ingenuity, but have small wheels underneath. In this way, he will be able to use his wheels to move towards the samples sealed in the tubes and pick them up where the rover left off.
The Ingenuity helicopter completed its first test flight to Mars in April 2021. NASA didn’t expect more from this helicopter to prove flight to Mars is possible, but since its first test flight, the helicopter has made 29 successful flights and more flights are planned. The success of Ingenuity offers new ways for NASA to transport the precious samples being collected by Perseverance.
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