Synopsis
The Mars Sample Return (MSR) Independent Review Board-2 Final Report, published on September 1, 2023, provides an overview of the MSR mission, its objectives, challenges, and recommendations. The report highlights the imperative and value of returned samples from Mars, recognizing the strengths of the MSR program and identifying key takeaways from the findings.
The MSR mission aims to return scientifically-selected samples of Mars to address key scientific and existential questions, such as whether Mars harbored life in the past and what transformed it into the uninhabitable world it is today. The mission is a top priority of the last two surveys of the National Academies Decadal Survey of Planetary Science and is crucial for the USA’s Moon-to-Mars strategy.
The report acknowledges the strengths of the MSR program, such as the strong commitment of NASA and ESA personnel, the substantial progress made since the start of formulation in 2020, and the successful operation of the Perseverance rover. However, it also identifies several challenges and constraints, including unrealistic budget and schedule expectations, tight mass margins, uncertainties in launch vehicles’ performance, and multiple system handoffs to return samples from Mars to Earth.
The Independent Review Board (IRB) conducted a programmatic assessment and found that the currently planned Launch Readiness Dates (LRDs) for the Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) and Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL) are not feasible, with the earliest probable LRDs for both missions in 2030. The probable lifecycle cost range for the MSR program is estimated to be between $8.0-9.6 billion.
The IRB recommends considering alternate architectures and launch scenarios to add robustness and resiliency to the program and/or operate within the constraints of a fiscal year budget cap. The alternate architecture solution space has an estimated lifecycle cost range of $8.4-10.9 billion, with various LRD combinations in the 2030-2035 timeframe.
