Nasa to send two more Ingenuity-like helicopters to collect samples from Mars

Nasa is planning to send two more helicopters to the Red Planet as part of its Mars Sample Return Program.

The American space agency announced on Wednesday that the equipment, based on the design of the Ingenuity helicopter, would help return Martian rocks and soil samples to Earth in a future mission under plan for 2033.

Nasa’s Perseverance rover has so far gathered 11 rock core samples and one atmospheric sample, with its most recent sedimentary rock sample expected to hold evidence of ancient microbial life on the Red Planet.

Since arriving at Mars, attached to the Perseverance rover in February last year, Ingenuity has vastly exceeded expectations.

The helicopter, only ever intended as a technical demonstration on Mars, has successfully completed dozens of flights and has even helped the Perseverance rover with its navigation.

Scientists envision that in a sample return mission, multiple robots would team up to carry cached samples collected on Mars by the rover.

In the current plan, Perseverance will transport the cached Martian rock samples to Nasa’s Sample Retrieval Lander under development, which would carry the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV).

MAV will then carry tubes containing Martian rock and soil samples into orbit around Mars, where the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Earth Return Orbiter spacecraft will enclose them in a containment capsule and deliver them to Earth.

“The Sample Retrieval Lander will include two sample recovery helicopters, based on the design of the Ingenuity helicopter, which has performed 29 flights at Mars and survived over a year beyond its original planned lifetime. The helicopters will provide a secondary capability to retrieve samples cached on the surface of Mars,” Nasa noted.

The space agency said planned launch dates for the Earth Return Orbiter and Sample Retrieval Lander occur in fall 2027 and summer 2028, respectively, and the samples are expected to arrive on Earth in 2033.

The program’s preliminary design phase is expected to begin this October.

“ESA is continuing at full speed the development of both the Earth Return Orbiter that will make the historic round-trip from Earth to Mars and back again; and the Sample Transfer Arm that will robotically place the sample tubes aboard the Orbiting Sample Container before its launch from the surface of the Red Planet,” David Parker, ESA director of Human and Robotic Exploration, said.

Once back on Earth, scientists from across the world will examine the Mars specimens using sophisticated instruments too large and too complex to send to the Red Planet.

“Working together on historic endeavors like Mars Sample Return not only provides invaluable data about our place in the universe but brings us closer together right here on Earth,” Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at Nasa Headquarters in Washington, said.