Questions tagged [sample-return]
Mission to some extraterrestrial object which results in return of materials to Earth for further examination.
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How large a body could a probe with ion engines land on and launch from?
Researching small asteroids up close by use of robotic probes seems like an appealing near-future mission. One option is a sample return mission that goes to one large body, another is a mission where ...
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The practicalities of a rock sampling mission to Venus
The planet Venus has hostile conditions: a surface temperature of 462 °C, a corrosive atmosphere and a surface atmospheric pressure 92 times that of the Earth.
During the Soviet era, the Russians ...
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Could a biohazard sample return capsule from Mars be safely hard landed on Earth?
There are some planetary protection concerns about backward contamination of Earth by returning samples from Mars, a mission which may well happen around the Earth-Mars opposition of 2025. One of the ...
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How are ultra-sensitive aerogel suspended samples secured for Earth reentry and touchdown?
For example, how were the Stardust particle collector samples, that were suspended in brittle and extremely low density (0.014 g/cm3) silica aerogel, secured prior to atmospheric reentry so they ...
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Sneakernet: Would data return together with sample return be useful?
Mars 2020 will drill and store several surface samples until a return-to-Earth vehicle arrives. The rover will then use its arm to move its sample box to onboard the return vehicle.
Could the rover ...
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How could a minimal sample return only from the plumes of an ice moon, Ceres or Io be designed?
Would it be feasible and would it make sense to minimalistically design a sample-return-only mission (or class of missions) along these lines:
Light weight plume collecting aerogel (like the Stardust ...
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Sample return mission to Mars
Are there any plans to launch a sample return mission to Mars?
Is such mission possible, and what would be approximate max weight of returned sample?
Is it possible to return sample to Earth orbit ...
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