Mission analysis for a potential Mars Sample Return campaign in the 2020's
The Mars 2020 mission, currently under development by NASA, plans to acquire and cache carefully-selected rock and regolith samples from the surface of Mars for potential future return. NASA and ESA are jointly studying options for returning those samples to Earth with missions launching in the 2020s. This paper demonstrates a method for modeling the various campaign elements, synthesizing coordinated campaign timelines, and assuring trajectory feasibility in the presence of many constraints, and finally optimizing towards mission success. Options for complete sample return campaigns in multiple launch and arrival opportunities are explored and compared.
Huesing, Jakob↗