In the ongoing space race between the U.S. and China, there won’t be a definitive winner until one of the two nations lands on Mars. However, either country could achieve several intermediate milestones first, including the retrieval of samples from the Martian surface.
Context. Recovering samples from Mars is a groundbreaking achievement that the U.S. has been pursuing until recently. NASA’s Perseverance rover has been collecting rock cores for four years and depositing them in sealed tubes scattered around the Red Planet. Currently, there are 27 tubes containing Martian air and soil awaiting collection for a future retrieval mission that would return them to Earth.
What’s lacking is a concrete plan to execute this mission. In 2024, NASA decided to halt the development of the Mars Sample Return mission to manage its budget. It was projected to exceed $11 billion–more than double the initial estimate. As a direct result of this decision, China has taken the lead in the race to recover Martian samples.
China’s Tianwen-3 mission involves two spacecraft set to launch in 2028. One will land on Mars, drill into the ground, and then ascend back to Martian orbit. The second spacecraft will collect the samples in orbit and return them to Earth by 2031. In contrast, the U.S. has already gathered and carefully selected these samples, but it currently lacks a plan to retrieve them.
Two architectures. After several months of evaluating alternatives, NASA recently announced its new approach to returning Martian rock and sediment samples from the Perseverance rover to Earth. To identify the most efficient and cost-effective solution, the agency will simultaneously explore two potential architectures for landing on Mars: one public and one private.
- Sky Crane: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed this technology, which was previously tested during the agency’s Curiosity and Perseverance missions. It involves a platform called the “sky crane,” which uses retrorockets to slow down the landing of Martian rovers.
- Commercial spacecraft: The second option involves partnering with the private sector. The idea is to either create a new landing method for Mars or utilize an existing commercial spacecraft, such as SpaceX’s Starship, to transport a rover to the Martian surface.
A final decision regarding which option to pursue is expected in the second half of 2026. While the commercial choice could potentially be Starship, it’s important to note that Rocket Lab has also proposed an architecture costing “barely” $4 billion. Additionally, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wants to send the first five Starships to Mars in 2026, with plans for further missions in 2028.
The remainder of the mission will follow its usual approach. NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle will launch into Martian orbit carrying the samples, while the European Space Agency’s Earth Return Orbiter will transport the container back to Earth.
Why are these samples important? First, they hold symbolic value as the first samples ever returned from Mars. Second, analyzing the rocks and sediments in laboratories on Earth could transform the scientific community’s understanding of Mars’ geological history. This research may also provide insights into whether life ever existed on the Red Planet and help understand why Mars became the inhospitable wasteland it is today.
Image | BoliviaInteligente
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