The European Space Agency shows off the robotic arm. Who will bring home things from Mars.

The European Space Agency, ESA, has released a new video that shows the robotic arm designed to capture Mars samples collected by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover. The robotic arm is part of a mission called Mars Sample Return which will be carried out jointly by the European Space Agency and its US counterpart NASA.

The “Sample Transfer Arm” robotic arm is equipped with two cameras, some sensors, and a claw that can grip the tubes where samples from Mars are stored. The samples captured by the robotic arm will then be transferred to NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle which will then be launched from the Red Planet to the European Space Agency’s Earth Return Vehicle (ERO) which will be in orbit around Mars. After that, ERO will return to Earth with samples from Mars, where they will be analyzed.

Sometime around 2026, an Earth return vehicle is supposed to be sent to Mars, and the following year, it’s time for the Mars Ascent Vehicle to head for the planet. If all goes as planned with this highly advanced mission, samples from Mars should be able to return to Earth sometime in 2033.

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NASA and the European Space Agency are making some changes to the Mars Advanced missionMarch sample returns will also be delayed

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NASA presents a new plan to bring home objects from MarsIt will, among other things, send two new small helicopters to the Red Planet

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