I've seen this movie and it doesn't end well for us:
spectrum.ieee.org
With the Perseverance safely on Mars, now collecting rock and soil samples from the surface, it’s now time to plan the next stage of the mission: the return of the samples to Earth. The Mars Sample Return mission will be an unprecedented one in the history of space exploration, marrying decades of scientific knowledge and with cutting-edge technology. It will comprise separate, coordinated robotic missions requiring NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to combine their expertise.
A NASA lander will first deliver a fetch rover along with a Mars ascent vehicle (MAV) to the Martian surface. Once the samples (prepped by Perseverance) are picked by the rover, it will be loaded into a canister and transferred to the MAV, which will lift off from Mars and carry the samples into orbit.
The Mars Sample Return Mission Will Be a First for Humankind
The biggest challenge for a multi-mission robotic lift-off from an alien planet: It must work right the first time
spectrum.ieee.org
With the Perseverance safely on Mars, now collecting rock and soil samples from the surface, it’s now time to plan the next stage of the mission: the return of the samples to Earth. The Mars Sample Return mission will be an unprecedented one in the history of space exploration, marrying decades of scientific knowledge and with cutting-edge technology. It will comprise separate, coordinated robotic missions requiring NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to combine their expertise.
A NASA lander will first deliver a fetch rover along with a Mars ascent vehicle (MAV) to the Martian surface. Once the samples (prepped by Perseverance) are picked by the rover, it will be loaded into a canister and transferred to the MAV, which will lift off from Mars and carry the samples into orbit.
