Mars 2020: Returned Sample Science

The collection and caching of samples on the surface of Mars for retrieval by a later mission will generate a new kind of archive component. The Returned Sample Science Archive will identify and document information related to remote sensing and contact science observations of targets that are drilled and for which samples are cached on the surface. The archive will provide scientific context for the samples, and will document what was done during drilling, including the exact location, appearance of the target before and after drilling, and measurements of currents and other engineering parameters associated with drilling. The archive will also document the locations and physical characteristics of cache points for future retrieval.

Data will be available on this site six months after acquisition, according to Mars 2020 mission policy.