NASA has released to the public an independent review board’s report on the Mars Sample Return mission, and is preparing to take action on some of the panel’s recommendations.
The agency said Thursday that it built a team to respond to the findings, which cited concerns about the project’s cost and the efficiency of its proposed sample collection process.
One of the IRB’s recommendations was to optimize the collection of Mars sample materials that will be loaded onto NASA’s Perseverance rover. The mission should be discerning in selecting samples of high scientific value and should consider the health of the rover in gathering the specimens to be studied in Earth, according to the report.
The board also provided suggestions on the overall organizational structure of the project, such as the establishment of an integrated Mars exploration program office with a planning and control group at NASA’s headquarters.
NASA’s team plans to respond to the recommendations by the second quarter of the agency’s 2024 fiscal year.
