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The Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars (SCIM) is a mission concept for a Mars air and dust sample return. It was a semi-finalist at the
/ref> The design utilizes heritage from the successful ''
/ref> The particles would be collected in anNASA - NASA SELECTS FOUR MARS SCOUT MISSION CONCEPTS FOR STUDY Dec. 6, 2002
/ref>
2002 Edition of Sample Collection for Investigation of MarsBoldyGo's webpage for SCIM
{{Mars spacecraft Mars Scout Program Exploration of Mars Sample return missions Proposed space probes Extraterrestrial atmosphere entry
The Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars (SCIM) is a mission concept for a Mars air and dust sample return. It was a semi-finalist at the Mars Scout Program
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphe ...
along with four other missions in December 2002. This Stardust mission was similar in that it returned extraterrestrial material to Earth with an unmanned robotic spacecraft.
Overview
SCIM would collect air and dust samples by flying through the atmosphere of Mars without landing or orbiting.Wadhwa, et al. - SCIM (2012)/ref> The design utilizes heritage from the successful ''
Stardust
Stardust may refer to:
* A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space
Entertainment Songs
* “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael
* “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974
* “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012
* ...
'' and ''Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
'' sample return missions. A pass through the atmosphere about above Mars' surface at a speed of 6 km/s would result in millions of particles being encountered.Leshin, et al. - Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars/ref> The particles would be collected in an
aerogel
Aerogels are a class of synthetic porous ultralight material derived from a gel, in which the liquid component for the gel has been replaced with a gas, without significant collapse of the gel structure. The result is a solid with extremely low ...
and returned to Earth inside a small sealed capsule. Analysis of the dust could confirm the origin of the suspected meteorites on Earth from Mars.
SCIM was studied in 2002 for the 2007 Mars Scout Program
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphe ...
mission as a relatively low-cost, low-risk Mars sample return. It achieved semifinalist status. The other semifinalist missions were ARES
Ares (; grc, Ἄρης, ''Árēs'' ) is the Greek god of war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for success in war b ...
, Phoenix, and MARVEL (Mars Volcanic Emission and Life Scout). ARES was a powered Mars aircraft, Phoenix was a polar lander, and MARVEL was an orbiter./ref>
Private funding proposal
In 2014 the BoldlyGo organization stated their intention of raising money for this mission privately.See also
*Mars sample return mission
A Mars sample-return (MSR) mission is a proposed mission to collect rock and dust samples on Mars and return them to Earth. Such a mission would allow more extensive analysis than that allowed by onboard sensors.
The three most recent concept ...
* InSights
References
External links
2002 Edition of Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars
{{Mars spacecraft Mars Scout Program Exploration of Mars Sample return missions Proposed space probes Extraterrestrial atmosphere entry