Published May 2, 2024 3:37 PM CESTNASA selected nine companies to develop four systems that will enable multiple missions to Mars over the next two decades and provide a continual flow of samples for laboratory analysis on Earth.
The tests are part of NASA's Mars Exploration Commercial Services studies to support its Mars Exploration Program, which is slated to send missions to Mars over the next 20 years.NASA chose Lockheed Martin to adapt a lunar-exploration spacecraft, Impulse Space to adapt an Earth-vicinity orbital transfer vehicle and Firefly Aerospace to adapt a lunar-exploration spacecraft.
The dozen studies will take about 12 weeks to complete and are slated to end in August. NASA will publish a summary of each study later this year.