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MDBenson

Sample Return Mission?

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Later in the game, maybe on a new tech tier, perhaps you could include the ability to store samples on-board the rover, return them to a pod and have it rocket back to orbit? You could put a Large Rover mission in to land the rover and explore the area, then also a Sample Return mission that activated once you had a Large Rover with the right instrument on the ground and you could put down a Lander with the SRM rocket on.

It's something NASA considered in the days before MER, apparently. A hair-brained idea at that time but ultimately not a totally crazy one?

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Actually this is on the "nice to have" list. The models are complete but the functionality needs to be written. Essentially it will be sent like a vehicle - a platform closed up in an airbag landing system. This platform holds 3 rockets, each capable of returning the sample to Earth. To get the samples, you will use the DRAM (ironic name indeed) which is the Deep Rock Analysis Multitool. This has a drill at the front which will drill into a rock, insert a very small explosive charge. Afterwards it will detonate, breaking a few pieces off the surface of the rock. Then, using the DRAM you will pick it up (using its 'fingers') and then trek to your nearest sample return rocket system, put it into the rocket, and send it to Earth.

Quite an ambitious system obviously, hence why it is incomplete. But it is something that should get implemented eventually.

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Actually this is on the "nice to have" list.

Quite an ambitious system obviously, hence why it is incomplete. But it is something that should get implemented eventually.

Excellent. I guess the fact it's quite ambitions is why NASA never ended up doing it! :)

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