Marco Polo (spacecraft) - Timeline

Timeline

A baseline mission scenario to 1999 JU3 includes a launch with a Soyuz-type launcher of a Mother Spacescraft (MSC) possibly carrying a Lander, a sampling device, a re-entry capsule and scientific payloads. The Lander would perform a soft landing, anchor to the asteroid surface, and make various in situ measurements of surface/subsurface materials near the sampling site. Samples will be collected with either one or complementary techniques. Once the sampling and in-situ measurements will be completed, the MSC will start the return journey towards Earth and will release the capsule for the high-speed re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. The capsule will be retrieved on ground at a low to mid latitude, uninhabited area, possibly in the northern hemisphere. After appropriate space quarantine and sterilization processes, samples will be taken out of the capsule in a dedicated sample curation facility to conduct initial sample characterization, prior to their distribution to designated scientists for detail analyses.

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