Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars

Artist concept of SCIM passing through the Martian atmosphere
the landing capsule as seen on the ground at the Utah Test and Training range
Stardust's returned landing capsule upon discovery after a successful entry and Earth landing in 2006. This mission was noted as aiding the SCIM concept.[1]
A block of aerogel in a person's hand

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 along with four other missions in December 2002.[2][3] The SCIM mission would be designed to skim through the Mars atmosphere without landing or entering orbit.[1] It would collect samples in an aerogel and take them back to Earth on a free-return trajectory.[4]

The success of fellow Discovery program mission Stardust was noted as supporting future sample return missions, and in particular supporting the SCIM concept.[1] This Stardust mission was similar in that it returned extraterrestrial material to Earth with an unmanned robotic spacecraft.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d Capsules From the Cosmos: Stardust Success Could Signal More Sample Missions by Leonard David, January 2006
  2. ^ NASA SELECTS FOUR MARS SCOUT MISSION CONCEPTS FOR STUDY. Donald Savage. NASA. December 6, 2002.
  3. ^ NASA Selects ASU-Directed SCIM Proposal as One of Four Finalists for Mars Scout Mission Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine. December 6, 2002.
  4. ^ /www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2002/02-238.txt[dead link]