NASA has completed the first fire tests of rocket engines that will be used in the Mars Sample Return mission to deliver samples of Martian soil to Earth.
What is known
Northrop Grumman is developing the SRM1 and SRM2 solid propellant engines for NASA. The first stage power plant will be equipped with frost-resistant nozzles. The specialists conducted fire tests in a vacuum chamber at a temperature of -20°C.
The second stage engine will rotate around its own axis. This unusual solution is expected to help stabilize the flight to bring the rocket into the desired orbit.
The project is scheduled to be defended in 2025. If all goes according to plan, the Mars Sample Return mission will begin in 2028. The missile is being developed by the American company Lockheed Martin.
The Martian soil samples will be delivered to the rocket by the Perseverance rover. If the rover breaks down at that time, a new unmanned aerial vehicle resembling the Ingenuity robotic helicopter will take over.
