Mars sample return tube Instead, NASA and their international partners have been working to distribute the cost and complexity of the mission among several different vehicles. In fact, the first ...

Photo: NASA JPL Because the Perseverance ... as it presents itself now will rely on a smaller version of the Mars Ascent Vehicle than initially envisioned. Moreover, the solar panels that will ...

While both options are more streamlined than the original plan, they each contain similar architecture, which requires landing a Mars Ascent Vehicle on the Martian surface. That vehicle will be ...