Mars-Grunt, also known as Expedition-M (), is a proposed robotic
Mars sample-return mission.
Russian Federal Space Agency
The State Corporation for Space Activities "Roscosmos", commonly known simply as Roscosmos (), is a state corporation of the Russian Federation responsible for space flights, cosmonautics programs, and aerospace research.
Originating from ...
(Roscosmos) by the Russian Space Research Institute.
As of September 2023, Mars-Grunt is expected to be sent to Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...
following the success of Boomerang
A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...
(Fobos-Grunt-2), which in turn is expected sometime after 2030.
Lander
If funded by the Russian space agency Roscosmos
The State Corporation for Space Activities "Roscosmos", commonly known simply as Roscosmos (), is a State corporation (Russia), state corporation of the Russian Federation responsible for space science, space flights, List of space agencies, c ...
, it would be developed by the Russian Space Research Institute and NPO Lavochkin
NPO Lavochkin (, OKB-301, also called Lavochkin Research and Production Association or shortly Lavochkin Association, LA) is a Russian aerospace company. It is a major player in the Russian space program, being the developer and manufacturer of t ...
, based on Fobos-Grunt
Fobos-Grunt or Phobos-Grunt () was an attempted Russian sample return mission to Phobos (moon), Phobos, one of the moons of Mars. Fobos-Grunt also carried the Chinese Mars orbiter Yinghuo-1 and the tiny Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment f ...
technology.
Designs show a dome-shaped lander would separate from the orbiter and would enter the Martian atmosphere protected within an inflatable rubber braking cone and fire retrorocket
A retrorocket (short for ''retrograde rocket'') is a rocket engine providing thrust opposing the motion of a vehicle, thereby causing it to decelerate. They have mostly been used in spacecraft, with more limited use in short-runway aircraft land ...
s for a soft landing
A soft landing is any type of aircraft, rocket or spacecraft landing that does not result in significant damage to or destruction of the vehicle or its payload, as opposed to a hard landing. The average vertical speed in a soft landing should b ...
. Once a robotic arm selects and retrieves the samples (mass about ),orbiter
A spacecraft is a vehicle that is designed to fly and operate in outer space. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, planetary exploration, ...
for the soil sample transfer into the return vehicle.
Cruise stage
The cruise stage PM (from ''Pereletny Modul'' ) is sometimes referred to as ''Flagman''. It was developed for the Fobos-Grunt
Fobos-Grunt or Phobos-Grunt () was an attempted Russian sample return mission to Phobos (moon), Phobos, one of the moons of Mars. Fobos-Grunt also carried the Chinese Mars orbiter Yinghuo-1 and the tiny Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment f ...
mission, but its basic architecture is promised to be the base for a whole generation of future planetary missions, including Luna-Glob
Luna-Glob (, meaning ''Lunar sphere'') is a Moon exploration programme by Roscosmos meant to progress toward the creation of a fully robotic lunar base. When completed, the programme is intended to continue with crewed lunar missions, starting ...
, Luna-Resurs and Luna-Grunt to the Moon; Venera-D to Venus; Mars-NET and Mars-Grunt to Mars and, possibly, Sokol-Laplas to Jupiter. The platform's developer - NPO Lavochkin
NPO Lavochkin (, OKB-301, also called Lavochkin Research and Production Association or shortly Lavochkin Association, LA) is a Russian aerospace company. It is a major player in the Russian space program, being the developer and manufacturer of t ...
- stressed that in different configuration, the same bus could be adapted as an orbiter or as a lander.[
]
Status
If the technology being developed for Luna Glob to the Moon, and Fobos-Grunt-2 to Mars' moon Phobos, is proved successful, it will then be used on Mars-Grunt.
Tasks
Tasks set by the NPO Lavochkin and Roscosmos:
See also
*Phobos program
The Phobos program () was an uncrewed space mission consisting of two probes launched by the Soviet Union to study Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appeara ...
References
{{Russian space program
Proposed space probes
Missions to Mars
Russian space probes
Sample return missions
2030s in spaceflight