Sample Retrieval Lander Preliminary Surface Thermal Design

The Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL), an element of the planned Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign, is scheduled for a launch in July 2028 and a landing on the Mars surface in October 2030. The solar-powered Lander would operate for 235 Sols (from Ls = 40 degrees to Ls= 150 degrees) during the surface phase of the mission. The primary goal of the Lander would be to transfer sample tubes containing Mars atmosphere, rock and regolith samples from NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover into the Orbiting Sample (OS) portion of the Mars Launch System (MLS). The Lander would eject the Mars Launch System, a two-stage rocket designed to place the OS into orbit around Mars, at the end of the surface mission. This paper presents the preliminary surface thermal design of the SRL Lander.