The rocket that brings samples from Mars got its contractor. And that is Lockheed-Martin corporation.

Image 1)" This illustration shows a concept for a set of future robots working together to ferry back samples from the surface of Mars collected by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover. Credit: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech" (ScitechDaily/NASA Selects Lockheed Martin Space To Build Rocket To Retrieve First Samples From Mars)

Lockheed-Martin took the contract for creating a rocket that brings the first samples from Mars. That launch will be the first that brings samples from other planets. The purpose of the mission is also to collect data for the first manned Mars mission.

 But that launch from another planet is same way remarkable as helicopter flight at Mars atmosphere. The rocket from Mars to Earth is the pathfinder for more difficult missions like bringing water samples from the icy moons of Jupiter. 

When we think about missions in the distant future. Those missions focused on more distant objects and planets like Neptune. There is needed a new type of technology to make the mission successful. 

Things like artificial intelligence are needed. To make the independently operating probes that can take the most interesting samples. The helicopter probes can mark places where their plasma spectrometers detect things like chlorophyll molecules. Or the independently operating helicopter can take samples from those points. The system that takes samples from Mars to Earth consists of three independent systems. 

The helicopter, the Perseverance rover, along with other rovers, and of course, the rocket are tools for that system. That rocket sends samples to Earth. And it can be similar to MGM-51 Lance tactical missile from the past. 

Image 2) MGM-52 Lance

And maybe some kind of laboratory vehicle where is more multi-use systems like scanning tunneling microscopes for pre-select samples that will load to rocket. Those samples are sent to Earth or Moon laboratories. That laboratory might connect to the launch platform of the rocket.

But that rocket must carry the fuel inside it for returning to Earth. Or it can use the electrolysis for breaking water on Mars. But that kind of system requires water. So the fuel and oxygen must load to rocket on Earth. The rocket itself can bases technology that is developed for tactical missiles like MGM-52 Lance or Pershing. The question is does that rocket use liquid or solid fuel. 

The moon-based laboratories must not be manned. The remote control modules can involve similar systems with BL-5 level laboratories. But on the Moon, those samples are not polluted. The remote-control systems make those modules easy to operate from Earth. 

Image 2)Daedalus spacecraft concept.

But of course, those samples can take to BL-5 laboratories that are needed to keep them sterile. If Earth bacteria infects those samples. They can cover or destroy the remains of life like Martian bacteria fossils.

The system that will travel to those distant planets is the probe that is controlled with highly sophisticated artificial intelligence. There might be man-looking robots onboard that are fixing errors and damages of those probes. The journey to Neptune takes a very long time and robot craft would not require that any person must stay years in the space. 

The probe for outer planets might look like Daedalus-probe that planned to send to Alpha Centauri. But for technical reasons that famous theoretical study project remains as the papers and drawings. Maybe someday in the future, that kind of plan turns to real space systems. And maybe that day is closer than we even think. If ten years ago somebody would say. Someday NASA will get samples from Mars to Earth that thing would claim pure fantasy. 

The system would be very independent. And it can select its samples itself. The capacity for independent operations is a key element for successful missions in Kuiper Belt. Those probes must select the target in seconds if they want to catch small asteroids that might be from other solar systems. After catching objects that seem interesting. The probe would put those asteroids in a cargo room and send them to Earth. 

And that is the final training for interstellar probes. The interstellar space probe is the thing that travels tens of years to stars. The technology that those missions require is similar. To that the probes that operate at the Kuiper belt require. 

https://scitechdaily.com/mars-ascent-vehicle-nasa-selects-lockheed-martin-space/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM-31_Pershing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM-52_Lance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Daedalus

Image 1)https://scitechdaily.com/mars-ascent-vehicle-nasa-selects-lockheed-martin-space/

Image 2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM-52_Lance

Image 3)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Daedalus

https://thoughtsaboutsuperpositions.blogspot.com/

The methane has been found on Mars by NASA. But it can be from space, or from organisms, what has died the long time ago.

Curiosity-rover

http://marxjatalous.blogspot.com/p/the-methane-has-been-found-on-mars-by.html

Kimmo Huosionmaa

There have been found methane on Mars, but that would not necessarily mean, that there would be found living bacteria. The gas might come from the bacteria, what have been dead the long time ago, and the gas might be stored inside the Martian landscape. Another change would be that the Methane and carbon are from the space, and dropped to the Mars with the meteorites. The methane would be the more interesting thing than free carbon because of this chemical combination forms on Earth mainly by the organic material rotten in the anaerobic conditions. And the carbon is one of the basic elements of nature. That element is found on the asteroid belt, and there have been found asteroids, what are pure carbon. Those asteroids are very uncommon particles in the group of little planets.


Actually the moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos are only known that sized carbon asteroids, what are like diamonds, but carbon asteroids are actually very abnormal in that area. Some persons believe, that they are formed the organic material, what was blown to space when the asteroid hit to that planet. The carbon is the base element for life-form like us, but there are also stars, what is forming of this element. Some white dwarf stars are forming carbon, and they are like giant diamonds because the carbon has been stunned soo tight when the star has been destroyed in nova-explosion, where the outer layer would be pushed to space. Little bit bigger star would end the life as the supernova, and the result would be Neutron star.

Suspected Martian bacteria fossils on meteorite at Antarctica
Picture II

But when we would get back to Mars, we can think that there would be the connection between seasons and methane release, the reason for that might be, that during the summer the surface of that planet would be getting warmer, and then there would be released more methane than in winter, and that would explain the increase of the methane flow. And in this case, there have been lifeforms on Mars, but then some meteorite hit to that planet, what lost its atmosphere, and probably the major part of the lithosphere have been blown to space.


Those organisms were quite simple bacteria, what could be forming to the intelligent life without that meteorite. But some scientists have given the idea, that planet Mars have faced two mass destructions. The first one destroyed the lithosphere of the planet, and if there would be some complicated organisms on that planet, they would be blown to space with the lithosphere, what has been lost, and that would be killed almost all of the animals and other organisms on that planet.


The gas pressure decreased, and the planet became very hostile for the living. And the final seal for the mass destruction would be the second hit of the meteorite, what caused that the rest of atmosphere was lost in space, and the ultraviolet radiation would destroy the rest of those organisms. But still is change, that some very strong ark-bacteria would live somewhere in the Red Planet. And maybe that organism would seem like the cyanobacterium on Earth. Who knows, what kind of sensation, we would meet on that planet.


https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/7/17434718/nasa-curiosity-rover-mars-methane-seasonal-cycle-microbes-life

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-finds-ancient-organic-material-mysterious-methane-on-mars


Picture I

https://d3egew7zjohdb1.cloudfront.net/ponIltIpIv-1432147750/incoming/q2q16l-curiosity/alternates/LANDSCAPE_640/curiosity

Picture II

https://www.space.com/33690-allen-hills-mars-meteorite-alien-life-20-years.html