The proposed Endurance sample return mission aims to revolutionize lunar exploration by collecting samples from key sites and returning them to Earth. This ambitious mission would leverage advancements in rover technology, including autonomous navigation and increased sample collection capacity, inspired by the success of Perseverance on Mars.
Tagged as the Endurance sample return mission, it would collect bits and pieces from key lunar locations for later retrieval by future astronauts. Billed as a strategic medium-class mission, it was given the highest priority within NASA 's Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program (LDEP). Two variants of Endurance were submitted for Decadal deliberation: Endurance-R (R for 'Robotic') would deliver samples to a separately landed robotic Earth Return Vehicle (ERV).
In its lengthy journey, a dozen key sites would be reached and then studied by rover instruments with select lunar specimens collected.At the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), technical studies are underway to assess mobility options for a SPA sample return mission. From a robotics standpoint, just how challenging is such an undertaking and how best to draw from rover missions of the past and those now underway? James Keane is a JPL research scientist and was the science champion for the Endurance mission concept study. 'Endurance would drive roughly 100 times further, drive far faster, and collect roughly 200 times more sample mass than Perseverance. Endurance would also be the first planetary rover to drive at night. This is a mission with a scope that we've never attempted before,' he said.While these are big leaps in robotics, these capabilities have really been enabled by Mars rovers and investments in autonomy back here on Earth. 'Perseverance, for example, is already doing autonomous driving on Mars,' said Keane. 'This autonomy lets Perseverance accomplish more science, and reach more interesting sample sites'
NASA Lunar Exploration Endurance Rover Sample Return Robotics
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