The Mars Returned Sample Handling (MRSH) task developed key technologies to remove gas and solid samples collected within Returnable Sample Tube Assemblies (RSTAs) by the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover and returned to Earth. This includes technologies to deintegrate the Earth Entry System (EES) containing an Orbiting Sample (OS) container, deintegrate the OS containing up to 30 RSTA sample tubes, enclose the RSTAs within a sealed secondary container for protection during handling operations and pre-basic characterization studies, extract gas stored within the tubes, extract solid samples stored within the tubes, and transfer the solid samples into a Core Dissection Tray Container (CDTC) for sample processing, examination, safety assessment, and storage. The sample handling approach is being developed with input from the Sample Receiving Project (SRP) Joint Science Office and Johnson Space Center (JSC) Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) to address returned sample science, curation, contamination control, and planetary protection concerns.
