A Future Science and Engineering Need for Solar System Exploration: Sample Return Missions

Abstract

Space exploration and utilization create a need for robotically collected samples from the `rocky' surface materials of planets and satellites, asteroids and comets for comprehensive laboratory analyses on Earth. We need ground truth to calibrate remote sensing signals and the provenance of `passively'-collected meteorites and interplanetary dust particles wherefore the physical, chemical and mineralogical properties were measured in the laboratory. A synergy between `passive' and in situ collections by space missions has scientific and practical merit.