As well as designing and building the missions, one of the big questions to be addressed is what will happen to those samples when they return to Earth.

The UK Space Agency have funded the Science and Technology Facilities Council's RAL Space to conduct an architectural feasibility study for the construction of a bespoke, dedicated facility for the preparation, characterisation and analysis of pristine extra-terrestrial samples.

Dr Emma Johnson, Principal Project Manager, RAL Space said:

“This facility must be fully operational by the time Mars samples are returned to Earth in 2031. This means we have a window of opportunity to work with the planetary science community to design the best facility for curating and analysing these precious materials. This study enables us to move forward and work towards making this new facility a reality."

First of its kind in Europe

Sample return missions will move planetary science from analysis by space instrumentation, which are limited by power and mass, to analysis using more sophisticated techniques on Earth. The proposed Curation and Analysis Facility for Extra-terrestrial Samples would be the first of its kind in Europe and would provide access to international scientists to come to study this valuable material.

The facility would be based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire and located alongside a set of powerful analytical facilities. Several of these facilities are already used for detailed study of extra-terrestrial samples including the Diamond Light Source, and the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. RAL Space, which is leading the study, is the UK's national space laboratory with involvement in more than 210 space instruments, including missions to all the inner solar system planets, the Saturnian system and comets.

Supporting planetary science of the future

Sample return missions are a turning point in planetary science, enabling scientists to look in more detail at material from beyond the Earth than ever before. Dedicated facilities to receive the samples will ensure scientists can get the most out of these limited samples using technology and expertise that cannot be sent into space. Such analysis will help us to understand more about the formation and evolution of the Solar System.

The study coordinated by RAL Space will produce an architectural study for a new 2,400m² Curation and Analysis Facility for Extra-terrestrial Samples. The study will enable RAL Space to take forward the proposal to build the new facility in order to fill this critical gap in Europe and helping to support UK planetary science in the coming decades.

​Further information ​

Find out more about the UK Space Agency funding announcement.