--- title: "European Space Agency Shows Off Concept for Martian Sample Picker-Upper" description: "The European Space Agency has shown off a concept for a giant eight-feet-long robotic arm that is designed to pick up samples of Martian soil." date: "2023-01-29" modified: "2023-01-30" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/european-space-agency-martian-sample-picker-upper" categories: - "ESA" - "Space" tags: - "ESA" - "mars samples" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # European Space Agency Shows Off Concept for Martian Sample Picker-Upper ![The European Space Agency has shown off a concept for a giant eight-feet-long robotic arm that is designed to pick up samples of Martian soil.]() *\Image: ESA\* ## Earthbound The European Space Agency has [shown off]() a concept for an eight-foot robotic arm, designed to pick up samples of Martian soil — small containers [previously prepared]() by NASA's Perseverance rover — and put them inside a rocket to blast back off the Red Planet. While NASA has made progress in collecting over half a dozen samples with its rover, it's only a tiny part of a much larger ambitious mission, an exciting endeavor to return the first-ever Martian samples to Earth that's been in the works for what [feels like an eternity](). ## Grippy Hands The gadget, dubbed the Sample Transfer Arm (STA), plays a crucial role in NASA and the ESA's plan to return the first Martian samples back to Earth. The STA is designed to be operated autonomously and will have seven degrees of freedom. It will also be outfitted with two cameras and "a myriad of sensors," according to the ESA. Best of all, it will also feature a hand-like gripper, making it the ultimate interplanetary picker-upper. All this equipment will work in tandem to allow the STA to pick up tubes left behind by Perseverance, put them inside a special container, and close the lid in anticipation of launching back off the Martian surface. ## Return Leg The ESA is planning to launch three separate missions before 2030 to return the samples. They'll involve a Rube Goldberg machine of landing, collecting, and storing the samples before delivering them back to Earth. It's a multi-leg journey: first, the ESA's Mars Ascent Vehicle will launch the samples into orbit, where the ESA's Earth Return Orbiter will rendezvous with the basketball-sized container before making its long journey back home. In short, there's a lot that can wrong. But given the bright minds at both the ESA and NASA, there might just be a chance we could soon be examining the first Martian samples returned to Earth in history. **READ MORE:** [The Sample Transfer Arm – A helping hand for Mars]() \[ESA\] **More on the mission:** *[New Details Emerge About NASA's Lab to House Martian Samples]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()