Video description:
Mars Sample Return doesn’t have to take decades or break the bank.
This animation showcases Rocket Lab’s proposed mission architecture to bring Martian samples to Earth.
Learn more: https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/mars-sample-return/
Straight-up lithobraking upon return is definitely a… bold move. Looks awesome, though.
Haha I had to look up that term!
Very bold, I do wonder if, the vehicle will look as good as in the video, after ballistic reentry and lithosphere “belly flop”.
I wonder what the terminal velocity of the vehicle is…