ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO9994
Open Date: 24/07/2019
Closing Date: 12/11/2019 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 19.139.12
Prog. Ref.: ExPeRT MarsX
Budget Ref.: E/0116-11M – ExPeRT MarsX
Special Prov.: AT+BE+CH+CZ+DE+DK+EE+ES+FI+FR+GB+GR+HU+IE+IT+LU+NL+NO+PL+RO+SE+SI+CA
Tender Type: C
Price Range: No Range
Products: Satellites & Probes / RF / Microwave Communication (Platform and Payloads) /
Technology Domains: Onboard Data Systems / Payload Data Processing / System Technologies for Payload Data Processing
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Dir of Human & Robotic Exploration Prog.
Department: Exploration Group
Division: IPL-PSE
Contract Officer: Arrabal, Pablo
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 24/07/2019
Update Reason: Tender issue

The objective of the Earth Return Orbiter is to provide the following services to the Mars Sample Return Campaign (in basic chronological order): Transfer of the NASA provided Containment, Capture and Return System (CCRS) from Earth to Mars Delivery of the CCRS to an orbit around Mars commensurate with the capture of the Orbiting Sample (OS), to be launched from the surface of Mars Provision of Mars-Earth data relay support for the SRL Entry, Descent and Landing, the surface mission and the MAV during ascent from Mars, either in combination with or in lieu of existing Mars relay assets Provision of Guidance, Navigation and Control to search, navigate to and rendezvous with the OS such that the OS can be captured by the CCRS and processed for return to Earth After jettison of the expended Capture and Containment Module (CCM) into a stable orbit around Mars, return of the remaining elements of the CCRS, most notably the Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV) containing the OS, from Mars to Earth After transfer from Mars to Earth, provision ofa stable platform for a precision ejection of the EEV in a predefined Earth entry corridor for EEV landing at the Utah Test Range in the US After successful EEV release, or aborted release, Safe divert from an Earth Targeting trajectory and realization of a stable heliocentric orbit to avoid Earth impact for at least 100 years, in-line with planetary protection requirements. ERO is a major contribution to the NASA/JPL led Mars Sample Return campaign