Rocket Lab, which moved its headquarters to Long Beach four years ago, snagged a significant NASA contract to transport rocks from the surface of Mars back to Earth for the first time.
The contract could be worth up to $2 billion, according to a summary of the proposal submitted to NASA by Richard French of Rocket Lab.
Officials from Rocket Lab could not immediately be reached for comment, but said in a statement this week that the work “would fulfill some of the highest priority solar system exploration goals for the science community” that would “revolutionize humanity’s understanding of Mars.”
The work is part of an ongoing international effort to study whether life ever existed on Mars, and potentially pave the way for human exploration of the “red planet.”
The Rocket Lab contract is likely to be of high interest, and one of the most complex projects ever attempted.
The company said it would work to launch two satellites by 2028, with the return of samples from Mars expected by 2033.
According to the company’s proposal, the first spacecraft would orbit Mars, while the second, a medium launch vehicle, or MLV, would make entry to the surface of Mars. The MLV would collect samples from NASA’s Perseverance rover, which has been exploring Mars for the last three years.
A lightweight rocket inside the Rocket Lab vehicle would then transport the samples to the orbiting craft before its return to Earth.
The company hopes to retrieve and return up to 30 samples back to Earth for scientific study.
“Retrieving samples from Mars is one of the most ambitious and scientifically important endeavors humanity has ever embarked upon,” Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck said in a statement. “We’ve developed an innovative mission concept to make it happen affordably and on an accelerated schedule.
“We look forward to bringing our proven capabilities together to deliver a compelling, innovative mission solution that puts Mars rocks in the hands of scientists sooner.”
Rocket Lab moved its headquarters to Long Beach in 2020. The city has actively courted aerospace companies over the years, including Virgin Orbit, Relativity, SpinLaunch and several others.