Development of the Robotic Transfer Assembly System for Mars Sample Return

The Robotic Transfer Assembly System (RTAS) is a robotic manipulation system within the Capture, Containment and Return System for Mars Sample Return. RTAS is designed to operate in Mars orbit and would be tasked with the mission-critical role of transferring the orbiting sample container from the capture section of the Earth Return Orbiter into the Earth Entry System, which protects the samples during atmospheric entry and landing on Earth. This paper describes the architecture, concept of operations, preliminary design, and various aspects of the development process for the RTAS system. Preliminary performance estimates and analysis results are shown, as well as planned testing activities for system verification and validation. Finally, the paper summarizes the present status and future focus areas.