Mars-Grunt

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title: "Mars-Grunt" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["proposed-space-probes", "missions-to-mars", "russian-space-probes", "sample-return-missions", "2030s-in-spaceflight"] description: "Proposed Russian Mars sample-return mission" topic_path: "geography/russia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars-Grunt" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Proposed Russian Mars sample-return mission ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox spaceflight"]

Field	Value
name	Mars-Grunt
names_list	Expedition-M
image
image_caption
image_alt
image_size
mission_type	Single launch: orbiter, lander, ascent vehicle, sample-return
operator	Russian Federal Space Agency
COSPAR_ID
SATCAT
website
mission_duration
distance_travelled
orbits_completed
suborbital_range
suborbital_apogee
spacecraft
spacecraft_type
spacecraft_bus	Pereletny Modul or Flagman
manufacturer	NPO Lavochkin
Russian Space Research Institute
launch_mass	4,100 kg
BOL_mass
landing_mass	2,750 kg, including Mars Ascent Vehicle (450 kg)
dry_mass	Orbiter: 450 kg

| | payload_mass | | | dimensions | | | power | solar array | | launch_date | 2030s (proposed) | | launch_rocket | Angara A5 / KTVK | | launch_site | Vostochny Site 1A | | launch_contractor | Roscosmos | | disposal_type | | | deactivated | | | destroyed | | | last_contact | | | recovery_by | | | recovery_date | | | decay_date | | | landing_date | | | landing_site | | | {{end date|YYYY|MM|DD|hh|mm|ss|TZ | Z}} (for Zulu/UTC) or (if time unknown) | | orbit_reference | | | orbit_regime | | | orbit_longitude | | | orbit_slot | | | orbit_semimajor | | | orbit_eccentricity | | | orbit_periapsis | | | orbit_apoapsis | | | orbit_inclination | | | orbit_period | | | orbit_RAAN | | | orbit_arg_periapsis | | | orbit_mean_anomaly | | | orbit_mean_motion | | | orbit_repeat | | | orbit_velocity | | | orbit_epoch | | | orbit_rev_number | | | apsis | | | interplanetary | | | type | orbiter | | object | Mars | | orbits | | | component | | | arrival_date | | | departure_date | | | location | | | distance | | | periapsis | 500 km | | apoapsis | 500 km | | inclination | | | apsis | | | type | lander | | object | Mars | | orbits | | | component | | | arrival_date | | | departure_date | | | location | | | distance | | | sample_mass | ≈0.2 kg | | periapsis | | | apoapsis | | | inclination | | | apsis | | | previous_mission | Fobos-Grunt | | insignia | | | insignia_caption | | | insignia_alt | | | insignia_size | | ::

| name = Mars-Grunt | names_list = Expedition-M Include the dates applicable if possible, and separate each name with a linebreak. Omit if the spacecraft has only ever been known by one name. Do not include Harvard, COSPAR/NSSDC or SATCAT/NORAD/NASA designations as alternative names--

| image = | image_caption = | image_alt = | image_size =

| mission_type = Single launch: orbiter, lander, ascent vehicle, sample-return | operator = Russian Federal Space Agency | COSPAR_ID = | SATCAT = | website = | mission_duration = | distance_travelled = | orbits_completed = | suborbital_range = | suborbital_apogee =

| spacecraft = | spacecraft_type = | spacecraft_bus = Pereletny Modul or Flagman | manufacturer = NPO Lavochkin Russian Space Research Institute | launch_mass = 4,100 kg | BOL_mass = | landing_mass = 2,750 kg, including Mars Ascent Vehicle (450 kg) | dry_mass = Orbiter: 450 kg

| payload_mass = | dimensions = | power = solar array

| launch_date = 2030s (proposed) | launch_rocket = Angara A5 / KTVK | launch_site = Vostochny Site 1A | launch_contractor = Roscosmos

| disposal_type = | deactivated = | destroyed = | last_contact = | recovery_by = | recovery_date = | decay_date = | landing_date = | landing_site = The following template should be used for ONE of the three above fields "end_of_mission", "decay" or "landing" if the spacecraft is no longer operational. If it landed intact, use it for the landing time, otherwise for the date it ceased operations, or the decay date if it was still operational when it re-entered. (for Zulu/UTC) or (if time unknown)

| orbit_reference = | orbit_regime = | orbit_longitude = | orbit_slot = | orbit_semimajor = | orbit_eccentricity = | orbit_periapsis = | orbit_apoapsis = | orbit_inclination = | orbit_period = | orbit_RAAN = | orbit_arg_periapsis = | orbit_mean_anomaly = | orbit_mean_motion = | orbit_repeat = | orbit_velocity = | orbit_epoch = | orbit_rev_number = | apsis =

|interplanetary = |type = orbiter |object = Mars |orbits = |component = |arrival_date = |departure_date = |location = |distance =

|periapsis = 500 km |apoapsis = 500 km |inclination = |apsis = |type = lander |object = Mars |orbits = |component = |arrival_date = |departure_date = |location = |distance = |sample_mass = ≈0.2 kg

|periapsis = |apoapsis = |inclination = |apsis = If in doubt, leave it out-- | programme = | previous_mission = Fobos-Grunt | next_mission =

| insignia = | insignia_caption = | insignia_alt = | insignia_size =

Mars-Grunt, also known as Expedition-M (), is a proposed robotic Mars sample-return mission. It was proposed to the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) by the Russian Space Research Institute.

As of September 2023, Mars-Grunt is expected to be sent to Mars following the success of Boomerang (Fobos-Grunt-2), which in turn is expected sometime after 2030.

Lander

If funded by the Russian space agency Roscosmos, it would be developed by the Russian Space Research Institute and NPO Lavochkin, based on Fobos-Grunt technology. Designs show a dome-shaped lander would separate from the orbiter and would enter the Martian atmosphere protected within an inflatable rubber braking cone and fire retrorockets for a soft landing. Once a robotic arm selects and retrieves the samples (mass about 0.2 kg), a small rocket in the top of the lander would blast the ascent vehicle for rendezvous and docking with the orbiter for the soil sample transfer into the return vehicle.

Cruise stage

The cruise stage PM (from Pereletny Modul ) is sometimes referred to as Flagman (not to be confused with a proposal combining the Blok D and Fregat stages, known by the same name), and closely resembles the Fregat-M stage. It was developed for the Fobos-Grunt mission, but its basic architecture is promised to be the base for a whole generation of future planetary missions, including Luna-Glob, Luna-Resurs and Luna-Grunt to the Moon; Venera-D to Venus; Mars-NET and Mars-Grunt to Mars and, possibly, Sokol-Laplas to Jupiter. The platform's developer - NPO Lavochkin - stressed that in different configuration, the same bus could be adapted as an orbiter or as a lander.

Status

If the technology being developed for Luna Glob to the Moon, and Fobos-Grunt-2 to Mars' moon Phobos, is proved successful, it will then be used on Mars-Grunt.

Tasks

Tasks set by the NPO Lavochkin and Roscosmos:{{Cite web |url=http://www.iki.rssi.ru/books/2011f-g1.pdf |title=Fobos-Grunt, V.V. Khartov, K.M. Pichkhadze, V.V. Efanov, M.B. Martynov (p. 38) |access-date=12 June 2024 |archive-date=10 August 2023 |language=ru |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230114/http://www.iki.rssi.ru/books/2011f-g1.pdf }}

• Delivery of substance samples from Mars to Earth
• Refinement of engineering and technical models of the atmosphere and surface of Mars
• Detailed geochemical analysis of soil substance on Mars
• Study of the interaction processes between the atmosphere, solar radiation, and the surface of Mars

References

References

1. [http://www.russianspaceweb.com/phobos_grunt_design.html Phobos-Grunt design]
2. "Russian space program: a decade review (2010-2019)".
3. [http://www.thespacereview.com/archive/1980.pdf Roscosmos - Space missions] ''Published by The Space Review'' (p. 8-10, 19) on 2010
4. Ilya Kramnik. (17 April 2012). "Russia takes a two-pronged approach to space exploration".
5. "The Space Review: Red Planet blues".
6. [http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Russia_To_Study_Martian_Moons_Once_Again_999.html Russia To Study Martian Moons Once Again]. ''Mars Daily'' July 15, 2008.
7. link. (2013-09-06 . "1 spacecraft for Mars research and delivery of Martian soil to the Earth.")
8. (2 September 2023). "Russia may launch mission to deliver soil from Mars moon after 2030". [[TASS]].
9. Zak, Anatoly. (4 May 2017). "ExoMars to pave the way for soil sample return". RussianSpaceWeb.
10. [http://www.ato.ru/content/phobos-grunt-prepares-launch Phobos-Grunt prepares for launch]. ATO - 16 August 2011.
11. [https://books.google.com/books?id=q6qyVkapjeoC&pg=PA475 ''Russian Space Probes: Scientific Discoveries and Future Missions'']. By Brian Harvey, Olga Zakutnyaya. (p 475)
12. "Fregat space tug".
13. [http://russianspaceweb.com/msr.html Mars Sample Return - Russia]. Anatoly Zak and Alain Chabot. ''Russian Space Web''. May 4, 2017.

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