Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars

[2][3] The SCIM mission would be designed to skim through the Mars atmosphere without landing or entering orbit.

[1] This Stardust mission was similar in that it returned extraterrestrial material to Earth with an unmanned robotic spacecraft.

[1] SCIM would collect air and dust samples by flying through the atmosphere of Mars without landing or orbiting.

[6] A pass through the atmosphere about 40 km (25 mi) above Mars' surface at a speed of 6 km/s would result in millions of particles being encountered.

[4][8] The other semifinalist missions were ARES, Phoenix, and MARVEL (Mars Volcanic Emission and Life Scout).

Artist concept of SCIM passing through the Martian atmosphere
the landing capsule as seen on the ground at the Utah Test and Training range
Stardust ' s returned landing capsule upon discovery after a successful entry and Earth landing in 2006. This mission was noted as aiding the SCIM concept. [ 1 ]
A block of aerogel in a person's hand