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Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars
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<p>The Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars (SCIM) is a mission concept for a <a href="/facts/Mars/AQGtVvz0">Mars</a> air and dust sample return. It was a semi-finalist at the <a href="/facts/Mars_Scout_Program/yyjFYQFs">Mars Scout Program</a> along with four other missions in December 2002. The SCIM mission would be designed to skim through the Mars atmosphere without landing or entering orbit. It would collect samples in an <a href="/facts/Aerogel/cjhmCvSa">aerogel</a> and take them back to Earth on a free-return trajectory. </p><p>The success of fellow Discovery program mission <i>Stardust</i> was noted as supporting future sample return missions, and in particular supporting the SCIM concept. This Stardust mission was similar in that it returned extraterrestrial material to Earth with an unmanned robotic spacecraft. </p>