Rocket Lab USA, Inc. ( RKLB ) shares are trading higher premarket on Monday. The company disclosed that NASA has selected the company to conduct a study on retrieving rock samples from the Martian surface and returning them to Earth.

This mission aims to address key solar system exploration objectives, enhancing the company’s understanding of Mars, potentially determining if life ever existed there, and aiding preparations for future human exploration of the Red Planet.

NASA’s Rapid Mission Design Studies for Mars Sample Return invites industry proposals to evaluate mission designs for returning samples collected by the Mars Perseverance rover.

Rocket Lab’s study will propose a streamlined mission concept that aims to reduce costs and complete the return ahead of the 2040 timeline.

The study suggests leveraging Rocket Lab’s vertically integrated technologies to retrieve samples from the Red Planet for the first time as part of NASA’s Mars Sample Return Program.

Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck said, “Rocket Lab has been methodically implementing a strategy for cost-effective planetary science in recent years, making us uniquely suited to deliver a low cost, rapid Mars Sample Return. We’ve demonstrated this strategy by delivering a NASA mission to the Moon, enabling rendezvous and proximity operations in orbit, successfully re-entering a capsule from orbit to Earth, delivering two spacecraft to NASA for a Mars mission, and much more.”

Last month, the company completed testing and integration of its second Pioneer spacecraft for Varda.

The companies plan to conduct in-space operations, reentry positioning maneuvers and deorbiting to recover Varda's capsule. 

According to Benzinga Pro, RKLB stock has gained 112% in the past year. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via Procure Space ETF ( UFO ) and SPDR S&P Kensho Final Frontiers ETF ( ROKT ) .

Price Action: RKLB shares are up 1.21% at $9.919 premarket at the last check Monday.

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