While this timeline might be optimistic, this is what came to my mind when I heard about the current timeline for Mars sample return - samples returning back to

While this timeline might be optimistic, this is what came to my mind when I heard about the current timeline for Mars sample return - samples returning back to Earth in 2031. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_sample-return_mission#NASA%E2%80%93ESA_concept https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_sample-return_mission#NAS... Like it's nice to finally have a firmer timeline for that, but damn, 10 years from now. A SpaceX employee gathering the sample tubes into his backpack in a couple years time to be returned on the next milk-run flight back to Earth is just so much cooler! :)