A Collaborative Mission Planning Method for Mars Sampling

China has proposed a Mars sampling return mission, which is expected to be launched around 2030. The Mars sampling task faces a series of challenges, such as extreme low temperature, Mars dust environment and dust devil impact. The probe system must be scheduled to execute sampling and conduct scientific investigations at optimal temporal intervals, which requires a comprehensive mission planning. This paper presents a novel collaborative mission planning method for Mars sampling. Under the low-data-rate, high-latency communication conditions, this method ensures both the security and autonomy of Mars sampling missions. Firstly, we give an overview of Mars orbiter and Mars lander system, which support key functionalities including communication, sampling, control and data management. Secondly, a framework for mission and submission planning is established, which involves ground-based decision-making at critical stages within the workflow to minimize operational risks. Consequently, a set of experiments is conducted by utilizing a simplified sampling platform to validate the feasibility of the method. The results demonstrate that the task execution time and the current of the robotic arm are consistent with the mission planning results, establishing a robust foundation for future Mars sample return mission.