Launch failures claimed nearly half of Russia's probes, including the ambitious Phobos-Grunt sample return mission last year.

MSN: History littered with failed Mars probes

That will be followed by deployment of an unmanned lunar orbiter mission along with a nuclear-powered landing vehicle to support lunar rover delivery and sample return operations.

FORBES: Chinese Checkmate: Beating Us At Our Own Game?

Project scientist John Grotzinger pointed out that such a search would require more sophisticated scientific equipment than even the advanced rover carries, if not a full-scale sample return mission.

MSN: Curiosity aims to unlock Mars mysteries - Technology & science - Space - Space.com | NBC News

DiGregorio, who founded the International Committee Against Mars Sample Return, will present his new report later this month at an astrobiology conference in San Diego sponsored by the International Society for Optical Engineers.

CNN: Researcher: Mars rock varnish hints of life

It is the first US sample-return mission since the last Moon landing in 1972.

BBC: Probe set for asteroid flyby

The nation risks losing its space and technological supremacy if it allows other countries to achieve feats like sample-return first, he said.

MSN: Is huge Mars rover NASA's last big mission to Red Planet?

Lee added that lessons learned from Genesis would be applied to other sample-return missions, including the Stardust mission to return in January 2006.

CNN: High hopes to salvage Genesis science

Consumers place their orders on the Web, then get a kit in the mail and return it with a cheek swab or spit sample for analysis.

FORBES: All your genes are belong to us

In criminal cases a judge may not always order the return of funds and even when they do the case may have only been heard on a small sample of the fraud committed.

BBC: NHS turns to no win, no fee cases