The Maraia capsule suborbital test was to investigate and inform the design of the Entry Descent and Landing (EDL) subsystems for a small earth return capsule. Such a capsule design could allow for the on-demand return of small samples from the ISS and, by acting as an earth atmospheric entry test-bed, provide for the advancement of other exploration related EDL technologies.

The flight demonstration of this technology was used to help advance the understanding of the high-speed performance and active control of a candidate small atmospheric entry capsule that may one day return scientific samples from the International Space Station or demonstrate Entry technologies later used at Mars.