I think it would drive them away because when it is winter they have limited resources and are unable to farm.
the answer is: bring it home safely
The project was initiated during the period of space race, when united states compete with the soviet union to explore the space and hopefully bring home new resources that can benefit the nations.
The biggest challenge faced by the mercury program is that the pressure that a vehicles might face as pass through the atmosphere into the earth could make the vehicles explode and kill all the passengers in it.
