NASA is pausing its ambitious plan to bring Mars samples back to Earth until more efficient and cost-effective methods are developed, agency officials announced on Monday.
The mission, which aims to retrieve soil and rock samples from Mars' Jezero Crater, has faced significant delays and budget overruns. An independent review recently estimated the total cost to be between $8 billion and $11 billion, with the earliest arrival of samples on Earth projected for 2040—about a decade later than initially planned.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed concerns over the escalating costs and extended timeline, emphasizing the need for alternative approaches. \"We want to get every new and fresh idea that we can,\" Nelson stated at a news conference. With NASA experiencing budget cuts across the board, Nelson is determined to find ways to advance the Mars sample return mission without compromising other vital science projects.
The Perseverance rover, which landed in Jezero Crater in 2021, has already collected 24 core samples, with the goal of gathering over 30 tubes to search for signs of ancient Martian life. The agency aims to return some of these samples to Earth in the 2030s at a cost not exceeding $7 billion. Achieving this would require a complex mission involving a spacecraft that can travel to Mars, collect the samples, and then rendezvous with another spacecraft to transport them back to Earth.
NASA's science mission chief, Nicky Fox, highlighted the challenges of launching from another planet, a feat that has never been accomplished before. \"We've never launched from another planet, and that's actually what makes Mars sample return such a challenging and interesting mission,\" Fox said.
The collected samples will provide scientists with pristine material for in-depth analysis, far surpassing the rudimentary testing currently possible on Mars. This analysis is crucial for confirming any evidence of microscopic life that may have existed billions of years ago when water flowed on the planet.
Additionally, the samples will inform NASA's plans for human exploration of Mars in the 2040s, helping to determine the best locations for astronaut missions.
Previously managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, the Mars sample return project has undergone significant changes due to budget-related layoffs. Administrator Nelson is now calling for innovative ideas from across the space agency to decentralize and revamp the program.
NASA hopes to receive proposals by late fall, signaling a new chapter in the quest to bring Mars samples to Earth.
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NASA is seeking a faster, cheaper way to bring Mars samples to Earth
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