The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is turning to private companies for support
A crucial NASA mission in the search for life beyond Earth, Mars Sample Return, is in trouble. The budget has ballooned from $5 billion to more than $11 billion, and the sample return date could move from the end of this decade to 2040.
The mission would be the first to attempt to return rock samples from Mars to Earth so scientists can analyze them for signs of past life.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a press conference on April 15, 2024 that the mission as currently conceived is too expensive and too slow. NASA gave private companies a ...