CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. NASA announced Monday that its plan to retrieve samples from Mars and bring them back to Earth is currently suspended until a faster and more cost-effective method can be identified, according to space agency officials.
The endeavor to collect soil and rocks from Mars has long been a priority for NASA, but the project’s timeline has continuously shifted as costs soared. A recent independent review estimated the total cost between $8 billion to $11 billion, with a projected arrival date of 2040, a decade later than initially anticipated.
Expressing concern over the extensive costs and delays, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the need for alternative approaches. He called upon private industry and NASA’s centers to collaborate on reimagining the project, aiming to prevent the depletion of funds for other scientific endeavors amidst across-the-board budget cuts.
“We want to get every new and fresh idea that we can,” Nelson stated during a news conference.
Since its landing in 2021 at Mars’ Jezero Crater, NASA’s rover Perseverance has successfully collected 24 core samples in tubes, with the objective of gathering over 30 samples to investigate potential traces of ancient Martian life.
The space agency’s objective is to transport at least some of the collected samples to Earth by the 2030s, with a budget not exceeding $7 billion. This necessitates the development of a spacecraft capable of retrieving the tubes from Mars and launching them off the planet, followed by rendezvous with another spacecraft tasked with delivering the samples to Earth.
Nicky Fox, NASA’s science mission chief, refrained from speculating on the timeline or the number of samples to be returned, emphasizing that such details would be outlined in proposed solutions.
“We’ve never launched from another planet, and that’s actually what makes Mars sample return such a challenging and interesting mission,” Fox remarked.
The analysis of pristine Martian samples in terrestrial laboratories is crucial for scientists to confirm any indications of microscopic life from billions of years ago when water once flowed on the planet. These samples will inform NASA’s decisions regarding future astronaut missions to Mars in the 2040s, Nelson noted.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, previously spearheaded the sample project but experienced significant layoffs earlier this year due to budget constraints. Nelson is now soliciting proposals from across the agency, envisioning a more decentralized approach for the revamped program.
NASA anticipates receiving proposals by late fall.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
