NASA is planning to figure out how to bring back soil samples from Mars by 2026. The space agency will explore two different methods for its Mars Sample Return program, but it will take nearly two years to make a decision.
NASA is expected to announce which option it will choose in late 2026. The mission was paused temporarily after an independent review revealed that the program might cost between $8 billion and $11 billion, far more than originally planned.
One of the methods NASA is considering is called the “sky crane.” This involves a vehicle flying to Mars, getting close to the surface with the help of a parachute, picking up the samples collected by the Perseverance rover with cables or other tools, and then flying back. NASA used this technique before to place the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on Mars.
The second option would involve working with commercial space companies. Last year, NASA asked companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, and others to send in proposals on how to bring the samples back to Earth. No matter which method NASA chooses, the Mars Ascent Vehicle, a small rocket designed to send the samples from the Martian surface to orbit, will be smaller than initially planned.
This rocket has to be able to carry a container that can hold 30 sample tubes. Once the container is in orbit, a European Space Agency orbiter will grab it and bring it back to Earth.
Earlier last year, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory had to lay off 530 employees and cut 100 contract workers mainly due to budget issues with the Mars mission. NASA had requested $950 million for the program, but only $300 million was allocated.
The independent review also found that the mission might not be able to bring the samples back by 2040, which was a timeline the U.S. government found unacceptable, according to a report from The Washington Post.
In a teleconference, NASA administrator Bill Nelson shared that either of the two options being considered would cost a lot less than initially expected. The sky crane method would cost between $6.6 billion and $7.7 billion while working with a private space company would cost between $5.8 billion and $7.1 billion.
Either option would allow NASA to bring the samples back sometime between 2035 and 2039. Scientists believe the samples collected by Perseverance could provide valuable information about whether life ever existed on Mars and whether its soil contains harmful chemicals or substances that could pose risks to future human space travelers.
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