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science10h ago
NASA's Mars Sample Return is dead, leaving China to retrieve signs of life from the Red Planet
- The Senate-approved funding bill effectively cancels NASA's Mars Sample Return program, delaying or halting its planned Earth return of Martian rocks.
- The bill preserves some MSR-related tech funding, allocating $110 million to the Mars Future Missions program.
- China’s Tianwen-3 sample return mission aims to collect Martian rocks in 2028 and return them by 2031, presenting a rival timeline.
- The package also notes that the Mars program remains linked to broader NASA science funding and Moon-to-Mars ambitions.
- The spending bill may still give NASA room to revive MSR in the future through technology investments and continued research.
- Supporters, including The Planetary Society, view the bill as preserving technology that could aid future missions.
- The broader funding totals show only a modest cut to NASA science compared with more drastic proposals.
- The article frames the MSR cancellation as a potential strategic shift, with China possibly taking the lead in Mars sample retrieval.
- NASA’s decision reflects the high cost and delays associated with MSR despite its potential scientific payoff.
- Overall, the bill keeps NASA science funding stable while steering MSR-related work into a more limited, tech-focused path.
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