Astronomy

NASA decision on Mars Sample Return reboot slides to 2026

NASA aims to return Martian soil and rock samples to Earth in the 2030s, marking the first such planetary sample return mission. A decision on the mission profile is delayed until mid-2026. Two ...
Space.com on MSN

Experts push back against cancellation of NASA's Mars sample return project

Exploration advocates are pushing back against the planned cancellation of NASA's Mars sample return project, saying it could ...
Opinion
Space.com on MSNOpinion

Winning the Red Planet race: Returning Mars samples before China should be a top US priority, experts say

"The Chinese may well beat the U.S. with a grab sample." ...
Ars Technica

With NASA’s plan faltering, China knows it can be first with Mars sample return

China plans to launch two heavy-lift Long March 5 rockets with elements of the Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission in 2028, the mission’s chief designer said Thursday. In a presentation at a Chinese ...
PRIMETIMER

NASA Mars Sample Return program faces opposition from planetary science community

NASA’s Mars Sample Return program faces opposition from planetary scientists following proposed cancellation, with concerns raised over Perseverance samples, future Mars missions, and international ...
Ars Technica

NASA wants a cheaper Mars Sample Return—Boeing proposes most expensive rocket

NASA is looking for ways to get rock samples back from Mars for less than the $11 billion the agency would need under its own plan, so last month, officials put out a call to industry to propose ideas ...
SpaceNews

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Sample Tubes

Marvels of engineering, the rover’s sample tubes must be tough enough to safely bring Red Planet samples on the long journey back to Earth in immaculate condition. The tubes carried in the belly of ...