NASA's New Plans for Mars Samples: A Race Against Time and Cost

NASA is rethinking its strategy to bring samples from Mars to Earth. The original plan, with the European Space Agency, was too expensive and slow. Now, NASA has two new ideas. One uses the same method that landed the Perseverance rover. The other asks companies like SpaceX or Blue Origin for help. Both plans aim to return samples by the late 2030s for less than $8 billion. The Perseverance rover has been collecting rocks and dust on Mars since 2021. These samples could answer big questions about life on Mars. The new plans focus on simplifying the mission and reducing costs.The first plan uses the sky crane method, which safely landed the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers. This method involves a heat shield, parachutes, and retrorockets. The second plan relies on new commercial capabilities. Mars has a thin atmosphere, making it hard to land safely. Both plans need a Mars Ascent Vehicle to lift off from the planet's surface and rendezvous with an orbiter. The orbiter will then bring the samples back to Earth. NASA wants to study these samples in state-of-the-art facilities to understand Mars' history and prepare for human exploration. The European Space Agency is evaluating these new plans. There are challenges ahead. NASA needs to make the sky crane bigger and design a Mars Ascent Vehicle that can survive a landing and launch. The new U. S. administration will decide if they want to continue with the program and request the necessary budget. China is also interested in returning samples from Mars. NASA wants to ensure their methodical approach gives a detailed history of Mars and answers if life existed there millions of years ago.