NASA will hold a media teleconference on April 15, 2024, at 1:00 pm EDT, to announce the status of NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission, which is in a precarious situation. During the teleconference, NASA will present its recommendations for moving forward.
What is NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission?
NASA’s beleaguered mission has been underway for several years. The Perseverance rover, which was launched in 2021, was also part of this mission. Its objective was to collect intriguing samples of Martian rock acquired by another mission and return to Earth.
However, an independent study stated this year that the Mars Sample Return (MSR) had an “unrealistic budget and schedule,” an “unwieldy structure,” and was “not arranged to be led effectively.” Because of this review, the future of the MSR mission became uncertain.
The House and Senate appropriations committees then proposed a budget that comprised a cut of $454,080,000 from NASA’s 2024 budget. The Mars Sample Return Mission suffered greatly as a result of this.
Furthermore, NASA has reduced its overall spending on the program. The space administration has also laid off several employees and contractors at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is in charge of the mission.
Budget cuts and layoffs have raised concerns that NASA may halt the mission, and that the canisters loaded by Perseverance might be left useless on the Martian surface. However, NASA’s planned announcement provides a glimmer of optimism for the expedition.
According to NASA, “Mars Sample Return has been a major long-term goal of international planetary exploration for the past two decades. NASA’s Perseverance rover is collecting compelling science samples that will help scientists understand the geological history of Mars, and the evolution of its climate, and prepare for future human explorers. The return of the samples will also help NASA’s search for signs of ancient life.”
The current plan is for the launch of an orbiter in 2027, a landing in 2028, and the return of unique Mars samples to Earth in 2033.