"Congressional Letter Urges White House to Address Mars Sample Return Spending Cuts"

Over 40 members of Congress from California have urged the White House to reverse NASA's cuts to the Mars Sample Return (MSR) program, citing potential job losses and a decade of lost science. The funding reductions, prompted by differences in spending bills, have already led to layoffs at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the lead center for MSR. The letter highlights concerns about the impact of reduced funding on meeting launch windows and fulfilling contracts, while also noting ongoing efforts to reassess the MSR architecture to address concerns about schedule and budget.