"NASA's Budget Woes Prompt Reevaluation of Mars Sample Return Mission"
NASA is seeking cost-effective alternatives for its Mars sample return mission due to budget constraints, with a formal request for proposals going out to NASA centers, laboratories, and space industry companies. The current program has been plagued by technical complexities, spending constraints, and rising costs, prompting the need for innovation and proven technology to reduce development time, risks, and expenses. The mission's next phase, in partnership with the European Space Agency, aims to retrieve the samples collected by the Perseverance rover and launch them back to Earth, but the projected costs have soared to as high as $11 billion with a return date as far as 2040. NASA is open to leaving behind some of the samples and hopes to find a solution through collaboration with industry partners.
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