"NASA's Mars Sample Return Mission Undergoes Critical Reassessment"

NASA has initiated a reassessment of its Mars Sample Return (MSR) architecture after an independent review deemed the current budget and schedule to be "unrealistic." The review board estimated MSR costs to be between $8 billion and $11 billion, significantly higher than previous projections. NASA has formed a team, the MSR IRB Response Team (MIRT), to address the recommendations made by the review board and develop a revised architecture for MSR. The team aims to complete its work by March 2023 and present a revised plan. Alternative approaches are being considered, including pushing back launches and incorporating flight-proven technologies. Despite the challenges, NASA remains committed to MSR, which is endorsed as the highest scientific priority by the planetary science community.