"Space Industry Job Fair in Long Beach Amid Mars Sample Return Project"

Lawmakers are in a heated debate over the funding for NASA's Mars Sample Return program, which aims to retrieve rock and dirt samples from Mars for study. The program, facing budget constraints and delays, has become a regional battleground, with California lawmakers supporting the project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Maryland and Virginia lawmakers advocating for other projects. The Senate seeks to slash funding for the Mars program, while the House proposes full funding. NASA is preparing for potential layoffs and reevaluation of the program's future amid the budget uncertainty.