Soil samples from the Red Planet: "Mars Sample Return" at NASA facing the end

NASA's plan to collect soil samples on Mars with a probe and bring them to Earth is facing the end. This is evident from the latest budget compromise by the US Parliament, which provides for an end to the funding of the “Mars Sample Return” project. At the same time, however, the representatives have opposed US President Donald Trump's plan to halve the US space agency's research spending. If the compromise is adopted, other space missions could therefore benefit from the step and expect more funding. In addition, 110 million US dollars, which were originally intended for the collection of Mars samples, are to flow into other Mars missions.

Mission too complex and too expensive

With “Mars Sample Return,” NASA, together with the European Space Agency ESA, actually wanted to collect those samples from Mars that the Perseverance rover has collected. It has already filled a first collection depot. It was planned for a long time that a lander, a rover, and a rocket should fly to Mars towards the end of the decade. It was planned that they would land near Perseverance, collect the samples deposited by the rover, and fly into orbit. From there, a spacecraft was to take over and bring the samples to Earth. In early 2024, NASA asked for proposals for a less complex procedure, also to reduce costs. But that didn't help.

“Mars Sample Return” has recently been plagued by major problems. NASA had assumed total costs of 5.6 billion US dollars, but an independent investigation commission determined almost twice that price and a years-long delay in 2023. Exactly one year ago, there was talk of two options to still realize the collection. However, the cancellation of the mission was still considered impossible at the time, as the scientific value of the soil samples was considered too great. Only in the autumn was it made public that possible traces of life had been found on the Red Planet. However, confirmation of such a finding is only possible with instruments on Earth.

The end of the NASA program also affects the ESA, which was supposed to provide the spacecraft for transporting the samples from Mars orbit to Earth. Already a few weeks ago, SpaceNews reported that it could instead be made into an orbiter that would explore the geology from orbit around the Red Planet. China could then bring the first samples from Mars to Earth; the People's Republic is preparing its mission for this, reports the US research magazine Science. Meanwhile, it is still unclear what should happen to the samples collected by Perseverance. According to Science, researchers have not yet given up hope that they will eventually be collected.

(mho)