The Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, considered the pinnacle of Mars exploration and expected to definitively prove whether there are traces of ancient life on the planet, has been canceled due to bureaucratic obstacles. Budget cuts by the US Congress have put an end to one of NASA’s most ambitious projects.
Elchi.az reports that the biggest factor in the mission’s cancellation was the project’s high cost and technical complexity. Although initial estimates of $11 billion for the project were reduced to $7 billion with new designs, Congress considered these figures too high.
The “Perseverance” rover successfully completed the first phase of its mission by collecting 33 carefully selected sample tubes from the surface of Mars.
NASA believed that studying these tubes in advanced laboratories on Earth would completely resolve questions about Mars’ habitability. The fate of these tubes remains uncertain.
After NASA’s decision, all eyes are on China in the race to become the first country to bring samples from Mars. China also has a similar mission plan; however, this project is not as complex and scientifically focused as the joint efforts of NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). Although China’s plan is mainly based on a “grab and bring” approach, the gap created by NASA creates a great opportunity for the Beijing administration.
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