NASA has announced the need to review the mission to deliver samples collected on Mars to Earth. They should help scientists detect possible traces of life on the red planet.
As of Air force, the agency announced the impossibility of delivering samples to Earth by 2040 at the expense of available funds. The cost may rise to 11 billion dollars.
NASA intends to explore other, cheaper and faster ways to deliver samples. It is expected that a decision will be proposed already this year.
The delivery of samples of rocks collected on Mars has long been considered a priority in the study of the planet. The lunar "rocks" brought by the Apollo astronauts revolutionized the understanding of the early history of the Solar System. It is expected that something similar will happen with the samples collected on Mars.
But now NASA has admitted that it is impossible to deliver samples of the red planet to Earth under existing financial conditions.
"The bottom line is that $11 billion is too expensive, and not returning samples until 2040 is unacceptably too long." - said the head of NASA, Bill Nelson.
The Mars Sample Return (MSR) program is a joint project with the European Space Agency (ESA). Samples to be delivered to Earth are already being collected by the Perseverance rover. At the end of this decade, the next mission that will deliver the device to Mars should be launched.
Then the collected samples must be loaded into this device, which will fly into orbit and meet with ESA, which will then deliver them to Earth. A capsule containing 300 grams of Martian soil was expected to land in the western United States in 2033.
But an independent review found flaws in the plan. Yes, she found that the deadlines are unlikely to be met, and the cost will increase to 8-11 billion dollars.
“We are looking at non-standard opportunities that could return samples earlier and at lower costs. This is certainly a very ambitious goal and we will need to implement some innovative design options and of course leave no stone unturned.” said Nicola Fox, director of NASA's science administration.
One of the options being considered could include a smaller and simpler missile, she said.
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