Was there ever life on Mars? NASA may have found evidence, but retrieving it could cost $7.7 billion
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According to CNN, NASA announced two new plans on Tuesday to retrieve rock and dust samples collected by the Perseverance rover from Mars. The agency aims to bring these samples back by the 2030s, possibly as early as 2035. These new strategies are designed to be simpler and less expensive alternatives to the original Mars Sample Return program, which was projected to cost $11 billion and delay the sample return until 2040.
The samples, collected from Jezero Crater — a site that once hosted a lake and river delta — could hold evidence of past life on the Red Planet. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called the previous delay «simply unacceptable.» The newly proposed plans aim to reduce complexity, cost, and mission duration, with NASA expected to choose between the two options by late 2026.
Both proposals involve multiple spacecraft. One relies on the “sky crane” technology previously used for the successful landings of the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. The other explores commercial designs, leveraging heavy-lift vehicle landers developed by companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin. Dr. Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, explained, “One is to leverage technology that was previously used to land both (the) Perseverance and Curiosity (rovers) on Mars. The other is to leverage options from
