NASA: More Time Needed To Plan Mars Sample Return

Space agency is weighing two options to return samples from the Red Planet—one using NASA-proven technology and another that seeks help from the industry.

Tuesday, January 07, 2025 at 05:04 PM ET

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NASA’s Perseverance rover has so far collected 28 tubes of Martian rock and soil samples awaiting delivery to Earth for research. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

NASA aims to return Mars rock and soil samples to Earth by the 2030s, a historic first, but needs until mid-2026 to decide on the final mission profile.
The agency is evaluating two main landing architectures: an updated version of its proven Sky Crane technology or a solution leveraging commercial partners and heavy landers.
Both proposed options are significantly less expensive ($5.8B-$7.7B vs. a previous $11B estimate) and target an earlier sample return (2035-2039), incorporating design improvements like radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs).
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the critical need for at least $300 million in the fiscal year 2025 budget to keep the Mars Sample Return program on track for an expedited timeline.

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NASA has set a goal to return rock and soil samples from the surface of Mars in the 2030s. The mission would represent the first time scientific samples from another planet have been returned to Earth. But the space agency said it needs another year to determine how to do it.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Nicky Fox, associate administrator for the space agency’s Science Mission Directorate, on Tuesday said officials would not decide on a Mars Sample Return mission profile until mid-2026, at the earliest. The space agency will weigh two different options, or “landing architectures”—one that would use NASA-proven technology and another that would enlist commercial partners.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.