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NASA scrapped its $11 billion scheme to grab Mars rocks that may point to alien life. Now it has a faster, cheaper plan.

NASA has abandoned its ambitious $11 billion Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, which aimed to retrieve rock samples from Mars that could potentially indicate signs of past life. The decision was influenced by the mission's high cost and complexity, as well as delays that pushed the return timeline to the 2040s. Instead, NASA is now exploring a more cost-effective and quicker alternative. This new plan involves using the existing Perseverance rover to collect samples and potentially employing a smaller, less expensive lander to retrieve these samples. The revised strategy aims to reduce costs significantly, with a budget cap of $8-9 billion, and expedite the process, targeting a sample return by the 2030s. This shift reflects NASA's effort to balance scientific objectives with fiscal responsibility and technological feasibility.

Read the Full MSN Article at:
[ https://www.msn.com/en-us/science/environmental-science/nasa-scrapped-its-11-billion-scheme-to-grab-mars-rocks-that-may-point-to-alien-life-now-it-has-a-faster-cheaper-plan/ar-BB1r7tT5 ]