NASA is giving up on Mars?

The Mars sample return program, which NASA runs jointly with ESA, has been plagued by delays and the budget is considered too high. The US agency has launched a competition for ideas on alternatives, even if it means returning fewer samples.

The progress of instruments aboard Mars landers may be remarkable, but nothing can replace study of samples from the red planet in laboratories on Earth to better understand the fourth world of the solar system. This is because ground-based facilities are not as limited (e.g. in volume and available power) as those sent by spacecraft. Therefore it’s not It’s no wonder that returning samples from Mars is considered a scientific priority …