NASA’s Mars Sample Return program faces opposition from planetary scientists following proposed cancellation, with concerns raised over Perseverance samples, future Mars missions, and international ...

"There are incredibly tantalizing samples in the Perseverance rover's cache that could revolutionize our understanding of ...

U.S. plans to return Mars samples face delays as China advances its own mission. Scientists and policymakers debate costs, timelines, and the role of sample return in future Mars exploration ...

After an independent review concluded NASA's plans to robotically collect and return rock and soil samples from Mars could cost up to $11 billion, NASA "pulled the plug" and is focusing on two options ...

A crescent of the northern hemisphere of Mars taken by Tianwen-1's medium-resolution camera in March 2021. Credit: CNSA/PEC HELSINKI — China is inviting interested parties to submit proposals to join ...

This mosaic is made up of more than 100 images captured by NASA’s Viking 1 orbiter, which operated around Mars from 1976 to 1980. The scar across the center of the planet is the vast Valles Marineris ...

CNN — (CNN) — NASA is seeking innovative methods that could help retrieve samples collected by the Perseverance rover on Mars in the future. The rover, which landed on Mars in February 2021, has been ...

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Update: A minibus spending package passed by the House of Representatives on January 8, 2026, effectively cancels the Mars Sample Return program by eliminating almost all funding for future missions.

For nearly four years, NASA’s Perseverance rover has journeyed across an unexplored patch of land on Mars—once home to an ancient river delta—and collected a slew of rock samples sealed inside ...

The precious Mars samples collected by the Perseverance rover could be coming to Earth sooner rather than later. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.