NASA’s recent decision to scale back its highly anticipated Mars Sample Return mission has drawn criticism from lawmakers and sparked concerns about the future of the project. In a joint letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, a group of bipartisan lawmakers expressed their dismay over the agency’s decision. Several companies, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Sierra Nevada Corp., and Honeybee Robotics, are working with NASA on the Mars Sample Return mission. The Mars Sample Return mission is regarded as NASA’s “highest scientific priority” according to the Planetary Sciences Decadal Survey. The mission aims to collect samples of dust and rock from Mars using the Perseverance rover and return them to Earth.

Source: Forbes November 22, 2023 21:11 UTC