NASA will decide how to bring soil samples from Mars in 2026

NASA will Analyze and explore There are two different landing options for the Mars sample return program, although it would take nearly two years to do so and it is expected to announce its decision in late 2026. The agency was forced to pause the program after an independent review found it could. At a cost of between $8 billion and $11 billion, it is well above budget.

The first method that NASA is evaluating is called a “sky crane,” in which a rover heads to Mars, approaches the surface with the help of a parachute, and picks up samples. perseverance The spacecraft is collected using cables or other mechanisms and then flies away. NASA previously used this method to place the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on the planet.

Meanwhile, the second option requires the help of commercial space companies. Last year, the agency asked SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin and other companies to submit proposals on how to return collected Martian samples to Earth. Whichever option the agency chooses, it will carry a smaller version of the Mars Ascent Vehicle than originally planned. The Mars Ascent Vehicle is a lightweight rocket that will take samples from the planet’s surface to Mars orbit. It must also be able to transport a container that holds 30 sample tubes. Once the sample container reaches orbit, an ESA orbiter will pick it up and return it home.

Early last year, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory was forced to do just that Laying off 530 employees 100 contract workers were cut mainly due to budget problems related to this task. NASA requested $950 million for the program, but only $300 million has been allocated for it. The independent review found that the mission would cost over budget, and also found that it may not be able to return samples to Earth by 2040. According to a previous report by The Washington PostThe US government found the return date “unacceptable.”

In a conference call, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson open Either method the agency is now considering would cost much less than it originally would have spent. The sky crane will reportedly cost NASA between $6.6 billion and $7.7 billion, while working with a private space company will cost between $5.8 billion and $7.1 billion. Either option would also be able to retrieve and return samples sometime between 2035 and 2039. Scientists believe that samples collected by Perseverance could help us determine whether there was life on Mars and whether its soil contains chemicals and substances that could be harmful. For future human astronauts.