Six lawmakers from California recently penned a letter opposing NASA’s decision to slash funding for the Mars Sample Return mission which aims to bring samples collected on Mars by the Perseverance rover back to Earth. The letter, written by congresspeople Judy Chu, Laphonza Butler, Mike Garcia, and Young Kim, along with senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, criticized the move and stated it would result in job losses and a decade of lost scientific progress.
Additionally, the lawmakers highlighted a House appropriations bill which outlined consistent funding for the Mars Sample Return mission and directed NASA to allocate a minimum of $949,300,000 to ensure that the mission would launch no later than 2030.
This mission, part of the Mars 2020 initiative, involves a complex array of machinery including helicopters, a launcher, and a collection system, all designed to bring the precious Martian samples back to Earth. However, recent findings have led to increased costs and timeline concerns, leading NASA to scale back work on the program. The California legislators expressed dismay and concern over these funding cuts, stating that they would jeopardize the future of the mission and put American businesses and jobs at risk.
Ultimately, the fate of the Mars Sample Return mission will have a significant impact on the timeline of human exploration beyond Earth and shape our understanding of Mars’ ancient history for the next decade.
