Mars, NASA

NASA won't decide on Mars Sample Return plan until mid-2026
NASA is considering two ways to get its precious Mars samples back to Earth but won't pick a winner for another 18 months or so.
NASA asked for cheaper ways to get Mars samples. It had one all along.
NASA will investigate two new approaches to bring its Mars samples to Earth through a mission proposal that is less expensive and technically complicated. The space agency will flesh out options that could either involve using a commercial lander,
NASA’s Mars Sample Return Program Faces Stark Choices
NASA sees two paths for saving its beleaguered plan to retrieve materials from the Red Planet but won’t choose between them until 2026
NASA defers decision on Mars Sample Return to the Trump administration
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson left a final decision on a new mission architecture to the next NASA administrator working under the incoming Trump administration. President-elect Donald Trump nominated entrepreneur and commercial astronaut Jared Isaacman as the agency's 15th administrator last month.
NASA exploring 2 options to lower costs, speed up Mars Sample Return mission
NASA hopes a revised plan will get Mars samples back to Earth faster and cost less than the agency's original plan.
NASA will decide how to bring soil samples back from Mars in 2026
NASA will analyze and explore two different landing options for its Mars Sample Return program, though it will take almost two years to do so and is expected to announce its decision in late 2026. The agency had to temporarily hit pause on the program after an independent review found that it could cost between $8 billion and $11 billion,
NASA Is One Step Closer to Bringing Mars Samples to Earth
The agency is starting down two different paths toward the samples' return, but only one will bring the red rocks home.
NASA Eyes New Commercial Services for Mars Sample Return
NASA will consider using new commercial approaches as one of two options on its new plan on landing the payload platform for its Mars Sample Return Program aimed at bringing to Earth the first rock and sediment samples from the Red Planet.
NASA plans new strategies to return crucial samples from Mars to Earth
The cost and schedule for returning Mars samples has been significantly revised. NASA is looking for efficient alternatives to bring the valuable soil samples back to Earth faster and more cost-effectively.
NASA's Martian helicopter promises unprecedented views of the red planet
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, which flew on Mars in April 2021, became the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on a planet other than Earth.
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Ingenuity Mars Helicopter flies again as first drone on Rose Parade float
The City of La Cañada Flintridge celebrated the Jet Propulsion Propulsion Laboratory and Mars exploration with its 2025 float ...
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NASA Reveals New Mars Helicopter Design, Inspired by Ingenuity's Success
Moving on from the success of the Ingenuity drone, NASA has released a rendering of its next-generation vehicle for aerial ...
The Mars Helicopter That Survived 72 Flights and Changed Planetary Exploration
Ingenuity, NASA’s Mars Helicopter, surpassed expectations as the first aircraft to operate on another planet. Despite being designed for five test flights over 30 days, it completed 72 flights across ...
NASA scrapped its $11 billion scheme to grab Mars rocks that may point to alien life. Now it has a faster, cheaper plan.
NASA's mission to return samples from Mars and potentially discover the first signs of alien life has a new timeline. The ...
NASA Unveils New Mars Drone Design: A Larger, Enhanced Version Of Ingenuity Helicopter
The "Mars Chopper" as NASA is calling it, appears bulkier compared to its predecessor and has a greater payload capacity.
NASA collected potential evidence of life on Mars. Now it’s pitching new plans to retrieve the cache
NASA has arrived at two ways of returning samples collected on Mars to Earth. Now, the agency will test the options to see if ...