Author Topic: Trump kills Mars Sample Return mission  (Read 36 times)

Offline Ranb

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Trump kills Mars Sample Return mission
« on: January 07, 2026, 10:53:57 PM »
Trump wants to go to Mars, but it is not likely to happen in his lifetime.  https://www.newsweek.com/2025/04/11/donald-trump-elon-musk-space-mission-mars-experts-2053151.html

The Mars Sample Return mission is a work in progress with the first stages happening right now; the Perseverance Rover is gathering samples.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA-ESA_Mars_Sample_Return

NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission is dead
https://www.science.org/content/article/nasa-s-mars-sample-return-mission-dead?

Quote
Congress backs Trump administration’s efforts to kill project that would ferry martian rocks to Earth

After years on life support, NASA’s plan to collect martian rocks and ferry them back to Earth has died. Yesterday, Congress released a compromise spending bill for the present financial year that backs the White House’s effort to kill the Mars Sample Return (MSR) program. Although the bill must be passed by both congressional chambers and signed into law, it effectively signals the end of MSR.

Trump is going to allow China to obtain the first samples from Mars instead.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianwen-3