Threats to Funding for Mars Sample Return Mission by US Senate: Impact and Concerns

The US Senate threatened the delivery of Martian soil samples to Earth. This is due to reduced funding for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission.

What is known

Senators do not like the technical problems that arose during the implementation of the mission. NASA has received $1.7 billion to conduct the MSR, but will likely not be able to complete it as scheduled. This may affect other space agency projects.

NASA has requested $949 million for 2024 to continue the MSR mission. However, the US Senate approved the allocation of only $300 million, which is more than three times less than the amount requested. Moreover, funding could be reduced to zero if the US Congress does not receive guarantees to keep the mission budget within 5.7 billion. Otherwise, funds will be redirected to the Artemis lunar program.

Concern about the cost of the MSR mission did not arise out of nowhere. Recently, NASA considered a scenario in which the delivery of Martian soil samples could cost the US budget $9 billion.

Threats from the US Congress do not mean that the project will necessarily be closed. For example, 12 years ago, congressmen jeopardized the James Webb Space Telescope program. As you know, the $10 billion observatory has been successfully launched, is pleased with the results, and recently celebrated its first anniversary of operation.

The report of the Institutional Review Board, which consists of independent scientists, will have an important impact on the decision of the Congress. It was created to evaluate the MSR and find options for successfully completing the mission. The report will be ready by the end of this quarter.

Source: ArsTechnica

2023-07-18 21:14:25
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