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NASAhas announced two possible plans for regain rocks fromMarsthat may contain grounds of alien life .
Since 2021 , NASA ’s Perseverance rover has been busy collecting rocks and sediment in an ancient Martian lakebed . However , NASA is n’t sure how to get these samples back to Earth for psychoanalysis .
Photomontage of tubes containing Martian samples that NASA plans to bring back to Earth.
The original Mars Sample Return Program called for collect the Perseverance samples by 2033 , butdelays and corkscrew costsforced NASA back to the draftsmanship display panel last twelvemonth . NASA will now explore two new landing place strategies for retrieving the rock sample before decide on which one to quest for in 2026 , according to astatementreleased on Tuesday ( Jan. 7 ) .
" Pursuing two potential route forward will ascertain that NASA is able to bring these sample back from Mars with important cost and docket saving compared to the old plan,“Bill Nelson , NASA administrator , aver in the financial statement . " These samples have the potential to shift the direction we empathise Mars , our creation , and – ultimately – ourselves . "
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The hunt for life on Mars
There ’s no guarantee that living ever existed on Mars , but if it did , then it ’s potential the Perseverance rovermay already have found signaling of itin the Jezero crater lakebed . scientist wo n’t know for sure what ’s in the sample until they get them back to Earth and study them in a lab .
NASA ’s Mars Sample Return Program was initially supposed to be $ 7 billion , but when the mission ’s calculate cost tag climbed to $ 11 billion — an upper - end estimatecalculated by an independent review board — and was set to be delayed until 2040 , the agency announced a major computer program renovation , Live Science ’s sister siteSpace.comreported .
In September 2024 , NASA go for 11 sampling comeback proposals from researcher and private companies to vamp the program . NASA will research and assess two of these proposals as part of the late annunciation .
Two paths forward
— Ancient volcanic ash on Mars could offer new clue in search for extraterrestrial living
— Perseverance roamer watch over a solar eclipse on Mars
— The moonlight is about to ' swallow ' Mars for 4 hour — and you could watch it from the US
The first option relies on a tried and test landing organization design involving arocket - powered sky Hart Crane , which uses cablegram to lower down the lander . NASA used this method to land the Perseverance rover on Mars in the first place , and it ’s gauge to be between $ 6.6 billion and $ 7.7 billion . The 2d choice relies on new commercial capability from secret diligence and is estimated to cost between $ 5.8 billion and $ 7.1 billion . NASA did n’t discuss the commercial option in detail because of concerns about proprietary technologies and designs , Space.comreported .
disregarding of which method NASA chooses , the landing system will use a smaller , limited version of theMars Ascent Vehicleto pack the rock samples into orbit . TheEuropean Space Agency ’s Earth Return Orbiter — aplanned spacecraftthat will launch no sooner than 2027 — will then collect and enthrall the sample back to Earth .
" Mars Sample Return will allow scientist to see the planet ’s geologic history and the evolution of clime on this barren major planet where life story may have survive in the yesteryear and cast off light on the earlysolar systembefore life began here on Earth,“Nicola Fox , associate executive for the NASA Science Mission Directorate , say in the instruction . " This will also prepare us to safely direct thefirst human explorers to Mars . "
