NASA is forming a response team after an independent review board analyzed their plans for the upcoming Mars Sample Return mission.
NASA Reviews Mission To Retrieve Sample From Mars Due To Budgetary Concerns| Photo: EarthSky
The mission, conducted in collaboration with the European Space Agency, aims to retrieve samples from Mars.
The review board highlighted important scientific objectives of retrieving the samples from Mars but also expressed concerns about budgetary issues and an unwieldy organizational structure.
The ballooning costs of the mission to retrieve samples from Mars could potentially overshadow other projects in the future.
The report recommended better communication of the importance of the mission to retrieve samples from Mars and a reassessment of its management structure.
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NASA will evaluate the report’s findings and recommendations through a response team led by Sandra Connelly.
The official confirmation of the cost of the mission to retrieve samples from Mars and schedule will be deferred until the review is completed.
According to IFLScience, the mission involves sending two helicopters to retrieve samples from Mars, gathered by the Perseverance rover, packing them into a rocket, launching the rocket from Mars, entering orbit, flying back to Earth, and crash landing in a designated area.
The board recommends a shift in the launch schedule to 2030 to allow for increased funding. This delay could potentially impact the budget of other planetary science missions, IFLScience added.
READ MORE| NASA to address concerns about Mars Sample Return mission’s ‘unrealistic budget’
