Space agencies across the world including the US space exploration agency NASA have been indulging in searching out if there is any life existing on other planets besides Earth. In a significant development regarding the seeking cause, NASA has found samples of rocks on the red planet Mars that are speculated to establish the signs of life on it. However, the agency has also mentioned that they are currently unable to bring the samples to Earth for further examination.
As per the recent reports, the agency requires a hunch of money to bring the samples to Earth. While talking about NASA’s ambitious Mars Sample Return mission, agency officials on Monday said that they are seeking fresh ideas from the engineers, researchers, and the private sector to bring up alternative designs to cut the cost. Through this, the agency will be able to redesign the process and bring the precious sample for further study.
According to NASA’s release, the agency has spent as much as $2.4 billion (Rs 20, 005 crores) on the Perseverance mission. It landed on Mars in 2021 and collected soil and rock samples from the red planet.
As per the agency’s initial plan, NASA aimed to develop a mission with the European Space Agency that would return the samples by 2040 for the experts to study the same. However, due to its design and budget, the US agency is now rethinking the schedule.
An administrator at NASA, Bill Nelson on Monday said, “Mars Sample Return is one of the most complex missions NASA has ever undertaken. The bottom line is, an $11 billion (Rs 91, 888 crores) budget is too expensive, and a 2040 return date is too far away.”
He added, “We need to look outside the box to find a way ahead that is both affordable and returns samples in a reasonable time frame.”
The agency stated that it would ask for architecture proposals from private companies that could return samples in the 2030s, with lower cost, risk, and mission complexity.
The mission’s success would mark the first time that any kind of samples would be brought to Earth from Mars and be studied. It will help the researchers and experts to understand the red planet better.
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