Trump kills Mars Sample Return mission

[Ranb]

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?

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.

Tianwen-3 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[arthwollipot]

So now we're just polluting the Martian surface with filled sample containers.

 

[Norman Alexander]

So now we're just polluting the Martian surface with filled sample containers.

And a bunch of dead robots that did nothing for Trump's glory.

 

[Orphia Nay]

If the samples contained oil, I bet this wouldn't be happening.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Trump asks for major budget cuts to NASA.
Congress is having none of it:

Congress rejects President Trump's deep NASA budget cuts, proposes $24.4 billion for the agency

Trump had allocated the space agency just $18.8 billion for fiscal year 2026.

www.space.com

 

[arthwollipot]

But significantly, this does not rescue the Mars Sample Return mission, which is still canned.

 

[theprestige]

But significantly, this does not rescue the Mars Sample Return mission, which is still canned.

This iteration is canned.

The samples are still collected. They can be returned whenever we actually want them. It's not like there's any hurry.

ETA: You might be surprised how many versions of a Lunar Rover project there were, before the one that finally got approved.

 

[Trebuchet]

Republican hatred for science runs very deep.

 

[Andy_Ross]

They have to find the money for that 50% increase in defence budget next year.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Just tell them that the Mars Sample will probably contain Unobtainiun

 

[SteveAitch]

or Gold?

 

[Helen]

Or rare earth minerals/oil?

 

[SteveAitch]

Or rare earth minerals/oil?

Yeah, but you can't really plaster them across your walls like you can with gold. Or ketchup...

 

[Helen]

Yeah, but you can't really plaster them across your walls like you can with cold. Or ketchup...

True. But you can give it to your oiligarch friends, and they can give you gold! And possibly even ketchup!

 

[JayUtah]

But significantly, this does not rescue the Mars Sample Return mission, which is still canned.

I'm more concerned with what they're doing to the NSSDC at NASA/Goddard. We can restart or reboot a sample return mission. We can't recreate decades of space science data that is under threat of destruction.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

If the samples contained oil, I bet this wouldn't be happening.

That would make make for an interesting invader swapped update on The War of the Worlds....

 

[Helen]

Maybe, if the samples promised riches beyond the dreams of avarice of some kind, just maybe that would mean that it would entice Trump et al, plus the broligarchs and oiligarchs to go to March?

A girl can dream, can't she?