NASA's Mars Sample Return is dead, leaving China to retrieve signs of life from the Red Planet

NASA's plans for Mars sample return are effectively cancelled as part of a bill approved by the U.S. Congress, ending efforts ...
Starlust on MSN

NASA's mission to bring back Mars sample halts in its tracks

The mission is not deemed feasible given the high budget it demands and the uncertainty around its operations.
PRIMETIMER

NASA Mars Sample Return program faces opposition from planetary science community

NASA’s Mars Sample Return program faces opposition from planetary scientists following proposed cancellation, with concerns raised over Perseverance samples, future Mars missions, and international ...
Ars Technica

NASA found intriguing rocks on Mars, so where does that leave Mars Sample Return?

NASA’s interim administrator, Sean Duffy, was fired up on Wednesday when he joined a teleconference to talk about new scientific findings that concerned the potential for life to have once existed on ...
Scientific American

Mars Sample That May Contain Evidence of Life Might Never Come Home

Update: A minibus spending package passed by the House of Representatives on January 8, 2026, effectively cancels the Mars Sample Return program by eliminating almost all funding for future missions.
EurekAlert!

Schematic of the Chinese Mars Sample Return mission (IMAGE)

Schematic of the Chinese Mars Sample Return mission, where the lander will drill 2 metres deep to collect the samples and scoop the surface materials with a robotic arm and drone. Disclaimer: AAAS and ...