One Mars atmosphere, two senators, and a cloud of questions

“We were the loudest voices on MSR, because we just saw a program and a potential that could be solved,” Beck said in a recent interview with Ars. “The MSR price estimate, and everything else, was nuts. I think everyone knows I have a soft spot for planetary science.” So with the MSR, I just saw a whole bunch of Nobel prizes sitting up there, and it was a crime not to bring them home. An orbiter would be an important part of this. “

Not dead yet

In the end, the Trump White House and the US Congress, as part of the budget process, canceled the Mars Sample Return service in January.

Only, it may not be dead.

In March, the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation unanimously agreed The new NASA Authorization Act which required the return of the Mars Sample Return. According to the order, NASA “will establish within the Science Mission Directorate a new Mars Sample Return program to return scientific samples from Mars to Earth.” The project should not cost more than $8 billion, according to the bill.

Although the bill has not passed the entire US Congress, we can learn more. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is the chairman of the committee that wrote the bill, and he may be supporting the revival of Mars Sample Return because it will bring new space and popularity to the Johnson Space Center in Texas. Rocket Lab, if it were to get the contract to build the Mars orbiter, would have a leg up on the contract to make the return mission possible. Testing of these vehicles, including the Mars Ascent Vehicle, may take place in Mississippi.