NASA proposes cheaper, quicker way to get Mars rocks and soil to Earth

Cape Canaveral: NASA is pitching a cheaper and quicker way of getting rocks and soil back from Mars, after seeing its original plan swell to $11 billion. Nelson said he “pulled the plug” months ago on the original sample return plan given the soaring costs and the delay in getting anything back from Mars before 2040. NASA last year asked industry and others to come up with better options to ensure the samples collected by NASA's Perseverance rover arrive here in the 2030s, well ahead of astronauts venturing to the red planet. For Nelson's replacement, Trump has nominated tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, who's rocketed into orbit twice on his own dime.This image provided by NASA shows Perseverance rover capturing a portrait of its recently completed sample depot using its Mastcam-Z camera on Jan. 31, 2023.