“The samples we took by Perseverance predate the date; they're older than any sample or rock we could take here on Earth,” Fox said. “So it allows us to explore what the early solar system looked like before life started here on Earth, which is amazing.”
Fox said returning Mars samples before a human expedition would help NASA prioritize where astronauts should land on the red planet.
In a statement, the Planetary Society said it is “concerned that NASA is once again delaying a decision on the program and only committing to additional concept studies.”
“It has been more than two years since NASA stopped work on MSR,” the Planetary Society said. “It's time to set a course forward to ensure the return of the samples already collected by the Perseverance rover.”
“We urge the incoming Trump administration to expedite a decision on a way forward for this ambitious project, and that Congress provide the funding necessary to facilitate the return of these priceless samples from the surface of Mars.”
China says it is developing its own mission to bring Mars rocks back to Earth. The mission, called Tianwen-3, could launch as early as 2028 and return samples to Earth by 2031. While NASA's plan would bring back carefully curated samples from a vast environment that could once have harbored life, the Chinese mission will excavate rocks and soil near its landing site.
“They're just on a grab-and-go mission: go to a landing site of their choice, grab a sample and go,” Nelson said. “That doesn't give you a comprehensive picture for the scientific community. So you can't compare the two missions. Will people say there's a race? Of course people will say that, but they're two completely different missions.”
Still, Nelson said he wants NASA to be first. He said he has not had detailed conversations with Trump's NASA transition team.
“I think it was a responsible thing to do not to give the new administration just one alternative if they want to have a Mars Sample Return,” Nelson said. “I can't imagine them not doing that. I don't think we want the only sample coming back on a Chinese spacecraft.”
