Mars

NASA admits plan to bring Mars rocks to Earth won’t work — and seeks fresh ideas

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NASA’s Perseverance rover collects a sample from a Martian rock using a bit on the end of its robotic arm.Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA announced today that it is abandoning its longstanding plan for ferrying rock and soil samples from Mars to Earth. Instead the agency will seek proposals for quicker and cheaper ways to deliver the … Read more

Is the Mars rover’s rock collection worth $11 billion?

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The Perseverance rover drills a rock core from the edge of the ancient river delta in Jezero Crater on Mars.Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The Woodlands, Texas Scientists are on edge as they wait for NASA to answer two of the most consequential questions in Mars exploration. Where on the red planet will the Perseverance rover collect its … Read more