NASA, Artemis and Launch Pad
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NASA crew splashes down safely
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NASA's plans for Mars sample return are effectively cancelled as part of a bill approved by the U.S. Congress, ending efforts to collect Perseverance rover samples that could contain evidence of alien life.
Advocates for space science research are concerned about job losses and cuts to funding at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. Marshall has lost about 350 people through the deferred resignation program established by the Trump administration as part of its cuts to federal agencies,
"There are incredibly tantalizing samples in the Perseverance rover's cache that could revolutionize our understanding of life in the solar system."
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 competition.
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