NASA seeks cheaper ideas for Mars sample return mission amid budget crunch

LOS ANGELES - NASA is seeking a cheaper, simpler approach to one of its top science priorities in the midst of a budget crunch - retrieving precious soil samples collected on Mars and flying them back to Earth, U.S. space agency officials said on Monday.

It was unclear how NASA would ultimately reconcile the seeming paradox of using similar technology for spaceflight systems to accomplish something never done before, especially the feat of launching a rocket from the surface of another planet. The effort has been further clouded by deep spending cuts Congress imposed on space programs this year, forcing hundreds of layoffs at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Los Angeles, whose teams are leading the Mars mission.

Launch of the retrieval and orbital vehicles had been anticipated for 2027-28 with return of the samples targeted for the early 2030s and overall costs projected at $5 billion to $7 billion.

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