John Whitehead, Author at SpaceNews https://spacenews.com Covering the business and politics of space Wed, 05 Feb 2025 17:30:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/cropped-SN_forza_star-32x32.png John Whitehead, Author at SpaceNews https://spacenews.com 32 32 80681979 Missing link still needed to save Mars Sample Return https://spacenews.com/missing-link-still-needed-to-save-mars-sample-return/ https://spacenews.com/missing-link-still-needed-to-save-mars-sample-return/#respond Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=512244 An illustration of the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) that will transport gathered Martian samples from the surface to orbit, where it will rendezvous with another spacecraft. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

There is a perception that NASA’s Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission is being delayed by indecision, but the real delay has been multiple decades of seeking a heritage propulsion solution […]

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]]> https://spacenews.com/missing-link-still-needed-to-save-mars-sample-return/feed/ 0 512244 Letter: Mars Sample Return Key Link Still Missing https://spacenews.com/letter-mars-sample-return-key-link-still-missing/ https://spacenews.com/letter-mars-sample-return-key-link-still-missing/#respond http://dev.spacenews.com/letter-mars-sample-return-key-link-still-missing/ Recent news articles about uncertain NASA Mars budgets have repeatedly noted that the next rover or orbiter must lead to sample return, formalized last year as the highest priority among future planetary missions [“Former Mars Czar Tapped To Lead NASA’s Mars Reboot,” March 5, page 7; “NASA Seeks Ideas for Next Mars Mission,” April 16, page 3; and “$17.5B NASA Spending Bill Favors Planetary Probes over Crew Taxis,” April 30, page 1].

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]]> https://spacenews.com/letter-mars-sample-return-key-link-still-missing/feed/ 0 3023 Letter: Open Science, Closed Engineering in Survey https://spacenews.com/letter-open-science-closed-engineering-survey/ https://spacenews.com/letter-open-science-closed-engineering-survey/#respond http://dev.spacenews.com/letter-open-science-closed-engineering-survey/ Here is a key point to add to your coverage of the new U.S. decadal survey for planetary science planning, including “NASA Money Woes Batter Planetary Flagship Budget” [March 21, page 14] and “Discovery Deferred — Indefinitely” [editorial, March 21, page 18]. As reported, Mars sample return is the highest-priority flagship mission, but the latest budget expectations may prevent it from happening.

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