Perspective: Mars Samples Gathered for Return Mission. The Role of Government Funding
As the Perseverance rover diligently gathers samples on Mars for future return to Earth, the critical factor of government funding comes into play. Without adequate support from Congress, the fate of these valuable Martian samples hangs in the balance, highlights Jonathan Lunine.
Jonathan Lunine, the David C. Duncan professor in the physical sciences at Cornell University, served on the NASA Mars Sample Return Independent Review Board in 2023. If you want to read more opinions, check out CNN.
Have you ever wondered how fragile our planet's ability to sustain life really is? Perhaps the answer lies in studying one of our closest planetary neighbors.
Jonathan I. Lunine
Jonathan I. Lunine
Over the past twenty years, spacecraft and rovers circling Mars have discovered compelling evidence of a vastly different environment billions of years ago compared to the current dry and cold conditions. Exploring when and why Mars underwent this transformation can provide valuable insights into the future of our own planet.
We are currently at a crucial moment where we may finally find answers to these questions. NASA's Perseverance rover, created by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), has been gathering samples since 2021. These samples are intended to be brought back to Earth in a bold mission called Mars Sample Return (MSR), which is still in progress.
However, there is a concern that the political turmoil in Washington, DC, could jeopardize the retrieval of these valuable samples. NASA is at risk of not receiving sufficient funding to develop the spacecraft necessary for bringing back the samples. Without the appropriate funding from Congress, there is a possibility that scientists may never get the chance to examine these samples.
Perseverance has landed in a crater called Jezero, where we can see the samples’ immense value. At the western end of the crater, there is a river channel and a large pile of sediments that look like river deltas. These deltas are similar to places on Earth where rivers meet the sea. Although the river channel is now dry and the delta sits on a barren crater floor, they are evidence of a time when water flowed on Mars, causing sediments to be deposited in a vast crater lake.
The question remains: was there enough time for life to have started when water flowed on Mars? What caused these oases, including Jezero, to dry up, and when did this happen?
Perseverance has been collecting samples of the crater floor, the delta, and the hills above it to answer important questions. It is guided by a team of top scientists who are experts in the geology and climate of ancient Mars. The rover is a mechanical wonder, drilling into rock and storing the material in over 30 sample containers shaped like laboratory test tubes. These containers hold valuable samples of Mars that can help us understand when and how Mars changed from being habitable to desolate.
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As an astronaut, I have firsthand experience in the Mars simulator for a year. Analyzing the rocks on Mars to understand its history and climate is no easy task. It requires using large, energy-consuming instruments on Earth. These tools can detect materials in concentrations that smaller devices on Mars cannot reach.
Terrestrial laboratories have the unique ability to accurately determine the ages of rocks using a method known as radioisotope dating. The Apollo missions were able to determine the precise ages of moon rocks, providing a timeline for the early history of the Earth and moon. Establishing a similar timeline for the history of Mars would be a significant scientific achievement.
The Mars Sample Return mission is considered one of the most challenging and complex robotic missions ever undertaken. It involves sending the largest lander to Mars, which will carry a rocket to launch samples into Martian orbit. A spacecraft, to be constructed by the European Space Agency, will retrieve the sample capsule from orbit and transport it back to Earth. This mission has been identified as the top priority in US planetary exploration for the next decade in strategic plans by the US National Academy of Sciences.
Unfortunately, the return of the samples may not happen as planned. Due to the legislative chaos in Washington this year, NASA did not have a confirmed budget for the fiscal year. This has led the agency to work with a lower funding level for the Mars Sample Return project. Consequently, JPL had to let go of hundreds of employees earlier this year, causing the project to come to a halt.
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Perseverance is currently collecting samples on Mars, with the hope that they will one day be brought back to Earth. The question now is whether the US will successfully complete this mission or if another space power, like China, will beat them to it. The fear is that these valuable samples may end up abandoned on Mars, posing a risk to the nation's reputation in space exploration.
Mars contains vital information that could help us understand how life can exist on other planets, all within the samples waiting to be returned to Earth. Recently, Congress has emphasized the importance of the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, making it a top priority in the 2022 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. NASA has been assigned the task of creating a practical plan and securing the necessary funds to bring these samples back home. It is crucial that NASA presents this plan to Congress promptly to ensure adequate funding and prevent the disgrace of leaving the samples behind on Mars.
Editor's P/S:
The article highlights the significance of the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission and the urgency to bring the collected samples back to Earth. The samples, carefully gathered by the Perseverance rover, hold immense potential to unravel the mysteries of Mars' past environment and the possibility of life beyond our planet. However, the mission faces challenges due to political uncertainties and funding constraints. It is imperative that NASA, with the support of Congress, secures the necessary resources to complete the MSR mission and prevent the potential loss of these invaluable samples, which could hinder our understanding of our own planet's future.
The article also emphasizes the importance of terrestrial laboratories in analyzing the samples, as they possess the advanced capabilities to determine the ages of rocks accurately through radioisotope dating. This would provide a timeline for Mars' history, similar to the one established for Earth and the moon through the Apollo missions. By studying the samples, scientists hope to gain insights into the changes that occurred on Mars, transforming it from a potentially habitable environment to its current desolate state. The MSR mission is a crucial step in advancing our knowledge of planetary science and ensuring the United States remains a leader in space exploration.
