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NASA’s 2026 budget looked stable - but Mars sample return was put on ice

Congress largely rejected the massive NASA cuts proposed earlier in 2025 and approved a fiscal year 2026 budget that kept science and exploration funding close to current levels. But lawmakers did not ...

One Mars spacecraft, two senators, and a cloud of questions

What is not controversial is that NASA needs a new spacecraft capable of relaying communications from Mars to Earth. NASA’s ...
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Could Rocket Lab pick up Mars samples from NASA's rover? Watch animation how

See Rocket Lab's "proposed mission architecture" for a Mars sample return mission in this animation. Credit: Rocket Lab ...

NASA’s new Mars orbiter sparks questions over a $700 million competition

Nasa has officially opened bidding for a new Mars telecommunications spacecraft, but the $700 million mission is already attracting controversy over concerns that the competition may favour a specific ...