Space.com writes that NASA's plan to bring samples back to Earth from Mars “faces major challenges,” according to a new report.
“Design, cost, and schedule are all significant obstacles, revealed in the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit report of NASA’s Mars Sample Return (MSR) program.”
This involves landing on Mars to collect samples taken by the rover Perseverance, launching those samples to rendezvous with an orbiter, and transporting them to Earth. Perseverance is already on Mars, capturing and storing samples. However, the program still needs to build a sample recovery lander and an Earth-return orbiter, the latter being developed and funded by the European Space Agency. According to the OIG report, the Mars Sample Return Program is one of the most technically complex, operationally demanding, and ambitious robotic science missions ever undertaken by NASA.
The report points to issues with the design, architecture, and schedule of capture containment and return systems. These design issues added approximately $200 million to the budget and cost a year off the schedule. There are concerns that the $7.4 billion estimate “may be premature and insufficient” due to the number and importance of cost growth indicators to date. ”, the report found. The OIG's report cited a September 2023 independent review board report that said the cost could reach $8 billion to $11 billion due to its complexity. Notably, estimates from July 2020 list the cost at $2.5 billion to $3 billion.
These new numbers present significant fiscal challenges and uncertainties…issues include inflation, supply chain issues, and increased funding requests for specific program components.
