Exploration advocates are pushing back against the planned cancellation of NASA's Mars sample return project, saying it could potentially find evidence of Red Planet life.

"Awards like these are a critical component of our incubator program for future missions, which combines government leadership with commercial innovation to make what is impossible today rapidly implementable in the future," said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA's Astrophysics Division in the statement.

Mass resignations and deep budget cuts have weakened Nasa’s lunar program as China advances with successful missions and clear timelines. With Trump’s tariffs , the US risks of losing strategic and technological ground in space missions.

NASA’s Mars Sample Return program faces opposition from planetary scientists following proposed cancellation, with concerns raised over Perseverance samples, future Mars missions, and international competition.

NASA’s first manned trip to the moon in over 50 years needs volunteers. The space agency announced last week that it’s crowdsourcing Earth-side support for its next mission. Artemis II, tentatively slated for April 2026, will carry four astronauts on a ...

If all goes according to NASA’s plans, 2026 will finally be the year that astronauts once again launch to the moon.