NASA's Mars Sample Return ends after U.S. budget cuts

Congress's 2026 appropriations do not support the existing Mars Sample Return program and allocate $110 million for Mars-related technology development; the plan for returning Perseverance's cached samples is undetermined at this time.

U.S. Congress did not approve funding for NASA's existing Mars Sample Return program in the 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations. The bill says it will not support the current MSR campaign while providing $110,000,000 for a Mars Future Missions program to advance related technologies. NASA's Perseverance rover collected and cached 33 sample tubes on Mars that were intended for eventual return to Earth. Prior mission designs called for a multi-step retrieval process, but that full retrieval plan is no longer supported by this appropriations action. Reported facts: - Congress's 2026 appropriations do not support the existing Mars Sample Return program. - The appropriations include $110,000,000 for a Mars Future Missions program, which may fund related technology work. - Perseverance has cached 33 sample tubes on Mars awaiting retrieval. - The program's full retrieval architecture and schedule are not funded and the next steps are undetermined. Summary: The appropriations action ends programmatic support for the current MSR campaign while preserving limited funding for related technology development. What comes next for the cached samples and for a full retrieval plan is undetermined at this time.