NASA wants to send a vehicle to Mars to collect samples and bring them back to Earth



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Send a vehicle to Mars and send it back

Since 1996, NASA has sent four robotic vehicles to Mars and is currently seeking to send the first vehicle to Mars that could be brought back to Earth by 2026.

"We will continue to plan and develop the first mission to Mars to collect samples and then bring them back to Earth," NASA President Jim Bradenstein said in a news release. .

US President Donald Trump has revealed NASA's $ 21 billion budget for next year. "Sending a vehicle to Mars to collect samples and then send them back to Earth is part of the plans for the Moon to Mars section," said Space.com, focusing on the agency's needs to help humans explore l & # 39; space.

The details are still rare. But the mission could follow the launch of the vehicle in March 2020 next year, NASA said in an official document.

"When we go to the moon this time, we will stay in. We will use what we have learned on our journey to the moon to accomplish our next big step: send astronauts to Mars."

Difficult schedule

To complete this task by 2026 is difficult, we still have a lot of work to do. "I think the closest date to which we can send a mission to Mars to collect samples and return to Earth is 2029," said Michael Meyer, scientist at NASA's Mars Exploration Program. , at a meeting on February 15th. As well. The actual date can be 2031, depending on when we start working. "

The moon first

The moon is the real goal of the budget requirements because it requires more than $ 500 million. The budget also includes new initiatives, such as sending cargoes to the moon and sending humans, as well as the Jitai orbital station construction project around the moon, which will achieve greater targets.

The last thing is that these numbers are not yet final because Congress has not yet approved NASA's budget requests.

Source: Observatory of the future

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