Lockheed Martin is trying to position itself as a savior for many NASA missions currently facing the chopping block at the hands of the Trump administration. The administration has already detailed massive budget cuts to NASA, which could include a complete shutdown of the Mars Sample Return mission, which Perseverance has been working on for the past several years.
However, Lockheed Martin — yes, the same company known for its extensive role in America’s defense system — has come up with a fixed budget plan to save the Sample Return mission and bring back the collections Perseverance has already made.
Over the years, NASA has struggled to bring its plans for Mars exploration to life. While the Mars Sample Return mission was a great idea, its actual execution has been less than smooth, with the budget often skyrocketing above the original numbers NASA provided years ago when it started operating on the mission. The numbers have changed so much, in fact, that even before the Trump administration’s shocking budget cuts, NASA was already looking at possibly canceling the MSR or finding cheaper alternatives. Thankfully, those cuts seem to have been relinquished for now, but it doesn’t mean NASA is out of the fire just yet.
But Lockheed Martin’s plan could make that unnecessary. According to a detailed post and video shared to Lockheed Martin’s website, the company has come up with at least one way it could utilize existing services and vehicles to complete NASA’s expensive Mars Sample Return mission. Further, the company says it would be able to pull it off for $3 billion, less than half NASA’s current $7 billion projection.
If true, it could give NASA the extra hand that it needs to get the Mars Sample Return mission back on track. While Trump and others have put a renewed focus on actually getting humans to Mars, being able to understand the Red Planet better will be key to surviving there and creating a human colony that can thrive. That’s why these samples are so important.
They could finally help us answer vital questions about the history of water on Mars, as well as determine the best places to land and colonize the planet. Of course, NASA and the U.S. government have to say yes to all of that first. But it’s at least a nice plan that the bigwigs out there can mull over in the meantime. And, with a little luck, we could see the plans to can the Mars Sample Return turned on their head. And that would be a great thing to see.
