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Coverage dated January 6, 2025 to January 7, 2025

NASA has two ideas for how to get samples back from Mars

Headline from Digital Trends, on the newest of 2 developments

NASA's Mars Sample Return mission is only in development and has already struggled. Now, the agency has laid out two paths forward.

Digital Trends's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Developments in this update

2 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. NASA to Announce Plans to Bring Samples of Mars Back to Earth

    Headline from Science Alert ·

  2. Newest

    NASA has two ideas for how to get samples back from Mars

    Headline from Digital Trends ·

Read the reports

Reports & sources

7 articles, oldest first.

  1. CNN

    NASA is fighting to return samples from Mars. Here are the two ways they might do it in the 2030s (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    NASA has arrived at two ways of returning samples collected on Mars to Earth. Now, the agency will test the options to see if the cache can make it back in the 2030s.

  2. Science Alert

    NASA to Announce Plans to Bring Samples of Mars Back to Earth (opens Science Alert)

    Published

    Science Alert's feed description

    We may be about to discover the fate of the Mars samples collected by NASA's Perseverance rover.

  3. Digital Trends

    NASA has two ideas for how to get samples back from Mars (opens Digital Trends)

    Published

    Digital Trends's feed description

    NASA's Mars Sample Return mission is only in development and has already struggled. Now, the agency has laid out two paths forward.

  4. Universe Today

    NASA Lays Out Two New Options for Mars Sample Return (opens Universe Today)

    Published

    Universe Today's feed description

    NASA says it's working out the details for two new scenarios that would bring fresh Martian samples back to Earth in the 2030s.

  5. Astronomy Magazine

    NASA decision on Mars Sample Return reboot slides to 2026 (opens Astronomy Magazine)

    Published

    Astronomy Magazine's feed description

    NASA is weighing two options to return samples from Mars — one using proven technology and another that seeks help from industry.

  6. CBS News

    NASA exploring 2 options to lower costs, speed up Mars Sample Return mission (opens CBS News)

    Published

    CBS News's feed description

    NASA hopes a revised plan will get Mars samples back to Earth faster and cost less than the agency's original plan.

  7. Engadget

    NASA will decide how to bring soil samples back from Mars in 2026 (opens Engadget)

    Published

    Engadget's feed description

    The Mars Sample Return program has been way over budget and, according to NASA's administrator, has been "out of control." Now, the agency is exploring new options to get its Martian rock and dust samples back home to Earth.

NASA has two ideas for how to get samples back from Mars | Since Then