The Planetary Society calls on the incoming administration to move forward with a viable Mars Sample Return plan

Pasadena, CA (January 7th, 2025) — The Planetary Society has released the following statement following current NASA Administrator Bill Nelson’s announcement that the agency will pursue two further studies for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) program, with a delayed confirmation until mid-2026 and a subsequent return planned by either 2036 or 2039:

“Mars Sample Return remains the top large-mission priority for the planetary science community, and The Planetary Society continues to appreciate NASA’s commitment to this ambitious endeavor.

However, we remain concerned that NASA is again delaying a decision on the program, committing only to additional concept studies. It has been more than two years since NASA paused work on MSR. It is time to commit to a path forward to ensure the return of the samples already being collected by the Perseverance rover.

We urge the incoming Trump Administration to expedite a decision on a path forward for this ambitious project, and for Congress to provide the funding necessary to ensure the return of these priceless samples from the Martian surface.”