NASA has announced a new plan to bring rock and soil samples from Mars to Earth, aiming to save money and complete the mission faster. The original plan, estimated at $11 billion, faced criticism for being too costly and slow, with a timeline pushing the sample return to 2040. In response, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson paused the project and asked for better options. Now, NASA has proposed two alternatives costing between $6 billion and $7 billion. These plans focus on retrieving samples collected by the Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars in 2021. Stored in titanium tubes, these samples are crucial for studying ancient Martian environments and searching for microscopic life. Both options aim to return the samples to Earth by the 2030s, before planned human missions to Mars.

The new plans include using advanced technology to make the mission more efficient. For instance, NASA plans to clean the sample tubes on Mars instead of during their return. Switching from solar to nuclear power will also address problems caused by Martian dust storms. NASA emphasizes the need for funding to stay on track, with a final decision expected next year.