![]() ![]() The report said the prioritization of national laboratories under the stewardship of the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, particularly those with proven bioanalytical scientific capabilities, biological and environmental research facilities, and biodefense capabilities. ![]() This proposed reallocation includes $235 million for the Artemis program, $30 million for the Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan, $5 million for a flagship orbiter probe to explore Uranus, and $30 million for the Geospace Dynamics Constellation mission.Īdditionally, if NASA proceeds with the MSR mission, the Senate “encourages” the agency to establish a Sample Receiving Facility in a state that does not currently host a NASA facility. In the event of mission cancellation, the Senate committee has outlined a reallocation plan for the funding originally designated for MSR. The report emphasizes NASA must present a comprehensive funding profile within the established budget, or face potential cancellation or significant restructuring of the mission to reduce costs. For comparison, the original White House request released in March, proposed $949 million for the program. In light of these concerns, the report has recommended allocating $300 million for the MSR project in fiscal year 2024, bringing the total cost to date to over $2 billion. The mission consumed a fifth of the NASA Planetary Science Devision’s budget in 2022 and more than a quarter in 2023. The Senate report raised concerns about the budgetary implications of the MSR mission, given its rising cost. The Senate report urges NASA to provide the committee with an MSR lifecycle within the $5.3 billion budget profile. However, the survey also said this priority should not come at the expense of other high-priority science programs. In the report, it notes the 2022 Planetary Science Decadal Survey said the completion of the MSR program should be the highest priority of NASA’s robotic exploration efforts. In April, the agency convened an independent review board to assess the program’s technical progress, schedule and costs. NASA also appears concerned about the increased cost and scope of the program. “If NASA is unable to provide the Committee with a MSR lifecycle cost profile within the $5,300,000,000 budget profile, NASA is directed to either provide options to de-scope or rework MSR or face mission cancellation,” the Senate report reads. In a July 13 report accompanying its proposed NASA budget for 2024, the committee emphasized that despite previous funding to date, the project’s launch date continues to slip, straining NASA’s financial resources and compromising other critical scientific priorities.Īs such, the Senate report directs NASA to provide a detailed funding plan within 180 days of the 2024 budget’s enactment within the originally estimated budget. Recently, the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, responsible for overseeing NASA’s funding, expressed its concern over the escalating costs and persistent delays associated with MSR. Credit: NASA Senate concerned about ballooning costs An illustration of the Mars Sample Retrieval Lander that would carry a 10-foot (3-meter) ascent rocket to Jezero Crater.
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