Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Mars Sample Return program artwork depicts rocketing collected off the Red Planet specimens for eventual return to Earth.
Image credit: NASA

The existing NASA/European Space Agency effort to establish a Mars Sample Return program is slated to be discontinued.

That’s the word according to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026. It calls for an overall NASA budget figure of $24.44 billion and change.

As noted in a section on Mars Future Missions: “As proposed in the budget, the agreement does not support the existing Mars Sample Return (MSR) program.”

However, the technological capabilities being developed in the MSR program, the Act explains, “are not only critical to the success of future science missions but also to human exploration of the Moon and Mars.”

NASA codes to play nice with each other?

The agreement does request $110 million for NASA’s Mars Future Missions program.

Image credit: NASA

That program is to include existing MSR efforts, supports radar, spectroscopy, entry, descent, and landing systems, and “translational precursor technologies that will enable science missions for the next decade, including lunar and Mars missions.”

The Act explains that NASA shall coordinate efforts between the space agency’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD).

NASA’s ESDMD defines and manages systems development for programs critical to NASA’s Artemis program and planning for the space agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach.

For a look at the Act, go to:

https://rules.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/rules.house.gov/files/documents/division-a-commerce-justice-science_0.pdf

Also, go to this review at:

https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy26_cjs_conference_bill_summarypdf.pdf