Mars, NASA and Earth

NASA proposes cheaper and quicker way to get Mars rocks and soil to Earth
NASA is pitching a cheaper and quicker way of getting rocks and soil back from Mars. Administrator Bill Nelson presented two options on Tuesday, less than two weeks before stepping down as NASA's chief.
NASA has two options for soil samples from Mars, decision to be made in 2026
The soil samples collected by the Mars rover Perseverance are to be scientifically examined on Earth. The costly return mission remains open.
NASA collected Mars rocks to haul to Earth. It still hasn’t decided how.
The Mars Sample Return mission has been ranked as the highest priority by planetary scientists, who hope to find signs of ancient life on Mars.
NASA exploring 2 options to lower costs, speed up Mars Sample Return mission
NASA hopes a revised plan will get Mars samples back to Earth faster and cost less than the agency's original plan.
NASA to Explore Two Landing Options for Returning Samples from Mars
To maximize chances of successfully bringing the first Martian rock and sediment samples to Earth for the benefit of humanity, NASA announced Tuesday a new approach to its Mars Sample Return Program.
NASA pitches cheaper, faster plan to bring Mars samples to Earth
NASA has unveiled two revamped plans to bring Mars samples to Earth in the 2030s, reducing costs by nearly half from its initial $11 billion proposal while expediting the timeline.
MIT Technology Review1mon
The moon is just the beginning for this waterless concrete
Made from faux Martian and lunar soil, a new sulfur-based compound could also lead to faster construction on Earth.
'The nastiest soils on Earth' are getting recognized as a bigger problem
A new doctoral thesis provides valuable insights into the microbiology of acid sulfate soils, sometimes dubbed "the ...
New Scientist on MSN3d
Electric fields could mine rare earth metals with less harm
Smartphones, electric vehicles and wind turbines rely on environmentally destructive rare earth mining operations. Harnessing ...
National Geographic news3y
Why soil matters (and what we can do to save it)
A worm burrows its way through the dark earth, ingesting particles of soil and expelling nutrient-rich casts in a constant forage for food. Charles Darwin described earthworms as one of the most ...
Soil degradation threatens food supply and scientists are calling for action
The world's growing population is putting pressure on its arable land, and scientists warn 90 per cent of all soil could be ...
NASA’s plans to get Mars rocks delivered to the Utah desert are changing
Bringing Martian rock and soil samples to Earth is among the top priorities of planetary scientists. By studying fresh rocks ...