Lewis Dartnell, Professor of Science Communication at University of Westminster, has spoken to The Guardian about NASA’s criticised Mars Sample Return mission that aims to find signs of past life on Mars.
The Guardian article, written by journalist Robin McKie, explains how NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission plans to take rock samples from Mars and bring them back to Earth to be investigated in Earth’s top laboratories, increasing the amount of information that can be discovered. However, originally set to cost $4.4bn, experts have estimated that it could now reach between $8bn to $11bn and cause other NASA missions to be delayed or even cancelled.
While it has got its critics, Professor Dartnell sees the value in its completion. He compares the mission to the James Webb space telescope which went $9bn over budget. Despite the extra cost, and postponements of other missions, thanks to the telescope scientists are now able to see images of distant stars and galaxies previously hidden from Earth, improving their knowledge of deep space.
On the topic Professor Dartnell said: “At present, we have to seek evidence of past life on Mars by attempting to shrink an entire laboratory to a miniaturised size so it can be fitted with wheels and cameras to trundle across Mars in the hope it can find signs of life.
“The Mars Sample Return will change all that by making Martian rock available to the most sophisticated analytical laboratories on Earth. That will give us the best possible chance of finding evidence that there was once life on Mars.”
Read the full article on The Guardian website.
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