Sadly, our best chance of confirming/refuting this finding is in a sample return mission, but our current Mars sample return project is in deep trouble.
It is likely that China will complete a sample return from Mars before we do.
Rocket Lab has proposed an innovative sample return mission, which it offers to do for a fixed price, but so far no one in Congress or NASA is returning their call.
I really hate that I have to defend something the Trump administration did, but sucking up to the current president is something that all government organizations do.
And this NASA press release leads with this quote: "Since President Biden and Vice President Harris were sworn in one year ago, their administration has made generational progress for Americans". https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/one-year-into-the-biden-ad...
NASA press releases have always had "overt political propaganda". It's just more noticeable now because we're on the other side.
And here is the Nature paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09413-0
Sadly, our best chance of confirming/refuting this finding is in a sample return mission, but our current Mars sample return project is in deep trouble.
It is likely that China will complete a sample return from Mars before we do.
Rocket Lab has proposed an innovative sample return mission, which it offers to do for a fixed price, but so far no one in Congress or NASA is returning their call.
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> Sounds like a NASA admin licking the boots of his patron.
Yes, it is. Keep reading. The real science comes after that. Or go straight to the Nature article, I guess.
I stopped reading, right there.
Are you proud of yourself? Do you think you're sticking it to the cheeto by refusing to learn from an article that briefly mentions him?
I really hate that I have to defend something the Trump administration did, but sucking up to the current president is something that all government organizations do.
Here's a NASA press release celebrating the third anniversary of when Obama gave a speech: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-marks-third-anniversa...
And this NASA press release leads with this quote: "Since President Biden and Vice President Harris were sworn in one year ago, their administration has made generational progress for Americans". https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/one-year-into-the-biden-ad...
NASA press releases have always had "overt political propaganda". It's just more noticeable now because we're on the other side.
If they don't want their funding yanked at the drop of a (red) hat, they have no choice but to suck up.