
Administrator Bill Nelson presented a revised scenario less than two weeks before stepping down as NASA's chief when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated.
Nelson said he “pulled the plug” months ago on the original sample return plan given the soaring costs and the delay in getting anything back from Mars before 2040.
NASA last year asked industry and others to come up with better options to ensure the samples collected in cigar-size tubes by NASA’s Perseverance rover arrive here in the 2030s, well ahead of astronauts venturing to the red planet.
“We want to return 30 titanium tubes as soon as possible at the cheapest price,” Nelson said
This story is from the January 18, 2025 edition of Techlife News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 18, 2025 edition of Techlife News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In

CHINA COUNTERS WITH TARIFFS ON US PRODUCTS.IT WILL ALSO INVESTIGATE GOOGLE.
China announced retaliatory tariffs on select American imports and an antitrust investigation into Google on Tuesday, just minutes after a sweeping levy on Chinese products imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump took effect.

NFL OFFICIALS SPOTTING THE FOOTBALL ISN'T GOING AWAY DESPITE SEVERAL TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES
The NFL will engage its Competition Committee on technology to take virtual line-to-gain measurements next season, but officials will continue to spot the football.

JAPAN'S TOYOTA ANNOUNCES EV AND BATTERY PUSH IN CHINA AND U.S., AS ITS QUARTERLY PROFIT SURGES
Toyota is developing and making electric vehicles and EV batteries in China, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday, under a new partnership with the Shanghai government.

APPLE'S IPHONE SALES DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON SLIPPED DESPITE A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED AI ROLLOUT
Apple disclosed its iPhone sales dipped slightly during the holiday-season quarter, signaling a sluggish start to the trendsetting company's effort to catch up to the rest of Big Tech in the race to bring artificial intelligence to the masses.

TECH TIP: HOW TO BLOCK YOUR PHONE FROM TRACKING YOUR LOCATION
Smartphones are useful tools for everyday life, but they're privy to nearly everything about you, including all the places you've been ― if you let them.

TEXAS GOVERNOR ORDERS BAN ON DEEPSEEK, REDNOTE FOR GOVERNMENT DEVICES
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued a ban on Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek for government-issued devices, becoming the first state to restrict the popular chatbot in such a manner.

DeepSeek A NEW BIG PLAYER FROM CHINA TO SHAKE UP THE AI BATTLEFIELD
A new player has taken the tech world by storm, climbing to the top of the App Store charts and surpassing even established giants like ChatGPT.

CHINA LAUNCHES AN ANTITRUST PROBE INTO GOOGLE. HERE'S WHAT IT MEANS
The Chinese government's move to open an antitrust probe into Google is the latest development in a long and tangled relationship that goes back to the early 2000s.

A SPINE-ZAPPING IMPLANT HELPED 3 PEOPLE WITH A MUSCLE-WASTING DISEASE WALK BETTER
Three people with a muscle-destroying disease destined to worsen got a little stronger - able to stand and walk more easily - when an implanted device zapped their spinal cord.

A WEDDING NECKLACE AND POLISH DUMPLINGS WILL BE PART OF A MISSION TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
What do a wedding necklace, Polish savory dumplings and a photo of Hungary's first astronaut have in common?