The NASA/ESA Mars Sample Return mission has been canceled

The NASA/ESA Mars Sample Return mission, a joint project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA, has been canceled. The mission aimed to retrieve samples from Mars and bring them back to Earth for further study. The decision to cancel the mission was made due to budget constraints and a new direction for the European Space Agency's exploration of Mars. The ESA's new Mars Sample Return mission, which is now in development, will be led by the ESA and will include a rover and an orbiter to retrieve samples from Mars and return them to Earth. NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is currently exploring Jezero crater on Mars, and the ESA's ExoMars rover, Rosalind Franklin, was scheduled to launch in 2028 but has also been delayed.