NASA's Perseverance rover has been collecting valuable rock samples from Mars' Jezero Crater to search for signs of ancient life. An independent report found that NASA's plan to return these samples to Earth by the late 2020s at a cost of $4 billion is unworkable, and will actually cost between $8-11 billion. While returning the first samples from Mars is scientifically important, the project's budget has increased as engineers have refined complex mission designs. There are also competing priorities for funding within NASA's $3.2 billion planetary science budget. The report recommends delaying launches originally planned for 2027-2028, and developing an alternative strategy. If launched by 2030, the revised mission could still cost $8-9.6 billion.

NASA will now reassess plans to determine how to accomplish the strategically and scientifically important goal of returning the first Martian rocks to Earth for detailed study.

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