NASA awards $1.5m each to 7 companies, including SpaceX, for 90-day Mars sample return mission studies.

NASA has granted up to $1.5 million each to seven companies, including SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Blue Origin, and Northrop Grumman, for 90-day studies exploring affordable and faster methods for Mars sample return missions. The goal is to find more efficient ways to transport samples from Mars to Earth and reduce the mission's costs and risks. NASA plans to evaluate all studies and consider alterations to the Mars Sample Return architecture.