Senators Seek Increased Funding for NASA Mars Missions

SPACENEWS - Several senators are asking appropriators to increase funding for NASA’s robotic Mars exploration efforts, fearing “severe and irreversible harm” if funding is not restored.

In a letter this week to the leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) subcommittee, four senators requested that NASA’s Mars Future Missions account receive at least $400 million in a fiscal year 2027 spending bill. The letter is signed by Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, both D-Calif., along with Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M.

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Note:  Kent-based Blue Origin launched the ESCAPADE robotic mission to Mars and its subsidiary Honeybee Robotics built the Sample Manipulation System for the Curiosity Rover.

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