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NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission is dead

456 points · 391 comments · Muhammad523

  1. peri-cl · · focus · HN ↗
    This article only obliquely mentions in the last paragraphs, but there's a parallel Chinese program that recently brought back samples from the moon, and will attempt Mars sample return, launching in 2028,

    <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Tianwen-3" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Tianwen-3

    1. notabee · · focus · HN ↗
      Anyone wanting to be involved in the future of scientific research should probably start learning Mandarin. We&#x27;re going the way of the Soviets, where political officers will quash any science that doesn&#x27;t fit their ideology. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;arstechnica.com&#x2F;science&#x2F;2026&#x2F;09&#x2F;trump-planning-to-hand-veto-power-over-nih-grants-to-political-appointee&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;arstechnica.com&#x2F;science&#x2F;2026&#x2F;09&#x2F;trump-planning-to-ha...
      1. Dig1t · · focus · HN ↗
        Go check out the grants which were cancelled:

        <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;grantwitness.org&#x2F;nsf" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;grantwitness.org&#x2F;nsf

        Download the CSV and search for things like &quot;Latinx&quot; or &quot;Black&quot; or &quot;equity&quot; or &quot;URM&quot; (URM = non-white)

        &gt;CHS: Large: Collaborative Research: Gender-Inclusive Open Source through Gender-Inclusive Tools

        &gt;This work will harness foundational gender research to provide theory-based yet practical solutions, towards addressing the underrepresentation of women in OSS communities.

        &gt;The AGEP Florida Alliance Model: Improving Minority Women Success in STEM Faculty Careers

        &gt;The research team is also investigating ways that URM women in STEM build skills, knowledge and competencies to successfully enter and persist in faculty careers.

        &gt;STEM Leadership, Equity, and Advancement for Faculty

        &gt;The NSF ADVANCE program is designed to foster gender equity through a focus on the identification and elimination of organizational barriers

        Most of these are pure racism and absolutely deserved to be revoked.

        1. samudrijan · · focus · HN ↗

          [dead]

          1. Dig1t · · focus · HN ↗
            Taxpayer money being used for race-based and gender-based &quot;research&quot;.

            &quot;fostering gender equity&quot; is not even science, trying to equate these grants with something like researching fundamental physics or chemistry is disingenuous.

            1. brendoelfrendo · · focus · HN ↗
              The NSF&#x27;s focus areas do include research on people and society, as well as development of new training and education initiatives (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nsf.gov&#x2F;focus-areas&#x2F;education" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nsf.gov&#x2F;focus-areas&#x2F;education) and fostering a robust STEM workforce (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nsf.gov&#x2F;focus-areas&#x2F;workforce" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nsf.gov&#x2F;focus-areas&#x2F;workforce). Not every grant issued by the NSF needs to be geared towards fundamental scientific research; the NSF&#x27;s mission is broad, and intentionally so.
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