‹ BackHN Continuity

Thread

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. not_kurt_godel · · focus · HN ↗
              God forbid we figure out the best way for the smartest and most talented people of all backgrounds to contribute to science. Why take diamonds from the rough when you can just leave them there instead?
Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.