There is a perception that NASA’s Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission is being delayed by indecision, but the real delay has been multiple decades of seeking a heritage propulsion solution instead of a technology advance to develop and test a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) for launching the samples to Mars orbit.

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Rock core samples are now waiting on Mars, but the status of MAV development has changed little over more than two decades. It might help to begin open engineering discussions akin to public science discussions, and for rocket engineering expertise to be elevated to a higher position on the MSR org chart.