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Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space . Do n’t vex — we ’ll be diving into the Mars Sample Return news in short .
need to reach out with a tip ? Email Aria ataria.techcrunch@gmail.comor send me a message on Signal at 512 - 937 - 3988 . You also can mail a note to the whole TechCrunch crew attips@prod22.techcrunch.com . For more unafraid communication , click here to contact us , which include SecureDropinstructionsand link to cypher message apps .
Story of the week
This week ’s SOTW segment is dedicate to Mars Sample Return , NASA ’s disruptive and ambitious plan to wreak Martian rock and detritus back to Earth .
From my colleagueDevin Coldewey :
NASA administrator Bill Nelson has pronounced the agency ’s $ 11 billion , 15 - year plan to collect and return sample from Marsinsufficient . But the scheme fracture could be a vast boon to outer space startups , to which much of that planned support will almost surely be redirect .
“ The bottom line is , an $ 11 billion budget is too expensive , and a 2040 counter engagement is too far away , ” Nelson tell at a pressure league . “ We need to look outside the box to find oneself a manner out front that is both affordable and returns sample in a fairish timeframe . ”
In other words , clean the decks and set off over — with commercial provider on panel from the get - go .
Scoop of the week
Former senior SpaceX executive Tom Ochinero is teaming up with SpaceX alum - turned - VC Achal Upadhyaya and one of Sequoia ’s top finance loss leader , Spencer Hemphill , on a novel speculation scream Interlagos Capital , TechCrunch has learned .
There is little public information available about Interlagos , and the trio did not respond to TechCrunch ’s asking for gossip . The company was officially comprise in the state of Delaware on March 7 , and it was registered as an out - of - state company with California only Clarence Day ago , on April 11 . Ochinero , Upadhyaya and Hemphill are all listed on the document . The principal name and address is in El Segundo , California .
What we’re reading
Jake Robins has some really good accept on the Mars Sample Return , which you could find on the connection above . I learn his work after appear on his podcast with Anthony Colangelo , Off - Nominal ( discipline out the link here ) .
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This week in space history
On April 23 , 1972 , Apollo 16 spaceman John Young and Charles Duke departed the lunar control surface and rejoined Thomas Mattingly in lunar orbit . Young and Duke were returning after spending three days research the lunar surface . Then , the ternary lead off heading home .
