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NASA will analyze and explore two different landing options for its Mars Sample Return program, though it will take almost two years to do so and is expected to announce its decision in late 2026. The agency had to temporarily hit pause on the program after an independent review found that it could cost between $8 billion and $11 billion, which is way above budget. The first method NASA is evaluating is called the "sky crane," in which a vehicle will head to Mars, get close to the surface with the help of a parachute, pick up the samples the Perseverance rover had collected using cables or other mechanisms and then fly away. NASA previously used this method to place the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on the planet. Meanwhile, the second option requires the help of commercial space companies. Last year, the agency asked SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin and other companies to submit proposals on how to get the collected Martian samples back to Earth. Whichever option the agency chooses will carry a smaller version of the Mars Ascent Vehicle than originally planned. The Mars Ascent Vehicle is a lightweight rocket that will take the samples from the planet's surface into Martian orbit. It will also have to be capable of transporting a container that can fit 30 sample tubes. Once the sample container is in orbit, a European Space Agency orbiter will capture it and bring it back home. Early last year, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory had to lay off 530 employees and cut off 100 contract workers mainly due to budget issues related to this mission. NASA requested $950 million for the program, but only $300 million was allocated for it. The independent review that found that the mission would cost above budget also found that it might not be able to bring the samples back to Earth by 2040. According to a previous report by The Washington Post, the US government found the return date "unacceptable." In a teleconference, NASA administrator Bill Nelson revealed either of the two methods the agency is now considering would cost a lot less than what it would originally spend. The sky crane would reportedly cost NASA between $6.6 billion and $7.7 billion, while working with a private space company would cost between $5.8 billion and $7.1 billion. Either option would also be able to retrieve the samples and bring them back sometime between 2035 and 2039. Scientists believe the samples Perseverance has been collecting could help us determine whether there was life on Mars and whether its soil contains chemicals and substances that could be harmful to future human spacefarers. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/nasa-will-decide-how-to-bring-soil-samples-back-from-mars-in-2026-141519710.html?src=rss
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As Engadget's chief The Last of Us correspondent, I was pretty pumped to find out during Sony's CES 2025 press conference that season two of the HBO show would come out in April. But Naughty Dog head Neil Druckmann also teased an "location-based experience exhibit" that would transport participants into the tunnels of Seattle filled with Infected. That's an area straight out of The Last of Us Part II, and today I got a chance to try the proof-of-concept experience. It was short, minimal, and a little rough, but it was also another good example of how Sony is trying to take its tentpole franchises from PlayStation and put them in entirely different experiences. Unfortunately, Sony had a strict "no cameras or videos" policy for this experience, so you'll have to rely on my words and a little video the company showed about the tech behind it. I entered the experience with three other participants after a quick run-down of the gear we'd use: two of us got shotguns, and two got flashlights (sadly I was stuck with a flashlight). Both have a bunch of small sensors attached to the front so that they could interact with the environment we entered; the flashlight felt like a real flashlight with some sensors on the end, but the guns were crude tubes with a handle and trigger; the trigger felt pretty good from my quick test of it before we got started. There are also sensors on the barrel of the gun that detect a "pump" motion to reload it. Once we were outfitted, an actor playing a member of an unnamed militia briefed us on the mission: some of our fellow mercenaries disappeared in the Seattle subways perhaps kidnapped by the WLF, perhaps taken down by Infected. Our job was to find him... what could go wrong? Our guide directed me and the other flashlight-holder to start lighting up the subway station which was created by three giant screens surrounding us. The walls of the room were made of LED panels, and the sensors on the flashlights interacted with them to track my moment. I needed to be pretty close to the screens for it to recognize my flashlight, but it was pretty cool to be lighting up a virtual environment in real time. Nathan Ingraham for Engadget Then, of course, a clicker scream puts the group on high alert and given that it came from a specific location we all swing our flashlights in that direction to identify the threat. Just as in the game, though, the disgusting infected creature shambled closer to us, let out another scream and came charging forward, at which point the shotgunners blasted away with abandon. That noise brought more Infected charging into the space; I would light them up with the flashlight and my partner shot them down. Things calmed down, momentarily then a massive subway car started sliding out of its precarious place, which trigged one of the demo's coolest effects. The floor was rigged for haptic feedback, and while we had felt it rumble at various disturbances, this was by far the biggest impact. The combo of the visuals, audio and haptics all made it feel, well, immersive. I certainly didn't forget I was in a demo, but it was cool nonetheless. Beyond the floor haptics, Sony says that there are even scents pumped into the room to further the atmosphere, but I wasn't able to detect anything myself. Then we got the obligatory cameo from The Last of Us Part II co-protagonist Ellie and her companion Dina, as they scrambled away from Infected who start chasing them down. One knocked Ellie down and started ripping at her throat until Dina caught up and pulled it off her, at which point they sprinted away. Unfortunately, the disturbance brought a massive swarm of monsters coming at us, which brought on the big battle of the experience. I started illuminating the hordes and my companion blasted them down, but then dozens started overwhelming the screens and the screams got more and more intense until everything cut to black as our crew was overrun. That's that! I'm not judging the experience too harshly, because Sony was clear both in its press conference and before we tried it that this is a very early proof of concept. The main thing that pulled me out of it was that the space we were in is static there's no way to run away or move beyond the boundaries of what we were presented with. And then, as I mentioned, you needed to be relatively close to the "walls" for them to recognize the flashlight or gun, which meant that if you backed up to take in the scope of the space you gear might not work. The other thing is that I think the barrier to it being truly scary or more immersive is that I couldn't ignore the fact that the threat was on a screen rather than in the room with me. There's no doubt that having full control in an environment like this would be a wild way to play a game like this, but it was all just a little too on the rails and removed from the space I was in. I'm trying to track down anyone from Sony who can tell me more about the genesis for this idea as well as where they see it going in the future. But Sony and Naughty Dog have already brought The Last of Us to a variety of other media, and this feels like a more high-tech vision of what Sony did in conjunction with Universal Studios when it brought the franchise to the Halloween Horror Nights that happens at the theme parks. Whether this is a one-off curiosity or something we see down the line in a more complete fashion, though, remains to be seen.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sonys-immersive-the-last-of-us-experience-at-ces-2025-dropped-me-into-a-subway-filled-with-zombies-140010550.html?src=rss
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Last year, Honda teased its first two homegrown EVs with the Series 0 Saloon and Space-Hub. But now at CES 2025, those vehicles are getting one step closer to production by graduating from concepts to prototypes while getting updated names along the way: the Honda 0 Saloon and 0 SUV. But while we wait for them to officially hit the road sometime in 2026, I wanted to take a closer look at the evolved styling of Hondas upcoming electric cars. Particularly the 0 SUV, not only because its gotten a much larger facelift, but lets admit it, its what we in the crossover-hungry US really want. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget On the outside, the Hondas 0 SUV looks like a mix between the Polestar 3 and the Hyundai Ioniq 9. Its got a really minimalist, almost spaceship-like design that eschews that teardrop shape you see in a lot of other EV SUVs for something slightly boxier. This gives you more headroom for rear seat passengers and tons of extra vertical cargo space in back. The SUVs pixelated headlights help reinforce its digital pedigree while I think Honda did a much better job in back of trying to make a clean and simple rear end without ending up a huge blank slate like on the Ioniq 9. The 0 SUVs overall proportions almost make it look like a tall, lifted wagon, especially when sat next to the 0 saloon. But thats not necessarily a bad thing. Inside, Honda continues with the clean lines, though I wouldnt necessarily read much into the general placement and look of its screens and dash. Like a lot of pre-production cars, those details are very much subject to change before its design is properly finalized. Same goes for those side-view cameras, which due to US laws, still dont comply with regulations. However, Hondas streamlined cabin does line up with the companys Thin, Light and Wise design philosophy, which includes the move to a steer-by-wire driving system instead of relying on more traditional physical linkages. But enough talking, lets check out the cars. The Honda 0 SUV prototype Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford The Honda 0 Saloon prototype Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford Photo by Sam Rutherford This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/a-closer-look-at-the-slick-honda-0-suv-and-saloon-prototypes-at-ces-2025-134550129.html?src=rss
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