NASA Awards Falcon Heavy Launch Despite White House Funding Cuts
NASA has awarded SpaceX a $175.7 million contract to launch the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars, despite the White House proposing to cut funding for the mission. The contract tasks SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy with launching the rover from Kennedy Space Center in late 2028. This marks the first time SpaceX will send a payload to Mars. The mission is part of NASA’s Rosalind Franklin Support and Augmentation project, which includes providing braking engines and radioisotope heater units for the rover. This development was first reported by Teslarati.