NASA's mission to Mars in limbo due to insufficient funds, admits cannot afford to send humans on red planet NASA's mission to Mars in limbo due to insufficient funds, admits cannot afford to send humans on red planet The Future Mars Missions That Include Making Space Launch System And Orion Spacecraft Is Costing Too Much To NASA. The US Space Agency, As A Result, Cannot Afford To Start Designing Vehicles To Land On Mars Or Ascend The Surface, According To The Report. News Nation Bureau | Edited By : Bindiya Bhatt | Updated on: 15 Jul 2017, 04:17:57 PM New Delhi: US space agency ‘NASA sending humans on Mars’ has been one of the most discussed topics among the scientists and space enthusiasts for years. However, in what could be termed as a disappointing development, NASA has admitted that it cannot afford to send humans on Mars.