Mars Project Faces Technical Problems

February 28th, 2008 By ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer

This undated artist drawing released by NASA shows the Mars Science Laboratory, a mobile robot for investigating Mars' past or present ability to sustain microbial life. The mission to land a nuclear-powered, next-generation rover on Mars is facing development problems and ballooning costs that could threaten its scheduled launch next year. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin told a congressional hearing this month that engineers had to redesign the heat shield on the Mars Science Laboratory after tests showed the protective layer would not survive entry through the Martian atmosphere. (AP Photo/NASA)

(AP) -- NASA's flagship mission to land a nuclear-powered, next-generation rover on Mars is facing development problems and ballooning costs that could threaten its scheduled launch next year.

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• BigTone - Feb 28, 2008
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  hmmm - at these costs are we really that far out of the ballpark of a sample return mission. After all, it doesn't matter what results that any of these probes return - the scientific community as a whole is just not gonna be convinced until they duplicate the findings in multiple labs here on earth. Even then there will be a contrarian voice - albeit a much much smaller one.
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• gopher65 - Feb 29, 2008
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  Big Tone, they're already starting to plan a sample return mission. These things take time though (many are in planning stages for a decade before construction even begins). So we'll see one eventually:). Should be cool when it happens. I look forward to such an event as well.
  
  To the idiot Howard McCurdy: have you looked up what it would cost to send humans to mars equipped with the same tools as this rover? I've seen decent estimates in the 10 trillion dollar range. That's for a 1.5 year stay, and this rover will probably last longer than that.
  
  10^13 >>>>>> 1.8*10^9
  
  Moron. It's an expensive mission because it is huge (9 feet across!), and it has a lot of new equipment. Big R&D costs. And that guy works on public policy. Good to know we are so well represented.
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• holoman - Mar 02, 2008
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  Maybe using different technology could make Mars possible. Save the Space Shuttle and its infrastructure before starting to invest and create a new one.
  
  One person has unveiled a way of saving billions and getting the US to Mars faster. The technology is exotic in its approach.
  
  http://nlspropulsion.net
  
  
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• zevkirsh - Mar 02, 2008
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  although it seems expensive....the bottom line is that the human race is going to mars. we are simply preparing ourselves for a voyage to that planet. and when it gets cheap enough to get to outerspace....we will be there.
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