Quote:
|
All Mars missions after FY 09 are cancelled pending a review of the program for the ensuing decade.
|
Um, huh? [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]
Quote:
|
The issue of whether life arose elsewhere remains an important focus of solar system exploration. Yet missions capped at $650M are unlikely to allow orbital missions around high value targets like Europa, and are far below the budget level needed for Mars Sample Return.
|
No money. Dang. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]
Quote:
|
The SSES notes that public support for the Mars Program appears predicated on the promise of searching for possible current or past life on Mars. SSES is concerned that any pathway chosen for the second decade may not adequately address this question, leading to an erosion of public support. The SSES notes that return of samples to Earth is the only known way to unequivocally address the life question, although incremental progress towards that goal can be made by orbital and landed missions.
|
So, since there isn't any money for a sample return project, which is the only thing that interests the public, and because they don't want to do only a "merely adequate" job and risk alienating the public with nothing more complex than perceived-as-pointless flybys, they're pulling the plug on ALL Mars flights?
Bummer. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]
Our task is clear, then--get all your friends and neighbors to write their congressmen DEMANDING to know whether there's life on Mars. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
03-April-2002, 12:34 PM
Linear Mode
