NASA keeps hopes alive for ’09 Mars rover
LOS ANGELES (AP) — NASA is pressing ahead with plans to launch a supersized rover to Mars next year despite spiraling costs and schedule pressures.
The decision to maintain the status quo came after the space agency’s top managers met to mull over the progress of the Mars Science Laboratory, a nuclear- powered rover.
Concerns have been raised about how to pay for the project’s escalating costs and whether engineers can ready the rover in time for a safe launch next fall. NASA has poured $1.5 billion into the project, but the final price tag is expected to be nearly $2 billion.
Doug McCuistion, who heads the Mars exploration program at NASA headquarters, said Friday that significant work lies ahead and the space agency will revisit the mission’s progress in January.
The Mars Science Lab is designed to study whether Mars could support microbial life.
