NASA delays MSL two years
Posted: Fri, Dec 5, 2008, 7:31 AM ET (1231 GMT)
NASA announced Thursday that it will delay the launch of its next Mars mission, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), by two years because of delays in building the spacecraft. MSL was scheduled to launch in October 2009, but will not be ready to launch by that time, forcing NASA to wait until the next launch window to Mars opens in 2011. MSL had suffered from cost increases and schedules delays in its development, and NASA officials cited in particular actuators that drive the rover's wheels and other key components as a key issue that cannot be resolved in time for launch next year. Delaying the launch until 2011 will add $400 million to the cost of the mission, bringing its total cost to over $2.2 billion. Agency officials said they will look to other Mars programs first and then other planetary missions to find that money, although no missions would be cancelled. MSL is the most ambitious robotic Mars mission ever developed, featuring a large rover carrying a sophisticated suited powered by an RTG designed to operate for several years.
NASA announced Thursday that it will delay the launch of its next Mars mission, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), by two years because of delays in building the spacecraft. MSL was scheduled to launch in October 2009, but will not be ready to launch by that time, forcing NASA to wait until the next launch window to Mars opens in 2011. MSL had suffered from cost increases and schedules delays in its development, and NASA officials cited in particular actuators that drive the rover's wheels and other key components as a key issue that cannot be resolved in time for launch next year. Delaying the launch until 2011 will add $400 million to the cost of the mission, bringing its total cost to over $2.2 billion. Agency officials said they will look to other Mars programs first and then other planetary missions to find that money, although no missions would be cancelled. MSL is the most ambitious robotic Mars mission ever developed, featuring a large rover carrying a sophisticated suited powered by an RTG designed to operate for several years.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, March 22
Isar Aerospace secures first active debris removal mission with Astroscale
Isar Aerospace — 5:50 pm ET (2150 GMT) Voyager Awarded Multi-Million-Dollar NASA Contract
Voyager Space — 5:44 pm ET (2144 GMT) What 'Project Hail Mary' gets right about microbes
Michigan State Univ. — 5:43 pm ET (2143 GMT) BlackSky wins seven-figure Assured extension contract with international customer
Black Sky — 5:42 pm ET (2142 GMT) Extremely Rare Second-Generation Star Discovered Inside Ancient Relic Dwarf Galaxy
National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory — 5:42 pm ET (2142 GMT) |
