Re: Troubles parallel ambitions in NASA Mars project

[Stupot <ten.no.edonretni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greg Crinklaw wrote:
> Stupot wrote:
> > As much as I admire these big projects, sometimes I wonder if the cost 
> > / benefit ratio would be better simply by launching 8 more MERs.
>
> That would not satisfy the science goals.  Do you guys think MER was a 
> piece of cake?  Come on!  Why is everyone so fickle and cynical, 
> apparently equal proportions?
Well, I'm trying not to be cynical, just pragmatic!

Of course MER would not satisfy the science goals of the MSL, but 
they're not meant to, and they would still gather a whole lot of good 
science. Just taking advantage of the economies of scale and what has 
been learnt from the first two MERs, plus a degree of redundancy. 
Meanwhile, the new technologies on the MSL have more time to be 
developed and tested, so that one huge basket with lots of eggs in it 
isn't so fragile.

--
Stupot           http://insignity.blogspot.com