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Re: Troubles parallel ambitions in NASA Mars project

Subject: Re: Troubles parallel ambitions in NASA Mars project
From: Too_Many_Tools <too_many_tools@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:29:30 -0700 (PDT)
Newsgroups: sci.astro.amateur, comp.robotics.misc

On Apr 16, 3:10 pm, Stupot <ten.no.edonre...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 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

Well said.

I suspect delays will continue and funding will improve under a
Democratic Administration.

Unfortunately we may likely miss the 2009 launch window.

TMT

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