Discovery 2012 |
Discovery 2012 |
Jul 12 2012, 02:19 AM
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 611 Joined: 23-February 07 From: Occasionally in Columbia, MD Member No.: 1764 |
Article (and an opportunity to vote) on the Discovery program and the missions under consideration for summer 2012 selection
http://www.nature.com/news/nasa-set-to-cho...mission-1.10982 |
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Aug 20 2012, 08:04 PM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 242 Joined: 21-December 04 Member No.: 127 |
I think it is pretty tough to argue with this selection. It's an instrument package that we've needed to send for a long time and it's got a well-defined risk profile.
Additional Thoughts: I think this is a really important mission. Between it and Curiosity, we'll really be at an inflection point in Mars exploration strategy by 2018/20 or so, with prety good data confirming one of four big picture views of the planet: 1) Wet Mars and live internal heat/movement; 2) Wet Mars and no current internal heat/movement; 3) Dry Mars and live internal heat/movement; and 4) Dry Mars and no current internal heat/movement. The relative value of a major effort like MSR compared to other solar system exploration priorities really depends on which of these four broad stroke pictures ends up being closest to the truth. |
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Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 24th May 2024 - 04:12 AM |
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