Why Not Send Another Mer Pair? Options

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

A warning: you guys are jumping to very premature conclusions about what the Committee decided (although you may find what they DID decide a consolation prize). That's all I'm saying for now.

[djellison]

There's lots of options I guess.....

One, two, or no MSL's in the '09 Opportunity

MER copies flown instead of or complimentary to MSL in '09

One or more MER copies flown in the '11 timeframe

Scrap the whole lot and launch an MSL derivative based on the bruce-crane that uses steel girders to drop a rover onto the surface in '13

Doug

[YesRushGen]

A warning: you guys are jumping to very premature conclusions about what the Committee decided (although you may find what they DID decide a consolation prize). That's all I'm saying for now.

I remember a recent article that said they were considering doubling up on the MSL rovers. I really hope this is done, considering the brand new EDL sequence.

However, I truely hope the committee has not decided to completely abandon the MER design.

Bruce, when will we know the "inside scoop" on this?

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

Very soon now. I've already finished a 21 1/2-page article on the Roadmap Committee meeting for Simon; but I'm also trying to sell a greatly shortened version to "Astronomy" or "Sky & Tel" (whichever one will pay me more; Astronomy has already agreed to buy it), and I haven't quite finished that one yet -- or heard back from Sky & Tel yet. Hopefully both those things will happen by tomorrow, and then I'll immediately send off the shortened version (which would appear on Astronomy's webpage, if they buy it), and then send off the longer version to Simon to be published shortly afterward (which Astronomy, at least, has agreed to let me do).