MSL schedule delay? |
MSL schedule delay? |
Sep 9 2008, 08:10 PM
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 706 Joined: 22-April 05 Member No.: 351 |
The most recent Aviation Week and Space Technology (9/8) has the following tidbit in a piece on NASA schedule delays:
"On the robotoic front, the testing schedule for a critical instrument for the Mars Science Laboratory -- dubbed SAM for Sample Analysis at Mars -- may delay launch of the advanced rover from its 2009 planetary window into 2011." -------------------- |
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Sep 27 2008, 06:54 PM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 128 Joined: 10-December 06 From: Atlanta Member No.: 1472 |
If MSL launch is in fact delayed until 2011, there is a small consolation that 2011 window is a better window than 2009 (that is IIRC). While this doesn't change the launch vehicle (I think it is going to be an Atlas V), it may allow for few extra kilograms of payload. If the EDL system has some margin, it might reduce the pressure on the engineering team to trim down the weight. If not, it may let them drop couple of solids and save few million $.
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