Mars Roadmaps Options

[djellison]

I cant see the argument w.r.t. delaying MSL to ensure that MTO is in place before MSl arrives.

If MTO dies - it'll be dead 2 months before MSL landing, or 2.5 years before landing - and to be honest, it makes no difference. They couldnt cobble together another MTO for the next launch opp as it is. Unless you say "right - 4 years between MTO and MSL so we can build ANOTHER if the first dies" - and that's just madness.

MRO should be in place and if used carefully enough - could provide some good bandwidth - but only on short UHF sessions.

Of course - there's more than an iota of sense in perhaps flying one or mer MER's under the banner of 'scout' in the '09 frame and pushing two MSL's to '11. THAT way - you've got 4 very-well explored locations from which to pick the most suitable to send an MSL as well

I think sky-crane was designed that way just becaue it will look cool in an animation
Doug

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

The Mars Strategic Roadmap group did talk briefly at their first meeting about the possibility of trying to bump MTO up to 2007 to deal with precisely that eventuality, but noted that this would require a boost in the Mars program's near-term budget. I still think that the best course of action would be to build the first two MTOs simultaneously, launch the first in 2009, and then launch the second in 2011 ONLY if the first MTO had failed, so that it could support the first MSL in 2011. Otherwise the second MTO could simply be held in storage until needed. (The current plan is not to launch it until 2018, but the Galileo spacecraft was held in storage for that long successfully).

I'm seriously skeptical about launching two MSLs in 2011 not only because of cost, but because the results from the first MSL are likely to be very important in deciding what experiments should be put on the second MSL. Indeed, if the first MSL finds a promising enough supply of interesting trace organics, it might be preferable to jump straight to one of the more advanced follow-up missions (AFL or Sample Return) to the same site as the next big Mars mission in early 2016, rather than flying the second MSL in 2013 or 2016. My philosophy where Mars exploration is concerned remains Gollum's: "More haste less speed."

[djellison]

the Galileo spacecraft was held in storage for that long successfully

Depends if you call killing the HGA 'successfull'

Doug

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

Well, of course I'm assuming they won't keep driving the thing back and forth across the country in a truck...