[X] My Assistant

[Guest_AlexBlackwell_*]

NASAWatch/Spaceref is reporting that Dawn has been cancelled.

[Decepticon]

!%#*(*&%!

[jamescanvin]

!%#*(*&%!

I couldn't have put it better myself!

I REALLY want to see Ceres!

If only we could get the IAU to come up with a suitible definition of a planet...

[Decepticon]

I'm itching to see Ceres myself.

The only thing we could look forward to now is earth based observations with these new telescopes.

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

Hrmpph. Well, I can't say that cancelling a mission that had gone so far over its cost cap was unjustified; but I do find it interesting that it gets the ax while Certain Other Programs which are both vastly huger and have vastly higher percentage cost overruns go shambling onwards as unstoppably (and productively) as Godzilla.

Russell, by the way, had just published an EGU abstract listing his planned targets for a follow-up "Dawn 2" mission. Not surprisingly, they were Hygiea and Psyche ( http://www.cosis.net/abstracts/EGU06/05272/EGU06-J-05272.pdf ). God knows what he'll do now.

[gpurcell]

Hrmpph. Well, I can't say that cancelling a mission that had gone so far over its cost cap was unjustified; but I do find it interesting that it gets the ax while Certain Other Programs which are both vastly huger and have vastly higher percentage cost overruns go shambling onwards as unstoppably (and productively) as Godzilla.

That is true. But they also employ lots and lots of people in F-L-O-R-I-D-A.

[punkboi]

NASAWatch/Spaceref is reporting that Dawn has been cancelled.

I guess that means I can throw away the printout I made of that Dawn certificate after I submitted my name...

[John M. Dollan]

I only know that I'm hugely dissapointed. I'm sure there's more to the cancellation than what is being reported (for instance, I had no idea about the over-budget and technical issues), especially at this early juncture, but considering all of the other "indefinite postponements", things are looking pretty bleak.

...John...

[Holder of the Tw...]

NASAWatch/Spaceref is reporting that Dawn has been cancelled.

Oooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, CRAP !!!

Edit: A nice touch by NASA to announce this with Russel on his way to his mother's funeral. Couldn't this announcement have waited a few more days?

[mcaplinger]

Edit: A nice touch by NASA to announce this with Russel on his way to his mother's funeral.

In all fairness, is NASA HQ supposed to keep track of this sort of thing? How would they reasonably have known?

Russell, by the way, had just published an EGU abstract listing his planned targets for a follow-up "Dawn 2" mission.

I'm not sure if publishing this was hubris, chutzpah, or just utter cluelessness on his part.

[Holder of the Tw...]

In all fairness, is NASA HQ supposed to keep track of this sort of thing? How would they reasonably have known?

The people with the responsibility to release the information are working in a small enough community that word of mouth should have been enough. After nearly 50 year of existance and more project cancellations than you can shake a stick at, NASA should be well versed, for PR purposes if nothing else, to have fairly well established procedures for informing project leaders and personel that would include avoiding awkward actions like this.

I'll admit all the facts aren't out. Maybe Russell insisted they get back with him on any cancelllation immediately regardless. But they way that press release was worded, it didn't sound very good.

I guess that means I can throw away the printout I made of that Dawn certificate after I submitted my name...

Mine, too. Let's all of us get together and have a bonfire.

[mcaplinger]

The people with the responsibility to release the information are working in a small enough community that word of mouth should have been enough.

I think you must not have dealt with NASA HQ much; it's not that small a community and the word of mouth between inside the Beltway and everywhere else is much thinner than you might think. And I'm not sure what "press release" you're talking about -- I haven't seen any confirmation about the Dawn cancellation, just the NASA Watch item -- and Cowing clearly has an axe to grind concerning Mary Cleave, which may or may not be justified but as usual makes him sound peevish at best.

[ermar]

haven't seen any confirmation about the Dawn cancellation, just the NASA Watch item

AP News has confirmed it.... http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/science/3697747.html

It's all very nice seeing a few hundred meters of rock floating in the void (Hayabusa), but oh, what I wouldn't give to see a mini-world in its own right...

[djellison]

If it IS cancelled, then surely it deserves the Phoenix treatment? Put it up for another team to pick up and fly, because the science is still justified imho

Where's our save the mars lander and save the pluto mission man when you need him - time for a new campaign

Doug

[peter59]

"The project was capped at around $371 million, project scientists said previously. But the program was ordered to stand down after scientists asked for an additional $40 million last year."

$40 million it's cost less than 30 hours of the ISS's existence. Correct me if I'm wrong.