[X] My Assistant

[Ryan]

Just found out today at a MER all-hands meeting that both MER and Odyssey will each be suffering an immediate $4 million budget cut to help defray the cost of MSL. Read more here: http://martianchronicles.wordpress.com/200...rs-budget-cuts/

[mcaplinger]

I would argue that Odyssey is far more likely to yield more good science than either of the rovers, which will be lucky to go a few more km and which have pretty much already exhausted the capabilities of their payloads to find anything more out about the landing sites (barring some unpredictable serendipitous discovery.)

But, as usual, the orbiter missions are "boring" and the rovers aren't. Though this budget business is the only rover news I can remember getting any media attention for quite a while (years?)

[djellison]

any media attention for quite a while (years?)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6909656.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6970561.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6990813.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7137793.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7205004.stm

And of course, from Odyssey
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7205004.stm

That's the last 12 months from the BBC.

There is good science yet to come from Home Plate and the southern basin. It was a short Martian summer for Spirit. But just before that dust storm, Spirit had hit 800 Whrs and was ready to head south. The dust storm took away that chance, but, given the fact that it survived that storm, I think that it will survive this winter and can carry on to the features south of Home Plate. If it gets the chance.

From what I've heard - this is a waiting game anyway. There's likely to be some creative accounting and juggling over the next few days. Let's see where this actually ends up by the end of the week.

The thing to NOT do is lash out at one program or one mission. That doesn't get anyone anywhere.

Doug