[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/

[gpurcell]

Unfortunately, there is no real solution to the budget fights except to let the fights occur. While a JROC-type approach sounds good in theory, in practice the military has a great deal more latitude to spread resources around. A specific command may not get a high-priority request filled this budget cycle, but they will be able to reapply again next fiscal year.

In the NASA context, on the other hand, the stakes are much higher. Losing a flagship decision means that community is shut out not for one or two fiscal years but rather for 15 to 20 fiscal years (remember the Cassini start was in 1988/1989) long enough that it ends careers, often before they begin. The losers of the Titan/Europa flagship mission realistically have to plan for a start date for a flagship mission to their planet in the 2025 range. And even then the losing "team" has to worry about losing two contests in a row and seeing a 30-40 year gap between mission starts.

Given that sobering scenario, nothing NASA can do will make all of the players even moderately happy.