[X] My Assistant

[djellison]

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/dec/H...MSL_Update.html

From the wording of this announcement, MSL is clearly still on, which is a good thing. We'll have to wait and see.

Doug

[peter59]

I would like notice that the postponement Mars Science Laboratory mission and the consequent increase costs may cause the termination of the mission Opportunity and Spirit. The consequences of this delay will be unpredictable, and Spirit and Oppy may be their first victims. I expect that shortly will begin dispute in NASA about this topic. The future does not look too good in my oppinion.
PS.
I know that I can be banned by Doug due spreading defeatism. But that's not defeatism, we must be realistic. I think that this option we should also take into account.

[djellison]

I know that I can be banned by Doug due spreading defeatism.

You can be banned by any admin for breaking the forum rules. Being a realist isn't a crime. ANY mission in extended ops is at risk at any time. $400m over the, I think, 5 years that Doug Mc. described at the press conference, however, shouldn't lead to mission termination's. I believe Ed Weiler has gone on record saying MER wouldn't be a victim however. I can't find it - but I do remember it. MSL may change things, but I doubt it. DSN time is negligible given that downlink is almost exclusively on the back of MRO/MODY downlink anyway, and the DSN almost always has one asset mars pointed. It could be mega-cheap if they rode on the back of MRO given it's high downlink speed would mean even at MRO's lowest downlink rate, and a really good MER pass, it would take less than 4 minutes. ( 150mbits at 0.7mbps). Not sure how MER pays for relay and downlink - perhaps as a percentage of total downlink multiplied by DSN cost for the relaying spacecraft.