NASA Selects Inexpensive Space Project Candidates

coondoggie brings us a Networkworld report detailing NASA's selection of six mission proposals for further study by the Small Explorer (SMEX) Program. The goal of the program is to develop cheap, tightly focused science missions (PDF). Among the selected proposals are a satellite telescope bank for use in detecting exoplanets, and a solar coronograph which will study solar wind and coronal ejections. Networkworld provided links with more detailed information on most of the projects.

Comments

What is the point?

[Anonymous Coward]

What is the point of spending less on the space craft when the launch still cost millions of dollars? They need to figure out a way to significantly reduce launch cost.

Re:Guarunteed Pick

[Anonymous Coward]

This will almost certainly not be make the second cut next Spring. It is too similar to some of the big NASA missions that are on the drawing board. The most likely candidates to make it out of this phase are Coronal Physics Explorer, and Gravity and Extreme Magnetism. The others are too similar to existing missions or planned missions.

Re:But will anyone care?

[susano_otter]

So what happens when they find a really *interesting* planet?

Nothing.

There's a logical contradiction in your argument. By definition, an "interesting" planet will generate interest.

By your logic, the Shoemaker-Levy comet would have gotten no media attention at all, on account of hundreds of years of astronomers using up their mainstream comet currency. But in fact Shoemaker-Levy got a lot of interest, from a wide range of people, precisely because it was "really interesting" in a way that most comets are not.