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Next-Gen Mars Rover Mission Delayed 2 Years, To 2011

Posted by timothy on from the reschedule-your-vacations-please dept.

Riding with Robots writes "NASA announced today that the Mars Science Laboratory, the agency's next Mars rover mission, is now slated to launch in 2011 instead of next year. 'We've reached the point where we can not condense the schedule further without compromising vital testing,' said NASA's director for Mars exploration. The length of the delay is driven by the fact that the orbits of Earth and Mars only provide a favorable flight window every two years."

1 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. Thus assuring . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    that they have 2 more years of employment, unless the program gets cut by Obama. Why should we spend money on Martians when poor Americans need health care, education, and automotive manufacturer bailouts?