NASA Panel Finds Fault WIth Curiosity Rover Project's Focus

The Curiosity Rover that's been exploring the surface of Mars for more than two years now has a lot of fans (and quite a few headlines here on Slashdot), but not everyone feels positively toward the project. Tech Times reports that NASA revealed on Wednesday that it has renewed the funding of seven ongoing planetary exploration missions but of these, the space agency's Planetary Mission Senior Review panel, which reviewed and rated these planetary missions, was particularly critical of the Curiosity, which also happens to be the newest and the second costliest of the seven missions. The panel is disappointed that given the capabilities of the Curiosity rover, the team behind it only intends to take and analyze eight samples in two years, which translates to two samples from each of the four units it will visit during its extended mission. The Curiosity is the only NASA tool with the capabilities to detect carbon, do in situ age analysis, and measure ionizing particle flux.

Comments

Re:Focus

[Adriax]

Of course. A review panel that can't find a fault gets disbanded, because they obviously aren't performing their function properly.

To Dwell or Not To Dwell

[Tablizer]

I thought they haven't arrived at the primary target yet. Sampling secondary targets slows down progress toward the primary target.

I can see rationale for "not dwelling" at secondary targets. If these secondary targets are somehow deemed primary or prime targets (not stated), that's a different matter, but doing so detracts from the original primary target.

It seems somebody is using "bean counter" logic whereby you judge quantity instead of quality.