THE keystone of NASA’s ambitious exploration of Mars, a mission to get
samples back from the planet by 2008, will probably be delayed. The space agency
will have to draw up a new timetable as it reviews the loss of two Mars missions
last year and the publication last week of a highly critical report from
independent assessors of the Mars programme.
At a press conference in Washington DC to release the report, NASA space
science chief Ed Weiler announced the cancellation of plans to launch a Mars
lander next year. But NASA will go ahead with an orbiter in…
