Mars Rover Progresses Toward 2020 Launch

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA's Next Mars Rover Progresses Toward 2020 Launch

Quote

After an extensive review process and passing a major development milestone, NASA is ready to proceed with final design and construction of its next Mars rover, currently targeted to launch in the summer of 2020 and arrive on the Red Planet in February 2021.

The Mars 2020 rover will investigate a region of Mars where the ancient environment may have been favorable for microbial life, probing the Martian rocks for evidence of past life. Throughout its investigation, it will collect samples of soil and rock and cache them on the surface for potential return to Earth by a future mission.

  Read more: NASA

 

[Merc14]

Same chassis and basic rover landing system but greatly improved technology, in all respects.  Better landing capabilities, better science suite which will be much more targeted thanks to Curiosity. This is one of those things you live to see and it will make amazing discoveries, i guarantee.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

7 minutes ago, Merc14 said:

This is one of those things you live to see and it will make amazing discoveries, i guarantee.

I wouldn't be so keen to guarantee that, given that even NASA describes the landing as "seven minutes of terror".

NASA's recent series of successes in Mars missions could easily give the impression that landing on Mars is a foregone conclusion, it is not. As NASA continues to push the boundaries, to develop new technologies the potential for failure remains... and that is how it should be. Failure MUST be an option. Sometimes we only discover the limits of the possible by pushing beyond it, into the impossible.

Whilst I hope that you are right and that this mission is a resounding success I am also pleased that NASA is prepared to continue pushing the limits of the possible and risk failure. That is true progress.

[Merc14]

26 minutes ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

I wouldn't be so keen to guarantee that, given that even NASA describes the landing as "seven minutes of terror".

NASA's recent series of successes in Mars missions could easily give the impression that landing on Mars is a foregone conclusion, it is not. As NASA continues to push the boundaries, to develop new technologies the potential for failure remains... and that is how it should be. Failure MUST be an option. Sometimes we only discover the limits of the possible by pushing beyond it, into the impossible.

Whilst I hope that you are right and that this mission is a resounding success I am also pleased that NASA is prepared to continue pushing the limits of the possible and risk failure. That is true progress.

Please!  I understand the dangers as well as you and so does NASA. I concur wholly waspie about the danger but the technology is proved, NASA has serious respect for the dangers of any Mars landing and no institution is better at it than NASA and that is not a debatable subject. 

I will be up late that night, once again, cheering the mission on.  I am more worried about the James Webb than the 2020 and will do the same watch until she calls home as well. 

 

Edited July 16, 2016 by Merc14