After big fund, NASA drops next Mars probe

Washington

The spacecraft, known as In Sight, was designed to help scientists learn more about the formation of rocky planets, including Earth. The cancellation raises questions about the future of the research effort, as it will be another 26 months before Earth and Mars are favourably aligned for a launch. Over the next couple of months, NASA will assess options for repairing the faulty instrument, a sensitive seismometer provided by the French space agency, CNES. Budgetary limits may factor into a pending decision on whether NASA will proceed with the programme. 

Systematic study InSight was designed to detect quakes and other seismic activities, as well as measure how much heat is being released from the planet’s subsurface and monitor Mars’ wobble as it circles the sun. The troubled seismometer, which detects minute vibrations, features sensors encased in a nine-inch wide vacuum sphere, which has been plagued by a series of leaks since August. A fresh leak surfaced on Monday during testing.

US$55 million for research

• NASA told to spend at least US$ 55 million and speed up work on sending humans on space exploration missions, including Mars. 
• Funds to come from the US$ 350 million from Advanced Exploration Systems programme budgeted in the bill 
• NASA told to develop a prototype deep space habitation module no later than 2018.
• NASA has been working on the development of a habitation module that could be tested in cislunar space (lying between the Earth and the Moon or the Moon’s orbit) in 2020s. The module could then be used for human missions to Mars. 
• It will be challenging to ensure the module is both lightweight and shields astronauts from radiation.
• Significantly, in order to send astronauts to Mars, NASA engineers have already welded together the first two segments of the Orion crew module that will fly atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on a mission beyond the far side of the Moon.

NASA has been working on the development of a habitation module that could be tested in cislunar space

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