Project engineers and scientists are going full-bore ahead. The funding is in the federal budget. Pretty much a done deal.
Does the design include wheels in case of unforseen circumstances?
The only "done deal" is $ 30M in the current year budget. There is NO request for additional money in FY 03 from the administration. $ 30 M sounds like a lot, but it's about 1/20th the amount needed to fly this thing. Congress may try to add money, but it'll take at least $150 M in '03 to get the project where it ought to be; that's not an easy "add-on" for pork. It's likely that this thing is finished.