Mars rover lab in Calif. to cut jobs, missions

Reuters ^ | Thu Oct 13, 2005 | Reuters

[KevinDavis]

At least NASAis heading into the right direction....

[RightWhale]

Are there really any customers on Mars yet?

Yes. ESA and NASA.

[Wilhelm Tell]

The Mars missions worked far better than anyone could have imagined and more use has been gotten out of the landers than planned. There was a high return of science for the money spent -- quick, fire everyone responsible! We need the money for improved foam on the Shuttle -- we need the Space Shuttle because of the ISS, and we need the ISS to justify the Shuttle. We need science experiments on how billionaire space tourists can trade stocks and do photo ops in the weightlessness of space! Now that's thinking big! We don't need a bunch of boring old robots to thoroughly scout Mars before we send people there.

I hope the new $huttle will be less of a money drain than the old one. I was briefly optimistic when they started sending politicians into space. I saw in this an ingenius way to solve most of the world's problems. Then I was shocked to learn they were going through all that trouble sending politicians into space only to bring them back to earth! What good would that do? But maybe there can be a compromise on the old issue of manned spaceflights vs. robots -- I propose we send Al Gore.

[drt1]

Interesting. I see a use for the remaining Shuttles - Send up various and sundry Pols on missions to test the foam insulation. If it doesn't disintegrate on reentry the test and mission would be a success. If it does disintegrate the test and mission would be a success. A win, win if you ask me!

[RadioAstronomer]

You gonna be ok during these cuts?