NASA Curiosity Rover 2020: Mars Exploration Will Continue

NASA might have suffered some major budget cuts, but it’s still forging ahead with its Mars space exploration plans. The premier space agency has announced that it will continue its Mars mission in 2020 with another rover that is based heavily on the design of the Curiosity. The new rover will be designed to collect and store samples that will be returned to Earth.To cut down on costs, the new robotic probe will be made from models and spare parts that were initially generated for Curiosity. According to John Grunsfeld, NASA’s associate administrator for science, utilizing the spare parts and using Curiosity’s existing chassis and landing system design will make it possible for the mission to stay within a budget of $1.5 million. What will set this rover apart from Curiosity are the new instruments that it will be carrying and for this, the space agency has requested the scientific community to come up with ideas and suggestions.

One idea that is already being bandied about is for an instrument that would allow the new probe to collect and store samples that will be picked up by another mission and returned to Earth. This type of mission has long been thought of in scientific circles to be a critical step in the evolution of how space experiments will be conducted and one that will also pave the way for an eventual human mission to Mars. Whether that idea will come into fruition is still up for debate, as is the question of where the new rover will land.

However, the current economy is also raising questions within the scientific community about the project’s cost and the wisdom of continuing with it. Budget deficits have already compelled NASA to beg off and minimize its role in several joint missions with Europe. But NASA will still provide assistance in the form of radio communications equipment and minor mission support. The financial concerns are understandable, especially since Curiosity has cost the US $2.5 billion already. Plus, some scientists are thinking that there are other planets, aside from Mars, that should be explored. There are also fears that Curiosity’s billion dollar trip might affect the space missions of Discovery or New Horizons.