NASA's space science budget will have to increase by up to 40% to support new Mars missions in the wake of last year's $290 million loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar lander, the agency has conceded.
The acknowledgment adds weight to speculation that the planned Pluto-Kuiper Express mission may have to be cancelled to provide extra funding for Mars programmes.
Meanwhile, a Purdue University study concludes that the best time to launch a manned mission to Mars would be within a few days of 14 January 2014.
An alignment of Earth, Mars and Venus at that time will provide an ideal "escape route" back to Earth in case of an Apollo 13-type accident en route to Mars, according to the study.
Owing to the timely orbital alignments of the three planets, gravity-assisted slingshot manoeuvres to provide minor mid-course adjustments would be possible, using Mars and Venus.
Source: Flight International
