NASA has cancelled the development of a $21 million miniature roving vehicle which was to have been part of MUSES-C, a joint US/Japanese mission to explore the asteroid Neried. The spacecraft was scheduled for launch in late 2002.
The MUSES C-N nano-rover was shelved because of "rising costs and weight", NASA says. The spacecraft, which weighs about 1kg (2.2lb), was to have been equipped with visible-light and infrared cameras. It was also intended to be used on future planetary exploration missions.
NASA was finding it difficult to meet the size and microminiature technology requirements for the mission within the budget. The decision to cancel the development was a difficult one, says Jay Bergstralh, acting director of solar system exploration. "In the end there was no viable alternative," he says. MUSES-C was set to be the first asteroid sample return mission ever attempted.
Source: Flight International