NASA Mars Mission Delayed

NASA has delayed the October 2009 launch date for the Mars Science Laboratory stating that they need further testing to ensure mission success. The new launch date has been scheduled in 2011.

"We will not lessen our standards for testing the mission's complex flight systems, so we are choosing the more responsible option of changing the launch date," said Doug McCuistion, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

One of the reasons why the launch date was pushed back so far is because Earth and Mars only come close to each other once every 26 months and the next window of opportunity comes in fall of 2011. Of course the other reason is due to technical issues.

"We see too much risk for a flagship mission," Griffin said at a briefing in Washington, D.C. He cited unexpected difficulties that NASA is having with the manufacture and control of 31 "actuator" gearbox motors aboard the subcompact-size rover.

The MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) will have a price tag of almost $2.3 billion by 2011 when they launch it to the Red Planet.