Beyond The Moon

摘要

On Dec. 4, 2008, NASA held a press conference to discuss the issues surrounding the delay of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) to 2011. This event was remarkable for two reasons: 1. First, it demonstrated that the technical concerns and judgments of the JPL engineering team could in fact lead management to make an unpalatable decision with significant programmatic implications -in other words, the system worked as intended to ensure success for such a complex and costly mission. 2. Second, it provided context for NASA science chief Ed Weiler's announcement of a new commitment to an international Mars exploration program. This recognizes that future advances in Mars surface exploration beyond MSL promise to be exceptionally challenging but also tremendously rewarding, and should be planned and undertaken as a global endeavor.