10/4/13

NASA to Proceed With Mars Mission - NYTimes.com

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NASA to Proceed With Mars Mission

Oct 4 4:03 pm

NASAs next Mars mission is getting to the launching pad, government shutdown or not. Launch preparations for the Maven spacecraft short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution had ground to a halt Tuesday along with almost all of NASA after Congress failed to provide money for the federal government to continue operating. The scientific mission to study the planets thin atmosphere was not among the few NASA activities deemed essential.

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Kenneth Chang

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NASA to Proceed With Mars Mission - NYTimes.com

But a lengthy shutdown could have caused Maven to miss the launch window. Mars and Earth would not come into proper alignment again until 2016, so NASA officials changed their minds. We have already restarted spacecraft processing at Kennedy Space Center, said Bruce Jakosky, the missions principal investigator. While the science is still not considered essential, officials concluded that the launch delay could jeopardize the missions of the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers currently on Mars. The two rovers currently relay their data through two aging orbiting NASA spacecraft, Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Mars Odyssey has been circling Mars for a dozen years; Reconnaissance Orbiter has been there since 2006. In 2016, the planetary alignment is not as good, so Maven would have to use up more of its fuel entering orbit. This would have precluded having sufficient fuel for Maven to carry out its science mission and to operate as a relay for any significant time, Dr. Jakosky said. There are currently no other orbiters planned for Mars. If two existing orbiters failed, that would severely limit the science that Curiosity and Opportunity could perform. The Mars Express spacecraft, operated by the European Space Agency, could possibly be pressed into service as a communication relay. Launching Maven in 2013 protects the existing assets that are at Mars today, Dr. Jakosky said. Maven is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida between Nov. 18 and Dec. 17.

Highlights

Oct 3

Majorit y Disapprove of Shut t ing Down Government Over Healt h Law A wide majority of Americans disapprove of shutting down the federal

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NASA to Proceed With Mars Mission - NYTimes.com

government over differences about the 2010 health care law, including a majority of those who oppose the law, according to the latest CBS News poll.

Oct 3

Obama Will Not Unilat erally Raise Debt Limit President Obama will not invoke a constitutional amendment to unilaterally increase the nations debt limit if a continued impasse with House Republicans causes that ceiling to be breached Oct. 17, his spokesman said.

Oct 2

Shut down Hurt ing Int elligence Effort s, Direct or Says The director of national intelligence cited an extremely damaging situation in regard to intelligence agencies abilities to support military and diplomatic efforts around the world.

Oct 2

Mick Mulvaneys Shut down Message, Annot at ed Cutting through the Washington clutter of a staunch House conservatives message to constituents.

Oct 1

Shut down Q. and A. Answers to readers questions about the government shutdown.

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Coverage Highlights
News Analysis: Experts See Potential Ways Out for Obama in Debt Ceiling Maze

The view that President Obama could continue borrowing without Congressional authorization is based on three arguments: presidential power, a provision of the 14th Amendment and constitutional obligations.
Graphic: The Back and Forth Over the Shutdown

Tracking the spending bill needed to

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NASA to Proceed With Mars Mission - NYTimes.com

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prevent a shutdown of the federal government.

In Showdown With G.O.P., a Scrappy Reid Plays Hardball

Convinced he has no viable Republican partners on either side of the Capitol, Senator Harry Reid has used aggressive tactics to try to force his opponents to crack over the government shutdown.
Slide Show: Shutdown Felt Far Beyond Washington

Tourists from Valley Forge to San Francisco were turned away from parks and monuments that were closed in the first government shutdown in nearly two decades.
Last Shutdown a Lesson Lost on Capitol Hill

Even those who lived through past government shutdowns, including in 1995-96, have varied recollections, or none at all, about how and why they happened.
Who Goes to Work? Who Stays Home?

During the government shutdown, some employees continue reporting to their departments and agencies, while
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NASA to Proceed With Mars Mission - NYTimes.com

others are on furlough.

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