after all the Discovery, we have to look at the other Space Missions
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (acronym: MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft scheduled to launch August 10, 2005 to advance human understanding of Mars through detailed observation, to examine potential landing sites for future surface missions and to provide a high-data-rate communications relay for those missions. It will replace the aging Mars Global Surveyor as a Mars observation platform.
I can remember as a kid how much of a dream it was to think about humans walking on the face of Mars, or any other planet as far as that goes. Now its kind of mind boggling to realize how matter-of-fact it is that we are going to be there. And with any luck most of us are going to live to see it
NASA’s Next Leap in Mars Exploration Nears Arrival
As it nears Mars on March 10, a NASA spacecraft designed to examine the red planet in unprecedented detail from low orbit will point its main thrusters forward, then fire them to slow itself enough for Mars’ gravity to grab it into orbit.
Ground controllers for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter expect a signal shortly after 1:24 p.m. Pacific time (4:24 p.m. Eastern time) that this mission-critical engine burn has begun. However, the burn will end during a suspenseful half hour with the spacecraft behind Mars and out of radio contact. …
