I wish NASA could operate with a better master plan. Not making a decision further delays the mission. I’ll just point at Artemis HLS and space suit procurement delays.
This project has been wracked with budgetary setbacks. Costs have overrun, and the plug has nearly been pulled on at least two occasions. Give us a big enough budget and we’ll bring you as many samples as you need. But the original budget was unrealistic, and only got the sign off because of politics. Then, inevitably, it went over budget (as any engineer could see it would) and now every cent of overspend is a step too far. I hope the management is being realistic this time with these new estimates.
MAV and RTGs. Are you going to send Mark Watney along too?
Edit: high likelihood that I’m going to go read that book now because it’s one of my favorites and I read it several times a year just because I enjoy it.
It’s so frustrating that the sky-crane isn’t more affordable now that it’s an established technology. I feel like many of NASA’s problems would disappear if they could figure out how to Build Another One without insane cost overruns (see Perseverence being “another” Curiosity Rover).
The commercial route for MSR seems inevitable.
