Results of the meeting of the NASA Committee

A special scientific committee evaluated the performance of current NASA missions to other planets and outer space. 7 mission underwent analysis, including the rovers, Cassini probe, and some others. Committee of NASA, the evaluator. is endowed with considerable powers, and it is in effect just to stop any of the missions, if it received a negative assessment.

The good news is that all 7 missions received excellent or good rating. However, the team of Curiosity was criticized for rover "travels a lot, but little bores." Especially members of Committee were discontent because the rover team planned o make 8 drilling operations, in addition to those already held.

Scientists have calculated that the rover inefficiently uses its scientific potential, traveling to Mars and looking at the clouds (in fact, one of the tasks of the rover - observation of the atmosphere of Mars). In general, nothing critical, but the rover team was asked to add "more science" in the work plan of Curiosity.

Incidentally, the other two missions, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Opportunity could be closed at all, but successfully avoid such undesirable end. LRO and Opportunity will be able to work for another two years until the next meeting of the Committee. However, one of the tools LRO, radar Mini-RF, will no longer be used.

Better appreciation of all the missions received probe Cassini, who received 3 additional years to work with Saturn and its moons. Cassini team decided to conduct a probe between the surface of Saturn's rings and domestic sectors.