Shutdown won't halt NASA's Mars MAVEN launch
The next Mars mission will launch as planned, despite the government shutdown, according to the mission director.
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission has been in the works for 10 years. It is set to launch on Nov. 18. That date seemed threatened by the government shutdown.
On Thursday, Bruce Jakosky, the mission's lead investigator, received word that the mission would move forward as planned.
"NASA has analyzed the MAVEN mission relative to the Anti-Deficiency Act and determined that it meets the requirements allowing an emergency exception," he told CBSNews.com in an email.
If MAVEN didn't launch by Dec. 16, the team would have had to wait until 2016, the next time Mars and Earth will be properly aligned.
MAVEN was deemed necessary because it will help relay information between Earth and the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers, which are currently exploring the surface of Mars. Right now, the rovers are supported by two older satellites, the Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
"Although the exception for MAVEN is not being done for science reasons, the science of MAVEN clearly will benefit from this action," Jakosky added. "Launching in 2013 allows us to observe at a good time in the eleven-year solar cycle."
His team is already back to work at the Kennedy Space Center, completing the final tasks to prepare the spacecraft for launch. These include loading fuel and attaching the spacecraft into the payload support structure, then mounting it onto the rockets and moving it to the launchpad.
"We will continue to work over the next couple of days to identify any changes in our schedule or plans that are necessary to stay on track," Jakosky said.
There is a celebratory feeling amongst his team, he added, but it is tempered by the fact that there are still 800,000 federal employees unable to work.
