AS THE Mars rover Spirit prepares to sleep for the Martian winter, its future hangs in the balance.
Last week, NASA headquarters told the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, which manages the Mars rovers, that it faces a number of budget cuts. The aim is to offset huge cost overruns in the Mars Science Laboratory, the next-generation rover due for launch next year.
Among the cuts is a 40 per cent reduction in the $20 million annual budget for the rover programme. The Mars Exploration team at JPL have concluded that would mean shutting a rover down –…
