NASA plans Mars launch next fall

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- NASA plans to launch a new exploration rover to Mars next fall, despite budget and technical concerns, a NASA official said Friday. "All indications are that they're still on track for the '09 launch," Doug McCuistion, director of the Mars Exploration Program, said at a teleconference. The space agency will review the mission's progress again in January, he said. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in charge of building the spacecraft, believes it needs an additional $100 million, on top of previous budget increases, to meet the current launch schedule. The original $1.6 billion budget has already been increased to $1.9 billion, McCuistion said. Agency officials are working with the White House and Congress on budget challenges... [read full story]