-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! Nasa pulls back from Mars MPL report will make 'sober reading' By BBC News Online science editor Dr David Whitehouse The United States is to abandon its ambitious plans to bring back rocks from the surface of Mars before the end of the decade. It is a decision that could set back hopes of an astronaut landing on the Red Planet by many years. The search for life on the Red Planet will have to slow down Dr Carl Pilcher The devastating news was broken to space scientists at this week's annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, Texas, by Dr Carl Pilcher. He is the scientist leading Nasa's planetary exploration programme. "The search for life on the Red Planet will have to slow down until people on Earth have worked out how to land on Mars without crashing," he said. Last year's double loss of two Mars probes has forced Nasa to take a long hard look at its Mars plans. A mission to land another robot on Mars next year has effectively been cancelled. It is likely to be replaced with smaller-budget probes that are being hurriedly designed in Houston and at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. A Mars Orbiter mission will, however, go ahead. The law Before the loss of the Mars Polar Lander (MPL) last year, Nasa's plans called for a sample return mission that would bring back the first Mars rocks to Earth in October 2008. But Dr Pilcher said, that in the light of recent events, the timetable was wildly optimistic: "The jury is out on whether we have the technological capability." Carl Pilcher - minus the sweatshirt Breaking the bad news to space scientists, Dr Pilcher had on a sweatshirt that declared: "Obey Gravity: It's the Law." Despite the bitter news, he insisted the Mars exploration programme would continue and confirmed that a Mars-orbiting science platform would be launched next year. He would not discuss the results of the recent study into the loss of the Mars Polar Lander, due to be published at the end of the month, but he said the report's conclusions "make sober reading". "Our next lander on Mars had better work," he said. **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
