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SMEX Selections Cut From 3 to 2

By Keith Cowing on May 30, 2008 5:17 PM

3 Comments

NASA Selects Small Explorer Investigations for Concept Studies

"Following detailed mission concept studies, NASA intends to select two of the mission proposals in the spring of 2009 for full development as SMEX missions. The first mission could launch by 2012. Both will launch by 2015. Mission costs will be capped at $105 million each, excluding the launch vehicle."

Editor's update: Originally there were going to be three selections made. Now only two are being selected. One more mission sacrificed ($105 million saved) to feed MSL overruns, it would seem.

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3 Comments

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monolithic_primaries_are_cheaper | May 30, 2008 8:37 PM | Reply

Hey, lay off MSL - it's not even in the same division of SMD. SMEX is an astrophysics line, which means that it's the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) that's eating the budget.

The JWST overruns make the MSL overrun look like the proverbial pocket change. How many billions is JWST up to now? 5? 6? I don't know why you keep picking on MSL, which isn't even close to that level of cost.

Editor's note: THAT'S THE POINT! Mars overruns are forcing funds to be taken out of totally different disciplines within SMD. As for trying to justify MSL overruns by citing another badly managed project - you just end up pointing out that NASA has two big problems - not just one.

Mark Adler | May 30, 2008 10:00 PM | Reply

Um, it doesn't make any sense that the SMEX and MSL budgets would be related in any way, since they are in entirely distinct fiscal years. Money saved on SMEX is way too late to help with MSL development.

Editor's note: It may not make any sense, but that is what is going on.

John Jameson | June 1, 2008 9:48 PM | Reply

You have zero proof that they're taking $$ from different lines to pay for overruns. If you look at the committments in the astrophysics budget, just the problems with JWST and the delay in the Hubble servicing mission more than account for the loss of the SMEX. Plus, it isn't all bad news that's causing the funding crunch - the Senior Review just recommended Chandra and Spitzer for extended missions plus a few other smaller spacecraft. That's good news, not bad, but they have to pay for it somehow.

For some reason, MSL has caught your ire, as if its overruns are unusual for its complexity.

Somehow, I doubt that you could do a better job - but you could do a better job at not issuing disengenuous statements.

Editor's note: I stand by my comments.

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SMEX Selections Cut From 3 to 2

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SMEX Selections Cut From 3 to 2

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3 Comments

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