"New NASA craft to explore Mars atmosphere" by Marcia Dunn | Associated Press, November 17, 2013
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The $671 million mission is NASA’s 21st crack at Earth’s most enticing neighbor, coming on the heels of the Curiosity rover, still rolling strong a year after its arrival.... This on the heels of the ending of the shuttle program and an austerity and sequester program at home?
So which well-connected concern is going to get the contracts?
NASA targets the 2030s for the first manned expedition....
The red planet is a notoriously tricky target. The world’s overall success rate since the 1960s for a Mars mission is less than 50-50.
NASA has attempted the most, 20 launches so far, and has the best success rate: 70 percent. Russia, in second place with 18 Mars launches, has a dismal 14 percent success rate. China collaborated on one of the Russian flops. Europe and Japan have attempted one Martian mission apiece; the European Mars Express has had mixed results, while the Japanese effort fizzled.
Also see: India launches first mission to Mars
Makes one wonder if we ever went to the moon at all and if it wasn't another in an endless string of staged and scripted events presented to us.
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Related: NASA Brought Back Down to Earth
Also see: Geneticist aims to teleport Mars life back to Earth
