Phoenix Launching

[Roger]

Well it didn't sink in the first time about the rovers. I was just thinking that if you wanted it at a certain small target, dropping a big bouncy ball wasn't the ideal method if your payload didn't have wheels to move around. Or maybe the terrain was a little too pointy rocks to bounce an airbag on. But then again, you guys have had many years and many projects to figure out details like this. I just wonder (not in a criticizing way) about the reasoning behind some of the decisions. And as dave explained, sometimes the reason comes from a place or time far away and not obvious.

NASA must have this eclectic collection of leftovers and never-finisheds. I have this image of this old grizzly guy with a huge garage/junkyard in the back lot of NASA, saying, "Rocket to Mars, eh? Let's see, I think I got something you'd like back here. Almost rode it back in the last century. You need some arms probes, too? I got one over here -- still in the box...."

[EricRobodox]

lol, there was a career fair while i was working there were i got to talk to people from all over JPL, and he was talking about how the missions are chosen very selectively and that tons of missions concepts dont make it, even with hours upon hours upon hours.... upon hours of research and design have gone into the proposal. Then on top of it, there are also some major dates that after approved need to be planned and worked out, like design and other things that are somewhat over my head. I think for MSL, the major like meeting was done March or May, i know it was just before i came in, and MSL has been approved since i think 2001 or 2003. one of those. Little tired at the moment, and cant think too straight. If Dave knows more about it, im sure he wouldnt mind explaining a bit.

[Roger]

And besides Joe or Jill Scientist having to go up the bureaucratic chain with their proposal, there's the problem of making sure the planets are aligned so they can get there.

[EricRobodox]

Mars every two years. Thats why there are launch windows. But yes, planet allignment is*most always*, and thats an assumption, to be in the proposal. Thats why they are proposed so early, so they can hit it. Keep in mind ATLO (Assemble, Test, and Launch Operations), which is when they assemble the flight hardware, takes place about a year or two before launch (at least it is for MSL), compared to the entire mission being started sometimes 10 years before launch.