NASA has decided to extend a range of active planetary science missions, a move that’s certain to delight scientists attached to the projects.
The space agency said the spacecraft — the oldest of which launched more than 20 years ago — had been selected to continue their operations because of their “scientific productivity and potential to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the solar system and beyond.”
The missions include Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, Mars Science Laboratory , InSight lander, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, OSIRIS-REx, and New Horizons . Most of the selected missions will continue for an additional three years, provided no faults occur with the spacecraft, NASA said. A couple of exceptions include OSIRIS-REx, which will carry on for nine years, and InSight, which will continue until the end of this year unless the spacecraft’s electrical power system allows for longer operation.
“Extended missions provide us with the opportunity to leverage NASA’s large investments in exploration, allowing continued science operations at a cost far lower than developing a new mission,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division. “Maximizing taxpayer dollars in this way allows missions to obtain valuable new science data, and in some cases, allows NASA to explore new targets with totally new science goals.
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