This is my spin on it as well.
Most of the Nonporfits that I'm aware are having a hard time paying bills. In fact I've heard a rumor that one group is thinking of reducing the number of times a year it's magazine comes out to save cash...
Besides the slap in the face for the Planetary Society and the Mars Society...
"Every time humanity has embarked on a new path of scientific research and exploration, the need for an organization to focus on meeting the new scientific and technical challenges that appear, and on communicating the results of these efforts, has arisen. Such was the case for the exploration of Earth's oceans, its moon, and other frontiers. Now, with the founding of the Mars Institute, the same can be said for the exploration of Mars", said Boucher.
Right, no other society is doing that!
--Chris Vancil
Space/Science » in reply to Re: Mars Institute
Re: Mars Institute