Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to ARES Mars plane WON'T be flown, thanks to Lockheed's Mars monopoly (n/t)

Mars atmospheric sample return was also nixed in favor of Lockheed
NASAWatch.INFO — (archived)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/space/2028083

discusses how the ARES mission would have been the first airplane ever to fly on another planet, but NASA passed it up in favor of Lockheed in its purportedly "competed" Mars scout program. Have you heard what ELSE NASA passed up in favor of the USA's monopolistic Mars contractor?

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/scouts_final_030804.html

"NASA's Ed Weiler, Associate Administrator for Space Science at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. selected Phoenix over three other concepts: a Mars airplane, an orbiter, and a novel sample return of martian atmospheric dust. Â The tough competition between the four novel Mars Scout missions has been underway over the past year. Â The Mars Scout program is designed to complement major missions being planned as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, as well as those under development by foreign space agencies. Â A Scout mission comes with a total mission cost cap of $325 million. Â The Mars Scout Program is managed by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science in Washington, D.C."

What the sponsorship-craving traditional space media ISN'T discussing though, is how Lockheed has been influence peddling with the Bush Administration at taxpayers' expense:

http://www.wexlergroup.com/clients.htm

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