No. 1 Story
ACCC clears Optus to scrap HFC network and use NBN instead
The ACCC has cleared, provisionally, the proposed deal between Optus and NBN Co under which Optus is to be paid around $800m to shut down its HFC network and transfer customers onto the NBN. read moreESA agrees to spend US$12.8 billion on future space missions
William Atkins
Saturday, 29 November 2008 18:30
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One such Mars mission is called ExoMars. It is a robotic mission to the planet Mars that involves an orbiter that will eject a descent module. The module will and on the planet's surface so that a rover can explore Mars.
Its cost now stands at 1 billion euros for the ESA contribution. Another 200 million euros is expected to be contributed by the United Sates or Russia, although neither country has agreed to this amount, as of this date.
Further information on the ESA agreement is found on the Reuters article “UPDATE 1-Europe to spend $13 bln on Mars rover, space plans.”
As with any government project, the benefits to people on Earth is paramount for continuing public support. In addition, people are much more apt to support (and to continue to support) such projects when its cost are kept under control and the goals of the project are successfully completed.
For instance, the U.S. space shuttle program (officially called the Space Transportation System (STS)) was not a very strongly supported U.S. space program with regards to its citizens because its cost were well above its initial estimates and the major stated goals of the program were never completely met.
Specifically, NASA stated that its space shuttle fleet would be developed into a low-cost way to transport humans, cargo, and spacecraft into space. That goal was never realized.
In addition, the U.S. shuttles were intended to last for 100 missions each before being retired. That goal also will not be reached. The space shuttle Discovery should end up with the most missions. However, it will have less then forty missions to its credit upon its retirement.
The ESA can learn much from such problems and, hopefully, learn to control costs and manage huge projects under efficient and productive means.
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