🚀 go-pugleaf

jchapin@Neon.Stanford.EDU (John M. Chapin) writes:

> >2001   two sample-return missions with small rovers
>  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> Lest anyone think this is far away... a six-month design
> study on needed technologies and possibilities for these
> rovers will start next month at Stanford.

However, John, similar design studies have been carried out ever since the
early 1970's. Design studies are a necessary but not sufficient condition
for carrying out missions :-). I heard once that in the space business,
for every mission to be flown, ten preliminary-design-level studies
are carried out. And for every preliminary design, ten conceptual design
studies are commissioned.
-- 

     Kieran A. Carroll @ U of Toronto Aerospace Institute
     uunet!attcan!utzoo!kcarroll kcarroll@zoo.toronto.edu