spacetoday.net: NASA clears Mars lander despite overruns

Posted: Fri, Feb 2, 2007, 8:25 AM ET (1325 GMT)
Phoenix Mars lander illustration (Univ. of Arizona)

NASA officials have decided to let a Mars lander mission scheduled for launch later this year proceed despite cost overruns. The Phoenix mission underwent a "termination review" at NASA headquarters last week after the project indicated it would exceed its $386-million cost cap by as much as $31 million. Project officials blamed the increased costs on problems with a commercial radar altimeter they had planned to use on the spacecraft, as well as delays in finding a suitable landing site on Mars. NASA has not indicated how much additional money it will provide the project, or what effect providing that money would have on other agency programs. Phoenix, based on hardware developed for a cancelled 2001 lander mission, is scheduled for launch in August.