Next year, the funds allocated for exploration of Mars will be 21% lower than this year. Faced with this decline, the U.S. space agency decided to receive suggestions from any person interested and called for submission of proposals for defining the objectives of Mars exploration missions 2018.
Every 15 years, Mars and Earth is positioned so that they reach the May shortest possible distance from each other, making this phenomenon an ideal opportunity for exploring cosmic Red Planet, with minimal costs.
Such an opportunity will present in 2018, and NASA wants to seize it. Unfortunately, the recent “cuts” budget have reduced government funding for Mars exploration, from 1.510 million to 1.192 million dollars for 2013.
Therefore, NASA decided to use public help, asking those interested to contribute ideas to enable the undertaking of exploration missions to 2018.
Proposals will be reviewed by Mars Program Planning Group (MPPG), recently established to help the agency develop a new strategy for exploring Mars.
Deadline for submitting proposals is 10 May 2012 and results will be announced in August this year.