BellaOnline Forums Education Astronomy Govt Shutdown: Is Curiosity essential personnel?

Comet ISON flew by Mars today, close enough to provide a good view for space probes and rovers! SpaceWeather.com suggested that the rover Curiosity was still working - so is she essential personnel? Well, no. Some of the Mars missions are contracted out to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) which has enough money to keep them going for awhile. Today the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has attempted to get pictures of the comet, but it will take a few days for JPL to get the data and see whether the attempt was successful or not.

Gov't shut down...?

It's just my opinion, but as human beings, we could do a hell of a better job!

It's like watching "One Life to Live..." but actually wanting or hoping to anticipate the "happy ending."

It feels (at least to me) a bit like the game we used to play as kids:

"Ghost in the Graveyard."

Everyone scatters and it's up to the person w/the flashlight to call that one out...

Once that person or group of people are, everyone focuses on the spotlight. Meanwhile everyone else is hiding and finding a different place to go. It gives them time to become more creative w/where it was they were.