NASA cutting missions to Mars WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists say NASA is about to propose major cuts in its exploration of other planets, especially Mars. And NASA’s former science chief is calling it irrational. ADVERTISING With limited money for science
NASA cutting missions to Mars
WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists say NASA is about to propose major cuts in its exploration of other planets, especially Mars. And NASA’s former science chief is calling it irrational.
With limited money for science and an over-budget new space telescope, the space agency essentially had to make a choice in where it wanted to explore: the neighboring planet or the far-off cosmos. Mars lost.
Two scientists who were briefed on the 2013 NASA budget that will be released this week said the space agency is eliminating two proposed joint missions with Europeans to explore Mars in 2016 and 2018. NASA had agreed to pay $1.4 billion for those missions. Some Mars missions will continue, but the fate of future flights is unclear, including the much-sought flight to return rocks from the red planet.
The two scientists said the cuts to the Mars missions are part of a proposed reduction of about $300 million in NASA’s $1.5 billion planetary science budget. More than $200 million in those cuts are in the Mars program, they said. The current Mars budget is $581.7 million.
Man charged in plot against Utah governor
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah man who police say threatened to assassinate Gov. Gary Herbert is now facing multiple felony charges.
Brian Biff Baker was charged Friday in Salt Lake City’s 3rd District Court with felony counts of drug and weapons possession, along with a misdemeanor count of threatening elected officials.
Court records show no hearings are set in the case. Baker, 52, is being held in the Salt Lake County jail. Bail is set at $25,007. It was not immediately clear whether Baker had an attorney.
Court papers say Baker was conducting surveillance on the Governor’s Mansion in Salt Lake City. The records also say that on Feb. 2, Baker had sent text messages to a friend stating that he was lying in the bushes and intended to kill the governor. The recipient of the texts reported the messages to police and Baker was arrested the same day.
Trial opens for Midwest militia
DETROIT (AP) — Seven members of a Midwest militia accused of plotting to overthrow the government are set to stand trial, where jurors will decide whether federal authorities prevented an attack by homegrown extremists or simply made too much of the boasts by weekend warriors who had pledged to “take our nation back.”
Opening statements are set for today once a jury is seated in the trial of members of the Hutaree militia, who are charged with conspiring to commit sedition, or rebellion, as well as weapon crimes.
Following the March 2010 arrests in southern Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said the time had come for authorities to “take them down.” An undercover agent had recorded the group’s leader, David Stone, saying the militia needed to “start huntin'” police soon.
