Mars Rover Price Tag Soars To $2.5B
LOS ANGELES - NASA's next-generation rover mission to the surface of Mars needs more money - again.
Nine months before the scheduled launch, the space agency says the mission has burned through its reserves and needs another $82 million to complete testing before liftoff.
It's the latest cost overrun to plague the Mars Science Laboratory, a nuclear-powered rover the size of a small SUV that will study whether the planet was or is habitable.
Previous financial and development problems forced a two-year launch delay. Curiosity, as the rover is known, is now slated to lift off in November from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
The latest price tag is $2.5 billion, making it the most expensive mission yet to Mars. NASA reported the need for the extra funds to its advisory council last week.