NASA to push ahead on next Mars rover

LOS ANGELES (AP) — NASA said Friday it will press ahead with plans to launch a supersized rover to Mars next year despite spiraling costs and schedule pressures.

The decision to maintain the status quo — at least for now — came after the space agency's top managers met to mull over the progress of the Mars Science Laboratory, a souped-up, nuclear-powered rover.

Concerns have been raised about how to pay for the project's escalating costs and whether engineers can ready the rover in time for a safe launch next fall. NASA has poured $1.5 billion into the project, but the final price tag is expected to be close to $2 billion.

Doug McCuistion, who heads the Mars exploration program at NASA headquarters, said significant work lies ahead and the space agency will revisit the mission's progress in January.

Meanwhile, "our intent is to keep our eye on the ball and keep pressing" for a 2009 liftoff, McCuistion told reporters in a conference call.