Martian Hangover: Can NASA Fill the Void After Curiosity?

Besides the outpouring of glee at the Jet Propulsion Lab and around the world, there was something else especially heartening about watching the Mars Science Lab’s entry, descent, and landing (EDL) team make science history when the Curiosity rover touched down on Mars: that so many of them were so young (including the mohawked Bobak Ferdowsi, who became an instant social-media celebrity).

But the celebration was bittersweet at JPL, as the future seemed more in doubt. Even if Curiosity is a total success, there will be plenty of unanswered questions about Mars— its habitability, history, geology, possible current life, and suitability for human colonization—that future missions could address. The next steps on Mars are not guaranteed—and MSL may be NASA’s Martian high-water mark.