By Charly SHELTON
On Monday, President Barack Obama released his proposed budget for 2013, and the red planet seemed to have taken the hardest hit.
For the most part the NASA budget was kept at an even keel, however when it came to Mars exploration the cuts ran deep.
The purposed NASA budget for 2013 is $17.7 billion, $59 million less than in 2012. The budget cuts NASA’s planetary-science budget by about $226 million which, if passed, could kill two planned unmanned missions to Mars.
The budget cuts will most likely affect employees at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, that had suffered layoffs in 2010 and 2011.
Representative Adam Schiff commented on the cutbacks.
“The president’s proposed budget … will dramatically reduce the planetary science program, making ground-breaking and breath-taking trips to the reaches of our universe sadly out of reach,” said Rep. Schiff. “Every trip that we make unlocks new and exciting possibilities that could be closed off with these cuts.”
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