NASA to send another rover to Mars in 2020: chief scientist

The Rs 450-crore project would provide the scientific community better opportunities in planetary research. It is expected to enter the orbit of Mars by September 24, 2014.

Earlier, answering questions from students of the Indian Institute of Technology at its annual conference 'Shaastra' here, the American scientist said finance was one of the reasons for National Aeronautics Space Agency (NASA) not exploring much on the Moon.

"The reason we stopped (sending rockets to Moon) was because it was expensive. Of course, there is a lot more to be done on the Moon," he said.

Asked if there was a possibility of sending more rovers in one mission, he said it comes with a risk. "The problem is that you do not have that much money to do it right now."

On the issue of space debris falling to Earth, Meyer said, "Space debris is an issue. We (NASA) spend some amount of time on tracking them."

Meanwhile, India today successfully launched a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV D5) with an indigenous cryogenic engine from the spaceport of Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, entering a select club of nations.