Mars Science Laboratory, including Curiosity, its rover centerpiece, is considered as the most ambitious mission on Mars yet flown by NASA.
NASA Mars mission reports indicated that some legislators have been pushing to stop the funding of the Space Technology Mission Directorate of NASA, which was tasked to develop the required technology to get to Mars.
NASA's Space Launch System is set to be completed in Nov. 2018, and could hold the key to future Mars and deep space missions.
