The mission was included in NASA's 2011 authorization, which was signed into law on 11 October 2010, but funding remained dependent on a subsequent appropriations bill.
Misi itu termasuk dalam otoritas NASA tahun 2011, yang ditandatangani menjadi undang-undang pada tanggal 11 ktober 2010, namun dana tetap tergantung pada alokasi tagihan.