In this artist drawing released by NASA, the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory is shown on the surface of Mars.

Los Angeles ? NASA said Friday it will press ahead with plans to launch a supersized rover to Mars next year despite spiraling costs and schedule pressures.

The decision to maintain the status quo – at least for now – came after the space agency’s top managers met to mull over the progress of the Mars Science Laboratory, a souped-up, nuclear-powered rover.

Concerns have been raised about how to pay for the project’s escalating costs and whether engineers can ready the rover in time for a safe launch next fall. NASA has poured $1.5 billion into the project, but the final price tag is expected to be close to $2 billion.

Doug McCuistion, who heads the Mars exploration program at NASA headquarters, said significant work lies ahead and the space agency will revisit the mission’s progress in January.

Meanwhile, “our intent is to keep our eye on the ball and keep pressing” for a 2009 liftoff, McCuistion told reporters in a conference call.

The Mars Science Lab is designed to roam the Martian plains and study rocks to determine whether the environment could support microbial life. It will carry a suite of powerful instruments that can probe rocks and soil in finer detail than previous missions including a laser that can zap boulders from a distance.

Scientists expect the six-wheel, SUV-size rover to build on the successes of twin rovers, which have uncovered geologic evidence of ancient water on the planet, and the Phoenix lander, which recently confirmed the presence of ice at its Martian north pole landing site.