CHopper = Comet Hopper... it is meant to hop around on one comet, not asteroid to asteroid... that's kind of what Dawn is doing...

Thanks, @adastragrl, I've updated the post with your correction.

I'm excited for InSight, but can't help but feel disappointed that Titan Mare Explorer didn't get selected. Because Earth will set on Titan from 2025-2040, this was the last chance until 2040 for us to land a friggin boat on a lake on Titan, at least on a Discovery level budget. And given that Europa is the highest priority for Outer Planets flagship, that means it will probably be until the 2040s (if we're lucky) until we see images of alien waves, sea foam, and coastlines.

The only way the public has to control politicians is to make them accountable at election time....ahem. Obama has lost my vote. Express your displeasure in November. Endorsing Obama sends the wrong message....

@fthurber: I really agree with you. Obama has really been a major disappointment! He promised big things and didn't deliver. If I was an American citizen, I wouldn't vote for him also. But the point I want to make is that, as i see it, it is a real tragedy for the US that his opponent, Mitt Romney, seems worse. Not only has the Republican party gone off the rails with their appalling anti-science, pro-religion agenda, but even worse, Romney refuses all this time to unveil a basic space policy. He's so vocal about the economy and Medicare, why so shy about space? Are we to take his word that when he's elected, he'll then consult his advisors to put forward a space program that reflects "american exceptionalism" as he says in his own words? And will he fire Mike Griffin, his space advisor, if the latter proposes plans for a moonbase? Cause that's what he said he'll do. Well, there goes american exceptionalism... All in all, my vote would be "none of the above". I find it a real tragedy that the US has to choose between the bad and the worse in this election...

I'm excited about this Mars mission! And at the same time, I'm saddened by the budget. But it will happen and I'm eager to see the outcome!

Mars research is great. At the moment, times are rough and in order to sell a mission you have to make the people giving the money understand why it's important. If it is actually important. Sometimes I feel that reading about another mission looking for water leaves a bad taste in the publics mouth. It's not very impressive and sounds redundant and useless. Most conservatives I know have the mind set of "Why, are we going to the Moon and Mars? There's nothing there". The Republican party doesn't care about science research unless it's going to make a better cell phone to play with. Maybe if someone says they'll build a church on Mars,it may get their interest, It's true that it seems that Obama hasn't gotten too much change done with an entire party of "NO" blocking as many moves as they possibly can but, one things is for sure, if the Republicans get in they'll bury space exploration unless they can turn it into space exploitation for profit. I still feel that a number one priority should be cataloguing Near Earth Astroids and developing the technology to deflect a dangerous one. Laser Bee's is a good start. Be careful who you vote for folks. I'm not too happy either but we could do worse.

You know, there are billions of people in the world....if millions would only give at least a dollar we would have enough to do another mission....who said we need to wait for the government to fork over funding (though they are very very very nice) we really are an amazing species that can accomplish wonders when we work together =D just a thoughts...I'd donate more (maybe I'm being too wishful?)

I'm really disappointed that we are not going to do the Titan Mare Explorer program, especially after the discoveries made in Antarctica recently. It's obvious that this will not happen until 2040, by then I sure hope we as a human race have evolved as single race. It does remind me of the water world from Lexx though:)