Projects: Space Information
The Planetary Report
Volume XXIV, Number 2, March/April 2004
Credit: NASA / JPL / Cornell |
On the Cover
This false-color composite image, taken by Opportunity in a region
close to its landing site dubbed “Opportunity Ledge,” shows finely
layered sediments that have been accentuated by erosion. The sphere-like grains,
or “blueberries,” distributed throughout the outcrop are geologic
features called concretions that form in preexisting wet sediments. This image
was taken by Opportunity’s panoramic camera on the 50th Martian
day, or sol, of the mission.
From The Editor
Next year, The Planetary Society will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Over
that quarter century, we’ve witnessed and celebrated many stupendous
missions of discovery throughout our solar system. We’ve also experienced
long years of drought, when no new spacecraft were launched and the future
of planetary exploration itself was sometimes in doubt.
This is not one of those years. Right now there are five spacecraft exploring
Mars. Stardust is on its way back to Earth with samples of a comet.
In May, MESSENGER is scheduled to launch to Mercury. In June, Cassini-Huygens will
reach Saturn. In September, Genesis will return samples of the solar
wind to Earth.
Finally, if our schedule holds, this fall Cosmos 1 will become the
first solar sail and the first space mission flown by a membership organization.
This extraordinary roster of missions is being flown by NASA and ESA with
the cooperation of a host of nations (not to mention The Planetary Society).
This flowering of scientific discovery is due, in part, to the great public
support for space exploration demonstrated over and over again by our members.
In a very real sense, over the past 25 years you have helped keep the dream
of exploration alive. We have a lot to celebrate—and even more to look
forward to.
— Charlene M. Anderson
Features
We Make It Happen! The Planetary Society on Mars
The Planetary Society has taken for its motto the phrase “We make it
happen.” Over and over again, we’ve proved this statement true.
As you’ll read here, we are now on Mars—as part of the Spirit and Opportunity rover
missions. Each lander carried to Mars a Planetary Society–provided DVD
with the names of 4 million Earthlings. Each rover also carries a MarsDial
we helped to make a reality. Red Rover Goes to Mars sent 16 students from
around the world to JPL, where they contributed to the public success of the
mission. We also staged the biggest party on Earth to celebrate the Mars missions
and Stardust’s flight through comet Wild 2. You helped make
each one of these fantastic accomplishments happen.
Return to Saturn’s Realm
When the Cassini orbiter and the Huygens probe finally get
to the Saturn system this year, it will be a moment of triumph for Charley
Kohlhase, who served as science and mission design manager almost from the
project’s inception through its launch in 1997. Few people on Earth
know the mission as well as Charley does, and here he shares that knowledge
with Planetary Society members. In 1998, when he retired from the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Charley joined the Society’s Advisory Council. Ever since,
he has regularly contributed his considerable expertise and energy to our
projects.
Annual Report to Our Members
Your Planetary Society has been extraordinarily busy over the past year,
and this year promises to be just as jam-packed with accomplishments. For
our members, we have put together a short report on our activities, and
we provide an overview of the Society’s financial status.
DEPARTMENTS
Members' Dialogue
World Watch
Questions and Answers
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