Projects: Space Information
The Planetary Report
Volume XXVI, Number 2, March/April 2006
March / April 2006
Credit: NASA / JPL / Malin Space Science Systems
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On the Cover
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has arrived! This powerful
spacecraft is capable of returning 10 times as much data as all previous
Mars missions combined. Because every new look at the Red Planet has been
full of surprises, our view of this neighboring world is in for some dramatic
changes. This image of the Acidalia/Mare Erythraeum face of Mars was compiled
from images taken by Mars Global Surveyor's Mars Orbiter Camera in January
2005.
From The Editor
There's an ominous sense of déjà vu
around The Planetary Society today.
The political outlook for space exploration
has not been this bleak since the early
1980s, when the White House Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) tried to
pay for the space shuttle by cutting missions
to explore other worlds.
How close a parallel is it? David Stockman,
then head of OMB, floated the idea
of switching off the Voyager spacecraft
even before Voyager 2 reached Uranus and
Neptune. Did you hear something eerily
similar last year?
Now, in the proposed fiscal year 2007 budget, the administration is cutting
the long-sought mission to Europa, not funding telescopes to search for planets
around other stars, and slashing research into the possibilities of life elsewhere
in the universe.
A quarter-century after our founding, Society members are again being called
to action. In this issue, you see how effective we can be: New Horizons is
on its way to Pluto, after a years-long Society push. Stardust@home is analyzing
samples from space with our members’ help. A fleet of spacecraft is
exploring Mars in fulfillment of our shared hopes. Yes, today there are other
demands on the US budget, but we will not give up on the future. We will fight
to keep alive the hope of reaching other worlds. Join us.
— Charlene M. Anderson
Features
On to Pluto! New Horizons Heads Off to Explore the New Frontier
After years of fighting for a mission to Pluto, we’re finally on our
way! Thanks to
Planetary Society members acting hand-in-glove with the scientific community,
this mission was saved from the chopping block again and again. New Horizons
science team member John Spencer witnessed the long-awaited launch. Here
he
shares some of his thoughts and experiences from the launch site.
Stardust@Home: You Can Help Find Particles from Distant Suns!
When the Stardust Sample Return Capsule parachuted back to Earth last January,
it
brought with it the first-ever samples from a comet and another elusive
substance— particles from interstellar space. Faced with trying to
find only a few dozen microscopic
particles in about 1,000 square centimeters of collector gel, scientist
Andrew
Westphal thought to call on the public to help.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: The Next Step in Mars Exploration
On March 10, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reached Mars and maneuvered its
way
into orbit. It promises the highest-resolution images of the surface yet
captured, so
we have a lot to look forward to in the coming months and years. Project
Manager
Jim Graf and Project Scientist Rich Zurek explain what we can expect from
this
next generation of Mars orbiter.
Annual Report to Our Members
2005 marked
The Planetary Society’s
25th anniversary, and what a year it
was—Huygens revealed the surface of Titan, Deep Impact showed us the
inside of
a comet, and we tried to send our own Cosmos 1 into space. Here we have
put
together a report on our activities and an overview of the Society’s
financial status.
Departments
Members’ Dialogue
We Make It Happen!
World Watch
Questions and Answers
Society News
The Planetary Report is available only to Members of The Planetary Society. If you'd like to read these and other exciting features, JOIN THE PLANETARY SOCIETY TODAY!
MEMBERS: Download this and other back issues of The Planetary Report in PDF format from the For Members section of the website.
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