Mercury's hidden side revealed

Posted: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 3:40 PM by Alan Boyle

NASA / JHUAPL / CIW

The giant Caloris impact basin is at upper right in
this image of Mercury, captured by NASA's Messenger
probe. Click on the image for a bigger version.

In the wake of this week's successful flyby, the team behind NASA's Messenger probe has released the first picture of a side of the planet Mercury never seen before – a moonlike landscape covered with craters and bright material turned up by impacts.

Yet another image presents a new, up-close view of a double-ringed crater named Vivaldi, which was last seen during the Mariner 10 flyby more than 30 years ago. From here on out, images from the Messenger flyby should be dribbling out on a regular basis via the science team's Web site.

Until now, Mariner 10's flybys in 1974 and 1975 have provided the definitive views of surface details for our solar system's closest-in planet (and the smallest, if you don't count places like Pluto or Eris). Mariner missed seeing more than half the planet, however. This time around, the $427 million Messenger mission - which was launched back in 2004 - will be seeing the whole picture, during three flybys as well as a yearlong orbital mapping phase that's due to begin in 2011.

Monday's initial flyby came as close as 124 miles (200 kilometers) to the surface, zipping past at 16,000 mph (25,000 kilometers per hour). The spacecraft's camera captured about 1,200 images, and the science team is now checking through the best of the bunch, one frame at a time, mission spokeswoman Paulette Campbell told me from the team's headquarters at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland.

The first look, taken from a distance of 17,000 miles (27,000 kilometers) and released Tuesday, reveals one of the prime targets for the imaging team: the 800-mile-wide (1,300-kilometer-wide) Caloris impact basin, one of the biggest and youngest craters in the solar system. Mariner 10 spotted the eastern side of Caloris, but the western portions have never been seen before.

"The new image shows the complete basin interior and reveals that it is brighter than the surrounding regions and may therefore have a different composition," Messenger scientists said in their image advisory. "Darker smooth plains completely surround Caloris, and many unusual dark-rimmed craters are observed inside the basin."

NASA / JHUAPL / CIW

This image of Mercury's surface, taken by NASA's
Messenger probe on Monday, shows the double-
ringed Vivaldi crater in shadow at upper right. Click
on the image for a bigger version.

Today's picture, the second in Messenger's series, shows the 125-mile-wide (200-kilometer-wide) Vivaldi crater, which boasts a double ring and was glimpsed by Mariner 10. This view - taken from a distance of 11,000 miles (18,000 kilometers) - shows new details, including a broad depression overlapped by Vivaldi's lower left rim.

Right now, there are more questions than answers about what Messenger is seeing - but that's what this mission is all about. In addition to paying tribute to the messenger of the Roman gods, the probe's name is a tortured acronym for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging. To cover all those bases, the spacecraft is carrying a dual imaging system (juggling wide-angle and narrow-angle cameras), four spectrometers, a laser ranging device, a magnetometer and a Doppler radar to gather data about Mercury's mass distribution.

By the time Messenger is done, sometime in the next decade, scientists should be able to resolve some of Mercury's mysteries - such as why the planet is so dense, where its vanishingly thin atmosphere comes from, and whether or not frozen water lurks in deep shadowed craters. The answers should start coming in by Jan. 30, when the science team is due to share their first impressions in a NASA news briefing. Until then, be sure to check the Web sites at APL as well as NASA for your daily dose of Mercury.

Update for 9:30 p.m. ET Jan. 16: Oops, they did it again ... The Messenger team has released yet another picture of Mercury's surface, showing a weird-looking terrain of craters and cliffs. And then there's this picture of a never-before-seen crater with bright rays and dribbling craters extending outward. How long will it be before someone spots the "Face on Mercury"?

Update for 1:30 p.m. ET Jan. 17: ... And again! Today's additions include an even clearer view of a double-ring crater and a look at Mercury's horizon. From here on out, you're on your own to keep tabs on the messages from Messenger.

Update for 9:15 p.m. ET Jan. 18: Some Cosmic Log correspondents have been asking about the oval appearance of most of the craters in the pictures released so far. My guess was that the ovals came through because the spacecraft was taking its pictures from an angle rather than from directly overhead. Ralph McNutt, the Messenger mission's project scientist, confirmed my surmise in a voicemail:

"The craters that look like they're oval in shape really are the result of the oblique viewing perspective. We'll be working through some of that as the processing continues."

McNutt reminded me to tune in on Jan. 30 for the big news briefing, and so I'll remind you as well.

EMAIL THIS

Comments

"Looks like $427 million photos of the Earth's moon to me."

J. Taylor (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 5:06 PM)

need more pictured details on this story

Renne Smith (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 5:11 PM)

The number one scientific goal should be to be able to completely read the history of the solar system. To do that would take many more missions and Mercury isn't even the most interesting place. Europa and the two other Jovian moons that have oceans of liquid water beneith frozen surfaces are FAR more interesting as where there is water, there is at least a chance for life. Exploration and learning honors the eons it took to become conscious!

Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 5:15 PM)

Hi, Renne: If you follow the links to APL and NASA, you'll get a bit more detail. But specifically on Caloris and Vivaldi ... you can check this Wikipedia entry on Caloris:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caloris_Basin

The entry includes a Mariner 10 image in which you can see the eastern parts of Caloris. Scientists think a giant asteroid or comet hit Mercury, creating the impact basin ... and they think it's relatively young because the area inside the basin is less cratered than the outside. As I mentioned, the new picture shows bright material that may have been churned up by the impact. Some people think Mercury's thin atmosphere of hydrogen and helium may emanate at least in part from fissures in Caloris. Caloris also happens to be the spot on Mercury closest to the sun when the planet is closest to the sun in its orbit. Hence the name, Caloris, meaning "heat."

http://www.solarviews.com/cap/merc/caloris.htm

Vivaldi is one of several double-ring craters in the Beethoven Quadrangle on Mercury. The reason behind double-ringers has to do with how material "sloshes" on a planet after a giant impact. You can learn more about the region from this Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beethoven_quadrangle

Generally speaking, Emily Lakdawalla at the Planetary Society has been really good about explaining the details seen in spacecraft pictures, and I think you'll get a lot of what you're looking for by checking her most excellent blog:

http://www.planetary.org/blog

Over at Bad Astronomy, Phil Plait also weighs in about the imagery:

http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2008/01/15/
messenger-at-mercury-hawesome/

Hope this is enough to get you started. ;-)

Alan Boyle (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 5:49 PM)

Mercury is probably the least probable place for liquid water to be present in our atmosphere, however for the sake of science it should still be studied. I do question NASA's choice in Mercury when more interesting planets and moons are available for study. I would be more interested in Mars or Venus exploration than Mercury.

Eric, Snohomish, WA (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 5:54 PM)

We already know the history of the solar system. Look it up, it's all explained in Genesis. This $427 million could have been put to much better use in faith-based initiatives instead, or, Heaven forbid, it could have been returned to the taxpayers.

Milt Walker (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 5:54 PM)

so we spent how much to go take a few crappy pictures of a dead rock? Yet social security is gonna fail in what, three more years. Money well spent gents, maybe we can send a probe to the sun and take pics of it next!

john doe seattle wash (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 5:57 PM)

Fantastic! Mercury contains important scientific evidence of early planet formation, and this mission promises to uncover at least some of that data.

Mark Brown, Portland, OR (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 5:59 PM)

What a waste. Looks like the moon to me. We haven't landed on Venus in forever. We should go there again. I've heard the surface temp and pressure are too much for any space vehicle to withstand, but I'm sure our brilliant scientists at NASA could figure it out.

Kalvin Kobra, Tempe AZ (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 6:01 PM)

why do all the craters appear to be oval?

steve smyth (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 6:13 PM)

PLEASE FORGIVE ME I KNOW YOU PROBABLY WON'T POST THIS BUT I WANT TO SAY IT ANYWAY. WHILE I'M QUITE SURE WE ALL THINK SPACE IS INTERESTING WHY CAN'T WE TAKE THOSE MILLIONS AND BILLONS OF DOLLARS AND GIVE PEOPLE PROPER HEALTHCARE AND DO ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED HERE IN AMERICA? THIS IS INSANE TO LOOK AT PICTURES OF OTHER PLANETS WHILE WE ARE LIVING HERE AND AS FAR AS WE KNOW IT IS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS LIFE. WHY DO WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS? I KNOW WHY OF COURSE TOO MANY HIGH PAYING JOBS AT NASA. I AM SORRY BUT WE AS PEOPLE HERE IN AMERICA DO NOT SEEM TO CHANGE ANYTHING THAT MATTERS. WE SEND BILLIONS IN THE SKY WHILE PEOPLE DIE WITHOUT PROPER MEDICAL CARE THANKS,CAROL

carol (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 6:35 PM)

Picard: "What is it?"
Data: "There's nothing out there; absolutely nothing" -- Data
Geordi: "Well it's a damn ugly nothing!"

fissilemissile (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 6:43 PM)

Why does this country spend so much money exploring a rock floating around the sun, when we can't seem to find the money to heal injured war vets returning from Iraq?

christopher buono shandaken, new york (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 6:51 PM)

Thanks for this post Alan. It was much more interesting than the article above. Please keep the articles coming though!

james, Bellevue, WA (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 7:02 PM)

We seem to be the only nation who cares about our heavenly system of planets as I don't see any other nation's launch of outer planets exploration. They seem more bent on nuclear status than anything else.

We have always had a very forward looking nation!

Dick Carey, Tyler, TX (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 7:28 PM)

We spent 55 BILLION on USA based drug enforcement alone (according to NPR today) with no results. The 410 million allows engineers to invent and more importantly all of us to dream things bigger than ourselves.

David Burnside (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 7:30 PM)

Many of you are complaining about the funds NASA has been allocating to space exploration. While I think there are many problems that should be addressed here (healthcare, education, the war vets), one should also keep in mind that space exploration could one day lead mankind to fulfill a much higher calling in life. Although photographing Mercury might seem like a small step (and it is), if you step back and analyze the bigger picture, space exploration could one day bring about immense benefits to mankind. We may one day discover elements on other planets that are not found here on earth which could be the source of new efficient energies, or which could allow our civilization to take giant leaps of progress in technology. Our economy and lives on earth clearly merit attention, but so does the endless vastness of space in which so many undiscovered opportunities still tantalize our imaginations.

John de Denghy, Miami FL (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 7:44 PM)

For those nay sayers, I say "nuts". Space exploration and learning about your universe has unexpected dividends with far reaching consequences. Instead of complaining how the money is spent, this money was earmarked over 10 years ago. I for one keep an open mind, look to the heavens and dream. As my ancestors did when they decided to explore the "wild west". Without something to strive for we stagnate.

Gary,Phoenix,Arizona (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 7:48 PM)

So we should not explore the planets and space? How many benefits came about as a direct result of our quest to land a man on the moon? While solving the problems necessary to explore space, many unforeseen discoveries that benefit mankind always surface. If not for the race to the moon, none of you would even be able to log onto the internet and post your opinions - the technology that was developed for the trip to the moon resulted in many of the computer and technological advances we all take for granted today. Spend the money on space science - it pays for itself over time and we all benefit!

Steve M (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 7:49 PM)

[...] Milty, I missed the verse in Genesis about the origin of Mercury, perhaps you could direct me

Eugene Hulbert (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 7:50 PM)

Actually, I think the planet and its craters is secondary to the mission itself. People, think of it as
an exercise in remote control, or the proving of guidance systems, or a verification time and space
itself. Been there done that!!

Gene Dozier Salem, Or (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 7:54 PM)

Wow. It is painful to read the naive and misguided posts about this article. NASA's annual budget is a minuscule pittance (that means small, for all the monosyllabic readers out there) compared to the uncountable billions spent on other government projects of doubtful relevance. Exploration is one of the most natural inclinations of man, and space exploration has had an immeasurably positive impact on modern society (nowadays, for instance, virtually all of our communications are dependent upon space-based systems). I am grateful that NASA's scientific research continues in spite of such widespread obliviousness.

Mike, Boston, MA (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 7:54 PM)

I also feel that if we can spend so much on space exploration, we can take care of our vets and everyone should have the medical care that they need AND education... America's priorities are pretty messed up. I think space exploration is very interesting, but let's take care of our people and THEN go explore!

Appalled in Oregon, Milton-freewater, OR (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 7:58 PM)

The gov't should have released a few pictures of the moon and passed it off as Mercury, then spend the money on bringing our troops home and educating our kids.

Kevin, SF CA (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:02 PM)

Here we go again it can easily be said. Why do we WASTE MONEY in space when we have so many problems on Earth? I remember Charles Krauthammer gave those who whine about the expense of space exploration a great response in his article published in the Washington Post on March 2, 2007. Here is what he stated: People have long opposed manned exploration as a waste of resources when, as the mantra goes, we have so many problems here on Earth.

I find this objection incomprehensible. When will we stop having problems here on Earth? In a fallen world of endless troubles, that does not stop us from allocating resources to endeavors we find beautiful, exciting and elevating -- opera, alpine skiing, feature films -- yet solve no social problems.

I would further say that using the money designated for NASA's yearly budget ($16.8 billion in 2007) will barely make a dent in the problems the previous writers stated they want solved by stopping such (in THEIR words) wasteful spending. I even suggest that our politicians stop wasting so much money in order that NASA can do even more space exploration than we can ever dream about as a possibility. At this point, how can we say that the money they have spent on earthly problems has actually made much difference in bettering our lives? GO SPACE!

Ron Shaneyfelt, Virginia Beach, VA (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:12 PM)

That old whine about feeding the poor , etc. instead of
doing actual Space exploration is just so old;
Please.... Stop them from breeding, and there won't be a problem ...
As to the exploration of Mercury , it's an awesome accomplishment ; the scientific rewards will be rolling in for Decades ... Way to Go , NASA! ( High 5 !! )

Steve, Ware, Ma. (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:13 PM)

Take care of the Earth First. Those other lifeless rocks in our universe aren't going anywhere anytime soon... How about we use some of those NASA smarts to develop vehicles to move us around so we don't have to go to war over fossil fuels that will eventually run out or cause global war fighting for it. Feed the Hungry Here first. Bring our troops home before they are all slaughtered one at a time by people that think we are the devil anyway. Take care of our people First. Then we can worry if some rock on a distant planet is made of iron. Priorities People.

Barry M Newport News, VA (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:16 PM)

Mercury as called by us Humans,is only another 'shield' strategically placed around the Earth [as other 'planets' revolving in the same cluster] to absorb nucleus size negative protocells which left alone, would destabilised earth's polarity causing a shift in its position. The results of such event would be catastrophic and cause civilisation as we know it, to cease.

Michael Gravel (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:20 PM)

Obviously a waste of time and money. We should stop all this nonsense and go back to herding sheep and tending our crops.

Oh wait,

Man does not live by bread only. There must be something more.

Oh, and if you think that if we didn’t fund things like this the money would go to healthcare and social services, you have not been listening to Bill O’Reilly

Steven, Seattle, WA (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:20 PM)

I am so so so tired of people saying we need to spend ever increasing amounts on the poor who do not work enough to sustain themselves at the expense of the space program. The space program provides jobs from highly technical to janitorial staff. Something America needs. The poor will always be with us from the beginning of time till the end. I do not want my tax money spent on non work types who do not contribute to society.

mark (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:24 PM)

Mercury is one of the four terrestrial planets and is 70% metallic. Mercury will probably be a great place for future mineral resources as the gravity is so low, it's easy to get them off the planet's surface.

Erik Witz, Rolesville, NC. (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:28 PM)

We aren't going to find anything in space that will cause us to stop being selfish, hateful, and laughably arrogant.

Jon (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:41 PM)

I could never figure out why Ferdinand and Isabella funded Columbus' journey to the edge of the Earth.

Surely the fact that millions were dying in the known world because of lack of sanitation and food was a better way to spend money.

Steve McKenna, Bellmore,NY (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:42 PM)

Thanks Alan. Those were great links.

Good to know that NASA is successfully completing missions. Now all those kids that we are feeding and sending through school will have something to work on when the graduate.

Sean, Phoenix, AZ (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:45 PM)

What a bargan! For 10% less then the price of one stealth bomber we can study a planet. If there was no spirit of exploration, this country wouldn't even exist as we know it! Much of the technology we take for granted today, was developed originally for use in the exploration of space. Please compare the budget of NASA to the profits of the health care industry, the defense contractors, big oil, etc. etc. Notice I said profits. Exploration and learning are fundamental to what it is to be a human (as well as most of earth's creatures). Money well spent even if it takes 10 years to realize the benefits.

Theron, Reno, NV (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:47 PM)

Hear, hear!! to Steve of Ware. "Stop them from breeding..." Stop all of us from breeding for a while and heal the Earth. As for space - let's go! All knowledge is good.

Deb, Michigan City, Ind. (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:47 PM)

I absolutely love astronomy and the study of everything outside of our own little bubble. For those inquiring about spending the money for religious endevours, you should look at these photographs and admire the completexity and beauty of what God has done. For those concerned about using that money for healthcare and similar concerns; the money used for this comes from a different pot of money. Anyone that has had any dealings with the government would understand that. 95% of the responses on here are negative which shows how sad of a state "we" are in. Striving to make things better is a good thing, but constant criticism and complaining about it does nothing productive.

Dave, currently stationed in South Korea (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:50 PM)

It's interesting to notice those who preferred recess over science class.

Geoff, Dayton, OH (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:52 PM)

I am very much in support of our space program.
I believe that humankind's need to explore and our thirst for knowledge is what distinguishes us as the most successful and (sometimes sadly), impactful species on our planet Earth since life emerged about 1 billion years ago.
People are blessed with cognizance and adaptive creativity, so there will always be conflict and turmoil of some sort.
We are still animals however. Just like a baby sea turtle lumbering over the sand on its way to the ocean, we are imbedded with a sense of purpose. We are driven to explore. That's what we do. That's what we are.

vern (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:53 PM)

It could be worse, they could have sent people out there for 100X the cost, just like they want to send people to Mars. I say compromise and keep sending robotic vehicles. It's a lot cheaper.

John Mc (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:54 PM)

I understand why people get frustrated when they see the dollar amounts associated with space discoveries and the like, but "pure science" (science done simply for science's sake, not for some application) is absolutely essential. So many significant leaps in our technological know-how come only from that "pure science", i.e. - x-rays, DNA, and many more that we take for granted every day. As J. J. Thomson said: "Applied science makes improvements; pure science makes revolutions." So, instead of focusing our ire on NASA, realize that the portion of the U.S. fiscal budget that is allocated towards science, most of which goes to applied science, is only about 1%. That includes ALL the funding for science: the money that goes to NASA, NSF, educational institutions, etc. For something that creates things that are so integral to our way of life, that's a very small number. Compare that to Social Security and defense, where almost half the federal budget goes (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/browse.html). So, realize that discoveries like this may not make sense to you now, but could potentially change your way of life in the future.

Summer, Seattle, WA (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:56 PM)

Cool! Mercury does look a lot like the Earth's Moon. Both are terrestrial (rock) worlds from the inner solar system, and both are relatively small, so they cooled off quickly. That means major geological features, like big volcanoes and plate tectonics didn't have a chance to form. Though not as interesting as Mars or Venus, Mercury can tell us intersting things about the way the solar system formed.

John, Charlotte, N.C. (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:59 PM)

I have stopped breeding ... After six kids , that's plenty ... They all eat well, have a job, and fill a positive role in society ...

steve, Ware , Ma. (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 9:12 PM)

OK, let me be the bad guy here...

First off, it is extremely inportant for us to do the studies that we're doing. We learn something, a lot of something, each time we send a probe to Mars, a rocket to blow up a asteroid, or even an orbiter to return readings from faraway moons and or planets.

Second, it doesn't matter how much is spent on heath care, there will always be people that refuse to help themselves. You complain about our country not caring, look at how much money and support is sent to other countries for that very reason.

How about this:
Let's say the government decided to let you choose...
You can receive a refund for every penny that you have contributed through your taxes to the space program and will never be cut for it again.
In return you give up everything in relation to the space program. You give up any use to future inventions and information.
Would you do it? You can't have it both ways... You decide... Think about it... Do you have any idea of what percentage of your taxes goes to the space program (very little)? Do you have any idea of how much we have learned and developed through the space program (a lot of what you see and use today).

Look up, you might see something you like...

The Rookie Astronomer,
Rodney...
:-)

Rodney Sibert Jr., Trussville, AL (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 9:13 PM)

Actually, some ancient manuscripts were found in the Empty Quarter just last week which, when translated, revealed that on the 7th night of the 7th day, God had a fever and sore throat because of hell raising. Whereupon, the celestial angels sore sought God's succor and comfort by attempting to register the Creator's ethereal temperature and pulse. Unfortunately, the Creator had just caught sight of a really hot Venus from the corner of his eye causing him to bite most firmly on the angels' caloric register probe. Fused silicon (Genesis form of glass) flew about the sun and a few particles of silvery material coalesced to form what we now know as Mercury. This is the absolute truth as derived from the King Jimmy's version of the Bible, honest. Now let's get on with space exploration after we neuter/spay all those who want space funding diverted for their green fly reproductive mentality.

Bubba, the Magnificent, State of Rapture (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 9:22 PM)

With all due respect, those of you who are complaining about government funding for space exploration do not have the slightest clue about humanity's history in the realm of scientific discovery. It is only through scientific endeavors for the pure sake of knowledge that we have the knowledge, discoveries and inventions of today. Look at virtually any scientific invention or discovery and trace its historical origins - you will see that they did NOT come about because scientists were actively searching for it. Quite the opposite is true; scientists try to solve a problem, and an answer to ANOTHER problem emerges. It has always been this way. Space exploration and what an ignorant person deems "useless science" is the fuel of our species. Discovery has been a part of us since we were not even yet human. You cannot separate us from our curious origins.

And Milt Walker, I also missed the part in Genesis, or the entire Bible for that matter, about the origins of Mercury, or conclusive evidence from the Bible about the origins of the solar system. In a matter of science, please do not bring religion into it, unless you have empirical evidence to verify your claims. If you do, I am open to hear it.

Vlad, Brooklyn, NY (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 9:28 PM)

[...] Milty, I missed the verse in Genesis about the origin of Mercury, perhaps you could direct me.
FROM: Eugene Hulbert (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 7:50 PM)

--------------

[...] If you would take the time to open the Bible it would be the very first line, of the first paragraph in the first chapter. The Bible starts out in Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and earth". The last time I checked, Mercury was still a heavenly planet body.

Jeff - Bristol, TN (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 9:39 PM)

What has space exploration contributed to the US? Let's see - countless advances in materials science, software engineering, biology, health sciences:
- push into satellites brought space military superiority and the eventual fall of communism;
- GPS;
- advanced telecommunications and modern cell phone technology (cell phones anyone?);
- satellite TV;
- SETI's distributed computing ideas are now used by distributed computing research software projects:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_distributed_computing_projects;

Oh, I don't know. Sounds like it's worth it.

Lou, Chicago, IL (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 9:40 PM)

"Now let's get on with space exploration after we neuter/spay all those who want space funding diverted for their green fly reproductive mentality".
Bubba, the Magnificent, State of Rapture

Bubba please quit picking on the green flies. They have no superstitious deities.

As far a medical care; we would still be using ancient techniques if the advancements in electronics and composites, gleaned from aerospace research, would not have come about.

Mike, Manitowoc, WI (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 10:01 PM)

I believe exploration of the solar system and beyond is of great importance to mankind. Why wouldn't one want to learn of the origin of the planets and what our place in the universe actually is. Man's knowledge should extend far beyond the dimensions of the Earth.

Mark, Hamden, CT (Sent Wednesday, January 16, 2008 10:02 PM)

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