From the Planetary Society...

Today, July 11, 2002, we called on the U.S. Congress to restore funding for the Pluto and Europa missions, following the endorsement of these two missions in the newly released National Academy of Sciences report, "New Frontiers in the Solar System: An Integrated Exploration Strategy."

"While the report encompasses all aspects of
planetary exploration," said Louis Friedman, our Executive Director, "the pressing issue before Congress is whether they will now overturn the Administration's proposed cancellation of the Pluto/Kuiper Belt flyby and Europa orbiter missions."

You Can Help Make it Happen! --"We are sending a petition to Congress signed by thousands of people and asking for restoration of the funding for the Pluto and Europa missions," said Friedman.

To sign The Planetary Society's Petition in Support of Space Exploration, go to: https://planetary.org/petition2/index.php

For the full story, please go to:
http://planetary.org/html/news/nrc-decadal-survey.htm

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Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by ignorance or stupidity.
Isaac Asimov

Regarding the Pluto & Europa missions, I understand that the Pluto Kuiper-Belt Express is scheduled to launch early next year, but is anyone aware of the latest developments in regards to the putative Europa mission which I personally think could well be a lot more interesting.

Pluto New Horizons scheduled to go on january 11, 2006

http://www.pluto.jhuapl.edu/


Europa mission for the time being is still in the brainstorming phase

live long anf prosper

Mauro

Why is it the anything that has to do with space exploration, always gets the end of the carrot not the whole carrot? (Funding), from Congress?

It's like always when budget decision comes its always NASA that gets reduced fundings.

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"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"

-Arthur C. Clarke

Politics. Thats why I want to shut down all space assets for a week. To let everyone know that space isn't just for geeks--it's the real-est *&$! thing in their lives.

There's a group studying the possiblity of launching an Europa orbiter in the 2012-2015 range according to this information


http://www.space.com/scienceastronom...r_planets.html

But I'm waiting for the day that somebody decides to send a robot able to drill the ice cover...

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Travelling around the Universe