Funding Approved for Pluto/Kuiper Probe

azpenguin writes "While we discuss the acheivements of the now-silent Pioneer 10, Congress has apporved funding for the "New Horizons" mission to send a probe to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Space.com has the story here. NASA had actually fought the idea, but Congress approved the money anyway. Wonder if in 12 years (when the probe is supposed to reach Pluto) the public will be as fascinated with the pictures coming back as much as with the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft." In related news, dalewj writes "Seems the team at JPL will discontinue operations on the Galileo Space probe to Jupiter after extended the mission three times. Galileo has been in space since 1989 and has some amazing findings and pictures available on the JPL website. Truly NASA and JPL's best effort to date."

Comments

By the rate things are going

[lingqi]

Wonder if in 12 years (when the probe is supposed to reach Pluto) the public will be as fascinated with the pictures coming back as much as with the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft."

I do wonder if there will be humans left by that time, or humans who arn't fighting against nuclear winter to actually care.

It would be a great shame if the probe goes out there and send back pictures, only to have noone there to recieve them - especially considering that this will be the best chance to observe pluto in gosh knows how many centuries.

Seriously though, why can't Bush just chill out? Warning N. Korea that he may use a pre-emptive nuclear strike? wtf is he THINKING?