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Liftoff Into 2005

© Robert Davis

It's a new year, and much is afoot in the world of space exploration. So, without further ado, and in no particular order, a smattering of notable headlines to get 2005 started--not so much a look back as a look forward:

1. The Vision for Space Exploration is marking its first anniversary. One year ago, President Bush set a new course for American space exploration by calling for the near-term completion of the International Space Station, retirement of the venerable but ailing space shuttle, creation of a new Crew Exploration Vehicle for new voyages into and beyond Earth orbit, and resumption of human exploration of the moon with the ultimate purpose of heading to Mars. A tall order, with similarities to many previous (and failed) initiatives, but after a year's time, this vision seems to be sticking. NASA has been dramatically transformed even in this short time, with more to come, and there seems to be every cause for hope and optimism that at last, we're heading beyond Earth orbit to stay.

2. NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe has resigned. The three notable features of his tenure have been the loss of the space shuttle Columbia, the comprehensive reorganization to deal with that tragedy and to implement the President's Vision for Space Exploration, and the surgery required to deal with serious budgetary hemorrhaging in the neighborhood of the International Space Station. The arrival of the Cassini spacecraft at Saturn and the landings of the Mars Exploration Rovers, named Spirit and Opportunity, also happened on his watch.

3. Speaking of those Mars Exploration Rovers, the rover Spirit has now been tooling around Mars for a full year. While the original mission plan called for 90 days, Spirit has kept going strong for four times that span, and is still trucking. Although it isn't known how long Spirit or Opportunity will be able to continue operations, at present there are no indications that either one is about to give up the ghost. They may be past warranty, but they're still firmly in the game. Chief among the rovers' accomplishments has been the dramatic discovery that Mars did, indeed, have a watery past--and a very watery one, at that; perhaps even watery enough for there to have been life.

4. With Cassini now orbiting Saturn, this month will see the European Space Agency's Huygens probe descending into the atmosphere of the moon Titan. Titan is a large moon, and shockingly possesses a thick atmosphere. That atmosphere is heavy in hydrocarbons and obscures the surface, so it isn't known what the Huygens probe will find. It might crash into a rocky surface, or it might plunge into an ocean of liquid methane. We really don't know. Whatever happens, though, as long as Huygens descends successfully, the results are sure to be astounding. Cassini itself will continue its protracted tour of the Saturnian system for a number of years. This is definitely unmanned space exploration at its best.