scientific politics, as she is done

[twoeleven]

from an open letter to NASA's administration:

We the undersigned leaders view with alarm NASA's announced intention to prematurely end the exploration of the solar system's Kuiper Belt by New Horizons well before the spacecraft leaves the Kuiper Belt. We also view with alarm NASA's intention to replace the New Horizons science team with a new team.

[...most of the text and signatories elided...]

Sir Brian May
Astrophysicist and Lead Guitar of Queen

[...]

:D

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i can't imagine why NASA would consider either. missions cruising in interplanetary space are extremely cheap to operate -- one or two FTE PIs, plus about that much money for DSN time -- and as far as i know, the mission team hasn't done anything to justify replacing them.

Comments

[bluepapercup]

WHY WHY WHYYY would they do this. Missions like New Horizons are enormously popular with the public and the scientific returns are GIGANTIC per dollar spent on the mission.