Doggedly searching for the crux of the biscuit.
Cassini spots the 60th moon orbiting Saturn. This one is a mere 2 km across.
The Cassini Imaging Team, who found the object, said Saturn's moon count could rise further still. [...] Professor Keith Mason, chief executive of the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), said: "It is amazing to think that when Cassini embarked upon its epic journey to Saturn in 1997, we only knew about 18 of its moons. Since then, through observations from ground based telescopes and the Cassini spacecraft, a further 42 have been identified."
This just makes me sad that the Bush administration defunded the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter.
This just makes me sad that the Bush administration defunded the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter.
You and me both, pal. That was the first project I worked on when I started with my current employer. It was a great program.
There's a model of the proposed design over at the JPL which is pretty much all that's left of the program. It's basically a $60 million model.
Posted by: Cangrejero at July 20, 2007 03:30 PMYeah, so instead of a revolutionary program that would generate unbelievable amounts of new knowledge, we're going to build a fucking moonbase. Maybe.
Posted by: apostropher at July 20, 2007 03:36 PM2: I like the idea of restoring a heavy lift vehicle ala Saturn V and canning the Shuttle though. That goddamn death trap shuttle has got to go.
But sheesh I want to know why Europa is so purpleish-red. Strange pigments are upwelling from underneath those ice floes. Makes me think that life could be there.
And that would be the most profound discovery of the 21st century, if found.
Posted by: Jon at July 20, 2007 09:54 PM