Ad Astra Volume 16 Number 2 2004

ON THE COVER: Nightfall on Titan seas, as imagined by Slovenian artist Gregor Kervina. Saturn’s largest moon is a primary focus of the Huygens-Cassini mission, scheduled to begin in July. The image depicts the Huygens probe floating in a methane/ethane lake believed to exist beneath the hazy atmosphere of Titan. Photo: NASA.

Featured Articles:

• 16
  DITCHING HUBBLE BODES POORLY FOR FUTURE SPACE EXPLORATIONS
  NASA’s decision to end servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope ignites a wave of controversy over the meaning of acceptable risk.
  By Robert Zubrin
• 19
  PARTISAN POLITICS SHATTERING SPACE DREAM
  Democrats take issue with Bush space initiative.
  By Frank Sietzen, Jr.
• 20
  SCIENTISTS READY TO HOP ABOARD MANNED MOON INITIATIVE
  With the new Moon initiative researchers can break new ground on lunar studies.
  By Larry O’Hanlon
• 23
  SAILING AT SATURN
  A seven-year space voyage ends in July with the arrival of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft and Europe’s Huygens probe at Saturn.
  By Kurt Hayes
• 27
  REMEMBERING COLUMBIA?
  The new vision could end up being a first step in the long-term development of space, and hence the best tribute imaginable to Columbia.
  By Joan Johnson-Freese