Blazing Trails Beyond Earth Orbit

摘要

It would be a mistake to think the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of Pasadena, Calif., has less to do as NASA focuses on human spaceflight to the Moon and Mars, according to the agency's director. Historically focused on robotic spacecraft, JPL will conduct missions that pave the way for the human space exploration outlined in U.S. President George W. Bush's Vision for Space Exploration, said JPL Director Charles Elachi. The pace of missions already is picking up, Elachi said, pointing to four scientific spacecraft launches scheduled in 2009 -compared to one launch every two years a decade ago - and 18 JPL spacecraft currently operating in space, including the the Mars Phoenix Lander that recently proved the presence of water on Mars.