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From: al@ames-lm.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: planetary program
Message-ID: <134@ames-lm.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 30-Jan-84 22:54:39 EST
Article-I.D.: ames-lm.134
Posted: Mon Jan 30 22:54:39 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 2-Feb-84 01:06:55 EST
Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 11

There has been a great deal of hand ringing over the lack of new
starts in the planetary program.  Prepare thyself for heracy, I
think the lack of new starts is a good thing, although it should
end in a year or two.  Why?

Well, when conducting science I believe that it is a good idea to
understand the results of your first experiment before charging
off on a second.  The planetary community should take a good hard
look at the Voyager data before designing the next set of planetary
missions, at least to the planets we've already visited.  This argument
is not valid for asteroids and comets of course.