THE FUTURE FOR SPACE EXPLORATION
The past for planetary and solar-system exploration has been spectacular, both from a scientific perspective and for its inspirational value. It has not been accomplished without hard work, some grief, false starts and hopes, and quick modifications. This is in part because our methods for establishing goals, planning, and funding through the federal government are not really geared to a time scale for planetary exploration that can involve 10 to 15 years from conception to launch. In this regard the problems in planetary exploration are not much different from other areas of science, in that the length of time between conception of a scientific experiment and its execution grows steadily longer. It is difficult to carry out complicated scientific programs spanning many years, during which the level of funding shows dramatic fluctuations.
