Well its double news day today…. the European Space Agency successfully launched its new vehicle, Vega, from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana today. This is a significant development as it is currently a hole in ESAs launch capabilities that they have been using Russian ICBMs for. Anyway, apparently there is a 40% success rate on the launch of new vehicles, so its good to see success here (and I bet the 8 missions launched for free were pretty happy as well).
…and on the same day the US has reduced funds to NASA for planetary reseasrch meaning that the plug is pulled on future joint Martian missions. Greater focus on human exploration and space technology.
