A TRIUMPH OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND INGENUITY

I am very happy that the Mars Curiosity mission is a success so far.  Knowing that Curiosity is safely on the surface of Mars is a relief!

Why am I so excited about this?  I believe the human race shouldn't lose its need for exploration.  Most of Earth has been explored, and maybe it's time we should start seeing other planets.  Curiosity about our universe is a healthy thing, and this mission will open some new doors for us.

I personally don't think it's such a huge deal whether we find life or Mars, or even evidence that it once existed there.

I think the big deal is that JPL and NASA are proving they are still relevant, still viable.

I was just a baby during the time of the space race, when the Soviets launched Sputnik and we were suddenly launched into a race for the stars with our ideological opponents.  While some of us would say we need to fix our planet before we go spending all kinds of money on outer space and its exploration, I have to say I am glad this mission is going 'so far, so good'.

For it to be a failure would bring on a newer, heavier avalanche of conservative cries for privatization of all space exploration.  For them, it would have been proof of "yet another failure of a government program".  Do we want politically-motivated corporate interests exploring the universe exclusively, or do we want the United States of America doing the exploring too?  I opt for the latter.  NASA and private space exploration should be able to exist side by side and benefit from each other, and I am proud to say that some of my tax dollars go to NASA.

The one thing that would be fun about finding life elsewhere or evidence of it would be to see how the world's various religions would spin it.  How would that go?  So maybe I DO want them to find some evidence of life elsewhere after all.  8-)