Marsmorial Day

I'm aware that the NASA space exploration program is not without its political controversy, particularly among those who would prefer the money spent on our problems here on Earth. However, I'm a sucker for space travel because I believe we need frontiers and because I'd like to think there are things to learn out there which apply to us here.

For example, if Mars did indeed once sustain life, then in our perilous age of global warming, maybe there's a lesson up there.

So I'm happy that NASA won one this weekend with the successful landing of the Phoenix Mars Mission, closest to the still frozen northern pole of the Red Planet than ever before, hence maybe closer to more clues, maybe even life itself. An overview:



And if you want to see a bunch of brainy engineers get really, really happy:



And if you want to get in on the extraterrestrial theories now, there's this new "anomaly":



Alien conspiracy theorists, start your engines!