Hee look at that! Awesome!

What an incredible landing. Being close to this work I know how much hard work, stress and all the challenges involved. Yet, beginning with Griffin, the PI, PMs all forgot to add to the check list a simple task: A Thank you to the American Public. These engineers and scientists are living out their life's dream with the American public paying the way. Columbus and other great explorers begged then thanked their King or Queen on their knees. I think the researchers have the begging part down pat. Its the thank you part that needs work. This triumph is one for all Americans.

When viewing the Mission Control Room during the last 40 minutes before touch down, the sound card in my computer packed up. For me, it was a silent movie; which made me closely study the faces, expressions, eyes, body language, fingers, knee shaking etc etc of the persons in the room.

Every human emotion, from a child's wonder, through an achiever's triumph, to a sage's serenity were being played out across the computer's screen.

I strongly recommend that you see again the last half an hour or so, without sound. You will experience a wholly new human dimension of bonding with the persons in the Mission Control and through it, with the Mission, Mars and the Universe.

We have many miles to go - Ceres, Europa, Pluto ....

Pretty hackney-ed and cynical, telluric. I wonder if you think any of these guys are getting rich doing this stuff. I get sick of hearing c**p like yours. I'd make ALOT more money in industry, designing cell phones. Maybe "the public" oughtta thank, THEM for doing what they do (for peanuts) and get over the illusion that the space program constitutes a significant part of their tax dollar.

My comment is neither H-eyed or cynical. Come on. Unlike the mid-90s, NASA salaries are competitive with industry. Federal employees trade some salary for job security. I have not heard anyone complain about their salaries and while people complain and worry about development problems, at the end of the day, they love the work they do. Where their "love" is strained, its due to the NASA management problems. Now, the public does get something of great value out of NASA R&D and exploration but in great moments of achievement such as we had this last weekend, NASA researchers and engineers should not only pat each other on the back but thank the public for the opportunity. NASA has public outreach which is one way of giving back but is not a substitute for the explicit act of expressing thanks in these moments when they are center stage with the public and the world. And what a noble way it would be to demonstrate the relation between government programs and the public in a Democracy. NASA's missing this opportunity, smacks of some underlying elitism.