Cassini Can Be a Source of Pride, and Detente

Re “A Ringside Seat Reveals Unexpected Phenomena,” July 2, and “Cassini Joins Rings and Moons of Saturn,” July 1: Here is news of one of humankind’s greatest achievements. After seven years and 2.2 billion miles, the Cassini spacecraft maneuvered its way through rings of ice and rocks, fired its retrorockets and began safely orbiting Saturn.

All Americans, with the members of the European and Italian space agencies, can hold up their heads proudly at what our scientists have accomplished.

We are still a nation that can accomplish great things.

Robert L. Douglass

Los Angeles

With Cassini-Huygens, Americans and Europeans alike should be proud to have achieved, through their respective agencies, the most advanced space mission of all, hardly dreamed of 50 years ago.

Space exploration and exploitation could be important as an international unifier. The challenges draw the best out of humanity. We have only begun cooperative efforts, sadly not so promising in the International Space Station, but spectacularly so with Cassini-Huygens.

Would relations with Iran and North Korea be different were they invited and challenged to participate in future space missions?

Edward Hujsak

La Jolla