Coming Sunday: Can Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson play spoiler in the battle ground state of Nevada? Also: A look at Nevada’s Libertarian Party.
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Cayman Islands premier scrapping income tax on expatriates
KINGSTON, Jamaica The Cayman Islands is scrapping a plan to impose a direct income tax on thousands of expatriates working in the British Caribbean territory that is famed as a no-tax financial center.
Premier McKeeva Bush issued a terse statement late Monday saying that his proposed tax was "off the table and will not be implemented." He did not say what alternative revenues might replace it.
The islands leader said only that his administration was "satisfied that many of the commitments from the private sector" will meet his demands for a new source of revenue for the government that wont hit the poorest citizens. He has been huddling with business leaders in recent days.
Zero direct taxation, friendly regulations and the global money they lured have transformed the tiny British territory into the worlds sixth largest financial center, with $1.6 trillion officially booked international assets.
Bush announced in late July that he planned to impose a direct tax on expatriate workers income Sept. 1 to bail the territorial government out of a financial hole and to meet Britains demand that Cayman diversify its sources of revenue beyond the work permit fees, duties and other fees it now relies on.
He later said the annual income threshold would be $36,000, which would have affected about 5,870 expatriates. He described it as a "community enhancement fee" rather than a tax.
The proposal outraged many people, who said the tax would be discriminatory and could destroy the islands main economic anchor.
On Tuesday, many expatriates were still left guessing about what the new revenue measures would include.
"The only reaction is confusion as the uncertainty continues. At least he has removed this one tax that would have been our death sentence," said Grand Cayman real estate broker Kim Lund, who added that several deals fell through after Bush announced the tax plan.
Some wealthy expatriates had said they planned to leave Grand Cayman, where accountants, lawyers and other skilled professionals work in coastal offices looking out on clear, blue seas.
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Cayman Islands drops plan to tax foreign workers' income
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (Reuters) - The Cayman Islands has dropped plans to impose an income tax on foreign workers nearly two weeks after proposing it in a last-ditch effort to overcome budget woes.
The Cayman Islands, which has had no income tax, is known as a tax haven for the mega-rich. The irony of imposing the tax was not lost on the financial industry workers who came out in droves to protest a measure that they said could hurt the industry that has made the beach-lined British territory one of the richest in the Caribbean.
The unprecedented proposal - called a "community enhancement fee" - would have imposed a 10 percent tax on foreign workers earning more than US$43,200, amended from US$24,000 when it was initially announced.
Critics said the proposal would cost the territory its primary competitive edge and send international investors to other jurisdictions with lower business costs.
Following an urgent discussion with several high-profile business leaders, Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush said on Monday that alternate revenues had been identified.
"The tax would be taken off the table if robust, credible and sustainable revenue that did not hurt the poorest members of our islands was found. We are satisfied that many of the commitments from the private sector will meet these criteria," he said.
Neither he nor the business leaders identified those revenues but they were expected to be revealed at a public meeting on Wednesday night.
Several industry associations released statements opposing the tax. The outcry also was reflected in the Facebook page Caymanians & Expats United Against Taxation, which collected over 11,000 members in less than a week. The Cayman population is about 53,000.
While foreign workers make up about 50 percent of the Cayman labor force, there were plenty of loopholes that would have excluded the majority of the top earners in the territory as well as civil servants, leaving the bulk of the payroll tax burden to middle-income workers in the private sector.
Experts said the amount of extra revenue the new payroll tax would have brought in would not be enough to overcome the government's growing deficit problems.
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Firefighters beat back Canary Islands blazes, Spain on alert
Firefighters made strides Tuesday against wildfires on Spain's Canary Islands that charred parts of a protected forest, but with a heatwave forecast the country was on alert for more blazes.
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Firefighters beat back Canary Islands blazes, Spain on alert
Community Health Centers fill crucial role
Community Health Centers stand ready to provide high-quality primary health care to thousands more Tennesseans under the new health-care reform law - the Affordable Care Act.
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Cigna Honored at White House for Efforts to Reduce Health Care Disparities
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cigna (CI) was one of nine organizations that U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, recognized today for efforts to reduce health care disparities. The recognition came at a special roundtable at the White House hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House Business Council and the National Business Group on Health (NBGH).
Dr. Christina Stasiuk, Cigna's national medical director for health disparities, accepted the Surgeon Generals Medallion on behalf of Cigna and its Health Disparities Council, including council co-chair Peggy Payne, M.A., and council lead Brooke Tomblin, MPH. The medallion is awarded in recognition of exceptional achievements that advance the cause of public health and medicine.
Health disparities are differences in rates of disease, health outcomes or access to health care that are related to many factors, such as gender, age, geography, race/ethnicity, education, income, language, culture, literacy, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. For example, Mexican Americans have nearly twice the rate of diabetes compared to the general population, while African American men have 1.5 times the rate of high blood pressure. More women will die within one year of their first heart attack than men. Health disparities have many causes, including communications barriers, cultural beliefs and practices, medical bias, variations in access to and quality of care, low health literacy and social causes.
We are honored to accept this award and recognition from the Surgeon General of the United States, and Cigna will continue to advance this important work in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House Business Council and the National Business Group on Health, said David Cordani, Cigna's president and chief executive officer. We believe that all of the people Cigna serves should have access to high quality care and an equal opportunity to enjoy good health. Thats why were working to remove cultural, linguistic and other barriers, connecting people to meaningful health information and studying new ways to engage people in health improvement. This work reflects Cignas commitment to diversity and inclusion, and is core to our belief that we must treat each customer as a unique individual.
We are thrilled and grateful that the Surgeon General has honored Cigna and the other organizations that we have recognized over the past two years for their innovative programs to reduce health disparities, said Helen Darling, president and CEO of the National Business Group on Health. Good health for the entire population is crucial to quality of life, our standard of living, productivity and the nations overall success. Its especially important that health service companies take an active role in working to reduce health disparities and Cigna's leadership in this area is commendable.
In March, NBGH honored Cigna with its Award for Innovation in Reducing Health Care Disparities. Todays event was an opportunity to further recognize Cigna and other organizations that NBGH has honored during the past two years, and it provided an opportunity for these organizations to share their experiences and successes with one another, and discuss ideas for continuing the work to reduce health care disparities.
Cigna launched its Health Disparities Council in 2008. It comprises more than 200 employee volunteers from across the companys departments who facilitate the exchange of ideas, share knowledge, and identify internal and external opportunities to address health care disparities in culturally sensitive and medically appropriate ways.
A key part of Cigna's work has been improving the cultural competency and linguistic sensitivity of its staff. More than 20,000 employees have completed cultural competency training and all bilingual employees are tested for proficiency. The company has also adapted into Spanish and traditional Chinese its Words We Use guide for simpler communications.
The company has collaborated with organizations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundations Finding Answers program and RAND Corporation to conduct health disparities research. The Finding Answers study, which focused on high blood pressure, showed that people respond to health communications that are tailored to them. People enrolled in the study who had slightly elevated blood pressure were far more receptive to the health message than were people with higher blood pressure.
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Cigna Honored at White House for Efforts to Reduce Health Care Disparities
More Companies Offer Perks To Lose Pounds As Incentives To Stay Healthy Increase
More employers are offering financial incentives to get workers into wellness programs, fitness classes or gyms and demanding to see improvement before they reward the workers with cash. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Though most U.S. employers regularly greet their workers with a bigger and bigger tab for health care, they are also [...]
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More Companies Offer Perks To Lose Pounds As Incentives To Stay Healthy Increase
What's the right medical choice for you? Going to the best place for your problem
What's the right medical choice for you? Going to the best place for your problem
We all know that health care is important, but it is also confusing.
When you have an ailment, where do you go? Where is the best place to get help as quickly as you need it and care that matches the severity of your problem?
As an emergency medicine specialist, I know that patients need help to know where they need to go to receive the care they need.
When patients are educated and empowered, they can assume responsibility to make the right decision about cost, location and medical need. Everyone agrees that health care needs more efficiency, and empowering patients with knowledge is where it starts.
Bravo to many businesses, both large and small, that are now taking measures to ensure that their employees better understand their insurance offerings. The rising cost of health care is related to ill-informed provider choices that are contributing to higher premiums and a higher cost of care.
Bravo to insurance companies for offering patients more tools to help them make the right decision. Many companies now have tools available that help patients get an idea of the price of a procedure before they go for care. This is progress, and more transparency in pricing is coming.
Bravo to doctors for educating their patients about the different levels of care available. From a patients perspective, understanding where to go is an important first step.
Barring a 911-type emergency, patients need to see their primary care physician as a first choice. You can think of your primary care doctors office as your front door into the health care system.
But what can patients do if their primary care doctor is not available, or they need emergency care? If you have a choice (and, again it isnt a life-threatening emergency), you have three options.
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What's the right medical choice for you? Going to the best place for your problem
Total Recall
-All Dates- Wednesday, August 8 Thursday, August 9 Friday, August 10 Saturday, August 11 Sunday, August 12 Monday, August 13 Tuesday, August 14 Wednesday, August 15 Thursday, August 16 Friday, August 17 Saturday, August 18 Sunday, August 19 Monday, August 20 Tuesday, August 21 Wednesday, August 22 Thursday, August 23 Friday, August 24 Saturday, August 25 Sunday, August 26 Monday, August 27 Tuesday, August 28 Wednesday, August 29 Thursday, August 30 Friday, August 31 Saturday, September 1 Sunday, September 2 Monday, September 3 Tuesday, September 4 Wednesday, September 5 Thursday, September 6 Friday, September 7 -All Categories- CONTESTS - WIN TICKETS Giveaways EVENTS Activism Atlantic Book Awards Bike Week Canada Games CKDU Fundraiser Culture Days Dance Earth Day Family Fashion Film Screening Food & Drink Fundraiser Green, Environmental Halifax Independent Film Festival Health & Wellness Lecture Literary Meeting National Campus/Community Radio Conference Outdoors Special Event Special Event: Titanic 100 Sports Tall Ships Workshop FESTIVALS 4 Days: Thinking Forward Halifax African Heritage Month Asian Heritage Month Atlantic Film Festival Canadian Surf Film Festival Fall Festivals Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival Multicultural Festival Nova Scotia Fall Wine Festival OUTeast Pride Week Prismatic Festival Queer & Rebel Days Spring Festivals Summer Festivals The Sex Festival HOLIDAY EVENTS Canada Day Weekend December Festivities Halloween May 24 Weekend Natal Day Weekend New Year's Eve St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Day ON STAGE Atlantic Fringe Festival Comedy Etc. Dance DaPoPo's Live-In Fall for Flamenco Festival Halifax Comedy Festival Queer Acts Theatre Festival Spoken Word Theatre VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITS Galleries Museums Other Spaces -All Neighborhoods- Barrington Bayers Lake/Fairview/Clayton Park Bedford/Lower Sackville Dartmouth Downtown North End Out of Town Quinpool South End Spring Garden Spryfield/Purcell's Cove Waterfront West End -All Dates- Wednesday, August 8 Thursday, August 9 Friday, August 10 Saturday, August 11 Sunday, August 12 Monday, August 13 Tuesday, August 14 Wednesday, August 15 Thursday, August 16 Friday, August 17 Saturday, August 18 Sunday, August 19 Monday, August 20 Tuesday, August 21 Wednesday, August 22 Thursday, August 23 Friday, August 24 Saturday, August 25 Sunday, August 26 Monday, August 27 Tuesday, August 28 Wednesday, August 29 Thursday, August 30 Friday, August 31 Saturday, September 1 Sunday, September 2 Monday, September 3 Tuesday, September 4 Wednesday, September 5 Thursday, September 6 Friday, September 7 -All Categories- Big Ticket Shows Dead of Winter DJ Halifax Jazz Festival Halifax Pop Explosion Halifax Urban Folk Festival Karaoke Live Music Long Live The Queen Obey Convention Open Mic Scotia Festival of Music -All Neighborhoods- Barrington Bayers Lake/Fairview/Clayton Park Bedford/Lower Sackville Dartmouth Downtown North End Out of Town Quinpool South End Spring Garden Spryfield/Purcell's Cove Waterfront West End -All Categories- ARTS VENUES Galleries Live Music Movie Theatres Museums Other Arts Spaces Stage/Performance Theatres BODY CARE & SALONS Cosmetics, Beauty Products Hair Salons Massage Therapists Spas Tattoos, Piercings Parlors BARS Breweries Cocktail Lounge DJ/Dancefloor Gay Bar Hotel Bar Karaoke Live Music Venue Neighbourhood Joint Pool Tables Pubs R&B / Jazz Speciality Beers Sports Bar Student Bar Wine Bar COMMUNITY Churches, Spiritual Community Centres Convention Centres Government Health Centre Libraries Media Public Transport Schools, Universities Social Clubs FASHION Athleticwear Clothing: New Clothing: Used, Vintage Eyewear Formalwear Jewellery, Watches Lingerie, Hoisery Shoes, Bags, Hats Swimwear Tartan FOOD & DRINK Bakery Beer Catering Health Food, Supplements Markets, Specialty Foods Pastries, Candies & Chocolates Supermarkets Wine, Wineries GREEN Architects Banks Energy Efficiency & Supplies Environmental/Ecological Groups Gardening Graphic Designers, Printers Green Transport Interior Decorators Laundry, Diapers Recycling, Cleaning Woodworking, Carpentry HOMES Antiques, Vintage Appliances Blinds, Drapery Building Supplies Ceramics and Tile Design and Architecture Electrical stores Fabrics, Upholstery Fireplaces Flooring Furniture Garden Shops, Nurseries Hardware Home Accessories Kitchens and Bathrooms Landscaping, lawn care Lighting Mattresses, beds and futons Paint and painters Prints, Posters and Wall Decor Rugs, Carpeting Spas, pools, saunas and outdoor living Windows and doors HOTELS & TRAVEL Hotels and Resorts Tours Travel Agencies RECREATION & OUTDOORS Beaches, Lakes Bike Shops Boardshops, Surfing Canoe, Kayak Fitness Studios, Gyms Golf Courses Marinas, Boating Clubs Parks & Landmarks Sporting Goods Stores Sports Centres Trails Yoga, Pilates SHOPPING Auto, Motorcycle & Scooter Bookstores & Newstands Cameras CDs, DVDs, Videos Comics Computers, Electronics Department Stores Florists Gaming Gifts, Arts & Crafts Hobbies, Art Supplies Kids Malls Mobile Phones Musical Instruments Online Boutiques, Designers and Suppliers Pets Pharmacies Sex Toys, Adult Smoke Shops Stationery Tent & Party Rentals -All Neighborhoods- Barrington Bayers Lake/Fairview/Clayton Park Bedford/Lower Sackville Dartmouth Downtown North End Out of Town Quinpool South End Spring Garden Spryfield/Purcell's Cove Waterfront West End
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Freedom to Read Foundation unveils new website, blog
CHICAGO — The Freedom to Read Foundation ( FTRF ) — the First Amendment legal defense organization affiliated with the American Library Association — is unveiling of its new website . The site — which retains the URL http://www.ftrf.org — is a significant upgrade for the organization and will enhance the online experience for FTRF members, donors, grant and award applicants and those who want to know ...
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FREEDOM TOWNSHIP: Layher defeats Siler in treasurer race
In Freedom Townships only contested primary election race, Rudy Layher defeated Ken Siler 139 to 67 for treasurer Tuesday, according to unofficial election results.
Im delighted, Layher said. Im just so glad and I look forward to working with everyone. Im happy I can be part of the township and hopefully I can give something back to the township.
Layher is a farmer with a Bachelors degree in agricultural engineering technology from Michigan State University.
He recently listed his key issues for the township as control of fiscal matters, practicing fiscal responsibility protecting the taxpayer and dealing with issues without increasing the township tax burden unnecessarily and preserving Freedom Townships rural heritage.
All other Freedom Township board races were uncontested.
Dale Weidmayer received 191 votes for supervisor, the position he currently holds.
Jennifer Alexa received 176 votes for clerk, also her current position.
Current trustees Dennis Huehl and Daniel Schaible earned 162 and 168 votes respectively in their bids to retain their seats.
The township had a voter turnout of 24.7 percent with 292 ballots cast.
All Freedom Township candidates in the primary election were Republicans. Tuesdays winners will face Independent and write-in candidates in the November election. Continued...
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Bits Blog: One on One: Steve Mann, Wearable Computing Pioneer
Steve Mann, considered by many to be the world’s first cyborg, sits down to discuss augmented reality, wearable Apple and Google products, and the idea of connecting computers to the brain.
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Bits Blog: One on One: Steve Mann, Wearable Computing Pioneer
One on One: Steve Mann, Wearable Computing Pioneer
Steve Mann is considered by many to be the world’s first cyborg. He has been using wearable computers that assist his vision since the 1970s. Now he wears a display screen over his right eye and is connected to a computer and the Internet.
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Ocean City beaches reopen after raw-sewage backup
Sharks or syringes, forget about it. That would totally ruin a beach vacation.
But people are more placid about poo, apparently. Although a raw-sewage spill prompted authorities to ban swimming at three of the busiest beaches in Ocean City, N.J., earlier this week, sunbathers crowded back into the ocean Tuesday afternoon, after Cape May County health officials declared the currents safe.
"Considering that Ocean City is seven miles long, I think it's a little bit overblown," said John Millon, 56, of Havertown, who spent Tuesday on the beach at Third Street. Millon, who has a house in Ocean City, swims in the ocean daily and didn't think that the sewage scare would keep him on the sand.
Authorities said that raw sewage backed up out of a grease-clogged sewer on Eighth Street, and recent rains swept it into storm drains, which empty into the ocean. Officials suspect that the clog was caused by someone illegally dumping grease into the sewer. Authorities forbade swimming at the Eighth and Ninth street beaches Monday and, because of how the tides ran, closed the 10th Street beach Tuesday morning, said Jim Mallon, Ocean City's director of community service.
The Cape May County Health Department tested the water?, and by midafternoon Tuesday deemed the bacteria levels acceptable to reopen all three beaches. Kevin Thomas, the department's health officer, said that crews test ocean water at 61 beaches from Ocean City down to Cape May Point every Monday, and it's not uncommon to have high bacteria readings during those tests. Closures, though, are required only after two consecutive days of high readings, which is fairly rare, he added. Thomas could remember just one other closure this summer one day last week at the beach off Stenton Place in Ocean City.
"Normally the water is fine," Thomas said. "But generally speaking, it's a good idea not to swim in the six hours or so after a major rainfall, when there's a lot of stuff coming out of those drains and washing off the streets."
Millon hopes that the city will find and punish the sewer dumper.
"If that's what happened, that a restaurant dumped grease in a sewer, they should really be fined, because tourism is the heart of the city, so you really have to protect the beach and the people at all costs," Millon said.
Millon said that the city won't start spying on sewers to detect the culprit. Rather, city officials will send out reminders to area merchants about how to properly dispose of grease.
Contact Dana DiFilippo at 215-854-5934 or difilid@phillynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanaDiFilippo and read her blog, phillyconfidential.com.
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South Beaches rolls to Senior League World Series
South Beaches advanced to the Senior League Baseball World Series in Bangor, Maine.
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NASA to Propose Flagship Astronomy Mission in 2015
WASHINGTON NASA plans to wait until 2015 to lay out a proposal for its next big astrophysics mission, which could take the form of a single large spacecraft or a series of smaller craft performing related studies, a senior agency official said July 30.
A new flagship mission stands almost no chance of being funded until after work is finished on the budget-busting James Webb Space Telescope, which is scheduled to launch in 2018, said Paul Hertz, director of NASAs Astrophysics Division. But the planning can begin before JWST begins its five-year mission to study the origins of the universe.
When the prime contract for the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, was awarded in 2002, the observatory, billed as the successor to NASAs hugely successful Hubble Space Telescope, was expected to launch in 2010 and cost a few billion dollars. The observatorys projected price tag has since risen to nearly $9 billion.
Unless a miracle occurs, our next opportunity to start a new strategic mission will be after [JWST] launches, Hertz told members of the NASA Advisory Committees astrophysics subcommittee. In 2017 we hope to start [work on] a new mission. We will put that plan in front of the community [in 2015] through the mid-decade review to find out whether they think we did a good job in following the decadal survey. [Giant Space Telescopes of the Future (Infographic)]
At the 2015 mid-decade review, the National Research Councils Committee for a Decadal Survey of Astronomy and Astrophysics will review NASAs progress in meeting the science goals laid out by the astrophysics community in a 10-year roadmap published in 2010. That document, New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics, is known informally as the astrophysics decadal survey.
Hertz said he will share more details about the options being considered for the 2015 mission proposal in a draft white paper to be released to the astrophysics community ahead of the American Astronomical Societys Jan. 6, 2013, winter meeting in Long Beach, Calif.
Hertz shared few details about the concepts being considered, but he did say NASA is keeping the option open for a Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, if the science that was supported in the decadal survey still drives us in that direction and if the politics allow us to do it.
Other options include missions that Hertz characterized as probes that in price and scale would fall somewhere between NASAs Explorer series of astrophysics missions, which cost up to several hundred million dollars, and a JWST- or Hubble-class observatory.
The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope was proposed as a $1.6 billion dark-energy mapping mission. Such an observatory could help scientists measure and understand the expansion of the universe and was accorded a high priority by the decadal survey.
However, the delays and soaring costs on the highly ambitious JWST mission forced NASAs Astrophysics Division to square its future plans with the budget realities of the present. The full effect of this fiscal calculus was manifest in the White Houses 2013 budget request, which proposed halting development work on the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope.
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AMAC Aerospace Appoints Emerald Media to Handle Press and Publicity
Dubai, Aug. 2 -- AMAC Aerospace, a leading provider of corporate aviation maintenance and completion services, has appointed boutique aviation PR consultancy Emerald Media, to handle its external public relations activity. The contract is effective immediately.
Founded in Basel, Switzerland, four years ago, AMAC Aerospace, is headed by CEO Kadri Muhiddin. The company boasts a 500-strong workforce and an orderbook of US$1 billion plus. Its business is split 50:50 between VIP completions and maintenance work and its 23,000 sq ft hangarage facilities at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse have the capability to accommodate four wide-body and four single-aisle large jets, plus lighter business jet types. "This is a very exciting time for AMAC Aerospace as we expand the business into Turkey and inaugurate our third wide body hangar at Basel in September," said Kadri Muhiddin. "These new developments, coupled with the opportunities currently being presented in the business aviation sector, provide us with some excellent business prospects, which we intend to maximise to full potential. Emerald Media's experience and expertise in the business aviation fraternity will be very valuable in helping us publicise our objectives and achievements." Based in Hampshire, UK, Emerald Media marks its 19th year in aviation PR in 2012. The company has supporting offices in Dubai, Germany, Spain, the USA and Australia and is well positioned to support AMAC's media requirements as the company expands its activities. Emerald Media first ventured into business aviation PR in 2004, its success stories to date include a long-standing relationship with London Oxford Airport, which saw the inauguration of a brand new business aviation terminal in 2008, and has recently seen the relationship expand to include sister company the Barclays London Heliport. Other Emerald Media clients include; The Jet Business, the world's first ever street-level corporate aviation showroom for the acquisition and sales of private jet aircraft and ancillary services; Evergreen Apple Nigeria (EAN) which last year opened the first private FBO facility in Nigeria located immediately adjacent to Lagos' Murtala Mohammed International Airport; and ARINC, a premier provider of communications, engineering and integration solutions to customers in the defence, commercial and government sectors. Emerald Media will be supporting AMAC at the AIREX exhibition in Turkey in September and at MEBA in Dubai in December where the company will participate with a hospitality chalet and stand.
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AMAC Aerospace Appoints Emerald Media to Handle Press and Publicity
Armadillo Aerospace gets launch release for STIG B reusable rocket
At Newspace 2012, hosted by the Space Frontier Foundation in Santa Clara, California, Armadillo Aerospace announced it has been awarded a two-year launch license by the FAA for the launch of its STIG-B payload-carrying vehicle into suborbital space this (northern hemisphere) summer from Spaceport America in New Mexico... Continue Reading Armadillo Aerospace gets launch release for STIG B ...
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Armadillo Aerospace gets launch release for STIG B reusable rocket
Can NASA keep public's curiosity piqued?
NASA's engineers have shown the world yet again their capacity to be great.
Their plan to deliver the 1-ton rover Curiosity to the surface of Mars was bold, audacious, unprecedented - and, early on Monday, successful.
It garnered well-deserved kudos from all around, including the top: "It proves that even the longest of odds are no match for our unique blend of ingenuity and determination," President Barack Obama said.
While it's clear NASA can still do great things, what's less clear is how much greatness the agency has left.
On Friday the space agency took a big step toward ceding low-Earth orbit to commercial spaceflight companies, providing $1.1 billion to SpaceX, Boeing and Sierra Nevada to develop spacecraft to fly humans into space. This was widely viewed as an important step in bringing NASA out of its post-shuttle hangover, during which it has had to rely on Russian transport to and from its International Space Station.
What's next?
Yet after Curiosity's success, NASA itself has few major events planned - its new Orion spacecraft could launch an unmanned test flight in 2014, but it will fly on a commercial rocket. And even if NASA's own larger rocket, now on the drawing board, survives a decade of political change, it won't fly until at least 2021.
"It's always a good thing when NASA pulls off an incredibly complex and difficult challenge," said Jim Muncy, a space consultant who runs PoliSpace. But, he noted, there's not many major, attention-grabbing missions coming for awhile, during which time it may be difficult to maintain broad political support for the agency.
The need to find funding in NASA's budget for the James Webb Space Telescope, the cost of which has risen from $1.6 billion a decade ago to $8.7 billion, has caused NASA to delay or cancel other interesting projects.
"The problem is that the James Webb Space Telescope costs so much that we're not going back to Mars anytime soon," he said. "NASA's big programs tend to eat their young."
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NASA Mars Rover Snaps Its 1st Color Photo on Red Planet
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has snapped its first color photo of the Martian landscape using a camera that is still packed away on its long robotic arm.
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