[net.space] Big lie re Planetary-Society program on Halley's comet

Rem@IMSSS (12/19/85)

Tonight channel 60 (KCSM-TV) will have a Planetary-Society program
regarding Halley's comet. In the promo for this program, they said
the flotilla of spacecraft visiting Halley's comet will be mankind's
first close encounter with a comet. Have they forgotten ICE's passthru
of Giacobini-Zinner a few months ago? Whom are they trying to kid?
Are they telling the "big lie" because most people won't know it's a lie
and the "big lie" will draw in more viewers than the truth would?
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henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) (12/20/85)

> ... In the promo for this program, they said
> the flotilla of spacecraft visiting Halley's comet will be mankind's
> first close encounter with a comet. Have they forgotten ICE's passthru
> of Giacobini-Zinner a few months ago? ...

Probably they knew about it but considered it a joke by comparison.
Which it was.  "International Comet Explorer", indeed.  Better than nothing,
yes, useful scientific return, yes, but a poor excuse for a comet probe.

Anyone reading this who has strong religious beliefs:  if you are in a mood
to thank your Deity (-ies) for good things happening in the last year, spend
a moment thanking him (her) (them) for making the Ariane third stage work
perfectly for Giotto, and fail on the *next* launch.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry