Space exploration is basic science, and while most of us are intrigued by new discoveries about the planets, some prefer their tax contributions to produce more down-to-earth payoffs. As far as everyday life is concerned, our ability to create accurate mathematical models of bodies interacting under gravity has given the world a range of technological wonders that rely on artificial satellites: satellite television, a highly efficient international telephone network, weather satellites, satellites watching the Sun for magnetic storms, satellites keeping watch on the environment and mapping the globe – even car satnav, using the Global Positioning System.
