But despite the good news the mission to Pluto cannot launch until 2006 - two years later than had been hoped.

The Europa Orbiter

That date is the last launch opportunity for more than a decade that will be able to use a Jupiter gravity assist - which gives the spacecraft a boost from Jupiter - to reach Pluto.

Mission times, depending on the launch vehicle selected, will be from 10-12 years.

The US Government also gave the go-ahead for the mission to put a spacecraft into orbit around Europa - one of Jupiter's major moons.

Europa is covered in ice but astronomers believe an ocean of water may exist beneath it in that could harbour primitive life.

Full funding of $92.1 million was also granted for the Next Generation Space Telescope, and Nasa was ordered to submit a plan to launch it in 2007.

If that cannot be done, Congress said that the Hubble Space Telescope, which is over ten years old, must not be turned off before its replacement gets into orbit.

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Good, ....good and I hope that Pluto mission will still include the Kuiper Belt (well... you all know what I mean).

Here's more (thanks, S_M) from Space.com.

Best news I've seen in a long time. Now, if they could just get these missions where they need to go just a wee bit faster.

Cheers, (yes!)

Marcia