First, there's Huygens.

Now we have the first lunar images from Smart-1 [it will settle into its science orbit on January/28].

Then Rosetta will flyby the Earth and Moon on March/05.

And in October, a European spacecraft will be sent to Venus.

There is hope that the more powerful version of Ariane will be test-launched successfully this year.

Then there is the European Galileo navigation satellite network that should get started this year.

Yes! America will still have space spectaculars and achievements this year, if things go well,
but it seems the tide is slowly turning and the BATON is beeing passed from America to Western Europe.
The BATON will be fully passed within 15-20 years IMHO.

Sorry, my American neighbors, but I think your 2004 space achievements can be considered your 'swan song'.

(1) NASA's 2005 budget is a pale shadow of its budget of its Golden Years in the 1960's,
(2) George Bush MAY NOT be able to push his Moon/Mars initiative past 2008.
(3) The remaining Space Shuttles will soon resume sponging up most of NASA's annual budget.
(4) As Gary stated, several NASA facilities are closing, reducing or cutting back.

(5) WORSE! ... Fewer and fewer and fewer American kids are taking PHYSICS or CHEMISTRY
courses in senior high or in college...
That spells TROUBLE...... Real TROUBLE for the future.
Not just for America's space program, but for any field of SCIENCE or ENGINEERING in the
USA.