"It’s a legacy mission that this generation can preserve for our children and even grandchildren," Krimigis stated. NASA pondering a pull-the-plug dictum on Voyager, he continued, is a decision without thought about the mission’s current scientific productivity or appeal of the science to the public.

"After all, $4 million is $4 million…and to accountants all funds are the same. No wonder the scientific community has so little confidence in the decision-making at [NASA] Headquarters," Krimigis said.

Of course, not all extended missions hold the excitement of the Voyagers, but all of the ones scheduled for termination next year are scientifically productive, Krimigis said.

"I believe the return on investment for all is very high," he said, and there is no way NASA could reconstitute these assets in the next 20 years. They are the equivalent of a "Great Observatory" and must be recognized as such, Krimigis concluded.

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/050420_last_missions.html