As we search for clues to America’s economic future by looking for parallels between our recent great recession and the past (e.g., the 1930s), it’s logical to also seek historical parallels relating to other great events that are strongly dependent on economic conditions. One example is the manned space program, and specifically human spaceflight to the Moon and Mars.

If you haven’t gotten excited about Phobos recently, you should. Europe’s Mars Express will approach within a mere 3,000 kilometers of the martian moon a few hundred times during the next two years. Mars Express will measure Phobos’ mineral composition, probe its subsurface with a radar/altimeter, and study its plasma environment. High-resolution images will provide the first global map of the potato-shaped moon.