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Nature 460, 325 (16 July 2009) | doi:10.1038/460325a; Published online 15 July 2009

Open Innovation Challenges

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Why we need space travel

Giovanni Bignami1

  1. Giovanni Bignami is at the Institute for Advanced Study of Pavia (IUSS), Lungo Ticino Sforza 56, 27100 Pavia, Italy, and Accademia dei Lincei, Rome, Italy. He was chairman of the ESA Space Science Advisory Committee from 2003 to 2006.
    Email: giovanni.bignami@gmail.com

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Giovanni Bignami reflects on the people who persuaded him that we must send humans beyond Earth's orbit to inspire public and political support for science.

The seasoned army officer slapped me on the back. "So it's scientists like you who made this possible," he thundered.