From: gromit82@hotmail.com   
      
   On 5/6/2025 6:42 PM, Mark Brader wrote:   
      
   > * Game 5, Round 2 - Science - Space Probes   
   >   
   > Did you know it's World Space Week this week?  It's true!  And,   
   > in related news, since the 1960s, humans have been launching   
   > unmanned probes into space to explore and, well, probe it.   
   > In each case name them.   
   >   
   > 1. This series consisted of 10 interplanetary probes, exploring   
   >     Venus, Mars, and Mercury.  Its probes achieved several space   
   >     travel firsts, including the first planetary flyby and the   
   >     first planetary orbiter.   
      
   Vostok   
      
   > 2. This series of space probes consisted of two probes, both of   
   >     which landed on Mars in 1976 -- the first manmade objects to   
   >     land on Mars.  They took the first high-resolution images of   
   >     the Martian surface, and their analysis of the surface of Mars   
   >     revealed that Mars once had water.   
      
   Mariner   
      
   > 3. Named for a famous scientist, this probe was launched in 1989   
   >     to study Jupiter and its moons; it did not arrive at   
   >     Jupiter until 1995, and took high-resolution images as well   
   >     as launching an atmospheric probe directly into Jupiter.   
   >     The probe was deliberately crashed into Jupiter in 2003 to   
   >     avoid the possibility of contaminating life on Europa.   
      
   Galileo   
      
   > 4. Named after a famous explorer, this probe was also launched in   
   >     1989, sent to radio-map the surface of Venus and measure Venus's   
   >     gravitational field.   
      
   Magellan   
      
   > 5. This probe program consists of two interstellar probes, which   
   >     were the third and fourth man-made objects to leave our solar   
   >     system.  They first studied Jupiter and Saturn; one of the two   
   >     also studied Uranus and Neptune.  Both probes remain operational   
   >     and are still sending back data.   
      
   Voyager   
      
   > 6. This probe program was actually two related probe programs;   
   >     the first sent spacecraft to conduct the first fly-by of the   
   >     Moon and investigate the space between Earth and Venus in 1958   
   >     to 1960, and the second sent probes to explore Venus, Jupiter,   
   >     and Saturn.  The final two probes in this series were the first   
   >     man-made objects to leave our solar system.   
      
   Pioneer   
      
   > 7. This probe program was instituted by NASA to find missions "of   
   >     convenience" -- finding planetary missions that fit launch   
   >     windows, to minimize expense.  The 16 probes launched under   
   >     this program have gone to the Moon, all of the inner planets,   
   >     and multiple asteroids and comets, and even obtained and returned   
   >     solar wind samples from the Sun.   
      
   New Horizons   
      
   > 8. This probe was sent to study Saturn and its moons.  It launched   
   >     in 1997, arrived at Saturn in 2004, and then studied the planet   
   >     and its system for another 13 years.  It discovered 7 new   
   >     moons around Saturn and also provided, on its way to Saturn,   
   >     exceptional images of Jupiter's faint rings.   
      
   Galileo   
      
   > 9. The Mars Exploration Rover program consisted of two rovers, both   
   >     launched in 2003.  Name either of the two rovers from this   
   >     program.   
      
   Curiosity   
      
   > 10. The Mars 2020 mission consisted of a ground rover and a small   
   >     robotic helicopter.  Name either the rover or the helicopter.   
      
   Curiosity   
      
   > * Game 5, Round 3 - Entertainment - Mr. President   
   >   
   > The President of the United States is frequently a major character   
   > in movies and TV shows.  We'll name a fictional president and   
   > describe some of the events of his presidency; you tell us what   
   > movie or TV show he was in.  If you get the title right on your   
   > first or only answer, you may also try for a 2-point bonus by   
   > naming the actor or actress.   
   >   
   > 1. Josiah "Jed" Bartlet, during his two terms as President, dealt   
   >     with multiple crises, including invoking the 25th Amendment   
   >     when his daughter was kidnapped and dealing with the fallout   
   >     of concealing his multiple sclerosis from the nation.   
      
   "The West Wing"   
   Martin Sheen   
      
   > 2. Andrew Shepherd was a popular President for the first half of his   
   >     first term, but that was partially because his opponents felt   
   >     they couldn't attack him personally when his wife died of cancer   
   >     during his campaign.  When he began dating an environmental   
   >     lobbyist, however, they felt free to start attacking both him --   
   >     and her.   
      
   "The American President"   
   Michael Douglas   
      
   > 3. Thomas Whitmore already had a difficult presidency before aliens   
   >     attacked Earth and destroyed most of its armed forces.  Luckily,   
   >     Whitmore, who was a former fighter pilot, was able to lead the   
   >     remnants of Earth's armed forces against the alien fleets.   
      
   "Independence Day"   
   Bill Pullman   
      
   > 4. Like Whitmore's, James Dale's presidency was also interrupted   
   >     by aliens attacking Earth.  However, rather than fight, Dale   
   >     spent most of the invasion hiding in a bunker after the aliens   
   >     disintegrated Congress.  As he said, "I want the American   
   >     people to know that we still have two out of three branches of   
   >     government working for them, and that ain't bad."   
      
   "Mars Attacks"   
   Jack Nicholson   
      
   > 5. Matt Santos ran a tough campaign to become the first Latino   
   >     President of the United States, and almost immediately once in   
   >     office will have to deal with a potential war between Russia   
   >     and China.   
      
   "The West Wing"   
   Jimmy Smits   
      
   > 6. President William Mitchell presided over social-welfare cuts and   
   >     attempted to frame his blameless vice-president for one of   
   >     his own bribery scandals.  However, in the last months of   
   >     his presidency -- after a minor stroke, but before he later   
   >     died from a massive stroke -- his harsh personality changed   
   >     dramatically, and he began to reverse his own presidency's   
   >     course.  Conspiracy theorists have suggested there were, in fact,   
   >     two President Mitchells.   
      
   "Dave"   
   Kevin Kline   
      
   > 7. Merkin Muffley had the bad luck to be President when nuclear   
   >     war broke out, annihilating all of humanity.  However, to the   
   >     very end he was determined to make sure that his staffers would   
   >     not fight in the War Room.   
      
   "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"   
   Peter Sellers   
      
   > 8. Jack Stanton, a charming Southern governor with a knack for   
   >     speaking to the common man, was also unfortunately a womanizer   
   >     who cheated on his wife regularly, but nonetheless ran a   
   >     successful campaign for the presidency.   
      
   "Primary Colors"   
   John Travolta   
      
   > 9. Selina Meyer initially became president by rising to the office   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)