&gt; It makes sense to expand our knowledge in every direction possible.<p>Not quite:  Instead, for any amount of money, there are, or, as we start spending the money on research, soon will be, more candidate research projects than money.  So we have to pick and choose our research projects.<p>IMHO we have better candidate research projects, including just in investigating the solar system, than getting fly-by pictures of Pluto.<p>Maybe NASA has some longer term ideas for research on Pluto where the recent pictures, and maybe also just the trip there, are just the beginning.  Okay, land there, in a bunch of nitrogen snow. Take and analyze some samples and radio the data back to earth.  Maybe get some data unique and valuable data on the formation of the solar system, maybe on some gamma ray bursts or super nova explosions, etc.  Maybe.  But just the pictures?  IMHO, not so good.