A quarter of a century of science. Last week, @NASASolarSystem's Mars Odyssey orbiter celebrated the 25th anniversary of its launch to the R.
The strongest science stories make the observation, measurement, or test result specific enough to examine. What matters most is the exact result the source describes and how it sharpens the underlying question. That is where the item stops being just a headline and starts becoming useful reporting.
The broader implications run through science-priority mission demand. The story gains weight when a new observation or measurement becomes something other researchers can build on instead of just admire. The next step is usually more analysis, more observations, or both.
