Marc Rayman

We are tremendously excited, we have guided this robotic probe for well over seven years on an interplanetary journey of more than 3 billion miles. Along the way we sailed past Mars. We spent 14 months orbiting and scrutinizing the giant protoplanet Vesta. ... Now, finally, we are on the verge of conducting the first exploration ever of the first dwarf planet.

We should study it because we hunger for knowledge and understanding. Grand undertakings like this nurture our spirit.