At 10:56pm on July 20, 1969, 39 years ago today, Neil Armstrong first set foot on the surface of the moon. It's easy to forget the terrific accomplishment that this was and the incredible price paid for this moment. Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee had given their lives just a few years earlier in the Apollo 1 fire, and thousands of others had worked tirelessly to make this day a reality. It was a moment of solidarity for all Americans, and for the world.
Where will we go from here? Certainly luner exploration was the capstone to a Space Program that since the Apollo missions has ventured humanity no further than a low-earth orbit. It's time to, as President John F. Kennedy stated: "throw our caps over the wall" once again and having no choice but to follow, begin again serious exploration of our solar system. Returning to the moon through the Orion program and then continuing to Mars is not just an option, it is our destiny.
Why?
"Because it's next. Because we came out of the cave. And we looked over the hill, and we saw fire. And we crossed the ocean, and we pioneered the West, and we took to the sky. The history of man is hung on a timeline of exploration, and this is what's next. Why? Because it's what's next."
If we're not about discovery, then what are we about?
Sunday, July 20, 2008
One Small Step
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5 comments:
Is this your way of saying "we need to have dominion!"
Nice West Wing quote. No kidding, I just watched that episode yesterday. Fitting, huh? :)
That's right Dan...Neil Armstrong wasn't a passive purple four ball!
Pah. Space exploration was cool when I was a little kid, then I started living with people who were ten or twenty years older than me and just as broke. Now it just seems irrelevant to the lives of most Americans.
I love that West Wing quote! It is so great. Man gotta love Aaron Sorkin, gotta love Sam Seborn, gotta love West Wing, and gotta love the Space program!!! I'm all for it, we need exploration, there is always more to know and find. Our knowledge should be expanding rather than retracting in all areas, including space!!!
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