We shall not cease from exploration,
And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started,
And know the place for the first time. [T.S. Elliot]
As of the publication of this article, NASA insists that Space Shuttle Discovery will launch today at 10:39 a.m. EDT to mark America’s heroic return to space flight – almost 2½ years after the humbling tragedy of Space Shuttle Columbia.
It must be noted, however, that doubting Thomases have been doing their best to scuttle this flight or portend its doom by harping on NASA’s decision to waive a safety rule that would’ve grounded the shuttle until the “point sensor” glitch that caused the Agency to call off the July 13th flight has been completely resolved.
O ye of little faith…
The Crew: front row: left, pilot James Kelly, Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence, center, and Commander Eileen Collins, front right. Second row from left, Mission Specialists Stephen Robinson, Andy Thomas, Charles Camarda, and Soichi Noguchi.
To be fair, however, those who question this launch are probably still haunted by the images of Challenger (January 1986) and Columbia (February 2003) exploding before their very eyes – killing a crew of 7 astronauts in each case.
But a flight without risk is a flight that never takes off. And, second guessing the calculated daring of men and women who are willing to risk their lives “to boldly go where no man has gone before” seems not only presumptuous but also myopic and contrary to the pioneering human spirit.
No one knows the full range of scientific or intergalactic discoveries that may result from unrelenting space explorations. But just as journeys on earth were not limited (to boats, trains and automobiles) by risks associated with flying airplanes, journeys into space should not be limited by risks associated with flying space shuttles.
Therefore, bon voyage Discovery…and Farewell!
News and Politics
Anonymous says
they are heroes. but i think we’re spending so much money just creating more potential problems in space when there are so many here on earth that could benefit from the attention of these rocket scientists and all the money the get to play lego in space.