Good Morning, Starshine.

[poliphilo]

Captains Kirk and Picard were never unduly worried by stray bits of foam detaching themselves from the Enterprise.

But then, as some NASA person was saying on the radio yesterday, sci-fi has left us with the mistaken impression that space flight is easy.

But it was easy once. The Apollo missions were easy. And why were they easy? Because the will was there.

We've lost the will. We got to the Moon and...and...

...we'd put one over on the Russkies and that was that. But it wasn't just about defeating the Russkies. Or was it?

Neil Armstong sounded as if he believed in his famous first words.

I'm sure he did.

I want that spirit back.

Comments

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I was remembering this morning a day in 1962 when I cut school to study for an American history exam and instead sat all day in front of the TV hearing the live coverage of Alan Shepherd's historic first flight--

I don't remember anything at all about the exam, but I can remember clearly the excitement of the announcers and of Shepherd.

I'm reading a science fiction book about humans fighting aliens at the center of our galaxy. I was telling Kate about it, and she said dryly, "I guess they figured out those panel problems, then."

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Nice one, Kate!

When I look back on that era I think about the sci-fi movies- especially 2001 and Close Encounters. They were so full of hope. There was this sense of being at the start of a great adventure, and how it was going to change us....

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Perhaps for that very reason it might be time to let go of the shuttle.

People were fascinated with Mars explorations and with Titan.

We need a grand adventure--I'm all for a manned exploration to Mars.

First, I suppose, we need to grow up enough to stop shooting at each other.

Like you, I believe we are very young. That is where my hope lies. Someday either we or sentient cockroaches will find their way to the stars.