This is exciting! I remember watching the Apollo missions as a kid. When the Eagle landed in July of 1969, one month prior to my ninth birthday, I could hardly contain myself. I remember watching the (mostly) men in the control room cheering and shaking hands. I felt joined to them, a part of that great achievement. We had done that; humans had left Earth, gone to another world, and were to return home. It fueled an already stong interest in science, math and engineering that I still enjoy today.

Now, I wonder how much more I’ll see in this life. The rapid pace of technological advances seems driven more by consumer demand for sleek gadgets (which, I confess, I’m not immune to), instant and constant communication, and undoubtedly, porn. I wonder where the space program would be if we could increase it’s funding by half of the total dollars spent on Pro football, cell phones and porn ads? After all, space exploration might be what saves our species from destruction. But, even if we don’t survive the next asteroid collision, at least the NY Giants won today.

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Tags: Mercury, space, Messenger, science, nature, BBC