Looking to the Heavens

One of my most vivid early memories is that of a clear summer day in July, 1969. I had just turned 4 in April, and was still full of wonder for the world around me. And on that day, my wonderment extended to the heavens above me, where a brave American was about to set his foot upon another world for the first time in human history. At the time, the historical significance of the event was lost upon me, I just thought it was cool that men were about to walk on the moon, and I would see it happen on my family's black and white TV. To that point, many of the "news" images that I had seen on television had brought more fear than wonder, getting a daily deluge of images of a war that I didn't understand, being waged thousands of miles away. This, on the other hand, was the stuff of a young boy's fantasies - traveling through space to explore another world. I've been a science junkie ever since.

Our country had committed to make this remarkable day happen nearly ten years earlier, under the leadership of President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy said, in his call to action, "Space is open to us now; and our eagerness to share its meaning is not governed by the efforts of others. We go into space because whatever mankind must undertake, free men must fully share." The statement is as true today as it was 45 years ago. Since that time, we have consistently been the most scientifically advanced country on the planet. And we owe it to ourselves, and to the rest of mankind to continue to make every effort to advance our knowledge and understanding in all areas of science.

Yesterday, the Cassini spacecraft found evidence of liquid water on one of Saturn's moons. Today, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will attempt to enter orbit around Mars. Its mission is to study the Martian atmosphere and surface, and it will probe underground in search of past and present water. Both of these missions will undoubtedly provide valuable knowledge about our solar system, and perhaps give us a greater understanding of the universe around us. We cannot predict where this knowledge will lead us, but we can be sure that efforts such as these, and in other areas of science, have the potential to benefit mankind in countless unforeseeable ways.

The conveniences and technology that we take for granted today... personal computers, cell phones, microwaves, satellite communications, MRI's, etc., wouldn't have been possible without the strides made during the space program. Breakthroughs in medicine and medical technology happen on a daily basis, and are allowing us to live longer, healthier lives. Efforts in the agricultural sciences are allowing us to produce more food on less acreage, and permitting us the opportunity (if we take advantage of it) to truly end hunger on our planet.

There are those who are hesitant to support much of the scientific research that would lead to tomorrow's breakthroughs. Some argue that the cost is too high. I say that the cost NOT to explore, not to investigate, not to ask "what if?” is far too high. Others argue that there is the potential for abuse of this science, and that the ethical consequences are not being considered. I would argue that the benefits far outweigh the risks, and I would hope mankind is mature enough to be responsible with our discoveries. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

On that July evening, over 36 years ago, I looked up at that full moon, shining down upon me, and I knew that someone was up there, someone had done something that had never been done before, and I wished that I could go up there with them. I was in awe of what we had accomplished, and I was proud to be an American. From that day to this, I have always believed that we as a nation could accomplish anything we set out to do. And we as a people, as a nation, must continue to support the efforts to advance our knowledge and understanding of the universe around us. We must continue to lift our eyes, and look to the heavens.