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Ron Jackson's Perspective
The Sunday Journal -
Think
Kankakee, Illinois
July 31, 2005
Fan of space
program
hopes for safe landing |
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I am a fan of the space program.
Maybe it's because I grew up during a time when America issued
a challenge to the world to be the first to put a man on the moon.
In 1969, we did beat the world, and especially the Russians, to the
moon. Of course, in an equally but unimpressive fashion, the
Russians took away our Olympic basketball supremacy in 1972, and we
have never fully recovered.
I don't know if I have ever considered the importance of space
exploration beyond the competitive aspect. Yes, there have been
major medical and practical discoveries as a result of it, but is it
worth the lives we have lost? Then again, it seems everything we
value most, and often times take for granted in this country, has
come at a cost of human lives. We Americans are a strange lot. We
want things so badly we are willing to die for it, yet when we get
it, to future generations it becomes not so big a deal.
So with much anticipation, I was tuned in to my radio at
7:39 A.M. CST last Tuesday to listen to our return to space. As the
announcer described the ascent, I was prepared to hold my breath for
at least 73 seconds or until he said the launch was spectacular and
successful.
America's space shuttle Discovery was safely off to meet the
Russian space station. The kid in me couldn't wait to get to a
television to see the fire and smoke. Shortly after watching it
over and over, I began to think, "But now they have to get back
safely."
Reports of a chunk of insulating foam flying off during takeoff
and subsequent reports that smaller pieces also broke off tests my
optimism. NASA's posture that the missing pieces are of interest
but not alarming is somewhat reassuring.
Trying to pinpoint my most anxious space shuttle moment, I
remembered someone saying they never care to see the official
picture of the space shuttle crew because that is the one we will
see over and over when something goes wrong.
That picture does say a lot. The crew is immaculately decked
out in their astronaut suits minus the helmets. As if giving a
photographic salute to us, our best are always smiling, standing
tall, and looking confident and proud to represent this country.
This is similar to the pictures we see of our military men and women
who go forth doing things most of us can't do. The faces of people
we don't know somehow become entrenched in our heads. It's only
when the worst imaginable happens do we learn their names.
Here we are in 2005, and our space program can best be
described as a partnership with the world. When the shuttle docks
with the Russian space station, it will be greeted by a Russian
cosmonaut in a Russian good luck tradition with hugs and bread and
salt. Included it its cargo, Discovery will have tons of
supplies for the space station and will remove almost as many tons
of trash.
So now I sit in anticipation of Discovery's safe return to
Earth after its 12-day mission. When it happens, the little boy in
me will hopefully be somewhere to see it. My fingers will be
crossed, and the farthest thing from my mind will be beating the
Russians at anything. |
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