Imagine a Walk in Space

   I have had a love for space for years.  Something about the mystery of it, the vast size and splendor, it attracts my mind and heart.  I could stare at the stars for hours, just admiring them.  Right now, the orbiter Discovery is in orbit around our planet.  She acts as a home and working place, a place of safety in the void of space.  I think one of the most amazing experiences out of that whole conjunction of amazing experiences would be to take a space walk.  An extra vehicular activity (EVA) is when the astronaut suits up in his or her very carefully prepared, multi-layered, suit and steps outside the sheltered environment to begin a task.  But, in that first step, that big grandiose moment when the astronaut steps into the space and sees stars that cannot be seen through our atmosphere.  I can only imagine what it would be like to take a walk in space, to see the earth and the stars in their glory.  Discovery will land in a few days, returning back to our much larger ship (a.k.a planet) that protects us from vacuum of space.  Endeavor and Atlantis are the last flights, following the Discovery.  I hope that the imagination that led us to the wondrous ability to walk in space will lead us to future walks.

Countdown

   In just a few hours, the Discovery STS-133 will launch from its pad at Kennedy, and start its mission in space. What an amazing experience that must be, to feel the great engines lift you aloft and then the pressure gradually build until you are released into an environment of micro-gravity. The clock is already counting down; the anticipation must be building in Mission Control even now.

   I would love to be there, in that room, watching it all happen. Feeling the energy in the room, ebbing and flowing as processes are followed. People start gathering, sitting in the stands with binoculars and cameras at the ready watching the clock count down. They will feel the compression and shock of the air as the gases mix and combust. The sound will vibrate the inner ear as the eye watches the orbiter being carried away from the gravitational pull of the earth.
   How amazing it is that such a thing received so much of its early constructive knowledge in warfare. Early parents of rocketry found themselves gaining experience during the World Wars, as the instruments rained down terrible experiences on the population below. That beautiful orbiter, the External Tank, and Solid Rocket Boosters, they are an instrument of peace and exploration. We have just started understanding space, it’s mysteries and complexities, and something of terror gave birth to something of beauty.

Have you thought about?

   When things are humming along smoothly, it is easy to complete forget about how they got started. For instance, have you ever thought about how it was decided to have multiple branches of government and what each would look like? How did letters become shaped they way they were? Who first had the idea of a light bulb, a car, a computer, or a hot water heater? Who had the idea of the different inventions around us and then pursued it enough to either creation or the encouragement of others? Who thought of wiring or pipes or carpet? Trade, taxes, laws, and infrastructure – it all becomes something that we don’t even think about, just simply accepted. But, each of these had a beginning, a brainstorm and then action.

   There have been many inventions, decisions, discoveries, and designs made. It is easy to forget that each started from an idea. What idea do you have that could result in the next invention, decision, discovery, or design?