On Sunday night the International Space Station flew right over Cleveland at 10:13pm. For once, conditions in the sky were favorable for viewing it. It wasn't much to see; an unblinking object about as bright as Jupiter moving across the sky at a fast clip from NW to SE. From the time I spotted it until its glow slowly faded was only about a minute but it was still something to watch.
The Space Station is somewhat of a white elephant. It has cost a phenomenal amount of money. There have been mecahnical problems and other issues with getting parts on time from all the involved nations. The scientific value of the station is questionable. Still, none of that mattered to me as I watched it glide across the sky.
To me, it was still amazing that the object I was watching was a huge, manmade satellite. While people criticize many of our endeavors in space, it is unbelievable complicated to accomplish the things we have accomplished in this unforgiving environment. Setting aside all the glitches, the Space Station still left me with a sense of awe and wonder. It's also an inspiration and a representation of what humans can accomplish when we at least try to work together. Maybe that's the real value of these missions. While the science may sometimes be questionable, we need people to be inspired, to look beyond themselves for something greater, and to never lose the desire to explore the unknown. I haven't sat out looking at the stars as much as I used to. That night I did and it was as peaceful as I remember.
The Space Station is somewhat of a white elephant. It has cost a phenomenal amount of money. There have been mecahnical problems and other issues with getting parts on time from all the involved nations. The scientific value of the station is questionable. Still, none of that mattered to me as I watched it glide across the sky.
To me, it was still amazing that the object I was watching was a huge, manmade satellite. While people criticize many of our endeavors in space, it is unbelievable complicated to accomplish the things we have accomplished in this unforgiving environment. Setting aside all the glitches, the Space Station still left me with a sense of awe and wonder. It's also an inspiration and a representation of what humans can accomplish when we at least try to work together. Maybe that's the real value of these missions. While the science may sometimes be questionable, we need people to be inspired, to look beyond themselves for something greater, and to never lose the desire to explore the unknown. I haven't sat out looking at the stars as much as I used to. That night I did and it was as peaceful as I remember.
1 comment:
One of the times my older kid will talk to me is when we're sitting out stargazing. We missed this event, but every time we sit under the great big sky I get a sense of how curious and smart he is. When I think of the space program, I don't think of the likely infighting or politics. I think of people like my son, all sitting around trying to figure out how to make something cool that will go into space for good or bring something back. No matter what crazy shit is going on in the world, space always takes us into a suspended dimension where neat things are happening and ideas advancing despite the so-called leaders of the world.
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