Jul08
space, science, generation x
It’s A Bittersweet End Of An Era
Today, the final space shuttle lifted off from Kennedy Space Center. A bunch of MindCometeers went outside to see if we could catch a glimpse of it, knowing that it was unlikely due to the cloud cover. We wanted to try anyway. We started talking about all of the shuttle launches we’ve witnessed over the years. The first flight was April 12, 1981 and space was once again a fantasy for all children. It didn’t hurt that the launch of Columbia was situated in between the premier of Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars, Return of the Jedi. Space was once again new and exciting for a whole new generation, my generation.
I remember where I was when the Challenger exploded. I was in Anatomy class and we were watching it on the television. I had my Mom pick me up from school that day because I was so upset. The Space Program has brought us so many interesting and exciting scientific discoveries. It saddens me that we will now have to piggyback on the efforts of countries like Russia and China to get there. Science in the US has taken a major hit and I hope that we can survive the impact. To quote one of my favorite Twitter posters, Neil deGrasse Tyson, “Many lament the shuttle era’s end. But that’s misplaced sentiment. Lament instead the absence of an era to replace it.“
Posted by Jennifer Carey on Jul. 08, 2011