The first flight of a new space flight system is in the books. The first in nearly thirty years. I say it’s history because no matter what, it is.
If this is the only Ares that ever flies, then it’s something to remember and cherish. Every time we, as humans, attempt to push the outer limit, it’s something to remember. A lot of hard dedicated work went into this machine.
If this does end up being the new flight system for our American Astronauts then we were there to witness the birth of a new era.
I read off color and idiotic comments left and right on the test flight. It really makes me sad. I can crack a joke as well as the next guy. The thing looks like a giant toothpick or even a Qtip. I can laugh at that, it’s comical.
I’m not really sure what people were expecting from a “test” of an “experimental” flight system but it seems that we expect too much. The common person sees a two minute powered flight that costs him 400 million tax dollars. Cry me a river.
The savvy person sees beyond that. We, yes I’m savvy, see the future of mankind. We see the hopes and dreams of our children. Putting man into space almost defies definition. It’s something that invokes a sense of wonder in some people. Sure, I’m a little biased (ok a LOT).
We, as a culture, only seem to care when a rocket blows up and kills people. We care little about the titanic effort that gets our men and women into space in the first place.
So, with Ares we will have to sit and wait. The current White House Administration is going to play a large role in what happens. I only hope that petty politics do not cloud anything. Bush put forth the mandate to get to the Moon and retire the shuttle. So, if something gets canceled out of spite, I’ll be one ill space cadet!
Let me end with a paraphrase from Carl Sagan.
The Earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. We’ve waded a ways out and the water seems inviting.
So what are we waiting for?