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adebo ifesanya

Electric and Electronics Engineer, Electrical Engineering

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What about outer space, being an astronaut and space travel fascinated you as a kid?

Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, I didn't have the luxury of 24-hour cable TV and barely had 96 hours of electricity a month. But when I stumbled upon a book about the solar system and the universe in school, I could not stop dreaming about space travel and I even attempted to launch a couple of rockets (http://www.wernextgeneration.org/about/founders-story/). I just wanted to be in the dark space among the stars.

Taylor mentioned his passion for space travel and I believe most of us have had these dreams too. What is/was your childhood story/encounter and drive for wanting to exploring the outer space?


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  • May 4 2013: I am very lucky to have been born in 1949. Everything about space and space travel has fascinated me all my life.

    When I was a child, the moon was completely unknown. People would say that it was made of cheese, and there was no evidence to prove that it was not. Satellites were a theoretical possibility; attempting to put something into orbit was a huge economical risk. Prior to landing the first men on the moon, there was real concern that they might land in a crater that was filled with dust, many meters deep. When I was young, scientists believed that the Milky Way galaxy was the entire universe. The last 63 years have been a time of amazing discoveries. Later generations will never be able to experience these discoveries in the same way that my generation has. Seeing videos and reading articles is not at all the same experience.

    Undoubtedly, your generation and following generations will also witness amazing discoveries. Cherish them, and pass on to your children and grandchildren an appreciation for wonder.
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      May 5 2013: Wow! Thanks Barry for generously sharing your 63 years perspective. Although we may still be the same species, we have made huge advancements since then.

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