Conquering Space

space_shuttle-asvz-090310There was a time in human history when the individuals that were staring at the vastness of the ocean would feel small, and looked at it as they would an unconquerable hurdle. Despite that, large wooden ships were built, each more magnificent than the other, with tall masts and sails that stood as a testament of human ingenuity. The purpose of these ships was quite straight forward, traverse the seven seas. In no time English, French, Dutch, Spanish ships just to name a few, were braving the waves in order to explore what was considered by many the edges of the world.

Now, humanity stands on another precipice, that of an ocean of stars, where the waves are cosmic storms and nebulae, pulsars and quasars, but beyond that, with a bit of chance a future space explorer will pick a number on the cosmic online roulette, and that number might be a future home for the human race. It is hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer size of the universe and the infinite number of discoveries that are waiting, patiently, to be stumbled upon.

The journey to the stars is not one of a lifetime, but of multiple lifetimes, and while it still seems that the “sailing ships” needed to take humanity across the vastness of space are still waiting to be built, people should not loose hope, as the foundation has already been set. It is up to future generations to take up the cup, and pursue this dream forward not just for themselves but also for those who came before and contributed. The moment when that reality comes to pass, it will be a victory for all of the human race, for the visionaries of old, the scientists and engineers of the present and the explorers of tomorrow.