The NY Times put out an article about the Russian rocket which failed 5 minutes into its launch to deliver supplies needed on the International Space Station. Although the Soyuz rocket program has had a pretty reliable record with 43 successful launches to the space station, this latest misstep is prompting them to take a close look at the cause and may delay any other launch until everything has been investigated.
As you all know, I am a big supporter of the space program. It has given us so many new inventions, and opened our eyes to a universe that is immense and mysterious. So, when I hear comments from people that they don’t see the value in outer space, my feathers definitely get a little ruffled. Although there were other short-sighted comments, this one got to me because of its combative dismissal of others:
All I can think is…Wow, really? Adam actually thinks that any endeavor that we undertake should only be done if there are no risks involved? I hope that isn’t what he means, and I am just misreading the words. Every new venture moves into an unknown realm that we cannot totally prepare for. All we can do is our best to research while ensuring that we have taken every precaution possible. Granted that in itself is an impossible task, as we cannot see every potential outcome to a decision.
When you deny yourself the possibility of going into the unknown, then you’ve shackled yourself to the predictable which will not allow for future growth. Of course, many may not see the importance of something in your particular way. But to completely deny the opportunity is to disrespect those who came before you with stronger beliefs than yours which they acted upon. We all want to do what we love, as it is the most fulfilling path towards building a more well-rounded individual. Facing the unknown takes courage, dedication, and trust. Thank goodness there are people out there who make this choice for the betterment of us all.
This commentator says it even better than I did (though he aimed at another comment):
