I think this is such a great view.I'm a bit of a sucker for the Space Shuttle because even though it's 70s technology that should have been superceded ages ago, it's still a really great achievement to be able to fling those things up into space.
Although I was alive for the Moon landings and growing up when Skylab was around, the Shuttle is really the spacecraft I grew up with and I've always had an interest in it and it still gives me a thrill. I tried to see a launch one, but it was delayed (incidently it turned out to be Columbia's fatal mission) so I missed it, but got to see lots of other space-stuff at the Space Centre - which in no way made up for it at all.
So now we have a very rare sight of two Shuttles (Atlantis and Endeavour) ready for launch at once. I really wanted to go and see this in person too, but it wasn't meant to be. The end of the Shuttle era is drawing close and I'd still like to see a real launch - perhaps just to prove to myself that it's really real. Strange that it is still so evocative after all these years, but despite every effort it still is a noteworthy and difficult task to get people into space, costing huge amounts of money and carrying not insignificant risk. It's inspiring that this kind of venture still goes on when everyone is so concerned about the balance sheet.
I, for one, will be sad when the Shuttle era passes.
2 comments:
I agree, I remember see the first space shuttle launch on TV when I was a wee lad. It was amazing, it seemed like we would be going to the star very soon. But hopefully there will be more now that the private enterprise is starting to throw things up.
I heard Arthur C. Clarke on BBC (on BBC 4, was recorded a few years ago before his death [hopefully]). He had something that I thought was very thoughtful. It was about fish discussing if the should leave the sea, and what benefit there would be. The fish could not imagine fire.
Wise words. Must try and remember that.
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