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| From nasa.gov |
Today was bittersweet. It was the last launch of a US Space Shuttle, the opening scene of the last act of one of the greatest chapters of human exploration and American innovation. I remember the first launch of Columbia on April 12, 1981. I have a poster of the liftoff. It was two weeks after President Reagan survived an assassination attempt, four months after the Iranian hostages were released, and the United States was in the middle of one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression. Times were hard. In the midst of this stress, the successful launch of the first space shuttle was a much needed encouragement for our nation. It literally lifted our spirits, and restored national pride.
The above probably seems overly sentimental and nostalgic to some, especially those too young to remember it. But it is true. I was just becoming aware of the world outside of home and school, and it wasn’t a pretty picture. There are a number of correlations to today’s headlines, and instead of finding new inspiration, we are closing some down.
