Artemis 1 Launches Nasa Back To The Moon, Then On To Mars
I am pumped y'all, Artemis 1 launched last night and with it, NASA is officially on its way to the moon once again and will use that platform to eventually launch to Mars. Oh no, I think I have Sqeeed myself again.
I am 60 years old now, when I was a young lad in 1969 I watched Niel Armstrong take that "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" on the surface of the moon. Sitting there in stunned silence, literally on the edge of the bed watching it all happen live before my very eyes on a black & white TV.
The world was in turmoil as it always seemed to be, the Vietnam War, the Cold War with Russia, and anti-government sentiment and protests were at an all-time high. But that one thing, landing and walking on the moon, was something that seemingly brought the whole world together, except for maybe Russia. American astronauts frolicking on the surface of the moon was an accomplishment that seemed impossible just a few short years before, and yet there we were. It made it seem like we could really do anything we set our minds to. We have been putting around earth's orbit for a long time, now we finally get to stretch our wings and see what's out there.
By the way, If you couldn't tell, I'm a little bit of a space geek. Here are a few pics from my most recent trip to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas a few years ago. If you haven't been, seriously, you should go.
You never know what dreams and imagination you might spark in your kids if you take them to Space Center Houston. Below, I actually got to see that Mission Control Room when it was still in operation back in the day. Now it's a restored mock-up.
It's been 50 years since we last set foot on the moon's surface, and with the Artemis program, we as Americans and we as a people, start a brand new era for NASA and space exploration. I hope it's one that most of us can get behind, be proud of and once again, all sit on the edge of our beds in breathless anticipation of what will come next. After 50 years, it's about damn time.