Our
niece, Paola, came to spend time with us over the holidays and one of
the things we did together was to visit the Kennedy Space Center.
This was the third time Isaura and I had been there, a tourist attraction that in our estimation wins easily over Disney.
At
Kennedy one journeys through the history of space exploration that,
less than a century ago, was only imagined in the figures and stories
of comic books. Kennedy's new 90,000 square foot Shuttle exploration
area boasts the latest in interactive learning technology. At the
center of the display is the Atlantis orbital spaceship viewable from
a variety of angles and from two different levels. The size of a
“portly” jumbo jet, the shuttle's gigantic open cargo bay and
expansive tile-covered underside leave an impression of hugeness and
grandeur, diminished only when one views the solid rocket boosters
and external tank required to lift it into orbit.
Another
part of the space center that I always find incredibly impressive is the
Apollo Center,
with its display of the mighty Saturn V Rocket that
launched humankind on their journey to the moon. Standing, it is the
height of a 36-story building and weighs 6.2 million pounds.
Generating over 7 million pounds of thrust, this rocket was able
to launch 130 tons of space capsule, moon landing craft, other
equipment, and astronauts into earth orbit, a piece of machinery truly
of “Star Wars proportions.”
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| Isaura and Paola at the "base" of the Saturn V Rocket |
As
we drove up to the Kennedy Visitor Center, it was with anticipation
of being awe-struck again and being able to introduce our niece to
the grandeur of it all. And, the thought that came to mind for me
was: What if we, the human community, were to put all of our energy and resources into
this human capacity for amazing greatness? What could our world be
like?
Of
course I am aware of the critiques and concerns about the space
program and of the fact that this enterprise can be and is used for
purposes not so noble – like extending our ability for spying and
for taking warring power into outer space. The Star Wars movies
certainly show this side of human capability. But what if . . . what
if . . .
According
to a recent U.S. News & World Report article, in the last decade
plus the United States has spent over $4 Trillion dollars on the Iraq
and Afghanistan wars, and the cost continues to rise!1
By comparison, only 5% of this amount ($209 Billion) was spent on
the 30 years of the space shuttle program, which began in 1981 and
ended in 2011. Emphasizing the positive efforts in the space program
focused on research related to health, nutrition, extending our
understanding of the human body and gaining greater knowledge of the
cosmic neighborhood of our solar system and beyond, imagine what we
could do by doubling or tripling the amount of money spent on this
program. And what about much less technologically costly and
difficult efforts right here on planet earth, like ridding the world
of diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS, eliminating hunger, ensuring
education for all, and creating a world economic system that
guarantees a modicum of equality ensuring that every single adult
and child would have the resources needed for a descent, healthy, and dignified
life. I am sure that other goals could be added to these and, given
the creative and inventive capacity of humankind illustrated in the
exhibits at the Kennedy Space Center, that these could all be
achieved at probably less than the cost of 10 years of modern war.
“I realized up there that our planet is not infinite. It's fragile. That may not be obvious to a lot of folks, and it's tough that people are fighting each other here on Earth instead of trying to get together and live on this planet. We look pretty vulnerable in the darkness of space.” Alan Shephard - the first American in Space, Commander of the Apollo 14 mission, and the fifth person to walk on the moon.
But
even if the cost were eventually higher, wouldn't our world be a
incomparably better place if we focused our energy, thought,
creativity and resources on constructive, positive efforts rather
than wasting so much in efforts that amplify our capacity to kill,
maim and destroy?
May
we, in this New Year that is before us, join hands in creating the
energy needed to launch and support efforts that highlight,
encourage, and strengthen the human capacity for amazing
greatness.