An ANN Editorial
Almighty Ruler of the all,
Whose Power extends to great and small,
Who guides the stars with steadfast law,
Whose least creation fills with awe,
O grant thy mercy and thy grace,
To those who venture into
space.
Robert A. Heinlein
One of
my favorite science fiction writers, Robert Heinlein, vowed to live
until he could die on the Moon. Technology did not allow him that
privilege, but he did see many of this predictions about the
exploration of space start coming to pass before he passed away in
1988 a quarter million miles away from his goal. But goals in space
are not about dying, they're about living... about doing all of the
things (in one form or another) above the Earth that we are used to
doing upon it.
For the time being, blazing that trail to the heavens is going
to take people of uncommon courage and character... and now and
then, they will be forced to give up their lives because the most
important things this race has ever accomplished have always come
with risk. And the greater the act, the greater the risk.
Astronauts are people who are involved in great acts... upon behalf
of all the peoples of the world.
While the pain of the moment is real... we must also note that
these were people who knew the risks they took on, but also saw and
did amazing things. And if one had to leave this life, doing so
after nearly sixteen days among the heavens and wonders of the
universe is hardly the worst way one can be called to meet God. I
hope they had fun, I hope they were excited, and thrilled, and
filled with a sense of accomplishment... and I pray that the last
thing they saw was the cool green hills of Earth, and that they
left this life gently and without distress.
The pursuit of space will undoubtedly be attacked as a result of
this tragedy. Let the myopic naysayers not dissuade you. Space
exploration is important to us all. Space exploration improves our
quality of life. Space exploration feeds people. Space exploration
makes this planet more livable. Space exploration helps us
understand more about virtually every science we pursue. Space
exploration is inextricably linked to what makes us human beings.
Space exploration defines us as a species, and magnifies our souls
beyond measure. Space exploration is a vital part of our future...
and for all these reasons and many more, space exploration not only
needs to continue, but needs to be expanded so that more and more
people will know its benefits, glories and (yes!)
responsibilities.
We can't let this tragedy keep us from our collective destiny.
We must learn what we can, fix what we must, and get on with the
journey.
Onward.
Forward.
Faster.
Farther.
But... we must make some big changes for the
future... we must expand this adventure and quit flying twenty year
old spaceships that were poor compromises from the get-go... we
must work to commercialize space in every way so that the benefits
to come will be realized as economically and swiftly as possible,
and we must broaden our horizons--it is an abysmal shame that
thirty years have passed since man last walked on the moon and that
no feasible plans exist for us to even explore the rest of our own
solar system, much less the stars. It's time to quit taking baby
steps and run toward our destiny and take our place among the
stars.
This is what we must do... for those we grieve for, and for
those of us left to carry on. It is the human thing to do.
-- J.R. Campbell, ANN Editor-In-Chief